News

Two ACPD cruisers damaged by alleged drunk drivers, amid rise in DUI arrests

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police cruiser damaged by alleged DUI driver in crash (photo via ACPD)

Arlington police cruisers were “significantly” damaged in two separate DUI crashes in September, according to ACPD.

The police department said on social media that the crashes happened while “officers were working incidents along Arlington roadways” but “the cruisers were unoccupied at the time of the crashes and no officers were injured.”

It’s a cautionary tale against both drunk driving and failing to drive carefully around those working in the roadway, police say.

“These crashes highlight the dangers emergency personnel can face when they step out onto the roadway to assist travelers and keep our communities safe,” write ACPD. “We all have a responsibility to protect those who protect us. Slow down and move over when you see flashing red, blue or amber lights.”

The drivers of both striking vehicles were arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence, the police department said. These incidents come amid a continued rise in DUI arrests.

DUI arrests in Arlington (image courtesy ACPD)

After falling in the first year of the pandemic, DUI arrests have been on the rise in Arlington County, according to ACPD stats provided to ARLnow. Between the first of the year and Sept. 22, there were 342 DUI arrests, compared to 253 and 318 arrests during that same time period in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

A fatal hit-and-run that killed a woman crossing the street near Thomas Jefferson Middle School in August has also brought attention to DUI and alcohol-related crashes. The driver was later arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, hit and run, driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license.

Alcohol-related crashes in Arlington are up nearly 50% since 2020, ARLnow reported earlier this month.

“Remember, it is never okay to drink and drive,” ACPD said via social media. “Always plan a sober ride — whether it’s a ridesharing service, taxi, public transportation, or designated sober driver.”

Asked about how the department handles cruisers being damaged by crashes, police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow that if repairs are not possible it takes 6-8 months to outfit a new cruiser.

“ACPD maintains a fleet of police vehicles for officer use,” Savage said via email. “Generally speaking, vehicles involved in crashes are removed from service and taken to the equipment yard for evaluation and repair. If a police vehicle is determined to no longer be operational due to a crash, it takes approximately 6 – 8 months to obtain and outfit a vehicle with the necessary police equipment.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Columbia Pike at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Grumbles About Car Tax — “County Board members have been getting their share of comments, too. ‘We have definitely heard some concerns,’ County Board Chairman Katie Cristol acknowledged, as elected officials and their staff have been fielding complaints about sometimes significant increases in personal property taxes on vehicles, which come due Oct. 5.” [Sun Gazette]

Puerto Rico Dogs Arrive in Arlington — “Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and the Puerto Rico Alliance for Companion Animals are evacuating 30 animals from the destruction in Puerto Rico left by Hurricane Fiona… Moving these shelter animals to the mainland to find forever homes not only save their lives but allows PR Animals to repair their facility (which currently has no power or running water) and prepare for animals displaced by destruction.” [Twitter]

Parking Rate Lower at DCA — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is seeing a slightly lower percentage of vehicles in its parking garages compared to passengers in its terminals than it had during pre-pandemic times… At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, it is running at 8 percent, down from 9 percent pre-pandemic.” [Sun Gazette]

Metro Map Updated — “Metrorail’s iconic map is getting an update with the addition of the six new Silver Line stations. Beginning today, you’ll start to see new maps rolling out… Also on the new map, Potomac Yard Station is shown as a future station. Changing the map is no easy feat. With more than 5,000 maps in stations and trains alone, Metro is getting a head start now for what will take more than a month to replace every map in the system in preparation for opening.” [WMATA]

D.C. Misspells ‘Virginia’ — Updated at 10:15 a.m. — “A sharp-eyed Twitter user noticed a misspelling at the eastern terminus of Virginia Avenue, Northwest. A Washingtonian reporter confirmed the street sign was misspelled as ‘Virgina’ but was unable to find any other typos between Constitution Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 73 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:01 am and sunset at 7:01 pm. [Weather.gov]

Early voting at County HQ kicks off at ‘slow but steady’ pace

By Jo DeVoe
Early voting at Arlington County government headquarters on Sept. 23, 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Early voting got off to a muted start today (Thursday) at the Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse.

