(Updated on 8/30/19 following dismissal of charges against suspect mentioned below)

An Arlington man is now facing charges after police say he threatened one of his neighbors with a gun in the midst of an argument over noise.

County police say they were called to a Columbia Heights apartment complex along the 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road to respond to the dispute around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 22.

When officers arrived, they heard that 26-year-old Jason [Redacted] walked over to one of his neighbors’ apartments and was “irate that the victim was making noise inside his residence,” police said.

[Redacted] continued yelling for a while, but eventually returned to his own home. A short time later, “when the victim went to the suspect’s residence to apologize, the suspect opened the door and allegedly brandished a firearm at the victim.”

Police subsequently arrested [Redacted] and charged him with one count of brandishing a firearm. He’ll face a hearing on that charge on Feb. 19 in Arlington General District Court.

Full details from a county crime report:

BRANDISHING, 2018-12220100, 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road. At approximately 10:23 a.m. on December 22, police responded to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside of his residence when he heard someone knocking on the door. The victim opened the door and encountered the suspect, who was irate that the victim was making noise inside his residence. The suspect continued to yell at the victim, but eventually returned to his residence. Shortly later, when the victim went to the suspect’s residence to apologize, the suspect opened the door and allegedly brandished a firearm at the victim. Jason [Redacted], 26, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Brandishing a Firearm.

And here are other highlights from the past two weeks of crime reports, including some we’ve already reported:

ROBBERY,  2018-12210017, 3000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 1:31 a.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the report of two shoplifters in custody. Upon arrival, it was determined that two males entered a business and began selecting merchandise. One male allegedly exited the store in possession of merchandise without paying. An employee then challenged the second suspect and became engaged in a physical altercation. The second suspect returned to the business and became engaged in the struggle, in which the employee was assaulted, resulting in minor injury. A bystander intervened and assisted with controlling the suspects until police arrival. Bernart Rivas, 19, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Robbery. Petitions for Robbery were sought for the juvenile suspect.

ROBBERY, 2018-12210291, 300 block of S. Taylor Street. At approximately 9:49 p.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim, who was working as a delivery driver at the time of the incident, exited his vehicle to make a delivery and was approached by a male suspect who brandished a firearm and demanded cash. The victim gave him an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The victim was not injured. A K9 track was initiated, but yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a black male wearing dark clothing.

CARJACKING, 2018-12220035, 2600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 2:19 a.m. on December 22, police responded to the report of an armed carjacking just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was idling in his vehicle when a vehicle occupied four times pulled up behind him. Two male suspects exited the vehicle and approached the victim. One suspect brandished a firearm and one suspect brandished a knife and ordered the victim out of his car. The suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle prior to police arrival. Suspect One is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″-5’7″, with a thin build and short, black hair, wearing all black clothing. Suspect Two is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″-5’7″ and slightly taller than Suspect One, with a thin build and short, black hair, wearing all black clothing.

ROBBERY (late), 2018-12210224, 2100 block of 15th Street N. At approximately 5:45 p.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 5:00 p.m., an unknown male suspect entered a business and began to select merchandise and conceal it in a backpack. The employee confronted the suspect and instructed him to pay for the merchandise. The suspect attempted to force his way past the employee and a brief struggle ensued over the suspect’s backpack. The suspect brandished a knife and fled the store with the backpack of merchandise prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 22-25 years old, wearing a gray hat, a black jacket with a gray hood, a blue shirt, black shoes and black pants, carrying a black backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY (late), 2018-12210044, 900 block of N. Kenmore Street. At approximately 4:50 a.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the late report of a burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 12:15 a.m. and 2:50 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a business, causing damage, and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY, 2018-12230139, 1600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 5:02 p.m. on December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business and opened the cash register, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. An employee attempted to stop the suspect, but was pushed out of the way. The suspect fled on foot, prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’10”-6’0″, 220-230 lbs., with short curly red or orange hair, wearing white earbuds, light colored ripped jeans, and brown and white shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY, 2018-12230212, 4700 block of Dittmar Road. At approximately 9:59 p.m. on December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a possible trespasser. Upon arrival, it was determined that friends of the victim arrived at the victim’s residence while the victim was out of town and allegedly observed a large number of people inside the residence. A known suspect then exited the residence and left the scene, along with numerous other unknown subjects, prior to police arrival. Upon entry to the residence and further investigation, trash and a large mess inside were located inside, items of value were determined to be missing, numerous items were tampered with and the victim’s vehicles had been removed from the garage. With the assistance of the victim, officers on scene were able to make contact with the known suspect and he later returned to the residence. One of the victim’s vehicles was subsequently located nearby and a second vehicle was determined to be stolen. Devonta Corbet, 19, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Burglary, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Grand Larceny: Motor Vehicle Theft.

