Today we begin our annual countdown of the top stories in Arlington in the past year.
The list reflects the articles with the most page views in 2012. Crime was a major theme this year, whereas the story selection was a bit more varied last year. Unlike in years past, not a single restaurant-related article made it on our list. (At #28, with 9,687 views, the news that World of Beer was coming to Ballston was our most-viewed restaurant story.)
Note that this year the view count in the articles themselves might be significantly different from the page view numbers listed here; ever since our website redesign, the public view counts have been much lower than the actual view counts (as measured directly by Google). Our web developers are still working to fix this.
Our list will be divided into three parts, with the other two parts to be published Thursday and Friday. Here are top stories No. 11-15:
15. ACPD: Woman Raped on Four Mile Run Trail (11,547 views) — A 23-year-old woman was jogging along the Four Mile Run Trail near Glencarlyn park when a man with a kitchen knife grabbed her, pulled her into some tall vegetation and sexually assaulted her. The suspect was reported to have a small head and a high-pitched voice.
14. Police Investigate Murder-Suicide (11,897 views) — Two people were found dead in an apartment near Fairlington, in what was determined by police to be a murder-suicide. The victims were later identified as Xiomara Benitez, 30, and Juan Carlos Mox Mox, 30, both of Arlington. Police identified Benitez as the victim and Mox Mox as the subject. They were married with two children, according to police.
13. Major Accident on Washington Blvd in Ballston (12,003 views) — Three people were sent to the hospital after a serious ten-vehicle wreck in Ballston. An out-of-control SUV ended up on top of a convertible as a result of the accident, which snarled evening rush hour traffic. The SUV driver was later charged with reckless driving.
12. Police Investigate Stabbing Near Clarendon (13,115 views) — A man suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of a brutal stabbing in broad daylight near Clarendon. The victim was stabbed outside the Pio Pio restaurant on Wilson Boulevard after police say he chased a man who was trying to break into his car. In November, police arrested 28-year-old Elin Daniel Reyes of Arlington for the crime.
11. Englin Blasts GOP Bill for Requiring ‘Vaginal Penetration’ (13,197 views) — Del. David Englin (D) spoke out against a bill that had just passed the Virginia House of Delegates, in what would become the signature state legislative controversy of 2012. Del. Englin issued a statement blasting Virginia Republicans for the bill, which would have required women seeking an abortion to undergo an invasive “transvaginal” ultrasound. After a furor that made national news, the state legislature would later pass a watered-down version of the bill which only required an external ultrasound. Englin would later resign after admitting to an extramarital affair.