“We had a line of five voters when we opened at 8 a.m.,” Director of Elections Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow. “We’ve had 72 voters as of 11 a.m. Flow is slow but steady. The first day of voting last year we processed around 400 voters. We might be slightly under that today.”

Through Nov. 4, registered voters in Arlington can cast their ballots at the county’s election offices for Arlington County Board, School Board and Virginia’s 8th Congressional district, as well as six local bond referenda totaling $510 million.

One seat on the Arlington County Board is up for grabs, with incumbent Matt de Ferranti (D) and independents Adam Theo and Audrey Clement vying for the spot.

One seat on the Arlington School Board is open once member Barbara Kanninen steps down. Bethany Sutton, who has the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, and Vell Rives, her independent challenger, are competing for the position.

Arlington’s representative to U.S. Congress, Rep. Don Beyer, is running again for re-election. His challengers are Republican Karina Lipsman and independent Teddy Fikre.

The bonds, if approved, would fund some of the next 10 years’ worth of capital projects for the county and Arlington Public Schools. If needed, the Arlington County Board can reallocate approved bond funds to other projects within the same bucket, such as transportation or parks.

Though interest rates have been rising, the county says it typically gets lower rates, relatively speaking, thanks to its high credit rating.

“Arlington currently holds AAA general obligation bond ratings from the three major bond rating agencies,” the county website says. “These strong ratings allow the County to borrow at very low interest rates, resulting in lower costs to Arlington taxpayers.”

The planned bonds are as follows.

Metro & Transportation ($52.63 million)

  • Paying Arlington County’s share of Metro’s capital improvement program: $42.6 million
  • Paving local streets and roads, $7.2 million
  • Conducting maintenance on local vehicle and pedestrian bridges, $1.5 million
  • Improving street lighting, $1.1 million
  • Replacing intelligent transportation system devices, $200,000
  • Addressing missing links in curbs and gutters, $100,000

Parks and Recreation ($22.46 million) 

  • Parks maintenance capital and master planning projects, $10.8 million
  • Additional funding for the completed renovations at Jennie Dean Park, $4.4 million
  • Initial planning and designs for the Arlington Boathouse, $2.9 million
  • Arlington’s Natural Resiliency program, which conserves natural resources makes upgrades at parks to prevent destructive flooding, $2 million
  • Funding for the Emerging Uses program, which responds to “emerging recreational activities and casual use spaces,” $2 million
  • Maintenance of synthetic turf fields, $300,000

Community Infrastructure ($53.3 million) 

  • Courthouse and Arlington County Police Department building upgrades, $13.1 million
  • Facilities design and construction, $12.7 million
  • Courthouse renovations and infrastructure, $12 million
  • Fire station replacements and additions, $7.4 million
  • Neighborhood Conservation projects, $5 million
  • Facilities maintenance capital, $3.1 million

Arlington Public Schools ($165 million) 

  • Career Center expansion project, $135.97 million
  • Improvements to kitchens and secure entrances, $12.24 million
  • Major infrastructure projects, $16.8 million

Stormwater ($39.76 million)

Capacity Improvements

  • Spout Run Watershed, $13.26 million
  • Langston Blvd and Sycamore Street culverts, $6.75 million
  • Torreyson Run Watershed, $5.95 million
  • Other capacity improvement projects, $8 million

Water Quality Improvements

  • Gulf Branch Stream, $2.75 million
  • Sparrow Pond Watershed, $1.275 million
  • Other water quality improvements, $1.75 million

Utilities ($177.36 million) 

  • Meeting more stringent environmental regulations at the Water Pollution Control Plant, and increasing capacity there to meet Arlington’s growing population and development, $159.5 million
  • Improving the Washington Aqueduct system, $15 million
  • Improving gravity transmission mains, $2.9 million

The deadline to register to vote this year is Oct. 18. Voters can check their registration status online through the State Dept. of Elections.

Those planning to vote on Election Day may have a change in their polling location. Arlington County is sending out mailers with their district and polling place information for the General Election.

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UPDATED: Two Arlington schools secured amid shots fired investigation in Fairfax County

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 8:55 p.m.) Wakefield High School and Claremont Elementary School were secured today in response to reports of gunfire in nearby Bailey’s Crossroads.

The secure-the-building status has since been lifted, an Arlington Public Schools spokesman told ARLnow shortly after 1 p.m.

Police initially believed that someone armed with a rifle in a high-rise building damaged several vehicles in the Crossroads Place shopping center along Route 7, according to scanner traffic. Fairfax County police, including the county’s police helicopter, searched for the shooter for hours.

Later Friday, FCPD announced that detectives determined that the shots were fired from the ground and not from a rifle.

Officers were first dispatched to the scene around 11:15 a.m. after someone reported hearing a loud noise and finding a hole in their car’s rear window.

Scene of shooting investigation in Bailey’s Crossroads (via Google Maps)

FCPD told our sister site FFXnow that this was not considered an active shooter situation. No additional shots were fired and there have been no reports of injuries.

Route 7 was completely blocked by police between S. Jefferson Street and Carlin Springs Road for an extended period of time but has since reopened. Arlington County officers assisted with the road closure. People in the Bailey’s Crossroads area were urged to shelter in place.

The following email was sent to Wakefield High School families shortly after noon.

Dear Families,

Wakefield has been notified of an incident involving police activity near the school. As a precaution, we have placed the school in Secure-the-Building* status. This means that all doors are locked and no one can leave or enter the building as a precaution.

Updates will be communicated via School Talk.

*What is the Secure-the-Building Status?  

This action is activated when there is a reported threat or hazard outside of the school building. Secure uses the security of the physical facility to act as protection. All students and staff are brought into the secure building and all exterior doors are locked. Classes continue uninterrupted inside the building.

The search for the shooter was still ongoing as of 4 p.m.

Map via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Planes line up for landing at National Airport as a commuter train rolls by (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Two Flyovers This Morning — “The US Air Force will conduct a military aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 9:40 AM… [and] at 11:05 AM.” [PoPville]

Local Covid Update — “County health officials report 55 deaths so far in 2022 owing to COVID… There were 102 COVID-related deaths in Arlington in 2021 and 181 – from a much lower level of reported cases – in 2020.” [Sun Gazette]

Another Missing Man — Updated at 11:45 a.m. — The search for a missing 22-year-old man last seen in the Ballston area has ended after he was found deceased in Maryland. Per initial indications from police, the death is not being considered suspicious.

Bad News for Gondola Fans — “Exxon station. Police hangout. ‘Exorcist’ steps landing. Gondola dock of the future. The former Key Bridge Exxon station at 3601-3607 M St. NW has gone by many names over the years. But it seems its owners have settled again on familiar use: housing. Arlington-based Altus Realty has filed plans to convert the former gas station property on the western end of Georgetown’s affluent M Street shopping corridor into a 55- to 60-unit multifamily building.” [Washington Business Journal]

Hospital Gets Donation from Beer Sales — “[Virginia Hospital Center] is pleased to announce that it has received a donation of more than $5,500 from the proceeds of Bear Chase Brewing Company’s limited-release summer beer, ‘Doctor’s Orders,’ crafted in appreciation of the exceptional care VHC Health provided to a member of the Bear Chase team.” [Press Release]

International Award for AED — “Arlington Economic Development earned a Gold Award for its innovative ReLaunch program from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit association for professional economic developers in the world. ReLaunch was honored in the category of Resiliency, Recovery and Mitigation during the organization’s 2022 Annual Conference held September 18-21.” [Arlington County]

High School Volleyball Update — “With a 12-0 overall record, including 11 victories by shutouts, the Bishop O’Connell Knights had the best overall record of the four varsity girls high-school volleyball teams in Arlington when the week began… Also with a winning record are the Wakefield Warriors with a 6-2 mark. The Warriors have defeated W-L, 3-1, and lost to Yorktown, 3-1.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Friday (and Fall) — Clear throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:59 am and sunset at 7:06 pm. [Weather.gov]

Report outlines how Arlington County can prevent another Serrano saga

By Jo DeVoe
The Serrano Apartments at 5535 Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

(Updated 4:40 p.m.) There are more than two dozen steps local affordable housing developers, Arlington County and the state can take to improve quality of life and respect tenants, according to a new report.