BURGLARY, 2018-12260012, 1300 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 26, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 3:31 a.m. and 4:45 a.m., an unknown suspect forced entry to a business, causing damage and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and items of value. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT 2018-12200073, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 10:13 a.m. on December 20, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly female. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female suspect was yelling and acting disorderly inside the mall. As the officer approached the suspect, she grabbed the officer by the arm to pull him towards her, punched him with a closed fist and kicked him multiple times before she was taken into custody. The officer was not injured. The suspect refused to provide her personal information on-scene and while in booking. She was booked under the assumed name Jane Doe and charged with Assault & Battery on Police, and Failure to ID. She was held on no bond.

ROBBERY, 2018-12170009, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 1:05 a.m. on December 17, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined that the two victims were walking in the area when a known male suspect began following them. When the victims arrived at their destination, they asked the suspect to leave, however, the suspect threatened the victims and stole one victim’s cell phone before fleeing on foot prior to police arrival. A warrant for robbery was obtained for the suspect.


Transportation planners are sketching out a vision to build out a fully connected regional bike trail network by 2045, linking a “Bike Beltway” around D.C. to the rest of the suburbs surrounding the capital.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board voted late last month to endorse a vision for a “National Capital Regional Trail Network,” expanding its long-range plans for cycling infrastructure throughout the region. Though the actual funding and construction of the trails involved remains up to the individual localities, the map represents a potential path forward for the D.C. area’s elected officials to follow in the coming years.

The newly adopted trail network includes the 842 miles of bike paths identified by the Capital Trails Coalition, a group of both local government transportation agencies and a host of advocacy organizations, as ones that regional leaders should pursue to make cycling around the area a bit easier.

The group has been pushing the idea of a more interconnected region for years now, particularly the “Bike Beltway” circling the city. Former Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette was a key backer of the concept, envisioning a loop of trails from the county’s border with D.C. down to Alexandria, then running around the city into its Maryland suburbs.

But with that trail nearly finished, this latest move envisions connecting that “Beltway” with trails in more far-flung jurisdictions, like Prince William and Loudoun counties.

“The Capital Trails Coalition is pleased to see the coalition’s two years of research and mapping make its way into this important regional transportation plan,” Coalition Chair Jack Koczela wrote in a statement.

The National Park Service has embraced the plan as well, and regional planners hope this latest move can help all the jurisdictions involved in crafting the trail network secure funding to make it a reality.

“There has been great interest among the region’s jurisdictions, agencies, and advocacy groups to build on the National Capital Trail, as endorsed by the TPB and adopted by the NPS,” the Transportation Planning Board’s staff wrote in a blog post.

Arlington officials are currently working on their own update of the county’s guiding documents for future cycling infrastructure improvements, set to wrap up in the coming months. The county’s budget squeeze, however, will make it a challenge for the Board to find finding for many bike projects, at least in the near term.

Photo courtesy of the Capital Trails Coalition


A Clarendon gym owner will now spend years behind bars, after admitting that he tried to buy large quantities of cocaine from undercover police officers.

Pascal Laporte, the owner of Clarendon Fitness, has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges alleging that he tried to buy and then distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Laporte will now face anywhere between five and 40 years in prison, according to documents filed in federal court.

Federal prosecutors first charged Laporte back in late August, claiming that he unwittingly spoke with a police informant for close to a year as he looked to find a supplier to sell him hundreds of kilograms of cocaine on an ongoing basis.

The informant eventually arranged a drug deal with Laporte in the parking lot of the Arlington Traditional School in fall 2017, and he subsequently mentioned that he hoped to provide associates in Florida and South Carolina with drugs for distribution. He was arrested in a Tysons-area hotel, when he attempted to exchange $45,000 for drugs in a deal with two police officers posing as Mexican gang members.

Laporte founded the Clarendon gym, located at 2907 Wilson Blvd, back in 2010.

The terms of his plea agreement stipulate he’ll have to hand over the $45,000 in cash he brought to his meeting with police officers to the federal government, in addition to a 2011 Jeep Wrangler he used to conduct these drug transactions.

Laporte is set to be sentenced on Jan. 25 in federal court.

Meanwhile, a video featuring Laporte is still displayed prominently on the Clarendon Fitness website.


Metro will now start allowing riders to bring bicycles on trains all day long, ending the rail service’s long-standing prohibition on bikes during rush hour.

WMATA announced today (Wednesday) that it will no longer prohibit cyclists from using its trains from 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. each weekday. The change will officially go into effect on Monday (Jan. 7).

Metro said in a news release that it was making the change in a bid to boost ridership, an increasingly challenging feat for the transit service these days, particularly for people hoping to commute via a combination of Metro and local bike trails.

“We believe this change supports ridership growth by Metro a commuting option for those who want to have a bike with them,” Metro Chief Operating Officer Joe Leader wrote in a statement.

Officials added that they expect they’ll be able to make the change “without significant negative effects” on conditions for rush-hour riders. That’s because many trains at rush hour are eight cars long, the longest offering in the Metro fleet, and because the “new 7000-series trains provide more open space.”

Local cycling advocates have long sought such a change, dating back to when Metro first instituted the current rush-hour bike ban in 2001. WMATA initially banned all bikes on its trains, before instituting a permit system in 1982. Those were eliminated in 1998.

“Bicycling extends the reach of Metrorail for customers at the beginning and end of their trip. Members of the community have long wanted the option to bring a bicycle along with them on their rush hour trips, especially reverse commuters,” Greg Billing, the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, wrote in a statement. “I have to say that we’re pleasantly surprised with how flexible and accommodating Metro has been in responding quickly to this request.”

Of course, early reaction to the policy change has been anything but unanimously positive, over fears that the move will exacerbate crowded conditions on trains for commuters.

https://twitter.com/VOBOE/status/1080485397845757954

Metro added in the release that officials plan to “monitor implementation of the new policy to determine whether any modifications are necessary,” and it could still ban bikes during “major events drawing high ridership” like Independence Day or Inauguration Day.

WMATA estimates that just .8 percent of its customers arrived at stations by bike as of 2016, and its governing Board of Directors is aiming to increase that figure to 2.1 percent by 2020.


Christmas Tree Pickup Underway — For residents eligible for Arlington County’s trash collection service, the special curbside Christmas tree service is currently underway. Trees will be hauled away on the regular trash collection day through Jan. 11 and turned into mulch. [Arlington County]

Shutdown Could Hurt Local Businesses — “In Greater Washington, that could mean about 40 percent of approximately 362,000 federal workers — about 145,000 — would not receive roughly $15 million per day in pay, according to rough estimates… The shutdown is likely to hit industries that depend heavily on the discretionary spending of federal workers and contractors.” [Washington Business Journal]

Would-Be Local Amazon Locations — Among the places Amazon could have gone to in Northern Virginia, if it did not pick the Pentagon City and Crystal City area for its new office campus, were Alexandria near the Eisenhower Metro station and Rosslyn, with a prominent skyline view along the Potomac. [Washington Business Journal]

