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Police Investigating Another Nighttime Attack of a Woman in Arlington

Published August 14, 2015 at 1:30PM

Arlington County Police are investigating yet another attack of a woman who was walking alone at night.

The incident happened on the 800 block of S. Frederick Street around 10:30 last night (Thursday) and is the fifth such attack in the past month.

“An unknown male subject carrying a stick grabbed a female victim’s wrist and attempted to drag her into the woods,” according to a crime report. “The suspect fled with the victim’s cellphone after she screamed for help.”

“The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his twenties, approximately 5’5″ tall, with a slim build and short hair,” the report continues. “He was wearing black pants and a black shirt at the time of the incident.”

The nature of the attack, the description of the suspect and the fact that he was scared off by the victim fighting back are all at least somewhat similar to four other such attacks that have happened since July 25.

On July 25, a man sexually assaulted a woman while walking home near Courthouse. On July 31 a woman running on the W&OD Trail was grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. On Aug. 1 a woman in Buckingham was also grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. And this past Saturday, Aug. 8, a woman was approached from behind by a man who put a pillow case over her head and pushed her to the ground.

Police are “not willing to say… just yet” whether any of the attacks are related, but Special Victims Unit detectives were planning to talk to the victim today to gather additional details.

A police spokesman said ACPD has been stepping up its efforts to catch the alleged predator or predators who have been perpetrating these recent attacks, but the department can use tips from the public.

“We’re going to continue to put resources on the streets, in a plain clothes capacity along with additional patrol officers,” said Dustin Sternbeck. “We are looking for the public’s assistance with this as well.”

Photo via Google Maps

Man Arrested After Foot Chase Through Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Published August 14, 2015 at 12:00PM

A man was arrested after leading Arlington County police on a foot chase in Crystal City yesterday.

The incident happened around 4:15 p.m.

Police had pulled over a suspected stolen vehicle on Route 1, near the CEA building, when the driver took off running. Police gave chase and, after a pursuit that included a sprint through a hotel, officers were able to take the man into custody near the PBS building at 2100 Crystal Drive.

Stephan Townes, 26, of Alexandria was charged with grand larceny auto and driving on a suspended license, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. He also was wanted on warrants for credit card fraud and identity theft in Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 14, 2015 at 10:05AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:54PM

One BR Rental Near Clarendon: $4,300/month — A sub-800 square foot one bedroom apartment in a newly built building in Lyon Park, near Clarendon, is leasing for a staggering $4,300 per month. [Real House Life of Arlington]

Metro Delays Planned This Weekend — Trains on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines will run every 20 minutes this weekend due to “emergency call box installation and testing for a safer ride.” [WMATA]

Ballston Office Building Sold — JBG Cos. has sold a five-story office building on Fairfax Drive in Ballston to a partnership that hopes to eventually tear it down and build a new mixed use development. The building sold for about $22 million. [Washington Business Journal]

Delhi Dhaba Turning 25 — Delhi Dhaba restaurant in Clarendon is turning 25 next year. “Although it’s not at the pinnacle of Indian food in Northern Virginia, Delhi Dhaba is a great restaurant with more than decent service,” writes a reviewer. [Falls Church News-Press]

Park Service Studying Bricks — The National Park Service is studying the original bricks at Arlington House, Robert E. Lee’s family house in what is now Arlington National Cemetery, in order to help with a preservation and renovation effort. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Crime Report: Three Busted Boosting Booze

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 5:40PM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:11PM

A man and two boys were taken into custody after allegedly stealing alcohol from a local 7-Eleven store.

The incident happened at the 7-Eleven store on S. Carlin Springs Road across the street from Kenmore Middle School. Police say the trio entered the store late Monday night, stole some booze and shoved the clerk on their way out.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 150811004, unit block of S. Carlin Springs. At approximately 11:30 p.m. on August 10, two juvenile suspects and an adult suspect entered a 7-11 and stole alcohol. When confronted by a clerk they pushed him aside and fled. Richard William Shelton, 25, of Arlington VA, was arrested and charged with robbery and 6 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The juveniles were released in the custody of their parents.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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UPDATED: A Manhole Cover ‘Blew Up’ in Rosslyn Thursday Afternoon

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 5:05PM | Updated August 14, 2015 at 4:52PM

A Washington Gas crew on scene in Rosslyn Friday

Update on Friday, Aug. 14 — Washington Gas crews were on scene digging up the roadway near the manhole this afternoon. (Photos above.)

A manhole cover “blew up” in Rosslyn Thursday afternoon, and Dominion Power is trying to figure out what exactly happened.

The incident happened at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Oak Street around 12:45 p.m. A witness said there was some sort of blast that sent the manhole cover airborne with “flames and everything.”

“[The] cover launched into the air and the flames that shot out were higher than the SUV next to it,” said Elizabeth Denton.

Despite the scary scene, no injuries, damage or power outages were reported.

A Dominion spokesman said the company is investigating but isn’t yet sure what exactly happened to “dislodge” the manhole cover. A fire department spokesman could only confirm that there was a “haze of smoke” in the manhole after the incident.

“We are looking into it,” said Dominion’s Chuck Penn. “We don’t know what the cause was.”

As of around 3:00 Thursday afternoon, four Dominion trucks were parked near the intersection and workers were peering into the hole. One lane of traffic on westbound Wilson Blvd was blocked.

This was the second time in a couple of days that something happened to dislodge the manhole cover, the fire department spokesman said. The first incident this week involved a faulty electrical line, we’re told.

Popsicles Eaten, Pokemon Cards Played With in Donaldson Run Burglary

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 4:30PM

Arlington County Police responded to an unusual burglary call yesterday in the Donaldson Run neighborhood.

