News

UPDATE: Missing Teen Found, Police Say

By ARLnow.com

Update at 10:30 a.m. — Hubbard has been found safely, police said last night. 

Earlier: Arlington County Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing Williamsburg Middle School student.

Police say Brendan Hubbard, 14, ran away from home Monday night and has not been seen since.

They’re asking that anyone who potentially knows where the teen is to call the police non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance locating a missing 14-year-old juvenile. Brendan Hubbard was last seen at his residence in the 2300 block of N. Columbus Street at approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 1. It is believed that he left the residence on his own accord.

He is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 5’8″ tall and weighs 140 lbs. It appears he left home on an orange bike, carrying a blue duffel bag and sleeping bag. He is known to frequent the area of the Langston-Brown Community Center.

The investigation into the whereabouts of Mr. Hubbard is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Emergency Communication Center at 703-558-2222.

Note: This article may not be updated until the next day. Should the teen be found, police would first inform the public on the ACPD Twitter account.

County Unveils New Program Waiving Charges for Some Addicts Seeking Treatment

By Airey
1/2

Arlington law enforcement officials are launching a program to help people with addictions get help without jail time.

“Operation Safe Station” allows the Office of the Magistrate to waive charges on people with an addiction who turn themselves and their drugs in, and ask for help.

“Forgoing a prosecution and connecting individuals to treatment professionals is a first step in fighting this pernicious epidemic,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos in a statement Tuesday.

The program is the latest effort combatting the opioid crisis after the county saw a 245 percent increase in patients seeking treatment for opioid addiction between 2015 and 2017.

Operation Safe Station will refer participating people to “support groups, outpatient office based opioid treatment programs, Methadone programs, and when appropriate, residential treatment” per the description on the county’s website.

The program is a joint creation of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Arlington County Police, and Arlington’s Dept. of Human Services (DHS).

In a Tuesday press release, Chief of Police Jay Farr, DHS Director Anita Friedman, and Sheriff Beth Arthur praised Operation Safe Station for “removing barriers” preventing people from seeking help with their addictions.

However, the program does not accept people who:

  • Have outstanding arrest warrants
  • Have been convicted of giving, selling, or distributing drugs, or convicted of doing so with the intent to manufacture
  • Are under 18 years old and don’t have a guardian with them
  • Are determined to be a threat to program staff by police

Those who do not meet these criteria still face arrest if they turn themselves in with controlled substances at the Magistrate’s Office.

Operation Safe Station participants must also agree to a search and sign an agreement committing themselves to the program.

The program’s announcement comes several months into Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos’ campaign for re-election. Challenger Parisa Tafti has criticized the prosecutor for being slow to implement criminal justice reform measures like eliminating cash bail.

Stamos has defended her record earlier this week by referencing success of her “Second Chance” program she says diverted 500 minors struggling with addict from court since its start in 2011 as well as a Drug Court program.

Rosslyn-Based Startup ‘Hungry’ Scores $8 Million in Funding with Help from Jay-Z

By Vernon Miles

Hungry, a food delivery startup based in Rosslyn, announced today that it’s raised $8 million in funding from investors like Jay-Z’s investment group and singer/songwriter Usher.

In an announcement, Hungry listed a who’s who of backers for the company’s series A financing. Investors range from Alexandria-based Motley Fool Ventures to founders of Honest Tea and Founding Farmers. Among the investors was Marcy Venture Partners, a Jay-Z helmed venture fund.

“Hungry has built a brand that is defined by customer satisfaction,” Larry Marcus, Marcy Venture Partners co-founder and managing director, said in the press release. “The team has cracked the code on a user-friendly marketplace that combines skilled chefs with an easy-to-use digital ordering experience. We’re thrilled to be a part of the Hungry journey.”

The company puts together a rotating set of dining options for offices from a variety of hand-picked chefs. Once the meal is chosen, a delivery team brings the food there, sets up, and then packs up when the meal is done.

The central idea is that an office could order lunch for their staff every day for a month and never get the same food twice or have to worry about the logistics. The company currently operates throughout the D.C. region and recently expanded to Philadelphia.

The new funding is more than double what Hungry had previously raised, bringing the total amount of funding raised since its founding in 2016 to $12.5 million, according to the press release.

“We are very thankful to all of our investors and supporters,” said Eman Pahlevani, Hungry’s co- founder and COO. “This truly is an amazing syndicate of powerful investors and we are excited about having their support to propel Hungry’s growth across the country.”

Photo via Facebook

BREAKING: JBG Smith Inks Agreements with Amazon

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:30 a.m.) JBG Smith has made it official with Amazon, announcing this morning the signing of lease and development agreements with the tech and retail giant.

The announcement should put to rest any speculation that Amazon could pull out of its HQ2 plans in Arlington, as it did in New York City.

