Learn · Sentences Reporting a Crime
The criminal fled the scene before the police arrived.
B1Sentence
The criminal fled the scene before the police arrived.
Study notes
How to use in different contexts
Reporting News
The criminal fled the scene before police arrived, witnesses reported.
Describing an Event
The suspect quickly escaped the area before law enforcement could apprehend him.
Legal Context
The defendant's hasty departure from the crime scene was noted in the police report.
Fictional Narrative
Just as the sirens wailed in the distance, the figure melted into the shadows, leaving the scene untouched.
Rephrased versions
Formal
The perpetrator absconded from the location prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
Casual
The guy ran off before the cops showed up.
Simpler English
The criminal ran away before the police got there.
Phrases to learn
fled the scene
To run away from a place, especially after committing a crime.
before the police arrived
Prior to the police's arrival at a location.