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.

More than a dozen mirrors stolen from cars parked in S. Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car (file photo)

Residents of several south Arlington neighborhoods woke up Monday morning to find mirrors stolen from their parked cars.

The thefts happened at some point Sunday or Monday, in the Barcroft and Douglas Park neighborhoods, as well as the Shirlington area. An unknown thief or thieves stole the glass from side view mirrors of 14 vehicles, and damaged the mirrors of another three.

More, below, from an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

LARCENY FROM AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series) (Late), 2023-06260040/2023-06260075/2023-06260135/2023-06260177, 4400 block of 4th Street S./ 2500 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive/2100 block of S. Quebec Street/2800 block of S. Wakefield Street. At approximately 7:34 a.m. on June 26, police were dispatched to the late report of destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined between 12:00 p.m. on June 25 and 1:00 p.m. on June 26, the unknown suspect(s) stole the glass from the sideview mirrors of 14 vehicles and damaged the glass of the sideview mirrors of three vehicles in the area. No other items were reported damaged or stolen. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

This is not the first such theft in the county. Last month four vehicles in north Arlington had side view mirror glass stolen in a theft spree, while a fifth vehicle was damaged.

Many modern side view mirrors house sensors and other electronics that could be worth more than a thousand dollars, making them attractive to thieves.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Crow on a wire, in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

‘State of the County’ Address — “Following his address, [Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey] answered questions about how the county is addressing affordable housing, the high office vacancy rate, and the County’s customer service response. On customer service, Dorsey noted that he ultimately “wants to make sure that when people go to the County, even when they don’t get the answer that they wanted, that they still feel heard.” [Press Release]

Fundraiser for Murder Victim — “The family of Shontae Crawford, who was stabbed to death in her Arlington apartment on June 19, is holding an online fundraising campaign to cover the costs of her funeral and memorial services. Any excess money raised from the online campaign will go to her son Donovon Dimauri, according to the GoFundMe site.” [Patch, GoFundMe]

Tree Group Peeved by Proposal — “If the Arlington government can’t sufficiently care for trees on its own property, why is it trying to gain authority over trees on private property? That’s the view of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG), which is asking its supporters to contact County Board members in opposition to proposed changes to a county ordinance. The change would, first, require private-property owners to remove trees or portions of trees when county officials determine there is a hazard.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Teens Battle Mysterious Disease — “Doctors prescribed a fleet of medications to regulate Noah’s sleep, blood pressure, nausea and presumed mental health issues, but his symptoms persisted. He missed school. He couldn’t participate in sports or social activities. His parents dragged him from one specialist to the next, until finally an anesthesiologist at an endoscopy appointment asked: ‘Have you ever heard of POTS?'” [Arlington Magazine]

AFAC Celebrating Anniversary — “The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating long term food insecurity in Arlington County, proudly announces its 35th Anniversary of serving the community on June 30, 2023. Since its inception in 1988, AFAC has been at the forefront of providing vital food resources to individuals and families in need in Arlington and Northern Virginia.” [Press Release]

Measuring Local Household Bills — “Residents of Arlington spend nearly $11,000 per year more than the national average when it comes to household bills, but are not in the uppermost tier of Virginia among overall spending. In fact, Arlington ranks just 28th among Old Dominion jurisdictions in the new survey from Doxo, with the typical county household spending $2,941 per month on routine bills – about 28 percent of average total monthly household income.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jun 27, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 12981 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Jun 27, 2023.

  1. Arlington to consider hunting and sterilizing deer, or fencing parks, to cull herds
  2. Morning Notes
  3. Three hurt in serious Route 50 crash
  4. JUST IN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Arlington

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
– Mother Teresa

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Canadian wildfire smoke returns, leading to another air quality alert

By ARLnow.com
Haze from Canadian wildfires as seen over Pentagon City earlier this month (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The bulk of today’s storms are moving out — and more Canadian wildfire smoke is about to move in.

The smoke that enveloped Chicago and much of the Midwest today is set to push east toward our region. That has prompted a Code Orange air quality alert for the D.C. area tomorrow (Wednesday).

Code Orange indicates that time spent outdoors could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, but it’s not as bad as earlier this month when the air quality measurement for Arlington hit Code Maroon, the worst and most hazardous level.

More from a Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments press release, below.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Orange air day for the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow: Wednesday, June 28. Smoke coming from wildfires in Canada will contribute to the increased levels of fine particle pollution. The Code Orange levels mean the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease.

On unhealthy air days, COG advises the following health precautions:

  • Children and older adults should reduce outdoor activities.
  • Individuals with respiratory and heart ailments, emphysema, asthma, or chronic bronchitis should limit their activity level. If breathing becomes difficult, move indoors.
  • Healthy individuals should limit strenuous work or exercise, especially outdoors.

Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or by downloading a free air quality app from Clean Air Partners.

COG provides air quality forecasts and current air quality conditions for metropolitan Washington. It also educates the public about voluntary actions people can take to reduce pollution and the health risks of bad air quality through its Clean Air Partners program, which is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

Three hurt in serious Route 50 crash

By ARLnow.com
Crash on Route 50 (image courtesy Dave Statter)

Three people were hurt, two seriously, after a two-vehicle crash along Route 50 this morning.