Written by a Joint Subcommittee on the Status of Aging Properties (JSSAP), the report walks through the kinds of protections tenants need to live safely in committed affordable dwellings in Arlington, many of which are affordable because they are older and more prone to maintenance issues.

Work on this document, unofficially dubbed “the Serrano report,” began last October in response to the attention tenant advocates drew in May 2021 to longstanding problems at the Serrano Apartments (5535 Columbia Pike). Residents of the affordable housing complex, owned by affordable housing operator AHC, Inc., were living with mold and rodent infestations and in units decaying due to deferred maintenance.

“I think it’s an important, historical document to say, ‘This is what happened,’ and to help the county and the state to prevent these issues from happening again,” said Kellen MacBeth, chair of the Arlington Branch of the NAACP’s Housing Committee.  “It was a lot of work, but I’m hopeful we can build on the changes the county has been making to further protect the rights of tenants and prevent another Serrano from occurring.”

The document could be presented to the Arlington County Board as early as next month.

Reaction to the report has been mixed. Advocates are urging the Board to implement the local recommendations and incorporate suggestions for the state into its annual legislative priorities. Some members of Arlington County’s Housing Commission critiqued the report, however, for not including the perspectives of affordable housing business partners or costs associated with implementing the recommendations.

“We went back and forth on that,” Housing Commission Chair Eric Berkey told the Tenant-Landlord Commission last week.

For its part, AHC said it respects the subcommittee’s work but is concerned about the financial impact.

“We appreciate the effort that went into the report,” AHC spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said in a statement. “As a non-profit organization, any recommendations that add cost without accompanying revenues would be burdensome. AHC has 23 properties in Arlington alone.”

Where to start

Tenant advocates say the county’s first order of business, after accepting the report, should be requiring housing providers to fund organizations that support tenant associations.

“We think it’s critically important for the Barcroft Apartments — and the redevelopment that’s going to be happening in the next year — so that tenants have a voice, if there are serious problems they’re facing,” MacBeth said. Maintenance issues, he added, are already arising.

Late last year, the county and Amazon agreed to loan more than $300 million to facilitate the sale of the Barcroft Apartments on Columbia Pike to developer Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, which agreed to preserve 1,334 units on the site as committed affordable units for 99 years.

Tenant education on their rights provided by a third party would ensure these tenant councils will have teeth, says Elder Julio Basurto, a former Serrano resident and co-founder of a new advocacy group called Juntos En Justicia (Together in Justice).

“They have to train the residents how to advocate for their needs,” he said. “Without the oversight, the residential councils won’t work.”

Janeth Valenzuela, who helped draw attention to conditions at the Serrano, said tenants need education to know how to report their problems. Residents would talk with the county, but if it wasn’t the right staff member, work would be delayed, she said.

“We still have tenants afraid to say things for fear of retaliation, and they don’t have training in how to file reports,” said Valenzuela, another co-founder of Juntos En Justicia. “They didn’t know who to go to, what to do or how to talk.”

(more…)

How a local scouting troop got saddled with $3K in personal property taxes

By Jo DeVoe
Troop 167 member Griffin Crouch addresses the Arlington County Board during its meeting on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022 (via Arlington County)

A local scouting troop says it has been blindsided by a $3,000 personal property tax bill on its vans.

So a scout decided to seek relief from the bill — which would take a big chunk of its $21,000 budget — by going to the Arlington County Board.

“These vans take scouts on campouts and hikes, and to once in a lifetime adventures, backpacking in New Mexico and scuba diving in Florida,” Griffin Crouch told the Board on Saturday. “A lot of members are first-generation immigrants and the vans help us ensure that every scout gets to participate in practicing leadership and serving the community and have fun doing it — regardless of their families’ income.”

He told the County Board he hopes Arlington can find a way for the troop to remain tax-exempt, like Arlington’s other scout troops and youth organizations, before taxes are due.