A homeowner returned to his or her residence on the 2700 block of N. Beechwood Street after a few days away, only to find that something wasn’t quite right — someone had been inside the house and had helped themselves to some sweet treats.

“Between 12:00 p.m. on August 9 and 9:00 p.m. on August 12, an unknown suspect(s) entered a residence through a doggie door and ate the homeowner’s popsicles and whipped cream,” according to a crime report. “The suspect(s) proceeded to play with Pokémon cards that were found in the residence.”

“After they enjoyed some popsicles, they played a bit with some Pokemon cards and left,” ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said of the suspect or suspects, whose identity and motive remains a mystery.

Arlington Police Officer Hurt in Route 50 Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 3:55PM | Updated August 13, 2015 at 4:14PM

An Arlington County police officer was hospitalized this afternoon after his car was struck while responding to a call.

The crash happened around 2:00 p.m. at the intersection of Arlington Blvd (Route 50) and N. Pershing Drive.

The officer was responding to a domestic violence call involving a possible weapon and was turning onto Arlington Blvd from Pershing when his cruiser was “T-boned” by a vehicle traveling westbound on Route 50, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The officer was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was treated by paramedics on scene, Sternbeck said.

So far no charges have been filed. Police plan on reviewing footage from the cruiser’s dashboard camera as part of their investigation, which is still ongoing, Sternbeck said.

The injured officer has been on the force for fewer than three years, we’re told.

Westbound Route 50 was closed for about an hour while the scene was cleaned up and police investigated the accident.

Photos courtesy “Captain Awesome”

Arlington National Cemetery Closes Due to Suspicious Package

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 3:25PM

Arlington National Cemetery closed for more than an hour this afternoon due to a suspicious package.

The cemetery announced the closure via Twitter around 2:30 p.m. Just after 3:00, the bomb squad gave the “all clear,” indicating the suspicious package was not hazardous. The cemetery reopened just before 3:30 p.m.

Arlington County Police and U.S. Park Police set up road closures around the cemetery’s main entrance during the incident.

Shake Shack Coming to Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 10:15AM

A Shake Shack will be coming to Pentagon City mall, according to permit applications filed with Arlington County.

The permits indicate that Shake Shack is planning a restaurant with outdoor patio seating and signage, indicating that it’s likely coming to the mall’s 50,000 square foot expansion along S. Hayes Street, which is currently under construction.

The location could be a boon to the New York-based burger restaurant, serving the legions of U.S. and international tourists who get dropped off at the mall by the busload in order to chow down at the food court and do a bit of shopping.

So far there has been no official announcement of Shake Shack’s arrival from mall owner Simon. As for an opening date, spring 2016 seems to be the most likely timeframe. Two other restaurants announced for the mall’s addition — Matchbox and Sugar Factory — each have an anticipated spring opening.

While it will likely keep busy with tourists and shoppers, the Shake Shack will be losing some potential customers a year or two after it opens. It was announced yesterday that the Transportation Security Administration headquarters, located across the street, will be moving to Alexandria by 2018.

A Shake Shack in Pentagon City was presaged by Eater.com’s Missy Frederick, who reported last year that the company was looking closely at Bethesda, Reston and Pentagon City for potential future locations.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt. Photo (top) via Wikipedia/Beyond My Ken

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2015 at 9:30AM

Impede Apartments, Get a Self Storage Place — In an editorial, Falls Church’s newspaper of record is warning of “The Lesson of Cube Smart.” The lesson: when Arlington County put up roadblocks to the development of the proposed Shreve Apartments in East Falls Church, developer Mark Silverwood eventually lost patience and figured out that building a “by right” self-storage place would be easier and more lucrative. Separately, Silverwood also proposed an apartment building in Bluemont that was rejected by the community, canceling a proposed revamp of the neighborhood’s Safeway supermarket. [Falls Church News-Press]

More Orange Line Delays — There were morning rush hour delays once again on Metro’s Orange and Silver lines today. A train malfunction at the Virginia Square station prompted single tracking past the station and, once that was cleared, residual delays. [Twitter]

Arlington Man Wins $100,000 — Arlington resident Robert Thomas won $100,000 in a Virginia Lottery Cash 5 drawing last week. Thomas purchased the winning ticket at the Chanda Market at 5550 Columbia Pike. [WJLA]

APS SOL Score Rise — Arlington Public Schools is touting “impressive results” on its students’ 2015 Virginia Standards of Learning tests. Among those achieving significant test score gains were Limited English Proficient and minority students. [Arlington Public Schools]

Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok

Lifeguards Save Boy’s Life at Dominion Hills Pool

By ARLnow.com

Published August 12, 2015 at 9:15PM

Lifeguards rescued a drowning boy at the Dominion Hills pool Wednesday evening.

The incident happened just after 5:00 p.m., at the private Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association pool at 6000 Wilson Blvd.

An 8 or 9 year old boy accidentally swallowed water while swimming and began struggling in the water, according to an Arlington County Fire Department spokesman. A lifeguard spotted the boy in distress and he was underwater by the time lifeguards reached him.

When the boy was pulled from the water, he had a pulse but was unconscious and not breathing, the spokesman said. Lifeguards performed rescue breathing and were eventually able to revive the boy, we’re told.

Paramedics arrived and transported the boy to Virginia Hospital Center for evaluation.

John Aldonis, the pool’s manager, declined to identify the lifeguards who saved the boy’s life but said they are local high school and college students.

“They did a great job,” Aldonis said. “They did everything correctly and followed the Red Cross protocols.”

Aldonis said this was the first time in recent memory that paramedics had to be called to the Dominion Hills pool for a life-threatening emergency.

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick