An unusual sign on the CVS in Shirlington (staff photo)
Chase Ends on 14th Street Bridge — From Dave Statter: “New: All lanes shut on I-395N and forced onto Exit 10A-B due to a @FairfaxCountyPD chase on Route 1N that ended on the 14th Street Bridge… This is the third police chase on I-395N in Arlington in about 19 hours. Here’s one that got away at midnight. Also being chased by @FairfaxCountyPD after a police cruiser was struck in Lincolnia.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Optimist Club Moves Xmas Tree Sale — “It spent three-quarters of a century at a single location, but for 2022 the Arlington Optimist Club Christmas-tree lot is making a move. The club since 1946 has sold perhaps as many as 200,000 trees from a parking lot at the corner of North Glebe Road and Langston Boulevard… the sale is moving for the upcoming holiday season to the Knights of Columbus at 5115 Little Falls Road.” [Sun Gazette]
County Park Doing It for the ‘Gram — “Get Instagram-spooky this Halloween season! Starting Oct. 7, check out (if you dare), the Monstergrams mural at Lubber Run Park featuring your favorite spine-chilling monsters made especially for you and your social media friends by the Parks and Recreation’s Community Arts team.” [Arlington County, Arlington County]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 36. Sunrise at 7:23 am and sunset at 6:26 pm. [Weather.gov]
Police looking for evidence where shots were fired at officers along S. Wakefield Street in Barcroft (staff photo)
(Updated 4:45 p.m.) Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced he’s increasing funds to police departments in a bid to reduce homicides, shootings and violent crime in Virginia.
The move, part of a new policy initiative from the Republican governor, will have implications for Arlington police, prosecutors and local restorative justice initiatives.
More than $100 million is slated to go toward state and local agencies to fix wage compression, increase recruiting efforts — including an expedited training program for police officers moving from one department to another — and provide more equipment and training, per a press release.
“The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) has not been in touch with the Governor’s Office regarding yesterday’s announcement,” spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.
While the impact on ACPD is still hazy, Arlington Coalition of Police President Randall Mason confirms ACPD’s struggles with recruitment, retention and pay compression, which were exclusively reported by ARLnow last year, mirror those highlighted in Youngkin’s announcement.
Although the 2023-24 budget will play “the biggest role” in staffing, he said, Mason projects that Youngkin’s sped-up, eight-week training academy could be a boon, as it would make it easier for officers to switch from Maryland and D.C. departments to Arlington’s.
“Getting more officers onto the street quicker would benefit both officers and the public,” he said. “ACPD could see a significant benefit from the lateral academy depending on what happens in the upcoming fiscal year.”
Of ACPD’s 377 authorized, sworn police officers, 278 are able to provide solo law enforcement services, Savage said. Sixty positions are unfilled and 39 officers are in a training or have light duty status.
The police department’s 16% vacancy rate is higher than almost all of ACPD’s regional competitors and that gap is poised to widen, Mason said.
“We are on pace to lose more officers than we hire for the second straight year, increasing our vacancy rate even further,” he said. “That is in spite of ACPD’s recruitment staff traveling all over the East Coast, up to 400 miles away, trying to find new officers.”
Recruitment and retention efforts in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Arlington’s 2022-23 budget includes merit-based increases, signing bonuses and work week reductions to try and address these challenges, but Mason says this doesn’t address another gripe officers have with pay — the county’s pay system.
Unlike other jurisdictions, which reward years of service with set pay increases, Arlington has an “open range” system where officers who have less seniority can end up getting paid more than an officer in their same rank, which is the case for a majority of ACOP members, he said.
“You don’t feel valued for the number of years you’ve been here, when someone who’s been here less time is making more than you,” he said.
Additionally, the hiring challenge comes down to the high cost of living.
“Arlington County is a very expensive place to live and work. Over 60% of ACOP members don’t live in the county,” he said. “It’s ACOP’s opinion that Arlington County’s failure to account for Arlington’s high cost of living is the main explanation for ACPD’s vacancy rate being higher than regional competitors.”
Missing Middle proponents and opponents sit side by side in Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Adam Theo)
Missing Middle proponents outside Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Adam Theo)
John Vihstadt rallies Missing Middle opponents at Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of David Cheek)
Missing Middle proponents outside Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Adam Theo)
Missing Middle opponents at Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Esther Bowring)
Missing Middle proponents inside Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Adam Theo)
(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) The Missing Middle housing debate fueled a tense confrontation and a spat over campaign financing during the Arlington County Board meeting Saturday.
Leading up to the meeting, proponents and opponents rallied outside of county government headquarters in Courthouse. Advocacy group leaders spoke to attendees and NBC 4 over the clang of construction on a new apartment building across the street.
The County Board is gearing up to consider whether to amend the zoning code to allow for buildings with two to eight units on lots that are currently zoned only for single-family detached homes. The Planning Commission and County Board could consider amendments to the proposal over the next few months.
Proponents say the move would give homebuyers more choices in more neighborhoods in a broader range of prices, and help undo the lasting impacts of historically racist zoning policies. Opponents counter these changes will actually displace lower-income residents, won’t decrease home prices, will reduce Arlington’s tree canopy and strain its infrastructure and schools.
In the County Board room this weekend, a resident interrupted the conclusion of an anti-Missing Middle speech to hand each County Board member a rolled-up, printed-out copy of a petition opposing the changes, which had more than 4,460 signatures as of publication.
“No, no — sir, sir, sir — excuse me, please, please, please don’t approach the Board,” said a distressed and frustrated sounding Board Chair Katie Cristol. “Please, can you please go to our Clerk? Sir? Thank you.”
Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol directs a resident distributing petitions to the County Clerk (courtesy of David Cheek)
Missing Middle advocate Charles Day then took the podium to say that the status quo — redevelopment of starter homes into larger, multi-million-dollar homes — increases competition for existing market-rate affordable housing, like the garden apartment on Columbia Pike he and his wife live in, thus displacing lower-income families.
“It’s not lost on us that because of lack of starter homes, couples like us are taking up an apartment that a lower-income family might need,” he said. “Unfortunately, most young people don’t have a lot of options… There’s no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis overnight but rents continue to rise and the starter home is becoming a thing of the past.”
After him, independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement, speaking via Zoom, took a shot at the Sun Gazette’s endorsement of her opponent, incumbent Matt de Ferranti. She argued that de Ferranti supports Missing Middle because he’s taking money from construction workers.
“About $50,000 of de Ferranti’s large donor intake is from people and organizations outside the county, mostly outside the state, including $13,500 from construction trade unions destined to benefit from the Missing Middle building boom,” she said. “If the donations from those with no vested interest in the county were subtracted haul, his receipts would shrink to $19,000 and the election would be more competitive.”
De Ferranti said he refuses donation from developers and that donations from unions do not change his policy stances.
“I don’t take a dime from developers. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I learned that one donation that was submitted online had an association with a developer — and I returned it,” de Ferranti said in response. “I have no promises to any of the unions, I merely seek to fight for working people. Let’s have a debate on policy, let’s have a debate on equity, let’s do it civilly, please.”
The Village at Shirlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly walking down a busy street in Shirlington while exposing himself.
Police were called to the 4000 block of Campbell Avenue around 7:20 a.m. Sunday.
“Upon arrival, officers made contact with the suspect and took him into custody without incident,” Arlington County police said in a crime report. “The investigation determined the suspect was allegedly in the roadway exposing himself. The suspect was transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation.”
The tower at Reagan National Airport on a sunny day (staff photo)
Disproportionate APS Suspensions — “Gradis White, director of school climate and culture, told the school board last week that the county had disproportionality in suspension rates based on race/ethnicity, students with disabilities and English language learners during the 2021-22 school year. The trends are consistent across grade levels, he said.” [WTOP]
Teen Petitions for Safer Crossings — ” There have been four crashes at the intersection of Langston Boulevard and John Marshall Drive in Arlington, Virginia so far this year, according to Arlington County Police. Chase Rosen, 16, says he witnessed one of those crashes… now, Rosen said he wants to make a difference. He has started a petition, which has more than 500 signatures already, to try and get Arlington County to add flashing pedestrian lights.” [WJLA]
Fmr. Official Defends F.C. Home — “A D.C. deputy mayor — who resigned this week after a personal trainer accused him of assault and a resulting police statement triggered questions about whether he was living in D.C. — defended his living arrangement, saying in an interview that he was staying part time with a friend to meet the requirement that high-level officials live within city limits.Chris Geldart, who stepped down Wednesday as D.C. deputy mayor for public safety and justice, said he was ‘geo bacheloring.'” [Washington Post]
NAACP Award Nominations Open — “The NAACP Arlington Branch is inviting the public to nominate a person or organization for its 2022 awards. The awards will be announced at the NAACP Arlington Branch’s Freedom Fund Virtual Banquet on Dec. 14. The deadline for submitting a nomination for the awards is Thursday, Dec. 1.” [Patch]
Int’l Event at Pentagon City Mall — “On October 22, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City will host its annual Mosaic International Showcase highlighting live entertainment from more than eight cultures featuring traditional music and dance from Bavaria, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland the Philippines and more! The event will be held on Metro Level, Dining Pavilion from 12-5PM.” [Simon]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 41. Sunrise at 7:22 am and sunset at 6:27 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fire response at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (photo via ACFD)
Mt. Olivet Methodist Church suffered about $1 million in damage as a result of an early morning fire on Friday.
That’s according to the Arlington County Fire Department, which also said in a press release today (Monday) that the cause of the fire in the church’s attic “remains undetermined.”
From ACFD:
At approximately 2:42 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, the Arlington County Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 1500 block of N. Glebe Road.
Units quickly arrived on the scene and found fire through the roof of the structure. Due to significant smoke conditions and amount of work required to extinguish the fire, a second alarm was quickly requested bringing additional firefighters to the scene. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes of dispatch time, and firefighters then worked carefully to remove material from the area of origin to fully check for hot spots or any fire extension.
Units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Alexandria Fire Department, and Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall Fire Department assisted on this incident.
The Arlington County Fire Prevention Office conducted a thorough origin and cause investigation and concluded that the fire started in the attic space; currently the cause remains undetermined. Initial estimated damages are $1,000,000.
Located at 1500 N. Glebe Road, just north of Ballston, Mt. Olivet is built on the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington.
There’s no word yet on when services inside the church might resume. Mt. Olivet’s pastor said the sanctuary and preschool wings of the church were not damaged, though the music and education wing likely has “extensive smoke and water damage.”
The church held an outdoor worship service on Sunday, as covered by NBC 4.
Renderings of the proposed RiverHouse redevelopment (courtesy of JBG Smith)
Renderings of the proposed RiverHouse redevelopment (courtesy of JBG Smith)
Renderings of the proposed RiverHouse redevelopment (courtesy of JBG Smith)
Renderings of the proposed RiverHouse redevelopment (courtesy of JBG Smith)
Renderings of the proposed RiverHouse redevelopment (courtesy of JBG Smith)
The existing RiverHouse apartments at 1111 Army Navy Drive (staff photo)
The RiverHouse apartments in Pentagon City (staff photo)
A parking lot next to the existing RiverHouse apartments at 1111 Army Navy Drive (staff photo)
A tennis court on the grounds of RiverHouse (staff photo)
A parking lot next to the existing RiverHouse apartments (staff photo)
A parking lot next to the existing RiverHouse apartments (staff photo)
Pools on the RiverHouse property (staff photo)
(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Sixty-some years ago, developers paved paradise in Pentagon City and put up parking lots to serve residents of the RiverHouse apartment complex.
And after a few stops and starts, property owner JBG Smith is poised to reach its longtime goal of redeveloping the vast parking expanse along S. Joyce Street, which at this point is only partially utilized by residents. Today (Monday), the developer officially filed its plans to turn parking into apartments with ground floor retail, condos, townhouses and senior living facilities.
JBG Smith plans to preserve the three existing buildings along S. Joyce Street and add 1,668 new units and nearly 28,000 square feet in retail. The proposed development of the 36-acre property will increase density on the site from 49 to 91.3 units per acre.
This filing comes eight months after the Arlington County Board adopted a new sector plan intend to shape development within the 116 acres comprising Pentagon City. It replaced a 45-year-old document that reached the end of its life in the shadow of Amazon’s under-construction second headquarters.
“Following the County’s adoption of the Pentagon City Sector Plan, our team has had the opportunity to meet with local residents, neighbors, County Staff and other community stakeholders,” JBG Smith Senior Vice-President Matt Ginivan said in a statement. “We are grateful for their time, insight and input, which have helped shape our proposed plans for the RiverHouse Neighborhood. We look forward to continuing to collaborate in the coming months as we advance a shared vision for our neighborhood.”
Not all that engagement was positive. Last fall and winter, the plan reignited old concerns about redeveloping the surface parking lots and open spaces surrounding the complex. The density the plan envisioned at the RiverHouse site prompted a group of nearby residents to form a movement criticizing the county for a lack of community engagement and petitioning the County Board to moderate its approach to growth.
An illustrative site plan of the existing RiverHouse high-rises and the proposed infill redevelopments (courtesy of JBG Smith)
Currently, RiverHouse has three apartment buildings:
13-story “James” building at 1111 Army Navy Drive, with 452 units
16-story “Potomac” building at 1400 S. Joyce Street, with 647 units
16-story “Ashley” building at 1600 S. Joyce Street, with 571 units
It also has six tennis courts, a private outdoor dog park, picnic tables, two outdoor swimming pools, a jogging trail and a community garden, according to the complex’s website.
JBG Smith proposes development divided into three parcels:
A “north parcel” between James House and Potomac House with:
two 7-story, 80-foot tall apartment buildings, one with 401 units and 13,079 square feet of retail and another with 551 units and 14,680 square feet of retail
A “central parcel” with:
an 88-foot-tall condo building with 164 units
a 97-foot-tall building for seniors, with 185 units with options for independent and assisted living and memory care facilities
an 84-foot-tall apartment building with 102 units
A “south parcel,” located south and west of Ashley House, with:
265 units of three- and four-story townhomes, with two to four bedrooms and a mix of private and communal outdoor spaces
The Board made its move after the Virginia legislature allowed municipalities to install them in these locations in 2020.
But the Arlington County Police Department is still working on finding a vendor to implement the cameras, says Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien.
“ACPD is in the process of launching a procurement for a vendor, which is estimated to wrap up in spring 2023,” she tells ARLnow.
Once a vendor is chosen, the pace toward implementation could speed up. O’Brien says the county will have a better idea of where the cameras will go and when they’ll be installed “once vendor procurement is complete.”
The same is true for community updates.
“We will begin further community outreach and education once we are closer to procuring a vendor and beginning implementation, which will likely be in spring 2023,” she said.
Camera locations have not yet been chosen, said O’Brien. But Arlington schools have been close to a number of notable crashes, including a fatal crash involving a motorcyclist in front of Drew Elementary School, a fatal crash involving a pedestrian and a driver near Nottingham Elementary School, a fatal pedestrian crash near Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and a less serious crash involving a cyclist near Kenmore Middle School.
Locations will be chosen based on guidelines that DES has worked on with a consultant. That effort, funded by a Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments grant, is wrapping up, O’Brien said.
“The County (ACPD, APS, and DES) will then collaborate to refine and finalize specifications and guidelines, using the information from the grant project combined with local needs and knowledge,” she said.
Future progress, such as approving the vendor or camera locations, won’t need County Board approval, O’Brien said.
Once installed, cameras will identify and ticket speeding vehicles using radar, and police officers review footage to confirm the speeding violations. Tickets will be issued by mail to drivers traveling at least 10 mph over the speed limit, per state law.
The tickets will cost $50 and won’t result in a points reduction on your driver’s license or impact insurance rates.
“Speed camera fines are intended to encourage people to drive the speed limit,” the county says. “Fines do not generate revenue for police or transportation programs. Rather, fines issued will be distributed to the County’s General Fund. Therefore, there is no incentive to use speed cameras to fund department budgets.”
Community engagement is not set to begin until spring 2023. Previous outreach conducted as part of Arlington’s Vision Zero initiative, which reached more than 1,000 community members, indicated support for the cameras, according to the county.
Likewise, some supported speed cameras during online forums facilitated by Arlington’s Police Practices Work Group, as a way to reduce race- and ethnicity-based disparities in traffic enforcement.
Biking down Columbia Pike at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Parishioners Worship Outside After Fire — “The congregation that would normally pile into the pews of the oldest church in Arlington, Virginia, instead filled the green area across from the building on Sunday after a fire did enough damage to shut it down. Flames tore through part of Mount Olivet United Methodist early Friday, leaving members without a physical place to worship. But leaders say the fire did not destroy the real church – that’s wherever the people gather.” [NBC 4]
WaPo on Missing Middle — “It’s an idea that would do away with single-family zoning, which remains central to the American idea of suburbia. And it’s being considered by more communities around the country as their housing stock has failed to keep up with all the people trying to live there. Officials in Gainesville, Fla., hope the city might lower rents in their increasingly costly college town. Spokane, Wash., city planners think they could accommodate the influx of transplants who moved in during the pandemic.” [Washington Post]
Clement Wins Greens Endorsement — “Saying she is the one candidate who will do the right thing for Arlington’s most-in-need residents, the Arlington Green Party has announced it will support independent Audrey Clement for County Board. ‘She will stand up to the developers and bring an independent voice for Arlington residents to the board,’ said Mark Antell, a Green Party member and longtime local activist.” [Sun Gazette]
Bottle Throwing Leads to Arrest — “200 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 7:36 p.m. on October 13, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. After further investigation it was determined the male suspect was inside a restaurant when he allegedly threw two bottles at an employee, one of which struck the victim in the face causing non-life threatening injuries. The suspect remained on scene and was taken into custody by arriving officers.” [ACPD]
Fundraiser for Puerto Rico — “Join us in helping rebuild Puerto Rico which has been devastated by the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, recently. Yas Media is inviting you to a happy hour next Wednesday, October 19th at Buena Vida Gastrolounge. We will be collecting donations in-person and via qr code.” [Event]
Ebbin Quoted in Snyder Article — “But when [state Sen. Adam] Ebbin pushed [Washington Commanders owner Dan] Snyder on specifics, like how much tax revenue a new stadium would bring in and what it would ultimately cost taxpayers, Snyder had no answers. Nor did Snyder’s chief of staff or two lobbyists also present at his house that day. ‘It was a weird meeting,’ Ebbin says.” [ESPN]
Stranger Offers Ride to Kids in F.C. — “On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 12, a man approached a group of students walking home from Oak Street Elementary School and offered them a ride. The students declined and immediately reported the event.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Monday — Possible light rain in the morning. High of 66 and low of 54. Sunrise at 7:21 am and sunset at 6:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
Saint Agnes School Receives 2nd National Blue Ribbon Award — Saint Agnes School (SAS) is honored to cap its 75th-anniversary celebrations with its second National Blue Ribbon Award. SAS was one of twenty-four private schools to receive the award in the… [Press Release]
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Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley in 2022 (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley in 2022 (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley in 2022 (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley (staff photo)
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley (staff photo)
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) A man said to be armed and firing gunshots in the Green Valley neighborhood has been hospitalized after what police are calling an “officer-involved shooting.”
Officers swarmed the neighborhood after a dispatch, shortly after 7:35 p.m., for a man sitting in front of a house and firing gunshots on the 2100 block of S. Shirlington Road. It’s unclear what he was shooting at prior to police arriving on scene.
A chaotic series of transmissions on the police dispatch channel followed, including officers saying that shots were being fired, that the suspect was walking down the street and not dropping the gun, the sound of yelling, and warnings of potential crossfire. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was reported to be down.
Both police and the suspect fired shots, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
“ACPD responded to 2100 block of Shirlington Rd for the report of shots fired,” the department said. “Arriving officers made contact with armed suspect. Suspect and officers discharged firearms. Suspect has been transported to an area hospital. No officers injured.”
Later, police said the man is expected to survive.
“The suspect, an adult male, is in stable condition at the hospital,” ACPD said. “There are no outstanding suspects related to this incident. There is no apparent ongoing threat to the community.”
The Critical Incident Response Team, established by Northern Virginia police and sheriff agencies to investigate police shootings and other “critical incidents” involving law enforcement, “will conduct the criminal investigation into tonight’s officer-involved shooting,” ACPD said.
Several blocks of Shirlington Road remained closed for an extended period of time. S. Glebe Road was temporarily closed during the incident.
ACPD issued for following press release Saturday afternoon, identifying the suspect as a 44-year-old Maryland man.
A Maryland man is facing charges following an investigation into shots fired in the Green Valley neighborhood which resulted in an officer-involved shooting. El-Amin Mutee, 44, of Waldorf, MD is charged with Brandishing and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Additional charges are pending.
At approximately 7:36 p.m. on October 14, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Shirlington Road for the report of multiple shots fired. Responding officers encountered the armed suspect in the roadway and gave him commands to drop his weapon. The suspect refused to comply with the officers’ commands and raised the firearm. Two officers then discharged their firearms, injuring the suspect. Officers administered first aid and the suspect was transported to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. The suspect’s firearm was recovered on scene and the preliminary investigation confirmed shots had been fired. No officers or community members were injured as a result of the incident.
At the request of Chief Andy Penn, the regional Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated to investigate the incident. Following completion of the investigation by CIRT, the investigative file will be forwarded to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for independent review. In accordance with department policy, the two officers have been placed on routine administrative leave.
There is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact CIRT through the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line 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).
MAN WITH GUN, SHOTS FIRED IN ARLINGTON— 2100 blk Shirlington Road in Green Valley area. Unclear if the police have fired as well. Caller had stated gunman had fired shots prior to police arrival. Police have closed down the neighborhood while they locate shooter. @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/QXSkvBjtkU
Breaking: After @ArlingtonVaPD responded to a report of a man firing shots on Shirlington Rd off Glebe Rd, there was a report of more gunfire when police arrived. Apparently the suspect is down with no police injured. #police@ARLnowDOTcom @RealTimeNews10
LOCATION: 2100 Block of Shirlington Rd. INCIDENT: Police Department Activity IMPACT: All lanes on Shirlington Rd. blocked between 21st Rd. S and 24th Rd. S. Seek alternate routes and avoid area due to Police activity. pic.twitter.com/4BPUVxI6kW
The latest incident happened around noon yesterday (Thursday). Police were dispatched to the parking lot on the 3900 block of Wilson Blvd for a report of a man with a crowbar smashing the window of a car while someone was inside.
“At approximately 12:13 p.m. on October 13, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was inside his vehicle when the suspect approached and smashed the front passenger side window. The suspect fled the scene when he noticed the victim was inside the vehicle.”
The getaway vehicle was said to be a black Honda Civic, according to scanner traffic.
While the timing was conspicuous, given the highly-publicized case involving the D.C. official, police said it does not appear to have any connection to that incident and was likely an attempted theft.
“The victim’s wallet was in the passenger seat at the time of the incident and it appears this incident may have been an attempted larceny from auto,” Savage told ARLnow. “The investigation is ongoing.”