More than 50 boys and girls who make up Troop 167 meet at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (1500 N. Glebe Road), near Ballston. Up until last year, he said, the church officially sponsored the troop.

But this summer, the United Methodist Church, the largest supporter of scouting troops, told local churches to stop officially sponsoring local troops. Troops can still use their facilities, however.

The decision came the Boy Scouts of America declared bankruptcy following numerous legal battles over child sexual-abuse and dwindling participation due to the pandemic. As part of the BSA’s sexual-abuse bankruptcy and settlement plan, United Methodist Church paid $30 million to victims.

So Troop 167 decided to incorporate a nonprofit to sponsor the troop, Crouch said.

What the troop didn’t realize was that getting 501(c)(3) status and federal tax-exempt status did not protect it from state tax code or Arlington’s personal property tax.

“We have discussed the matter with our Commissioner of Revenue (COR), and although we are prohibited under state law from discussing the details of a particular taxpayer’s liability, the COR has confirmed that as a general matter, personal property belonging to a federally income-tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity is subject to the personal property tax in Arlington with a few limited exceptions,” Arlington County spokeswoman Jessica Baxter told ARLnow.

Boy Scout troops are not a mentioned in the list of entities whose property is tax exempt: churches, museums, the YMCA and similar religious groups, for example.

“It seems wrong a scout troop has to pay that because it’s being sponsored by a non-religious nonprofit rather than a church,” Crouch said. “We still help the church and it considers us a part of its social justice ministries.”

Board Chair Katie Cristol praised Crouch for demonstrating “the best of the values of scouting: community organization, leadership and critical thinking and analysis.”

“I know some of my colleagues have started this conversation with you all, and will continue it,” she said. “The principle that’s at stake here is one of fairness. We don’t exempt nonprofits in general from personal property taxes, and so exceptions we would make we would need to understand in context of, or have a framework for how we can be fair across nonprofits.”

Cristol said she will follow-up personally regarding next steps.

“I think you have done a great job of summarizing how it’s been a complicated series of events to get the troop here,” she said. “I wonder if there may be some opportunities for us to figure out your incorporation status, and if there are ways we can help in that regard.”

Ranked-choice voting could decide County Board nominees in June 2023 primaries

By Jo DeVoe
Voting stickers (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Ranked-choice voting could be coming to Arlington as soon as next spring.

But first, the county wants residents to share whether they would like to vote this way for Arlington County Board members. The system, also known as “instant runoff,” prompts voters to rank candidates and a winner is selected over the course of many elimination rounds.

The Board could vote in November to introduce ranked-choice voting (RCV) during the primaries next June.

“In proposing we do this resolution in November, I’m trying to maximize the amount of time for outreach,” Board Chair Katie Cristol said during a meeting on Tuesday. “We probably don’t want to start advertising a new election system before this year’s election, lest we sow confusion.”

The survey of voter preferences went live yesterday (Wednesday). From now until Nov. 4, locals can share any comments and questions they have about RCV, whether they’ve voted that way before and — on a scale of “very unfavorably” to “very favorably” — how they view it.

“I know Board members are still forming their opinions, but I do think there is more appetite for taking on primaries as a pilot,” Cristol said. “We’re all really looking forward to hearing from the community directly.”

Ranked-choice voting graphic (via Arlington County)

She said 2023 is an ideal year to introduce the new system, since two County Board seats will be on the ballot.

“Voters are more likely to see a difference between ranked-choice voting and the traditional system, and learn how the system works,” she said.

Two-seat years already have an element of ranking, said Board Member Libby Garvey. During such races, she said she would ask voters for their second vote if she wasn’t their No. 1 pick.

“So it really keeps you from being too partisan and too negative, which I think will be a very good thing these days,” she said. “It might bring back some civility in our public life, which would be great.”

Proponents also say it helps more moderate candidates get elected while opponents say it confuses voters.

Legally, the Board has until March 22, 2023 to enact RCV for the June 20 primary, Director of Elections Gretchen Reinemeyer tells ARLnow. State law requires a lead time of 90 days.