Construction has already started on Amazon’s three temporary leased office buildings in Crystal City, with the company expecting to move into two of the buildings — 241 18th Street S. and 1800 S. Bell Street — later this year.

Amazon is also buying a pair of large development sites in Pentagon City from JBG Smith — sites that JBG will help develop into a permanent second headquarters campus for the company. The sale price of the vacant Metropolitan Park and PenPlace properties, each two blocks from the Pentagon City Metro station: just under $300 million.

“We are pleased to report that our partnership with Amazon at National Landing is moving full steam ahead,” JBG SMITH CEO Matt Kelly said in a press release, below. “With the execution of these agreements and recently legislated state and local government commitments to invest approximately $2 billion in the region’s transportation, education and housing infrastructure, we are ready to welcome Amazon’s first National Landing employees in the coming months.”

More from the press release:

JBG SMITH (NYSE: JBGS), a leading owner and developer of high-quality, mixed-use properties in the Washington, DC market, today announced that it has executed three leases and two Purchase and Sale Agreements with affiliates of Amazon.com, Inc. in conjunction with the creation of Amazon’s HQ2 at National Landing in Northern Virginia.

These agreements are the result of Amazon’s announcement in November 2018 that it had selected JBG SMITH as its partner to house and develop its HQ2 locations after a comprehensive, year-long search that included proposals from 238 cities across North America.

Amazon has executed three initial leases totaling 537,000 square feet at three existing JBG SMITH office buildings in National Landing. The leases encompass 88,000 square feet at 241 18th Street South, 191,000 square feet at 1800 South Bell Street, and 258,000 square feet at 1770 Crystal Drive. JBG SMITH expects Amazon to begin moving into 241 18th Street South and 1800 South Bell in 2019, and 1770 Crystal Drive by the end of 2020.

JBG SMITH and Amazon have also executed Purchase and Sale Agreements for two of JBG SMITH’s National Landing development sites, Pen Place and Met 6, 7, and 8, which will serve as the initial phase of new construction associated with Amazon’s HQ2. Subject to customary closing conditions, Amazon will pay $294 million for the sites, or $72 per square foot based on their combined development potential of 4.1 million square feet. JBG SMITH, which has flexibility on the timing of closing to facilitate 1031 exchange opportunities, expects to close on the Mets land sales as early as 2019 and on Pen Place as early as 2020. JBG SMITH will also serve as Amazon’s developer, property manager, and retail leasing agent for these assets.

“We are pleased to report that our partnership with Amazon at National Landing is moving full steam ahead,” said JBG SMITH CEO, Matt Kelly. “With the execution of these agreements and recently legislated state and local government commitments to invest approximately $2 billion in the region’s transportation, education and housing infrastructure, we are ready to welcome Amazon’s first National Landing employees in the coming months.”

In January 2019, the Virginia General Assembly overwhelmingly approved incentive legislation associated with HQ2 to fund $195 million toward critical infrastructure improvements, including second entrances to the Crystal City and to-be-constructed Potomac Yard Metro stations, a pedestrian connection linking National Landing to Reagan National Airport, an expanded VRE station and substantial improvements to Route 1. These investments are in addition to $570 million of regional government commitments for transportation infrastructure and transit improvements, and they follow the regional compact from mid-2018 to invest $500 million annually in Metro system improvements.

In March 2019, the Arlington County Board also unanimously approved a $23 million performance agreement with Amazon. Both packages provide post-performance incentives for Amazon to create up to 37,850 jobs with an average annual salary of $150,000 and occupy at least six million square feet of office space in Arlington County.

The General Assembly also recently approved a major education investment package that includes funding of $250 million toward Virginia Tech’s planned $1 billion Innovation Campus to be located in National Landing and $125 million planned for new Master’s degree programs in computer science and related fields at George Mason’s Arlington campus.

In addition, the County of Arlington, the City of Alexandria and the Commonwealth of Virginia have collectively dedicated $225 million to fund a range of low-income and workforce housing initiatives over the next decade.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Red Flag Warning Today — Updated at 8:45 a.m. — The D.C. region is under a Red Flag Warning this afternoon for strong winds and low humidity, which can lead to wildfires. In Arlington, fire weather like this typically results in small brush and mulch fires that are quickly extinguished. [Weather.gov]

Report on Old Dominion Site Coming Soon — “With a task force prepping its final report on uses for the government parcel at 26th Street North and Old Dominion Drive, what will happen next to the recommendations? For both procedural and financial reasons, don’t expect the county government to jump into development of the 7.6-acre site immediately.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Eateries Among Harper’s Favorite D.C. Memories — Former Rosslyn resident Bryce Harper shouted out Silver Diner and The Italian Store in his farewell to D.C. [Twitter]