Ads on Virginia School Buses? — “Advertising on the back end of school buses? It could be coming to the Old Dominion. The state legislature again this session will consider a proposal by Del. Israel O’Quinn (R-Bristol) allowing school districts to place commercial advertising between the rear wheels and the rear of the bus.” [InsideNova]

Metro Touts Fewer Fires — “Metro will end 2018 with the lowest number of insulator-related smoke/fire incidents in years – 66 percent fewer compared to 2016 – despite record rainfall this year. Water infiltration in Metro’s tunnels has historically been the leading cause of such incidents.” [WMATA]

Pre-Boarding Snafu at DCA — “A couple says their holiday trip to Virginia was ruined by a traumatic incident on their flight home. A disabled husband was forced to pre-board alone, while his sick wife had to stay behind at the gate” for a Southwest Airlines flight at Reagan National Airport. [Fox 5]

Flickr pool photo by Maryland Nomadic


A woman was killed in a reported stabbing in the Arlington Mill neighborhood Tuesday morning.

Police are investigating the New Year’s Day incident as a “suspicious death” but have released few other details. Officers were called to the scene on the 5100 block of 8th Road S. around 10 a.m.

“Based upon the preliminary investigation, this appears to be an isolated incident with no known threat to the community,” Arlington County Police said on Twitter. “Police remain on scene investigating.”

Map via Google Maps


Arlington County Police are investigating a shooting that happened last night on S. Glebe Road.

A man was shot at the intersection of Glebe and S. Arlington Ridge Road, two blocks away from Gunston Middle School, around 7 p.m., according to police. The victim is expected to survive and police are still seeking the shooter.

More from an ACPD press release, issued just after noon today (Monday):

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a shooting that took place on the evening of December 30, 2018.

At approximately 7:03 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and S. Arlington Ridge Road. Upon arrival on scene, officers located a male victim suffering from trauma to the upper body and immediately began performing life saving measures. The victim was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Following medical treatment, the victim’s condition has been upgraded to stable and he is expected to survive his wounds.

This incident remains an active criminal investigation. At this time, no suspect(s) have been identified and there are no suspect(s) descriptions. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective J. Trainer of the Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4185 or [email protected].

Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

File photo


Demolition work on the elevated section of S. Clark Street in Crystal City is slowly moving forward.

Workers kicked off a project to demolish the road and transform the area’s transportation network in earnest this summer, when they tore down S. Clark Street’s overpass over 15th Street. S. Since then, the county says workers have still had to use “10 to 15 dump trucks per day” to remove all the soil that supported that structure.

“To date, the contractor has hauled approximately 12,000 cubic yards of soil material off-site, out of an estimated project total of 22,000 cubic yards,” county staff wrote on Arlington’s website this month.

Crews have also recently finished “demolishing the concrete walls and abutment next to the 15th Street off-ramp and the south abutment on 15th Street S. eastbound,” leaving just a few pieces of the old overpass structure remaining.

Now, workers are moving their “excavation and demolition activities to locations between 12th and 15th Streets” as Crystal City approaches Pentagon City. Workers are also busily installing “new traffic signal and street light equipment at the intersection of Route 1 and 20th Street S. and along the median and northbound right shoulder of Route 1 between 15th and 20th Streets.”

Eventually, contractors will also demolish S. Clark Street’s bridge over 18th Street. S., prompting more detours. However, the county says it has yet to set a firm date to start that work, and will provide two weeks’ warning before it begins.

The county’s ultimate goal for the $6.6 million project is to create new open space along Route 1, opening up more development opportunities along a suddenly quite popular section of the county. Workers are hoping to wrap up construction by this coming summer.

Officials are also aiming to bring Route 1 itself down to the same grade as other nearby roads as part of some of the transportation improvements it promised Amazon, leading to a complete transformation of the area’s roadways in the coming years.


