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.
Pickleball at the Walter Reed Community Center (file photo by Jay Westcott)
Police are on the lookout for a man who has been spotted masturbating multiple times near the Walter Reed pickleball courts.
Cops have been called to the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street S. at least two times in the past two weeks, each time in the late morning, according to Arlington County police crime reports.
“At approximately 10:49 a.m. on April 21, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure,” the first crime report said. “Upon arrival, it was determined approximately 30 minutes prior, the reporting party observed the unknown male suspect allegedly masturbating in a wooded area.”
“At approximately 11:42 a.m. on April 26, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure,” said the second. “Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party observed the unknown male suspect allegedly masturbating by the courts.”
On both days — a Friday and a Wednesday — “responding officers checked the area and the suspect was not located,” ACPD said.
A tipster told ARLnow about a possible third incident, but that could not be immediately confirmed.
“This is concerning as there are many users of the park, including children,” the tipster said about the incidents.
The Walter Reed pickleball courts have recently been the source of some controversy, as some neighbors have opposed voter-approved plans to add more courts outside of the community center.
Resident concerns range from “bullying of our children by pickleball players” to “public urination on playground and sensory garden” to causing “excessive continuous noise from dawn to 10 p.m. every day,” according to a flyer that was distributed around the neighborhood.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
A woman walking near the entrance to the Key Bridge in Rosslyn last night was assaulted, stabbed and then robbed.
Police were dispatched just before 9 p.m., after a 911 caller reported a woman being attacked near some bushes at the Arlington end of the bridge. Arriving officers reported that she had been stabbed and requested medics.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the female victim was walking in the area when the male suspect approached from behind, slapped her buttocks, knocked her to the ground and stabbed her, resulting in lacerations,” Arlington County police said this morning in a crime report.
“The suspect then stole the victim’s backpack and fled the scene on foot,” the crime report continues. “The victim was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital for injuries considered non-life threatening.”
The stab wound was described as a “superficial” injury to the upper back and shoulder, according to scanner traffic. The suspect reportedly fled down the hill in the direction of the GW Parkway, but police were unable to locate him.
“The suspect is described as a Black male in his 20’s, approximately 6’0” tall and wearing all black,” the crime report said. “A search of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. The investigation is ongoing.”
WOMAN STABBED — on the Arlington Co side of the Key Bridge. Police responded just before 9 p.m. for a report of a man attacking a woman in the bushes. They found her stabbed. Circumstances are unclear. Police are trying to determine what happened now. @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/yQmxGZ7j3Z
County Board Chair Katie Cristol in 2022 (via Arlington County)
Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol is stepping down early to take a new job.
Cristol has been selected as the first permanent CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the organization announced this morning. TCA is the successor to the former Tysons Partnership, intended to spur the continued residential and economic growth of the Fairfax County community.
Cristol, who had previously announced that she would not be seeking reelection this year, will be stepping down on July 4 in order to take the new job, the county just announced. A new Board member will be appointed after she leaves.
Though she’ll be working to boost one of Arlington’s primary economic development competitors, Cristol says she’ll remain an Arlington resident.
From a county press release:
Board member Katie Cristol has announced that she will be stepping down from her role on the Arlington County Board, effective July 4, 2023.
“Though arriving a little sooner than anticipated, this transition is every bit the same opportunity to share my deep gratitude to the Arlington community: For the privilege to represent you and for the partnership in achieving new policies, directions, and plans for our shared future,” Cristol said. “In my nearly seven and a half years in office, I have developed an immense appreciation for the dedication of Arlington’s appointed and elected officials and its civic, neighborhood, philanthropic, and private sector leaders. Though I will miss our collaborative partnerships, I feel great optimism about the County’s future under their stewardship.”
Board member Cristol was elected to the County Board in November 2015 and served as the Board’s chair in 2018 and 2022. During that time, she led in advancing human services and sustainable regional public transit networks through partnerships such as Arlington’s Project PEACE, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board, and the Virginia Municipal League. Cristol is ending her tenure early to become the Chief Executive Officer of Tysons Community Alliance, a new non-profit public-private partnership promoting equitable economic growth and community development in the Tysons area.
“My colleagues join me in thanking Katie Cristol for her tireless service and expert leadership as a Member of the County Board.” Chair Christian Dorsey said. “She has been a trusted colleague and a distinguished leader on regional bodies representing Arlington. Her contributions to our collective efforts to increase opportunities for all Arlingtonians to thrive, while dismantling and reforming systems that cause them harm, have been profound and will have a lasting impact on our community. We will miss her over the last half of this year, yet we wish her well in her upcoming leadership opportunity and are grateful for her service on behalf of us all.”
