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Fmr. Arlington State Dept. Employee Sentenced on Child Porn Charges

Published October 19, 2018 at 2:05PM

An Alexandria man who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges was sentenced today to 26 years in federal prison.

Skydance MacMahon, who worked as a Digital Media Administrator for the State Department in Arlington, conspired with a Canadian woman to “produce over a thousand sexually explicit images and videos of minor children in Canada,” federal prosecutors said. As previously reported, he did so in part using a work-issued cell phone.

The Arlington County Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office assisted in the case, as did Canadian authorities and various federal agencies.

More from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:

An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for production of child pornography.

According to court documents, over at least a two year period, Skydance MacMahon, 45, conspired with an adult in Canada to produce over a thousand sexually explicit images and videos of minor children in Canada. These images and videos were produced at the direction of MacMahon using Skype and hidden cameras as well as overt recording. MacMahon distributed these image and video files to other users and consumers of child pornography by providing access to the files on his cloud storage services and also by directly sending the files to other users. In addition to the child pornography images and videos MacMahon himself created, he also received and possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.

During the time he committed these offenses, MacMahon was a Digital Media Administrator at the Foreign Services Institute of the U.S. Department of State in Arlington.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell prosecuted the case.

Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General’s Cyber Forensic Division, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Halifax Regional Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Special Prosecution Section, the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, the Arlington County Police Department, and the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Flickr photo by Joe Gratz

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 19, 2018 at 9:00AM

Renewed HQ2 Buzz — The New York Times has published a lengthy look at Crystal City, which is being discussed as a frontrunner to land Amazon’s second headquarters. “All of the signs are pointing to Crystal City,” one of the people quoted in the article said. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reports that only some of the 20 HQ2 finalist cities — including New York City, Newark, N.J., Chicago and the D.C. area — have received second visits from Amazon officials. [New York Times, Wall Street Journal]

Former Wizard Selling Home in Arlington — Former Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat has listed his house in Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood for $1.9 million. [Real House Life of Arlington]

Upton Hill Park Caught in Complaint Crossfire — After acceding to demands of tree advocates and scrapping plans for a 17-space parking lot at Upton Hill Park, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority is now facing opposition to its proposed park upgrades from nearby residents worried that the lack of additional parking will cause more vehicles to be parked in the neighborhood. [InsideNova]

New Option for Commuting to Arlington — “Sameride, a ridesharing app that allows drivers and passengers to offer and request rides, has launched a new route from Herndon, Reston and Loudoun County to Arlington and the District.” [Reston Now]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

BREAKING: Arlington Man Arrested After Sexual Assault, Homicide in Douglas Park

By ARLnow.com

Published October 19, 2018 at 12:55AM | Updated October 19, 2018 at 11:32AM

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) An Arlington man has been arrested and now faces accusations of a litany of crimes from sexual assault to murder to robbery after a night of violence in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

The reported crime spree started shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday in the area of Doctor’s Run Park, south of Columbia Pike.

Police say 27-year-old Michael Nash was sexually assaulting a woman along the 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive when a witness, 54-year-old Arlington resident Patricio Salazar, tried to intervene. The suspect then allegedly struck Salazar, who was knocked unconscious and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Nash fled the scene and robbed a woman of her cell phone as he fled, according to police. Officers and a police helicopter searched the area and eventually apprehended Nash near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive.

Nash is now facing multiple charges, with additional charges pending. This was the second reported homicide in Arlington so far this year.

Frost Advisory in Effect Friday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Published October 18, 2018 at 5:45PM | Updated October 18, 2018 at 6:34PM

A Frost Advisory is in effect for Arlington and surrounding areas overnight tonight.

The National Weather Service says near-freezing temperatures early Friday morning could harm sensitive plants that are left uncovered.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 18, 2018 at 9:00AM

More Housing Coming to Pentagon City — Developer LCOR is working on plans for a new apartment building in Pentagon City, to be built on a site that currently houses a blocky, low-slung building containing Verizon telecommunications infrastructure. Arlington has seen “a rising demand for luxury rentals,” including at a recently-completed LCOR building in Crystal City. [Washington Business Journal, Washington Business Journal]

Woman Charged With Bringing Gun to DCA — “The TSA said an Arlington, Virginia, woman was stopped at a checkpoint at Reagan National Airport on Tuesday with a loaded 9 mm handgun in her carry-on bag. There were 14 bullets in the handgun, including one in the chamber. She was cited by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police.” [WTOP]

New Pastor for Local Church — “St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church will host ‘A Celebration of New Ministry’ to salute the arrival of the church’s new rector, Rev. Dorota Pruski, on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. at the church, 4000 Lorcom Lane.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Pet of the Week: Hammy

Published October 17, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated July 18, 2019 at 11:41AM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Hammy, a nearly two-year-old Lhasa Apso/Pomeranian mix, who is a small, but fierce, guard dog.

Here’s what his owner, Jessica, had to say about him:

Hammy is a 14.5 pound Lhasa Apso/Pomeranian mix who will be two in December! He guards the home with a fierce loyalty, a breed characteristic as the Lhasa Apsos were sentinel dogs for Buddhist monasteries in Tibet starting around 800 B.C.. But at the same time he has an incredibly outgoing personality with other dogs (he’s been described as “Mr. Social”) and is a soft snuggly lapdog who loves to wake his 4 year-old human sister with kisses. They are excitedly planning joint Halloween costumes — his sister will be Princess Tiana and Hammy will be the Frog Prince!

