Author: ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of early morning incidents involving guns over the weekend.

The first happened shortly after midnight on Saturday, when a pickup truck driver allegedly ran a red light, nearly struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road, and then brandished a gun during a dispute with the pedestrian.

The incident happened near Thomas Jefferson Middle School, at the intersection of 2nd Street S. and S. Glebe Road. That’s a block from where the driver of a truck struck and killed a woman last summer.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

BRANDISHING, 2023-03180012, 2nd Street S. at S. Glebe Road. At approximately 12:20 a.m. on March 18, police were dispatched to the report of an attempted robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was crossing the roadway when the driver of a white pickup truck allegedly ran a red light and almost struck him. A verbal dispute ensued between the victim and suspect, during which the suspect exited the vehicle and brandished a firearm. When the victim called police, the suspect disconnected the call before reentering the vehicle and fleeing the scene. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’3″, 150 pounds, approximately 30-40 years old, with short black hair and a mustache, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. The investigation is ongoing.

Also in the crime report, police are investigating an early morning Sunday incident in which the passenger of a car allegedly fired gunshots into the air near the county sewage plant along S. Glebe Road.

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-03190050, S. Glebe Road at S. Hayes Street. At approximately 3:20 a.m. on March 19, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, it was determined a witness was walking in the area when he observed the passenger of a passing vehicle discharge a firearm into the air. Responding officers recovered evidence in the roadway confirming shots had been fired. Officers canvassed the area for any injuries or property damage yielding negative results. The suspect vehicle is described as a white sedan with heavily-tinted windows. The investigation is ongoing.

More on Rock Creek Park Crash Victims — “A Lyft driver and his two passengers were the men killed in a crash with an SUV that had just fled a traffic stop on Rock Creek Parkway early Wednesday morning… One of the two young men riding in the Lyft was 22-year-old Olvin Torres Velasquez, who worked at a restaurant in Arlington. Family and friends gathered Thursday to remember him… The other passenger killed in the rideshare was 23-year-old Jonathan Cabrera Mendez. He and Velasquez were on their way home to Arlington after a night out in D.C.” [NBC 4]

Arlington Election Straw Poll — “For County Board, Maureen Coffey led the field with 28 votes, followed by J.D. Spain Sr. (25), Susan Cunningham (19), Natalie Roy (18), Tony Weaver (15) and Jonathan Dromgoole (nine)… For commonwealth’s attorney, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti scored 52 votes to Josh Katcher’s 12.” [Gazette Packet]

Board Meeting Draws 200+ Speakers — “Arlington residents showed up in large numbers at the county board meeting on Saturday to express their opinions on zoning changes that could radically change the county’s single-family neighborhoods. Nearly 250 people signed up to speak about the effort to create expanded housing options.” [Patch, Twitter]

Post Editorial Supports Missing Middle — “As dismay with out-of-reach real-estate prices stacks up across the country, there’s hope that an overdue consensus might start to harden on a key point: That America’s pastoral ideal of a home and a spacious backyard cannot coexist with thriving metro areas. Plowing forward with the fantasy will cause only more dislocation, more unsustainable mortgages and more two-hour commutes. One San Francisco is enough.” [Washington Post]

Driver Crashes into Pedestrian Bridge — “A man drove his car into an abutment of the Jackson Street Pedestrian Bridge across Route 50 near the Thomas Jefferson Community and Fitness Center early Thursday morning and then crashed into a bollard along a jogging path near the bridge, according to the Arlington County Police Department… According to a witness, the driver appeared to be trying to drive his Mini Cooper onto the pedestrian bridge over Route 50 to N. Jackson Street. But after failing to make it onto the pedestrian bridge, the man then drove along the community center’s walking and jogging path toward S. Irving Street, where he struck a large yellow steel bollard.” [Patch]

A Stuck Elevator Is Not Uncommon — “Little known fact: people get stuck in elevators with surprising frequency… elevators get stuck with some regularity in Arlington (which has lots of elevators). ACFD was just dispatched to another one, this one at National Airport.” [Twitter]

Metro Upping Rail Service — “Starting Monday, March 20, Metro will begin increasing train service across the rail system just in time for peak cherry blossom season. Weekday service will see an infusion of trains, as well as weekends. Additional trains will also run as needed during the Cherry Blossom Festival as crowding is monitored during peak bloom. The improvements correspond to growing ridership, with new post-pandemic records being set almost daily.” [WMATA]

Nearby: Retail and Restaurant Changes — A small-format Target store is closing in Falls Church, and a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seven Corners appears to be close to opening. [Patch, Twitter]

It’s Monday — Cold to start the morning and clear throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 29. Sunrise at 7:13 am and sunset at 7:21 pm. [Weather.gov]