Presidential Race May Post Logistical Challenge — “As Arlington’s elections office begins mulling how to handle the 2020 presidential vote, it could be space, rather than money, that proves the biggest challenge.” [InsideNova]

W-L Hockey Player Raising Money for Diabetes Research — “Ethan Rostker, a freshman defenseman for the Washington-Lee hockey team, doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 20 months old. He wears an insulin pump while playing and completes a 100-mile bike trip yearly to raise money for diabetes research.” [WJLA]

Nearby: Bailey’s Crossroads Fire Update — “1,000 people are still displaced after two transformers burst into flames Monday morning– cutting off power to their Fairfax County apartments.” [WJLA]

Photo courtesy Jessica Hahn

Clarendon Gym Owner Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Attempted Cocaine Purchase

By ARLnow.com

The owner of a Clarendon gym who pleaded guilty to trying to buy large quantities of cocaine from undercover police officers has been sentenced.

A federal judge sentenced Pascal Laporte to four years in prison today, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced this afternoon.

Prosecutors say Laporte thought he was buying two kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican cartel for $50,000, but was in fact meeting with undercover Fairfax County Police detectives. They say that Laporte planned to sell the cocaine and promised future purchases of up to 100 kilograms.

More from a press release, via the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

An Arlington man was sentenced today to nearly four years in prison for his role in purchasing 2 kilograms of cocaine from undercover detectives.

According to court documents, Pascal Laporte, 40, intended to purchase 2 kilograms of cocaine from undercover Fairfax County Police detectives who purported themselves as members a drug cartel based in Mexico. For over a year, Laporte expressed to a confidential source his need for a cheaper supplier of cocaine who could provide him with kilogram quantities. Laporte first met the undercover detectives in early August 2018 at a restaurant in Tysons Corner, to discuss pricing per kilogram and the quantity Laporte desired. Laporte told the undercover detectives it would take him a week to sell off 1 kilogram of cocaine.

In the weeks leading up to his arrest, Laporte communicated with the CS his desire to start with the purchase of 2 kilograms of cocaine, and if the arrangement went well, he would then purchase 10 kilograms, and then upwards of 100 kilograms per month. Laporte even traveled to Miami with the intention to find a means to transport the cocaine himself to the Northern Virginia area in an effort to obtain the cheapest price per kilogram. Laporte was arrested in August 2018 as he was inspecting the cocaine that he was to purchase. He brought $45,000 to the meeting, as partial payment for the 2 kilograms.

Governor: Technology Company Pledges 1,000 Jobs in Arlington

By Airey

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) An Arlington-based tech company is relocating its headquarters in Crystal City and pledging to add 1,000 new jobs in Arlington.

Incentive Technology Group, LLC (iTG) is investing $5.1 million in a 50,000 square-foot headquarters at the Presidential Tower office building at 2511 Jefferson Davis Highway, where it expects to hire for 128 positions this year.

The new headquarters, and the 1,000 jobs iTG pledged to add over the next three years, was announced by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam earlier today.

Virginia and Georgia both vied for iTG’s new headquarters, but Amazon appears to have helped tip the scales in Arlington’s favor.

“Arlington County’s recent influx of technical talent, as well as its ability to attract leading-edge companies to the area, such as Amazon, are the key reasons for iTG’s decision to stay in the region,” said iTG’s Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fehretdinov.

iTG consults with Amazon Web Services, per its website. Its customers include the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Communications Commission, National Cancer Institute, Bank of America, the General Services Administration, Vanguard, and United Healthcare.

Governor Northam described the company as a “homegrown small business” and said iTG’s choice to stay Arlington is “another example of how the region’s world-renowned tech talent and higher education system attracts and retains leading IT businesses of all sizes.

In the press release, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball, state Sen. Adam Ebbin and Del. Rip Sullivan lauded the move as evidence of the county’s growing economic power.

Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said he was “excited” that iTG planned to stay in the county.

“iTG has seen great success here, and in its new space is well-positioned to continue its growth in the field of information technology,” Dorsey said in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with iTG as a valued partner in our business community.”

iTG was founded in 2008 and is currently located at 2121 Crystal Drive. It currently has “in excess of 200 Arlington employees,” Fehretdinov told ARLnow.

File photo

ACPD Searching for Group Who Allegedly Stole a Car, Flipped Another in Fairlington

By Airey

Police are trying to locate a group of alleged car thieves they say flipped a stolen car before attempting to steal others in the Fairlington neighborhood.

Around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night police arrived at the scene of a flipped car on the 4800 block of 28th Street S, according to a crime report posted today. Officers discovered that the vehicle was a sedan stolen from D.C. and determined that its passengers broke into several other cars in the area while trying to flee the crash scene.

The suspects allegedly stole one car, a Silver 2016 Kia Optima, from the neighborhood after flipping their own and attempted to break into several other vehicles, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.