The crash happened around 11:45 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Route 50 at N. Jackson Street, near the pedestrian bridge, prompting numerous calls to 911. A tipster described it to ARLnow as a “terrible accident.”

The circumstances surrounding the crash are unclear, but one vehicle ended up mangled, with a row of seats exposed, on the grass in front of the Lutheran church.

Two people suffered potentially serious injuries and another suffered minor injuries, according to initial reports. One of the seriously injured people was rushed to the trauma center at GW Hospital, while the other was brought to Virginia Hospital Center.

All lanes of Route 50 were blocked for a period of time. Later, just the westbound lanes were closed. The closures lasted for nearly two hours while crews worked to clean up the crash.

JUST IN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Storm at 2:15 p.m. on 6/27/23

Update at 3:10 p.m. — So far, only 86 Dominion customers are reported to be without power in Arlington, compared with nearly 2,800 in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax.

Update at 2:45 p.m. — A particularly intense portion of the storm is over Rosslyn, according to the National Weather Service. Additionally, a tree has been reported down on power lines on the 600 block of N. Kenmore Street in Ashton Heights.

At 240 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over American University, or over Rosslyn, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.
SOURCE…Broadcast media. At 2:25pm a downed tree was reported in Tysons.
IMPACT…Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall. This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.

Earlier: All of Arlington County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

A strong storm is currently approaching from the west, packing damaging winds and hail. Most of D.C. is included in the warning, which is in effect until 3 p.m.

More from the National Weather Service:

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning…

* Until 300 PM EDT.

* At 209 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Oakton, or over Vienna, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE…Radar indicated.
IMPACT…Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall. This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.

* Locations impacted include…

Arlington, Alexandria, Centreville, Rockville, Bethesda, Reston, Annandale, Clinton, Springfield, Fort Washington, Herndon, Fairfax, Langley Park, Fort Hunt, Vienna, Groveton, Falls Church, Huntington, Mantua and Fort Belvoir.

HAIL THREAT…RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE…1.00 IN
WIND THREAT…RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST…60 MPH

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Ballston at twilight with storm clouds looming (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Assault Along Langston Blvd — “4800 block of Langston Boulevard… the two male victims were inside a business when the two male suspects approached and a verbal dispute ensued. The suspects then physically assaulted the victims before fleeing the scene in a SUV. Victim One was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening and Victim Two declined medics on scene.” [ACPD]

Cristol Preps for Tysons Job — “As she prepares to leave elected office after seven and a half years, Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol is looking ahead to her next post. Cristol does not formally come on board as CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) until July 5 – a day after her County Board resignation takes effect – but earlier this month she appeared before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ Economic Initiatives Committee as part of a briefing on the new organization’s plans.” [Gazette Leader]

Dorsey Debt Decision — “No show — Court enters $34k judgment against @ArlCountyBoard Chair Dorsey on June 7th for failure to pay credit card debt.” [Twitter]

‘Apology’ for Karen Comment — From local political consultant Ben Tribbett, as quoted in a press release: “I would like to apologize to any Karen’s who were offended by my comments… Whether they are calling the police on individuals in their neighborhood, playing pickleball or just innocently measuring their neighbors grass length, the Karen community in Arlington plays an important role in the civic lifestyle Arlingtonians have come to expect.” [PDF]

It’s Tuesday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 81. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. At night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 65. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jun 26, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 15538 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Jun 26, 2023.

  1. JUST IN: Community activist charged with sexual assault
  2. The new “athletic country club” in Clarendon is sprinting to open next month
  3. ACPD: Bystanders intervene as suspect fights officer in Clarendon
  4. Morning Notes

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Tuesday’s forecast

A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 81. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. At night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am. Low around 65. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
– Alan Kay

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

ACPD: Bystanders intervene as suspect fights officer in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene of assault in Clarendon on Sunday, June 25 (photo courtesy Matthew Hurtt)

A man allegedly assaulted a police officer in Clarendon last night, prompting bystanders to intervene.

The incident happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. Police were initially dispatched to N. Danville Street near the Starbucks for a report of a potential domestic violence incident between a man and a woman.

The suspect reportedly started fighting with the first arriving officer before her backup arrived, according to scanner traffic, leading to numerous officers throughout the county speeding to the scene to assist.

Before they arrived, however, several bystanders “attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle,” an Arlington County police spokeswoman said. The suspect was eventually taken into custody and now faces multiple charges, including assault on police and DUI.

More, below, from ACPD.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-06250225, 2600 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on June 25, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute. The preliminary investigation indicates the male victim observed the suspect yelling at an individual inside a vehicle and banging on the vehicle’s window before the suspect entered the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle on. The victim was recording the incident with his cell phone when the suspect allegedly exited the vehicle, approached the victim and knocked his phone out of his hand. As the responding officer attempted to detain the suspect, he became combative and struggled with and assaulted the officer. Bystanders attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle. With the assistance of additional arriving officers, the suspect was taken into custody. [The suspect], 26, of Annandale, VA was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Assault and Battery, Driving under the Influence and Obstruction of Justice. He was held on a secure bond.

JUST IN: Community activist charged with sexual assault

By ARLnow.com
Elder Julio Basurto speaks during the County Board recessed meeting in 2021 (via Arlington County)

A man well known as a local community activist has been charged with sexual assault.

Julio Basurto, 42, was arrested as part of an investigation into a sexual assault that happened early in the morning of Sunday, May 21, Arlington County police said this afternoon.

According to ACPD, Basurto picked up a woman from outside of a bar in Clarendon, then sexually assaulted her part-way through the ride. He was not working as a rideshare driver at the time, police noted.

Prior to his arrest last week, Basurto was frequently quoted by local news outlets — including ARLnow — as a community activist, often going by his church title: “Elder Julio Basurto.” He was outspoken on local issues from drug overdoses in schools to conditions in affordable apartment complexes.

Basurto worked as an interpreter, including for Arlington Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served on an APS advisory committee, received an award from a prominent local nonprofit for his tenant advocacy, and was highlighted by a County Board member on his website’s endorsements page.

Arlington police are now actively investigating whether Basurto might have assaulted others.

“This remains an active criminal investigation possibly related to other assaults in the area,” police said in a press release. “Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line.”

Sources tell ARLnow that Basurto’s personality took a dark turn in recent months, leading to a fallout with another local activist. Basurto has no criminal record in Arlington beyond traffic violations over the past few years, according to court records.

The full ACPD press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. Julio Basurto, 42, of Arlington, VA is charged with Abduction and Forcible Sodomy. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 6:40 a.m. on May 21, police met with the adult female victim who reported a sexual assault inside an unknown vehicle. The investigation determined that during the early morning hours, the victim exited a nightlife establishment and was in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard when the suspect approached in a black vehicle and the victim entered. During the course of the ride, the suspect sexually assaulted her before she was able to exit the vehicle. The suspect was not operating as a rideshare driver or in a for-hire status.

During the course of the investigation, detectives reviewed evidence and conducted witness interviews. The review resulted in additional information that led detectives to identify the suspect and obtain warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody without incident on the evening of June 22.

This remains an active criminal investigation possibly related to other assaults in the area. Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

Basurto’s most recent Twitter post was of a bible verse.

NEW: Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Lightning over Langston Blvd and Metro 29 Diner (file photo)

Arlington County and the rest of the D.C. region are now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m.

Severe storms packing damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible this afternoon and evening, forecasters say. There’s also a threat of flash flooding and a brief tornado.

More from the National Weather Service:

VDOT, meanwhile, says its crews are preparing for the worst.

Earlier today much of the state — including Richmond, Virginia Beach and most of Northern Virginia — were placed under an “enhanced” threat of severe weather by the NWS Storm Prediction Center. That designation is usually only issued once or twice per year for our area.

More, below, from VDOT.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is prepared to address the potential impacts of the forecasted severe weather expected this afternoon and into the evening.

At this time, forecasts indicate that heavy rain and wind gusts will arrive in the Commonwealth between 2 p.m. in western portions of Virginia to midnight in the eastern areas, with regions east of Interstate 81 experiencing the worst conditions. Severe weather threats along and east of the I-95 Corridor could include wind gusts up to 75 mph, large hail and possible isolated tornadoes. The safety of the traveling public and our crews is VDOT’s top priority. As forecasts and conditions could change, travelers should pay close attention to local weather reports and announcements from officials and limit their travels based on conditions.

The weather impacts may cause downed trees, power lines and other debris, as well as flooding that will make roadways extremely hazardous or impassable. Stay away from downed wires and do not approach or touch trees or limbs that are entangled with wires as they could be extremely dangerous. If those are in state maintained roadways, VDOT crews will await the power company to remove any electrical hazard before addressing downed trees or other roadway debris.

“Whenever severe weather is expected, we partner with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Virginia State Police to coordinate efforts,” said VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich, P.E. “Teams throughout the Commonwealth are prepared to address impacts from this storm. We ask for the public’s assistance to remain safe and stay aware of changing weather and road conditions in their area and along their travel routes.”

Travelers should use extreme caution on roadways:

  • Obey all “road closed” signage.
  • “Turn around, don’t drown” – Do not attempt to travel through flooded roadways. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the primary causes of flood-related deaths occur to individuals driving into or walking in or near flood waters.
    • 6 inches of flood water is enough to knock an adult off of their feet
    • 12 inches can move most cars
    • 18-24 inches can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks
  • Be alert to debris, downed trees and power lines
  • Move over for emergency crews operating in or near roadways.
  • Be alert to High Wind Advisories, especially on bridges or taller structures. High-profile vehicles such as tractor trailers, SUVs or box trucks are especially vulnerable and should not cross a bridge when a High Wind Advisory is posted.

Prior to travel, the public should check road conditions by calling 511, visiting www.511Virginia.org or checking the 511 Virginia mobile app.

View More Stories