Cristol adds that, as she transitions from the County Board, “I am looking forward to continuing to serve our dynamic Northern Virginia region in my new role and to maintaining the title most important to me: Arlington resident.”
Pursuant to Virginia Code 15.2-705, the Arlington County Board must fill Board member Cristol’s vacancy by appointment within 30 days of her departure date of July 4. The Board will hold a public hearing to appoint a new member who will serve the remainder of Cristol’s term, which ends on December 31, 2023.
Cristol is in her second term on the Board, after first being elected in 2015. She previously worked as an education consultant.
In a statement released on social media, Cristol called her early departure from the Board “more than a little bittersweet.”
A computer repair shop’s signage in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
More Victims of Teen Groper — “As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Special Victims Unit obtained six additional petitions for Assault and Battery for the juvenile suspect. The petitions stem from four incidents occurring in November and December 2022 in which the suspect approached women from behind and grabbed their buttocks. The investigation into this series of assaults is ongoing.” [ACPD]
Realtors Endorse Board Candidates — “The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) has endorsed three of the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board. Maureen Coffey, J.D. Spain Sr. and Tony Weaver have won the organization’s nod, a spokesperson for the real-estate trade organization said.” [Gazette Leader]
Historical Marker’s Wording Questioned — “A proposed historical marker highlighting the contributions of a regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War merits approval but is not yet ready for prime time. That was the consensus of the Arlington government’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, which has sent verbiage proposed by county staff back for more work before a marker is constructed and placed at Fort Ethan Allen Park in the county’s northernmost reaches.” [Gazette Leader]
Big Turkey on TR Island — “Thanks to Carol for sharing this magnificent shot from Theodore Roosevelt Island.” [PoPville]
YHS Girls on a Roll — “In girls soccer, the defending Class 6 state champion Yorktown Patriots continued to have a strong season as they began the week with an 8-1 overall record, a seven-match winning streak, four shutouts and a 2-0 mark in the Liberty District. Yorktown’s most recent victories were over Herndon, 4-1, and Wakefield, 3-0, in district contests.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — Overcast with some sprinkles. Cool. High of 54 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:09 am and sunset at 8:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
An ART bus driver suffered serious injuries last night after being assaulted by a rider along Columbia Pike, police say.
The driver was reported to be bleeding from the mouth when police and medics were dispatched to the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street just after 10:45 p.m. Sunday. It’s unclear what led to the attack.
The suspect was “leaving a public transit bus when he assaulted the driver,” according to today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Following the assault, the suspect exited the bus and fled the scene on foot. The bus driver sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital.”
Also in today’s crime report, several security guards were hurt at the Pentagon City mall Friday evening after a suspect tried to steal handbags, then fought the security guards and brandished a knife.
The incident happened on the third level of the mall near the entrance to Macy’s, according to scanner traffic.
From ACPD:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-04280202, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 6:17 p.m. on April 28, a patrol officer was flagged down by an individual reporting a fight in-progress. Upon arrival, the officer observed loss prevention attempting to detain the suspect and assisted with taking him into custody. The investigation determined the suspect entered the store and allegedly removed handbags from a display case. A loss prevention officer then confronted the suspect who pushed the loss prevention officer to the ground and physically assaulted him before fleeing the area. Two additional loss prevention officers located the suspect outside of the business and attempted to detain him, during which the suspect assaulted them and brandished a knife. Medics evaluated the loss prevention officers on scene for minor injuries. During a search incident to arrest, credit cards not belonging to the suspect were recovered. [The suspect], 30, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Robbery, Assault and Battery (x2), Credit Card Theft (x3) and Possession of Burglarious Tools.
2450 Crystal Drive in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 11 a.m.) Crystal City, for years a grocery desert, appears set to land a coveted Trader Joe’s store.
A construction permit application has been filed for 2450 Crystal Drive, one of the newly-upgraded Century Center towers just south of 23rd Street S. It calls for “landlord prep work to prepare for new Trader Joe’s Grocery Store.”
“Garage Levels, B1 and B2, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor are affected,” notes the permit application, which was filed on Friday.
As reported in February, a website for the renovated office complex says that a “food market,” as well as “casual and upscale restaurants, [a] boutique fitness club, and more,” are “in the works.” A new open-air retail plaza at the complex is set to open this spring, we reported.
Responding this morning to an inquiry from ARLnow, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson did not directly address whether the company would be opening at 2450 Crystal Drive, instead noting only that it’s not on a published list of imminent store openings.
“We consider many locations,” wrote Nakia Rohde. “All of the locations that are opening soon are listed on our website. Unfortunately, Arlington is not on the list at this time.”
