Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a 61-year-old GOP congressman from New Jersey, was pick-pocketed in Georgetown on Thursday night but, true to his party’s tough-on-crime stance, chased down and caught the 18-year-old suspect.  Nearby police saw the chase and made an arrest.

A police spokesman confirmed to a local news station that "something like that occurred [Thursday] in Georgetown," but he would not confirm that a congressman was involved, saying he could not "identify the surviving victim of any crime."  He stuck with the policy of victim anonymity although in this case it may not matter since, as the spokesman noted, "I understand the victim has been calling the news media and telling them his story."

Frelinghuysen or his press secretary may be working this behind the scenes, but his web site does not (yet) have a reference to the incident.  The most recent press release is entitled "Immigration: We are a Nation of Laws," which is sort of related, possibly.  The latest news report on the congressman’s site announces that another $1 million in federal funds has been secured to build a visitor’s center for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, located in the congressman’s district.  That does not seem related, except the Great Swamp might be a good place to put 18-year-old pickpockets.  Put them to work at the visitor’s center, I mean.

Link: Yahoo! News