A woman decided she had had enough after two men claimed to have a gun as they robbed her in the street near 22nd Ave E and E John late on a Friday night, earlier this month. According to the SPD report on the March 19th incident, the woman fought back after the two men had already taken her cell phone. The report says that the men implied they had a gun telling the woman they would “blow her brains out” if she moved. As one man reached into her front pocket to grab her wallet, the woman turned and saw that the other man was not holding a gun. At that, she grabbed her knife out of her back pocket and sent the men running west on Denny toward Madison, according to the report.

The suspects were both described as black males, 150 pounds, 5’9″ and wearing hoodies and dark, baggy jeans at the time of the attack. Officers found two men nearby who matched the description and drove the woman by for identification but she said the men were not her attackers. The report notes that both men were placed under arrest “for a different crime.”

The incident is another in a string of sometimes violent street and business robberies happening on the Hill. Here are the monthly totals so far in 2010 for armed robberies and strong-arm robberies included in reports released to the public by the Seattle Police Department. For March’s totals, we have included three additional incidents that happened this week that have not yet been released by SPD.

Wednesday we reported on this would-be car thief getting busted after jumping a man for his keys on Broadway. Here are the other most recent March street robberies and attempts we’ve covered:

• Men wield chain as weapon in Monday morning strong arm street robbery
• Woman escapes attempted purse snatch at Mercer and Harvard
• Blotter: Purse snatcher targets drunk woman on Belmont Ave
• Man beat with tire iron in brutal E. Prospect street robbery

Only one of these five yet appear on our new SeattleCrime maps as SPD has not yet released the officer reports on the incidents (and one won’t be included because it was only an attempt). SPD typically doesn’t make the full reports available until a week or more after the crime — and, even then, some sensitive reports are withheld. But seeing the incidents recorded thus far in 2010 will give you some idea of the problem areas on the Hill:

2010 Strong-arm robbery reports (street + business)

2010 Armed robbery reports (street + business)

While the armed incidents appear mostly south of John and Thomas, the recent attack near 18th and Prospect and the relatively wide distribution of strong-arm robberies shows that this is a full-Hill problem. It’s a good time to not walk alone late at night, to stick to busier streets and go with your instinct if you see something ahead on the street that gives you concern. It’s also a good time to consider statistics. We live in an incredibly dense area. While each violent attack is cause for concern, you should also remember just how safe Capitol Hill still is. Be cautious but don’t be scared.