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.

Police: Teens Shortchange Pizza Delivery Driver, Steal Bag

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are looking for three teens who forcibly took three pizzas from a delivery driver and also made off with his insulated bag.

The theft happened Sunday night in Ballston, near the under-construction Ballston Quarter mall.

Police say the teens approached the driver and actually gave him money, but not enough for all three pizzas. They then took the pizzas and the bag. ACPD would not say how much they paid.

“As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not releasing the amount of money provided by the suspects,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

More from a crime report:

GRAND LARCENY, 2017-08060236, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 8:28 p.m. on August 6, police responded to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival it was determined that when an individual delivering pizzas arrived to make the delivery, he was approached by three unknown subjects. One subject provided the victim with cash while another forcibly grabbed the pizza. The three subjects then fled the scene on foot. The cash provided to the victim was less than the cost of the order. All three subjects are described as black males approximately 17-18 years old, slim builds, with medium complexion. One of the subjects had black, curly hair that stuck straight up. The other two suspects had short, black hair. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VT Says It Is Behind ‘Driverless’ Van — The “driverless” van seen driving around Clarendon over the past week was actually a Virginia Tech research project designed to record the “real world reactions” to a vehicle without a driver. However, there was a driver: a man dressed as a car seat. The mystery was solved in real time on Twitter yesterday and quickly went viral. [NBC Washington, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Twitter]

Retired Colonel Saved By Quick-Acting EMS Crew — Firefighters and EMS personnel from Arlington and Alexandria helped to save the life of a retired U.S. Army colonel who went into cardiac arrest in his home in Crystal City. The crew used defibrillators to revive him. [Facebook, WJLA]

Obit: Patsy Ticer — Patsy Ticer, a former four-term Virginia state Senator who represented parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, has died at the age of 82. [Washington Post, InsideNova]

Marymount Moves Into New Ballston Building — Faculty and staff are moving into Marymount University’s newly-built Ballston building, in time for the start of the new school year. [Twitter]

Police: Bike Thieves Busted

By ARLnow.com

Two men have been arrested and charged with trying to steal bikes from a front porch and a parking garage.

The pair were allegedly spotted in Maywood and near Lyon Village attempting to steal bikes Friday morning. Police were called, searched the area and arrested the men, both in their mid-20s.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

GRAND LARCENY, 2017-08040083, 3200 block of 23rd Street N. At approximately 9:43 a.m. on August 4, police were dispatched to the report of two suspicious males attempting to steal a bicycle from the front porch of a residence. Shortly after, a similar call was received reporting two subjects were attempting to steal a bicycle from a parking garage in the 1900 block of N. Daniel Street. Responding officers canvassed the area and located two subjects matching the descriptions provided by the witnesses. Philip Taylor, 25, of Capitol Hills, MD, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny (x2) and Grand Larceny with Intent to Sell. Raheem Freeman, 24, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Grand Larceny and Identity Theft. Both were held on no bond.

Confirmed: Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Clarendon is getting a new option for coffee, donuts and ice cream.

A joint Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins store is coming to a ground floor space on at the corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Garfield Street, one block from the Metro station. The space was formerly occupied by a dining area for Pete’s New Haven Apizza, which downsized earlier this year.

Permits have been issued for the interior buildout of the store, but so far there’s no word on an opening date. The new shop will join existing, nearby Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Courthouse, Virginia Square, Ballston and Cherrydale.

In March, ARLnow reported that reps for Dunkin’ had visited the space at 3017 Clarendon Blvd and were considering a lease.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Charged in Pike Apartment Fire — A 27-year-old Arlington man has been charged in connection with Saturday’s apartment fire on Columbia Pike. Police say Demetrius Antonio Taylor got in a verbal dispute with a woman, assaulted her, lit a carpeted floor mat on fire, pushed an infant in a stroller towards the fire and fled the scene. He faces a litany of charges including arson, felony child endangerment and two counts of assault on law enforcement, after becoming combative in a police department interview room. [Arlington County]

Man Dies in Motorcycle Wreck Following Pursuit — A Woodbridge man died early Sunday morning after crashing his motorcycle while being pursued by Virginia State Police. The pursuit started after a “BOLO” broadcast for a motorcycle seen traveling at a high rate of speed on I-395 in Arlington County. [Potomac Local, WTOP]

ACFD Battles Falls Church Blaze — Firefighters from Arlington County and Fairfax County battled a house fire on Railroad Avenue in the City of Falls Church early Sunday morning. The homeowners were displaced by the fire, which was “mostly confined to the basement.” ACFD provides firefighting services to Falls Church under contract. [Falls Church News-Press]

Northam, Perriello to Mingle With Arlington Dems — Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate for governor, will be the featured guest at an Arlington County Democratic Committee happy hour on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Pamplona in Clarendon. Tom Perriello, who lost in the gubernatorial primary to Northam, will be featured at the annual ACDC Labor Day Chili Cookoff at the Lyon Park Community Center on Monday, Sept. 4. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Car Flips in East Falls Church Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

A driver “hit the gas instead of the brakes” and flipped her car in the East Falls Church Metro commuter parking lot this morning, according to a fire department spokesman.

The incident was first reported around 7 a.m.

Rescuers from the Arlington County Fire Department helped to extricate the woman from the overturned vehicle. She was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, the spokesman said.

Flash Flood Watch for Arlington, D.C. Area

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:25 p.m. — The Flash Flood Watch has been cancelled.

Arlington and much of the rest of the D.C. area is under a Flash Flood Watch today.

Heavy rain and storms are expected today. Rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hours could produce flash flooding, forecasters warn.

More from the National Weather Service:

… FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING… THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT… * FROM 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING * MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR POSSIBLE. * RUNOFF FROM EXCESSIVE RAINFALL MAY CAUSE RAPID RISES OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AS WELL AS STREAMS AND CREEKS, RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING. URBAN AREAS WILL BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. &&

ACFD Battles Apartment Fire on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters from Arlington and surrounding jurisdictions battled an apartment fire on Columbia Pike Saturday morning.

The fire was first reported around 11:20 a.m. at the 280-unit Serrano apartment complex on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike. Flames could be seen coming from the top floor of the eight-story building.

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes. Residents of 25 units were displaced by the fire and one person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, WJLA reported.

Columbia Pike was temporarily closed during the firefighting effort, according to an Arlington Alert.

The apartment building is run by Arlington-based nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc.

https://twitter.com/LincolnACFD/status/893859574779916288

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Looking for a home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing this weekend.

Check out the Arlington Realty website for a full list of homes for sale and open houses in Arlington. Here are a few highlights:

5224 8th Road S., #3
2 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Toya Lodon
Listed: $189,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1730 Arlington Blvd, #104
2 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Eli Tucker
Listed: $339,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

4139 S. Four Mile Run Drive, #204
2 Bed/2 Bath Condo
Agent: H. Zaza Pasori
Listed: $405,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

744 S. Granada Street
3 Bed/2 Bath Townhome
Agent: David Moya
Listed: $569,500
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2628 N. Sycamore Street
3 Bed/1 Bath Single Family Home
Agent: Christine Rich
Listed: $625,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2904 N. Stafford Street
4 Bed/2 Bath Single Family Home
Agent: Andrea Nielson
Listed: $729,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

4124 25th Place N.
3 Bed/3 Bath Single-Family Home
Agent: Lynn Hoover
Listed: $835,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Complaint Begets No Parking Signs Begets Complaints — Residents of a dead-end street in the Woodmont neighborhood are complaining after Arlington took eight street parking spaces away, and WaPo is on it. The no parking signs went up in response to a resident’s complaint about the street being too narrow. [Washington Post]

Driverless Van Update — Who or what is behind the driverless van spotted cruising around Clarendon yesterday evening? We still don’t know for sure, but a Virginia Tech spokeswoman offered “no comment” this morning in response to our inquiry. [ARLnow]

Route 110 Lane Closures — “Route 110 at the Route 27 interchange and local ramps will have nighttime closures from Monday, Aug. 7 to Thursday, Aug. 24 in order to install bridge beams, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.” [VDOT]

Yelp Says Nope to Arlington — Online review site Yelp has leased 52,000 square feet of office space near the Verizon Center in D.C. for a new East Coast hub. The company was also considering office space in Rosslyn but, despite its CEO’s Arlington connection, decided against it. [Washington Business Journal]

Photo courtesy Ed S.

SPOTTED: ‘Driverless’ Vehicle Cruising the Streets of Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:40 p.m. on 8/7/17 — Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said in a statement to ARLnow: “ACPD is aware that driverless vehicles are being tested in the Commonwealth. Officers have not had contact with the vehicle observed in Clarendon. If officers observe a traffic violation, they will attempt a traffic stop.”

Update at 1:30 p.m. on 8/7/17 — NBC 4’s Adam Tuss, working on a follow-up story to this article, spotted the van driving around Clarendon on Monday, Aug. 7, and upon further inspection found a driver — disguised as a seat. Police were called after the driver ran a red light but officers were unable to locate the van, according to scanner traffic. Tuss’ report is expected to air Monday night.

Earlier: A mysterious, seemingly driverless van was spotted cruising the streets of Arlington’s Courthouse and Clarendon neighborhoods Thursday evening.

The unmarked gray van with Virginia license plates drove up and down Wilson and Clarendon Blvds more than a half dozen times — with no one in the driver’s seat or passenger seat. The rear windows of the Ford Transit Connect van were darkly tinted.

The van appeared to drive cautiously but keep up with traffic. Cameras and a light bar could be seen behind the windshield.

When the car stopped at a red light, the light bar started blinking. When the signal turned green and the car started driving, the blinking stopped.

The lack of a driver went mostly unnoticed as Clarendon residents went around their after-work routines near the Metro station, though occasionally people could be seen pointing at the car or asking someone nearby if they saw a driver.

Spokespeople for Arlington County, the Arlington County Police Department, VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration did not have any immediate knowledge of any autonomous vehicle testing on the streets of Arlington.

VDOT and FHWA recently announced that Virginia Tech would be conducting automated vehicle testing along I-95, I-495, I-66, Route 50 and Route 29. The announcement did not mention testing on primary streets along Metro corridors, however WTOP reported in May that “self-driving cars already on Virginia roads, even if you don’t realize it.”

“In Virginia, it’s a little bit more discreet, so companies could test in real-world environments and you wouldn’t even know, so we have some proprietary studies going that route,” a Virginia Tech researcher was quoted as saying.

Anne Deekens, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, declined to say whether it belongs to the university. “I have no comment at this time,” she said.

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