Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

BREAKING: A woman has died after a hit-and-run crash Monday evening

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) A woman has died after being struck by a driver who then fled the scene, according to police.

Viviana Oxlaj Pérez was walking near the Thomas Jefferson Community Center around 7:30 p.m. Monday when the driver of a truck struck her and then drove off, a family member told ARLnow.

Police and medics quickly responded and treated the critically injured woman, but she later died at the hospital.

Police closed the intersection of 2nd Street S. and S. Glebe Road, in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, for about two hours to investigate the hit-and-run crash.

An online fundraiser was established for Oxlaj Pérez early Tuesday morning by her daughter, Hilary Lopez Oxlaj.

Reached by phone, Lopez Oxlaj said her mother was walking across the street with her bike, on her way to the nearby 7-Eleven store, when the driver blew through a stop sign at the intersection and struck her.

Lopez Oxlaj said her mother, who was 53, had lived near the Arlington Career Center for 17 years and was known as the “lady with the bike” who sells cold drinks and ice cream to soccer players at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center fields.

“She was a mother who worked very hard,” she said. “Everyone knew her as a very kind woman.”

Oxlaj Pérez was a married mother of six and frequent churchgoer, who would often donate food to people who were struggling, her daughter said.

Lopez Oxlaj hopes that her mother’s generosity is returned so the family can afford funeral expenses.

“We are collecting funds to… send my mother’s body to Guatemala,” Lopez Oxlaj wrote on the GoFundMe page. “She was a very hardworking lady fighting every day… Please ask for your help, it will be a great blessing.”

As of 11 a.m. the page had raised nearly $3,000 of its $25,000 goal from a few dozen donors.

Police said Tuesday morning that officers arrested the alleged driver, a 62-year-old Arlington man, after finding the striking vehicle about a mile away from the crash scene. Alcohol is “believed to be a factor in the crash,” according to police. The man is now facing numerous charges.

More from an ACPD press release, below.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The Italian Store and Westover after sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

House Fire Near Columbia Pike — From ACFD last night: “Units are on the scene of a working structure fire in the 3100 BLK of 15th St S. Avoid the area.” [Twitter]

Will ‘NaLa’ Catch On?  — “At first, it showed up on freebie water bottles. Then it made its way onto rainbow shirts for Pride Month. In June, it popped up on Instagram as a hashtag, and in July, it was suddenly plastered on the surfboard and silver Airstream set up in a grassy patch of Arlington, declaring to the commuters, dog walkers and joggers strutting by that their neighborhood had earned a new nickname: NaLa.” [Washington Post]

Will Home Prices Fall? — “The real-estate industry’s equivalent of the ‘f-word’ – ‘falling,’ as in ‘falling prices’ – is beginning to be used across the nation even by some who earlier felt that the homes market would withstand economic pressures without seeing declines in sales prices. But in the local area, one expert believes that localities remain largely insulated from the prospect of dropping prices over the near term.” [Sun Gazette]

Latin Masses Curtailed — “Thirteen parishes in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, must stop offering Traditional Latin Masses come Sept. 8 under new rules issued Friday by Bishop Michael J. Burbidge to conform with Pope Francis’ liturgical directives. Under the rules, eight other parishes may continue to offer Masses in what is called the Extraordinary Form, but five of those may only do so in other locations besides their churches, including school buildings and a former church.” [Catholic News Agency]

Arlington Man Wins Jeopardy! — Luigi de Guzman, an attorney from Arlington, won Friday’s episode of TV quiz show Jeopardy! with a final score of $23,401. [J! Archive]

Summer School Success — “There were the inevitable glitches, but it appears Arlington Public Schools’ soon-to-wrap-up summer-school program was a relatively smooth endeavor. ‘We’re really excited about all of the great learning,’ Superintendent Francisco Durán said in an update to School Board members on the effort, which attracted 3,152 students, ‘the vast majority’ in person, Durán said.” [Sun Gazette]

Monday Was Dark Star Park Day — From the Rosslyn BID: “While the clouds parted a little later than 9:32AM, we were glad to watch this year’s Dark Star Park Day alignment with all of you!” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Humid throughout the day. High of 89 and low of 75. Sunrise at 6:12 am and sunset at 8:20 pm. [Weather.gov]

Police investigating early morning stabbing in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was stabbed in Clarendon shortly before bar closing time over the weekend.

The stabbing happened around 1:45 a.m. Sunday along the 3000 block of Wilson Blvd, a busy stretch amid the neighborhood’s bar district, just down the block from the Metro station entrance.