Arlington has an existing Trader Joe’s store that opened in Clarendon in 2011. Other nearby locations include 1101 25th St NW in D.C.’s West End, 612 N. St. Asaph Street in Old Town Alexandria, 7514 Leesburg Pike in Tysons and 5847 Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Crystal City’s long grocery drought ended last year with the opening of an Amazon Fresh store at 1550 Crystal Drive. There are other grocery stores just outside of the neighborhood, with a Whole Foods at 520 12th Street S. in Pentagon City, and Harris Teeter locations at 3600 S. Glebe Road in the Potomac Yard area and 900 Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City.
A man walks by a rain-covered coffee shop window in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Group Wants More Long DCA Flights — “A coalition of business groups on Thursday launched a campaign to increase long-distance service at Reagan National Airport, arguing that rules limiting the number of flights and the distance they travel are outdated and are hurting consumers and the local economy.” [Washington Post]
Car Slams Into Glebe Guardrail — From Friday: “Roads are slick after all of today’s rain. Reader J.H. sends this photo of a car that just ran off N. Glebe Road on the hill approaching Chain Bridge.” [Twitter]
Teens Apprehended in Crystal City — “At approximately 11:29 p.m. on April 27, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. Upon arrival, it was determined a witness observed two juvenile suspects allegedly pulling on door handles and looking into parked vehicles. Responding officers located the suspects in the area and took them into custody without incident.” [ACPD]
Video of GW Parkway Protest — “Climate activists blocked the GW Parkway… on Wednesday morning during rush hour to demand President Biden declare a ‘climate emergency’ and cancel new fossil fuel drilling. ‘I have an interview today, are you serious?’ yelled one angry driver, who said she’s unemployed. ‘That’s not fair! This is the wrong way to go about it!'” [Twitter]
Who Should Conduct Assessments? — “For much of her nearly 20 years as an elected official, Arlington Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy has believed the county government is making a mistake in allowing one of its departments, rather than her office, to oversee the annual assessment of residential and commercial properties. And as Morroy begins transitioning to the end of her last term in December, she appears more convinced of it than ever.” [Gazette Leader]
Opening for Affordable Apartments — “AHC Inc., a leading developer of affordable housing in Maryland and Virginia, today held its grand opening of The Terraces at Arlington View, a $40.8 million redevelopment of an affordable housing community located on the eastern end of Columbia Pike, at 1420 S. Rolfe Street. The Terraces includes 77 affordable apartments and more than doubles the number of homes from the previous building.” [Press Release]
Shots Fired in F.C. Jewelry Store — “City of Falls Church police are investigating an incident at a jewelry store in the 1100 block of W. Broad Street that resulted in no injuries and nothing stolen. Police responded to the business at about 8:10 p.m. on Friday, April 28. Surveillance footage shows a black Cadillac parking in front of the business. One person exited the vehicle and used a sledge hammer to break a storefront glass window. Four more people exited the vehicle and entered the business. Two shots were fired, and the suspects fled in the vehicle.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s May — A clear start to the morning, then increasing cloudiness and, later, a chance of light rain. Cool. High of 59 and low of 46. Sunrise at 6:10 am and sunset at 8:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
Passing showers. Overcast. Mild. High of 67 and low of 56. Sunrise at 6:13 am and sunset at 7:58 pm. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Haiku of the Day
Rustling through trees
Fleeting glimpses, life observed
Life of a squirrel
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
A 29-year-old Arlington man has been charged in the death of a three-month-old girl last fall.
Jerard Hargrove is charged with homicide and child abuse after a medical examiner this month determined that the child died from a blow to the head.
The child died in the hospital on Oct. 8, 2022, after being found unresponsive at a residence in the Columbia Forest neighborhood a month earlier, on Sept. 1. The medical examiner’s finding brings the number of homicides in Arlington last year to two.
More, below, from an Arlington County police press release.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing charges have been obtained in a 2022 infant death investigation. Jerard Hargrove, 29, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Homicide and Child Abuse/Neglect (x2). He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 7:22 a.m. on September 1, 2022, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street for the report of cardiac arrest involving a 3-month-old female infant. Upon arrival, Mr. Hargrove reported he was home with the infant when he located her unresponsive. Medics treated the infant on scene before transporting her to an area hospital. The infant remained hospitalized and died on October 8, 2022.
A death investigation was then initiated by the Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit. In April 2023, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide with cause being complications of blunt force injury to the head. Indictments for Mr. Hargrove were subsequently presented to and returned by a grand jury.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld in accordance with Virginia Code § 19.2-11.2 which limits Virginia law enforcement agencies from directly or indirectly identifying deceased juvenile victims of a crime.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