“Since Ranked Choice Voting could impact someone’s decision to run for office, it’s my understanding that the preference is to determine if RCV will be used in advance of the campaign filing window,” she said in an email. “The filing deadline for candidates is January [to] March.”

The change would only apply to primaries run by the Office of Elections, she said. Early next year, local political parties will declare whether they will pick their nominee via a primary run by Arlington’s election office or a party-run convention.

“If the County Board approves a resolution that the primary in 2023 will use RCV, then that is the only option the parties will have if they choose to have a county-run primary,” she said. “They still have the option to choose to run their own nominating event.”

This time last year, Board members signaled interest in using instant runoff for the 2022 primary but that didn’t happen because Arlington needed the state Department of Elections to update its machines and codify standards for administering elections this way, Cristol said.

Technically, the county has had the ability to enact RCV since 2021. At the request of Del. Patrick Hope (D-47), the state granted Arlington the ability to test out the system one year before other Virginia localities, which were permitted to implement ranked-choice voting on or after July 1, 2022.

Moving forward before the state “would’ve cost us millions of dollars” to buy new machines to process the votes, Cristol said.

Independent candidates for County Board have criticized the decision to wait last year and this year. Candidate Adam Theo has chalked it up to a lack of political will, seeing as the system could make it easier for candidates without a party endorsement to win.

Last fall, the Arlington Electoral Board conducted public engagement with a Q&A and a “mock election,” in which participants used ranked-choice voting to choose their favorite farmers market.

Metro changes planned due to large-scale emergency exercise at the Pentagon this weekend

By ARLnow.com
Clouds over the Pentagon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Expect to see lots of emergency activity around the Pentagon this weekend. But don’t worry, it’s just a drill.

The emergency response training exercise is scheduled to take place from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday and will include first responders from a number of jurisdictions.

“Expect flashing lights/sirens near the Pentagon Transit Center,” Pentagon police said on Twitter.

The Pentagon Metro station will be closed until around 2 p.m. as a result of the exercise. Buses going to or from the Pentagon will be relocated to the Crystal City and Pentagon City stations.

More from a WMATA press release:

On Saturday, September 24, Metro will temporarily close the Pentagon Station to bus and rail service from opening until approximately 2 p.m. due to a security exercise at the request of the Pentagon. During this time, people in the area may notice a large amount of emergency personnel; however, customers should be aware this is only an exercise.

During the temporary station closure, Metrobus service that normally serves the Pentagon Transit Center will instead be relocated to Pentagon City. Express shuttle buses operating to/from Huntington and Franconia-Springfield to Pentagon due to major construction on the Blue and Yellow lines will be diverted to Crystal City where customers can transfer to/from the rail system.

While Pentagon Station is closed, Blue Line trains will bypass the station, passing through without stopping. Customers may wish to use Pentagon City Station as an alternative.

Bus and rail service will resume to the Pentagon at approximately 2 p.m. at the conclusion of the exercise. Metro will notify customers through our social media channels @MetrobusInfo @MetrorailInfo, online on the Status and Alerts page, and through MetroAlerts text and email messages. Customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts to be notified about the latest service information.

Metro’s customers service team will also be available to assist customers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to provide real-time information online or by phone. Metro’s customer service team responds to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram social posts, emails and chat conversations. Customers may also get information by calling 202-637-7000 or visiting wmata.com.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Development Plan for Papillon Cycles Building — “The Christopher Companies has filed plans with Arlington County for a new 88-unit residential development at 2801 Columbia Pike, currently home to a two-level commercial building. The new project, designed by Devereaux Architects and Planners, would rise 7 stories, have two levels of underground parking and 5,800 square feet of retail space.” [UrbanTurf]

Another Gun Caught at DCA — “Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented a Prince George’s County, Md., man from carrying his loaded handgun onto a flight this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 21. It was the 20th gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year. The 9mm gun was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.” [Press Release]

New Retail and Restaurant at Airport — “Local burger joint Lucky Buns and Black-owned bookstore MahoganyBooks are among the businesses that will open new locations at National Airport, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Lucky Buns, which is from Chef Alex McCoy and known for its burgers and chicken sandwiches influenced by British and Southeast Asian cuisine, will be located by the B gates.” [DCist]

