Penn, who was working for the Obama administration as a staffer until he quit in April to film another Harold and Kumar flick, earned himself some D.C. street cred when he was robbed at gunpoint later that month. The White House recently announced he'd be returning to the Office of Public Engagement as an associate director.

But is Penn glad to be back? He was sauntering the 1500 block of S Street NW at around 1:30 a.m. one night last spring, when, according to a police report, he was stripped of his valuables, including a BlackBerry and iPhone. City Desk asked him about the mugging via e-mail, and the celebrity shot back a message that indicated he couldn't talk about it. But he also seemed a little frustrated. "In terms of the robbery, my understanding is that since it’s an ongoing (albeit absurdly slow) investigation, I can’t comment on anything related to it at the moment," Penn wrote.

The "absurdly slow" investigation Penn is lamenting is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office. In June, City Desk has discovered, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Marcellus Chambers for the mugging.

According to an arrest warrant,  the alleged stick-up man used Penn's bank card at "numerous locations along the Georgia Ave. NW corridor approximately an hour after the robbery." At one of those locations Chambers was caught on video. His license plate was also captured.

Later, cops tracked a signal from Penn's stolen iPhone to the "area of Warder and Otis Streets NW." But "due to a weak signal," they were unable to pinpoint the phone's exact location. It was in the proximity of Chambers' address in the 700 block of Quincy Street NW, however. Responding to a disorderly conduct call on that block several days later, cops happened upon Chambers, who was sitting in a Toyota Camry. They busted him.

About a month later, Penn was asked to identify Chambers in a photo array. But he couldn't be sure Chambers was the guy. "After viewing the array C1 stated, number 4 resembles the person who robbed me, without 100% certain[t]y," the MPD report says.

Arrested for robbery while armed, Chambers has been released on high-intensity supervision. No word yet on whether Penn ever got his iPhone back.

Update: U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson William Miller says he declines comment on the specifics of the case because it remains pending and the investigation is continuing, but says his office "has missed no deadlines and is well within legal timelines."

Photo by SAITOR, Creative Commons Attribution License

That's according to the official police report of the incident, obtained by City Desk.

Another tidbit you might not already know about Penn's hugely publicized mugging back on April 20:  the actor, 33, whom the report identifies by his given name, Kalpen Suresh Modi, not only handed over his iPhone and Blackberry (one reportedly owned by the U.S. government), $180 in cash, three credit/debit cards, his D.C. driver's license, and his federal I.D. card. He also relinquished a personal item listed under "purse, briefcase, wallet, backpack," bearing the label "Roots," which cops further described as black in color and made of "cloth & velcro."

City Desk presumes police are referring to "Canada’s leading lifestyle brand."

The investigation is ongoing.

Photo by SAITOR, Creative Commons Attribution License

While walking past a convenience store last  week, I noticed a sign that borderline panicked: “Get your vanilla cigarettes before they are banned!” The sign nearly inspired my non-smoking self into stockpiling like it was 1999, but it appears I am too late. The FDA has banned the sale of flavored tobacco, three months after President Barack Obama agreed to let the FDA regulate tobacco products. What’s so wrong with having a little “Warm Winter Toffee” with your lung cancer? According to the New York Times, 17-year-olds are three times more likely than those over 25 to smoke the flavored cigarettes.

There’s been a mysterious spike in shoplifting around Dupont Circle. One clerk told WJLA: “The kids have gotten out of control…don’t they have supervision?”

There was also some young and restless vigilante justice on U Street recently when three 20-somethings chased down a would-be mugger and tackled him in front of Nellie’s Sports Bar. A witness told the blog Borderstan: “I would not want to be that mugger when word gets around that he was turned into a bitch in front of cheering queens.” Smart? No. Awesome entertainment for U Street's tipsy hipsters (tongue twister...)? Undoubtedly.

There were three homicides in the District last weekend, in SW, SE and NE. All three victims were under the age of 20.

Arguably over-played Brooklyn Indie gods MGMT played a free concert on Sunday at KIA Warehouse – to get tickets, you had to test drive a KIA Soul. Eyewitness reports indicate people were lined up for hours to do just that, which doesn't explain all the teeny boppers in the audience...

The New York Times helpfully offers “5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook." My personal favorite: “Keep your profile to friends only.” Great in theory, but how am I supposed to stalk other people? Should be replaced with: “Never, ever become friends with your parents.”

WTOP reports that Mika Brzezinski, the coolest thing about MSNBC's "Morning Joe," was mugged this morning outside a D.C. hotel. She was heading to interview Mayor Fenty about the inauguration:

"Without naming the hotel, her co-host Joe Scarborough blasted D.C. on the show the two co-host, 'Morning Joe.'

The mugging, Brzezinski says, happened as she waited for a car to pick her up for the 6 a.m. broadcast. She says she was embarrassed by what happened and complained the bell desk should have been paying attention.

Brzezinski gave the mugger the $6 in cash she had on her, although he asked for $20.

Fenty, who was on the show to talk about the inauguration, assured her the matter would be investigated."

There's tons more details on Huffington Post. Poor Fenty! He goes on a morning chat show and gets blasted. Embarrassing.

*photo courtesy of Huffington Post.