“Upon arrival, officers located the male victim suffering from a laceration and began providing emergency medical care until the arrival of medics,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report.

Police say the man was stabbed after a verbal dispute with two people he did not know escalated into a fight.

“The investigation determined the victim and two unknown suspects became involved in a verbal dispute which escalated into a physical altercation, during which the victim was stabbed,” said the crime report. “The victim was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening.”

Both suspects fled the scene in a white SUV, police say. Officers searched the area but could not locate them nor the vehicle.

“Suspect One is described as a Black Male, approximately 5’11 tall with dreadlocks wearing a white shirt and blue jeans,” the crime report continues. “Suspect Two is described as a Black or Hispanic male, in his early 20s to mid-30s, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. The investigation is ongoing.”

Police investigating attack in Shirlington by scooter-riding kids

By ARLnow.com
Intersection of S. Quincy Street and Campbell Avenue in Shirlington (via Google Maps)

A trio of scooter-riding teens or tweens attacked and seriously injured someone in Shirlington early Friday morning, according to police.

The incident happened shortly before 5 a.m. near the intersection of S. Quincy Street and Campbell Avenue. The motive for the alleged attack is unclear.

“At 4:52 a.m. on July 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the male victim was walking in the area when three unknown juvenile male suspects approached and assaulted him. The suspects then fled the scene on scooters.”

Police described the victim’s injuries as “serious but non-life threatening.” He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

ARLnow asked police for more information about the attack and whether anything was taken from the victim.

“Nothing was reported stolen,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The investigation is ongoing and police continue to work to determine the events that preceded the assault.”

Savage said the victim described the suspects as “possibly middle to high school-aged.”

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A rainbow in the sky without the rain (photo courtesy Leslie Koch)

Saturday Afternoon’s Painted Sky — From the Capital Weather Gang: “A couple more nice examples of this circumhorizon arc being see all over the DMV. We wrote about these a few years ago… not uncommon high in the sky around midday during summer.” [Twitter]

Local Woman Harassed in Metro Station — “A 21-year-old woman is sharing the frightening experience she had when a stranger yelled at and harassed her for 10-straight minutes at a Metro station this week in Washington, D.C. Helen Molteni, of Arlington, Virginia, said she was on the platform at the Foggy Bottom station when a man came up to her and started harassing her.” [NBC 4]

Va. Attorney General Visits — “Virginia’s attorney general met with local nonprofit groups in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday for a roundtable listening session about addressing poverty and community needs… Miyares was joined by representatives from the Office of the Attorney General and the Arlington County police in sitting down with members of various faith organizations and nonprofit programs, including Arlington Bridge Builders, a local community coalition with the mission of helping people in need.” [WTOP]

APS Students Top National Competition — “Lina Barclay and Ellie Nix, two Arlington Tech graduates from the Arlington Career Center, won the first-place gold medal in the Television (Video) Production contest at the annual National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta. Barclay and Nix represented Virginia in this contest and competed against 37 other teams across the United States.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Are These Pike Apartments Historic? — “Members of the Arlington Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) have opted against moving forward, for now, on a proposal to confer historic-district status on a 70-year-old apartment compound in the Arlington Mill neighborhood. But the buildings may end up preserved, nonetheless.” [Sun Gazette]

Rents Keep Rising Rapidly — “The median rental price for an Arlington apartment grew 2.8 percent from June to July, according to new data, ranking the county third nationally among the 100 largest urban areas in terms of price growth. With the increase, Arlington’s median rent now stands at $2,121 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,538 for two bedrooms.” [Sun Gazette]

Crash at Infamous I-395 Exit — From Dave Statter: “Another considerate driver signals before making a left turn across 4 lanes of I-395S. But their #8CDash came to an abrupt halt when the driver in the last lane somehow didn’t see that signal — or just didn’t believe what they were seeing.” [Twitter]

Office to Apartment Conversions Ramp Up — “‘There really hasn’t been a time like right now, where office is on the decline to the point that [an empty building] is basically the same value as just the land,’ says Lindsay Stroud, a structured-finance broker with the commercial real-estate firm Savills. One possible solution: more office-to-residential conversions like Park & Ford.” [Washingtonian]

It’s August 1 — Partly cloudy throughout the day, with spotty rain possible later. High of 86 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:11 am and sunset at 8:21 pm. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy Leslie Koch

Most-read Arlington stories of the week: July 25-29

By ARLnow.com
Hawkers, an Asian street food bistro, is opening in Ballston Exchange (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After a cloudy, humid and, well, gross day weather-wise today, sunnier and more pleasant weather is on tap for this weekend.