Hammy is always ecstatic to run with his Mom and see his dog friends around the High View Park neighborhood. He leaps in the air when he hears his leash come out! He relaxes by watching sports with his Dad, whether it is golf, baseball, or football. We do not know whether he roots for the Washington teams or his Dad’s New York teams! He also loooves the fast food drive through – we think he likes McDonald’s the best, but he is not picky. He doesn’t get such things too often though and also loves healthy homemade treats and pupsicles from his sister and Mom. He is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy except he does not like the groomer’s clippers. Hammy is a great listener and cuddles up for bedtime stories with his sister. This year he’s gone camping twice and visited many dog cousins, and seen the ocean, where he enjoyed watching the wild ponies at Assateague Island and smelling the salt air.

Hammy is non-shedding (which his Mom appreciates), but not entirely hypo-allergenic we are told, which led to us adopting him at one year old from friends and neighbors. He was born in Colorado — literally outside in the snow — to a Lhasa Apso mother and a little Pomeranian father. And how did he get his name? His name was originally “Hammer,” but our neighbor’s daughter did not think that suited him and tried calling him Hamlet, but he would only answer to Hammy. We think “Hammy” fits him well, because he loves eating ham, plus he always “hams it up.”

We are so lucky to have this wonderful little guy as part of our family!

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!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

#Pet of the Week

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 17, 2018 at 8:55AM

Mi and Yu Opening Update — According to its website, Mi and Yu Noodle Bar, which was originally expected to open in September in the revamped Ballston Quarter mall, is now slated for a February 2019 opening. The opening of the mall — and the numerous new restaurants that will call it home — was at last check delayed until late October. [Mi and Yu Noodle Bar]

Improvements for McKinley Road — “Arlington County Board members on Oct. 20 are expected to award a contract worth up to $426,700 for modify curbs and intersections and establish a median along McKinley Road from Wilson Boulevard north to 11th Street North. The project is designed to improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the corridor, including students attending McKinley Elementary School.” [InsideNova]

Memorial Bridge Work, Woes — Rehab work is well underway on the Memorial Bridge, but long-term lane closures are continuing to cause — in the words of one commuter — “insane” traffic backups during rush hour. [Twitter, Twitter]

Thank You to Our Advertisers

By ARLnow.com

Published October 16, 2018 at 5:45PM | Updated November 24, 2018 at 11:19AM

ARLnow.com is an advertiser-supported independent local news website.

Our advertisers allow us to hire reporters and bring their local reporting to the entire community without a paywall. Please join us in supporting local organizations that support local journalism.

#advertising

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 16, 2018 at 8:00AM

Pupatella Raking in the Dough — “Budding Neapolitan pizza chain Pupatella has raised $3.75 million from several investors to open up to eight new company-owned pizza joints in the D.C. area.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Ranks as Top Bike City — “Arlington ranked 17th, up from 25th two years ago. [Bicycling] magazine states Arlington could have made a higher jump in the rankings, but Metro funding issues left less for biking improvements and limited improvements.” [Patch]

Deer Danger on Local Roads — “Across Northern Virginia, nearly 500 motorists will likely strike a deer in the road over the last three months of the year. Virginia wildlife officials are warning drivers to slow down this fall to avoid striking deer and other large animals that are found more often in the roadway.” [InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 15, 2018 at 8:45AM

Big Tree Fall on Car — A large tree fell across 8th Street S. late last week, crushing a parked car and causing a widespread power outage. [Twitter]

Local NAACP Reflects on Progress — “The Arlington NAACP’s 71st-anniversary Freedom Fund Banquet was a chance to look back on progress, but also to press for vigilance so it doesn’t slip away… The banquet on Oct. 13 drew a large crowd to the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel.” [InsideNova]

Rosslyn LED Art Unveiled — “Cliff Garten Studio is pleased to announce, ‘Gravity and Grace,’ a site-specific large-scale LED public artwork integrated into the architecture of JBG SMITH’s Central Place Plaza in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington.” [LiveDesign]

Yorktown Tied for First — “With an important homecoming victory over the visiting Langley Saxons in Oct. 12 football action, the Yorktown Patriots (4-3, 2-0) upped their winning streak to three to remain tied for first place in the Liberty District.” [InsideNova]

ACPD Again Holding Take-Back Day — “On Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 16th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.” [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

Crime Report: Man Walks Into Rosslyn Business, Sits Down and Exposes Himself

By ARLnow.com

Published October 11, 2018 at 4:15PM | Updated March 3, 2020 at 2:40PM

Police are looking for a man who walked into a Rosslyn business, sat down and exposed himself.

The incident happened last Wednesday around 8 p.m. Police say the man “touched himself inappropriately” before fleeing the scene on a bike.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2018-10030258, 1800 block of N. Oak Street. At approximately 8:14 p.m. on October 3, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 7:40 p.m., an unknown suspect entered a business and sat down in a chair. The suspect then exposed himself and touched himself inappropriately. The suspect fled on his bike after the employee informed the suspect she was calling police. The suspect is described as a black male, 35-40 years old, approximately 5’10”, 215 lbs., with black and blonde dreadlocks falling below shoulder length, some facial hair, wearing a dark t-shirt and blue jeans. The bike is described as a gray and black mountain bike. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, are below.

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