Residents posted pictures of the scene on Facebook. One picture shows a log sitting in the passenger seat of one of the cars, wood chips and glass from the broken window strewn across the center console.

“Approximately four vehicles were tampered with,” confirmed Savage. “The driver’s side windows of two vehicles were smashed and a log was located at the scene.”

More from the crime report:

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT/TAMPERING WITH AUTO, 2019-03300280, 2019-03300275, 2019-03310014, 4800 block of 28th Street S. At approximately 11:34 p.m. on March 30, police were dispatched to the report of suspects tampering with vehicles. Upon investigation, it was determined the suspects were operating a vehicle previously reported stolen out of Washington D.C. when they struck a parked vehicle, causing theirs to overturn. The suspects then exited the vehicle, tampered with approximately four vehicles, before stealing a vehicle with the keys left inside and fleeing the scene. The occupants of the crashed vehicle are described as two black males and two black females. The investigation is ongoing.

The Fairlington Villages condo association acknowledged the break-ins in a statement posted on its website and social media Monday, writing:

Management is aware of the events over the weekend regarding vehicles being vandalized and police activity. As it is an ongoing investigation, the police has no information to release at this time. We will update the community as soon as information becomes available.

As a safety measure, if you’re outside at night, please be aware of your surroundings and please keep your phone with you.

Forty-one auto thefts have been reported in Arlington since January 1, up from 32 stolen vehicles reported in the same period last year, according to ACPD’s Community Crime Map.

All told, there were 176 reports of stolen vehicles in 2018, an increase from 158 in 2017. Records from 2016 are not available as police rolled out the crime map that year.

Photo via Andrea L. on Facebook

Second Candy Store to Open at Pentagon City Mall

By Airey

The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City may welcome a new candy store next month.

“Why Not Candy?” is scheduled to open in the third floor of the mall next to the GNC health and nutrition store on Wednesday, May 1, according to the mall’s website. The confectionery shop will feature an “ultimate candy ‘fun room’ with an unending supply of tasty confections,” the website says.

It will open in a 1,541 square-foot space, according to the store’s leasing agent.

Pentagon City mall will be the second location for the owners, who opened their flagship store In nearby Springfield Town Center two years ago, according to a Facebook page. It’s also these second sweet-tooth temptation in the mall: restaurant and candy shop Sugar Factory opened in the Fashion Centre two years ago.

The Fashion Centre is bringing a bevy of boutiques onboard this spring, including watch retailer Invicta. Women’s clothing store Windsor is also expected to join the mall in the a 4,500-square-foot space near Lids, reported Northern Virginia Magazine.

Photo via Flickr user sayo ts

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Clerk’s Office Stressed By Extra Work — “Increasing amounts of paperwork – whether of the hard-copy or electronic variety – are putting the squeeze on the staff of Arlington’s clerk of the Circuit Court.” [InsideNova]

Amazon Aiming for Net-Zero HQ2? — “Amazon seems to be eyeing the possibility of constructing ‘net-zero energy’ buildings when it readies its new offices in Pentagon City and Crystal City, and raised the issue repeatedly in negotiations with county officials.” [Washington Business Journal]

APS Lauded for Music Education — “Arlington Public Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Foundation for its commitment to music education.” [InsideNova]

Nearby: Alexandria Running Out of Office Space — “Alexandria’s efforts to lure new companies into the city are being thwarted by a space problem — there’s just not enough of it… there’s a dearth of the the right kind of office space, and that needs to change if Alexandra hopes to step up its game.” [Washington Business Journal]

UPDATED: Transformer Fire in Bailey’s Crossroads Prompts Evacuation of High-Rise Condo

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Firefighters from Arlington, Fairfax County and Alexandria are on scene of a high-rise fire in Bailey’s Crossroads, near the Arlington border.

The fire was reported around 10:00 a.m. at the Skyline Plaza condo tower at 3705 S. George Mason Drive. A second alarm — including a “strike force” and multiple ladder trucks and medic units from Arlington County — was dispatched to the scene.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue says a power transformer caught fire next to the building, but smoke from the blaze wafted inside the structure. Dominion Power has been working with firefighters to cut power to the transformer and the building, according to scanner traffic.

The bottom floors of the 26-story tower filled with smoke and firefighters have been working to evacuate the entire building, including at least a dozen residents who have called to request assistance when evacuating, according to scanner traffic. At least one injury has been reported from a resident falling down a flight of stairs.

Evacuees are being housed in the other tower of the condo complex, the fire department said. The American Red Cross is responding to the scene to assist displaced residents.

The response has prompted the Arlington County Department to “[bring] in some units from our regional partners to maintain Fire/EMS coverage in Arlington County while the incident in Fairfax is ongoing.”

Photos via @ffxfirerescue

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