Enjoy it while it lasts. More storms and then more heat are on tap for next week.

As we head into the weekend, there is a notable traffic situation happening just north of Ballston. A crash has left a vehicle on its side along N. Glebe Road at 16th Street N., as seen in the following tweet by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

Weather and flipped cars aside, here are the top 10 most-read ARLnow stories of the week so far.

  1. Gun store coming to former cafe space in Clarendon
  2. Hawkers Asian Street Food set to open next week in Ballston
  3. When the Ballston Silver Diner opens this fall, the long-time Clarendon location will close
  4. Police, prosecutor trade accusations after suspect in botched case is accused of murder
  5. Ballston’s Buffalo Wild Wings appears to be closing
  6. Ballston Quarter to hold free international food festival this weekend
  7. Ruthie’s All-Day and owners of Shirlington’s ChiKo were served up RAMMY wins last night
  8. Arlington ‘newbie’ discovers life’s simple pleasures through popular Facebook group
  9. Eight tasty cold treats to beat the heat in Arlington
  10. Man arrested for randomly pepper spraying people on Columbia Pike

Feel free to discuss these stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Enjoy the weekend!

Another spate of airbag thefts, this time in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating another series of airbag thefts.

The latest series was reported on the 1900 block of S. Eads Street in Crystal City just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday. A tipster tells us that thieves appeared to target Honda Civics parked at the Crystal House apartment complex.

More from an ACPD crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO, (Series), 2022-07280041, 1900 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 5:21 a.m. on July 28, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 8:00 p.m. on July 27 and 5:15 a.m. on July 28, the unknown suspect(s) smashed the windows to ten vehicles. Air bags were stolen from seven of the vehicles and tires were stolen from two of the vehicles. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

The seven airbag thefts reported yesterday are in addition to the nearly three dozen reported earlier this month in several Arlington neighborhoods, including Rosslyn and Pentagon City. Those thefts targeted Honda and Acura vehicles, police said.

On the same block of S. Eads Street yesterday morning, meanwhile, officers responded to another crime: an alleged break-in attempt at a business. A 57-year-old suspect was arrested and is being held without bond on charges of Unlawful Entry and Possession of Burglarious Tools, police say.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2022-07280259, 1900 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 10:57 a.m. on July 28, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. The investigation determined the suspect allegedly attempted to force entry into a business before fleeing the area on a bicycle when a witness confronted him. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the area of the 2000 block of S. Fern Street and took him into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, burglarious tools were located on the suspect’s person and within his property.

Open houses in Arlington this weekend

By ARLnow.com

Welcome to the last weekend in July and a new round of open houses to explore.

There are currently 599 homes for sale in Arlington, according to Homesnap. Of those homes for sale, 342 are condos, 208 are detached homes and 49 are townhomes. The last 4 weeks saw 235 sales and 186 new listings.

Here’s a look at some of the open houses taking place in Arlington this weekend:

  • 1916 N. Underwood Street
    7 BR/6.5 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Finished basement, carriage house garage, hardwood floors
    Listed: $2,299,900
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (KW Metro Center)
  • 5130 38th Street N.
    4 BR/3 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Back deck with stairs, gas fireplace, fenced backyard
    Listed: $1,525,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Kelly Basheer Garrett – TTR Sotheby’s International Realty)
  • 4916 17th Street N.
    3 BR/3 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Expander upper level, gas fireplace, fenced backyard
    Listed: $1,200,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (Nancy Kane – Weichert Realtors)
  • 859 N. Kentucky Street
    4 BR/3 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Remodeled, 2 wood burning fireplaces, patio
    Listed: $950,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m. (Melissa Davis – RE/MAX West End)
  • 1109 N. Rochester Street
    3 BR/2.5 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Brick patio, remodeled bathroom, carport
    Listed: $869,000
    Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m. (David Lloyd – Weichert Realtors)
  • 3800 Langston Boulevard #306
    2 BR/2.5 BA Condo
    Noteworthy: Two levels, two balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows
    Listed: $750,000
    Open: Sunday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. (Kathleen Fong – KW Metro Center)

See all Arlington open house listings here.

Want your open house to appear here? You can now submit sponsored listings.

5130 38th Street N.