Ukrainian Kids Visit USS Arlington — “Twenty-seven children of Ukrainian soldiers visited the U.S. Navy San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) during a port of call to Riga, Latvia, in late August. The National Defense Patriotic Foundation (NAMEJS), a charitable organization run by retired Latvian Army Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube, hosted the Ukrainian children for a week-long summer camp at the time of USS Arlington’s arrival.” [Sun Gazette]

N. Va. Job Growth Trails Rest of State — “Northern Virginia accounts for nearly 38 percent of the jobs in the commonwealth but only was responsible for 30 percent of the statewide rebound in employment over the past year, according to new data. From August 2021 to August 2022, the local region picked up a net 35,700 new jobs to stand at 1,533,700, according to figures reported Sept. 16 by the Virginia Employment Commission.” [Sun Gazette]

Metro Track Issues Revealed — “Wheel problems similar to those that sidelined about half of Metro’s rail car fleet also occurred years earlier on older cars, partly stemming from a track issue Metro never addressed, the transit system’s regulatory agency said Tuesday while citing a years-old report that recently came to light.” [Washington Post]

It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day, plus a chance of showers and storms, getting windy and cooler in the afternoon and evening. High of 78 and low of 61. Sunrise at 6:58 am and sunset at 7:07 pm. [Weather.gov]

Family believes missing man might be seen in video of alleged carjacking attempt

By ARLnow.com
Suspect in alleged carjacking attempts seen in the roadway along I-395 after being struck by a car (courtesy Dave Statter/Twitter)

The family of a missing man thinks he may be the one who allegedly tried to carjack two drivers along I-395.

The Byrne family is going public with its concern for Sean, 27, who was last seen Sunday night leaving Reagan National Airport, where he was set to fly home to the Chicago area. They believe he had a psychiatric episode that led him to run off, but they don’t know where he is headed.

Meghan Byrne, the man’s sister, said Sean was in town visiting her for her birthday. She says he is in crisis and is urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact local authorities.

“I’m hoping to get as many people and resources as possible to help look for and locate my brother,” Byrne told ARLnow. “We just want to make sure that he’s okay.”

“We want to get the word out so that if anyone sees him or might have information that they’ve they’ve seen him in recent days that they can contact local authorities,” she continued.

Missing person poster (courtesy Meghan Byrne, via Dave Statter)

Sean is described as a 27-year-old white male who’s 6’2″ with a “very athletic” build, a short brown buzzcut, and a bit of facial hair. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, gray athletic shorts, black tennis shoes, and black socks, and may also have a black backpack and a white face mask.

Meghan saw a video of one of the alleged carjacking attempts along I-395 early Monday morning, posted by Pentagon City resident and public safety watchdog Dave Statter, and believes it shows Sean.

“We are convinced that that was my brother,” said Meghan. “The video that Dave Statter posted matches my brother’s general description and matches his behavior.”

Arlington County police said Monday morning that a younger white male suspect with a buzzcut tried to carjack two people around the Boundary Channel Drive interchange along I-395. One male victim struck the suspect with his car and drove off, while a female victim got out and gave up her car — only for the suspect to be foiled by the vehicle’s stick shift.

Statter’s video shows the apparent suspect being struck by the one victim’s car, before getting up and running across the highway.

“The suspect was last seen running across I-395 towards the exit for the George Washington Memorial Parkway,” Arlington County police said in a crime report Monday. “A perimeter was established and a lookout was broadcast for the suspect. Police helicopters assisted with a search of the area which yielded negative results.”

Meghan said a missing person report was filed with airport police and the family is also in contact with Arlington County police.

An ACPD spokeswoman today released a brief statement in response to an inquiry from ARLnow, not directly addressing whether police believe the missing man is the person seen on video.

From ACPD:

Mr. Byrne was reported missing to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department and they are the primary agency investigating the missing person’s report.

The investigation into the attempted carjackings on September 19 are ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation 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).

Hat tip to Dave Statter

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