* Denotes sponsored listing

5130 38th Street N. image via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The sunset reflected in the rain, as seen from Pentagon City (photo courtesy Dave Statter)

Guilty Plea in 1998 Murder — “The case of Andrea Cincotta, a librarian and single mother who was found dead in her Arlington apartment, remained an unsolved mystery for nearly 24 years… On Wednesday, [Bobby Joe Leonard] pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge, admitting that he strangled Cincotta to death more than two decades ago. And he claimed he did so hoping to be paid by a man he believed to be Cincotta’s boyfriend.” [Washington Post]

Metro Upping Rail Service on Local Lines — “Welcome news for customers who ride the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. As of Aug 1, trains will arrive every 15 minutes on weekdays, matching service on the Green and Yellow lines. For most customers, the wait for a train will be no longer than 5-8 minutes, as most stations are served by at least two if not all three lines.” [WMATA]

Meteor Over Arlington — “Bright meteor from west Arlington, looking WNW tonight!” [Twitter]

Prohibition Tour of Arlington — “Arlington’s wholesome present hides some scandals of the past. You don’t even want to think of the vice – gambling, prostitution, you name it – that raged unchecked in Rosslyn… Park historian John McNair will lead a short walking tour on the Clarendon area on Aug. 12 at 3 p.m., detailing stories of local bootleggers and the government agents who attempted to stop them.” [Sun Gazette]

Fall Rec Class Catalog Released — “Special Delivery – ENJOY Arlington. We are excited to provide you with recreation, nature and history programs this fall.” [Dept. of Parks and Recreation]

F.C. Is Wealthiest Place in Va. — “According to a study from SmartAsset released this week, Falls Church residents rank the wealthiest in Virginia. The study assessed wealth by comparing counties across three categories: the amount of investment income residents receive, total per capita income and the median home value… After Falls Church, Arlington County and Fairfax County follow in second and third place for the top 10 wealthiest localities in Virginia.” [Falls Church News-Press]

It’s Friday — Rain and storms — some potentially severe — in the afternoon, evening and overnight. High of 85 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:08 am and sunset at 8:24 pm. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy Dave Statter

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Posh

By ARLnow.com
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Give a round of applause to the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week, Posh! Posh is a pretty and petite girl who loves playing with her sister Sporty.

Her friends at Animal Welfare League of Arlington, had this to say about Posh:

Posh is all personality and curiosity with petite and pretty features.

While she may start out a little shy, she is very curious and will explore her surroundings and show the way to her sister Sporty. She will follow you and likes to talk, especially while you walk into another room. She loves to chase her feather toys and jump on the chair and look out the window. She and her sister are very playful with one another and chase each other room to room. Posh enjoys ‘surprise attacking’ her sister throughout the day.

As much as they love to play with another and you, they are also loving and sweet and will sleep/snuggle together in their bed(s) or other household furniture.

Are you looking for a Posh and Sporty to complete your girl group? To set up a virtual meet and greet, check out her complete profile.

These two girls are ready for their next adventure!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Man arrested for randomly pepper spraying people on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 12:05 p.m.) A local man is in jail after police say he sprayed four people with pepper spray along Columbia Pike for no apparent reason.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday) near the Bob & Edith’s diner at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Wayne Street.

According to police, the man first struck the driver of a car that was waiting at the intersection, then sprayed the driver and another occupant “with what was believed to be pepper spray.”

The 38-year-old suspect then assaulted a woman who was walking in the area and sprayed her and another woman with the chemical irritant, according to police.

Three of the victims were taken to a local hospital, while the suspect was taken into custody “without incident,” police said.

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

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-07270109, Columbia Pike and S. Wayne Street. At approximately 11:35 a.m. on July 27, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred. The investigation determined the male suspect allegedly approached a vehicle at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Veitch Street, struck the driver and sprayed both of the vehicle’s occupants with what was believed to be pepper spray. The suspect continued along Columbia Pike where he approached two female victims walking in the area, assaulted one and sprayed both with what was believed to be pepper spray. A lookout was broadcast and officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. Medics responded to the scene and evaluated the four victims with three being transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening. Wade Westmoreland, 38, of No Fixed Address was charged with Malicious Wounding by Caustic Agent (x4) and Assault and Battery (x2). He was held without bond.

Court records show the suspect, Wade Westmoreland, was previously released on his own recognizance after an arrest in May 2021.

He was charged with destruction of property and multiple counts of assaulting police and obstructing justice after police say he jumped on the hood of a stopped car in the Ballston area, smashed the windshield, and later “became physically combative with officers.”

Westmoreland was charged with failure to appear in court in May of this year, in connection with the case.

He’s due back in court for the latest and the previous in September and October, respectively. He was previously charged in Arlington with vehicle theft in 2017 and public intoxication in 2021, according to court records.

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