Drivers on I-395 were alarmed to discover a man walking shirtless and barefoot near the highway’s Shirlington exit yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told ARLnow that motorists spotted the man walking just south of Exit 6 in the highway’s northbound lanes.

She added that officers first received a call about the incident around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and a reader tweeted a video of the incident to ARLnow around 2 p.m.

The video shows the man wandering in lanes of traffic, prompting a state trooper and other cars to abruptly stop and pull over.

The trooper and another man eventually guided him onto the shoulder — Geller said the other man in the video was an “off-duty federal agent” pitching in to help.

Geller says the man was subsequently taken to a local hospital “for medical and mental evaluation.”

https://twitter.com/jgordss/status/1078380451713245184


Flood Watch in Effect — Expect periods of rain today. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for much of the region through late tonight. “Excessive runoff from already saturated soils will cause the potential for streams and creeks to rise out of their banks as well as flooding in low lying urban areas,” forecasters say. [Weather.gov, Twitter]

Arlington Doesn’t Want to Pick Fight Over J-D Hwy — “The Arlington County government’s efforts to rename its portion of Jefferson Davis Highway could face familiar legislative roadblocks in 2019. But County Board members say they have no interest in forcing a confrontation with the General Assembly on the matter.” [InsideNova]

New Year’s Meeting Scheduled for Jan. 2 — Next week, what used to be a New Year’s Day organizational meeting for the Arlington County Board will again be held on Jan. 2 instead. The Board will elect a new Chair and Vice Chair at the meeting. [Arlington County]

Developer Buys Wilson Blvd Property — “The Meridian Group has picked up its next value-add Arlington County office building as it… closed Wednesday on its acquisition of 2500 Wilson Blvd. and several adjacent parcels from an affiliate of TH Real Estate for a consideration amount of nearly $39 million, or roughly $373 per square foot, according to Arlington County land records.” [Washington Business Journal]

Dulles Toll Road Rates Rising — “Starting Jan. 1, prices are scheduled to go up for those driving on the Dulles Toll Road. The cost to passenger vehicles will increase from $2.50 to $3.25 at the main toll plaza and from $1 to $1.50 on ramps.” [Tysons Reporter]


A new year brings a renewed focus on gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform and some local issues for Arlington’s state lawmakers.

The county’s legislative delegation is gearing up to head back to Richmond next month, as the General Assembly kicks off a new session on Jan. 9.

That means that many of three state senators and four delegates representing the county have been busy crafting legislation for the 46-day “short session” of the state legislature, and they’ve readied dozens of bills for lawmakers to mull in the coming weeks.

Legislators of both parties expect that sparring over the budget will dominate the proceedings — Gov. Ralph Northam and Republicans are already at odds over how to spend an extra $1.2 billion in revenue generated by changes to the federal tax code. The looming state elections (where all 140 lawmakers will be on the ballot) will also provide a bit of a distraction, particularly as Republicans defend narrow, one-seat majorities in both the Senate and House of Delegates.

Yet a review of the General Assembly’s online database shows that Arlington’s delegation has a raft of smaller bills already written, including a variety of efforts lawmakers have tried before and even some new creations.

Some bills look designed to address some Arlington-specific issues, while others have much wider impacts.

For instance, state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31st District) is introducing new legislation that would specifically give Arlington officials control over the “regulation and licensing” of all childcare facilities and providers in the county. The County Board currently has the ability to issue use permits to facilities of certain sizes, but has spent months now studying potential policy changes to make all childcare more accessible and affordable in the county.

Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd District) is also backing a bill that would give Northern Virginia localities, like Arlington, full power to set their own school calendars. The legislation seems to be similar to a bill Favola previously contemplated carrying that would end the infamous “King’s Dominion Rule” barring most school systems from starting class before Labor Day.

Favola expressed optimism that the Republican chair of the Senate’s Education and Health committee could agree to pass such a bill, ending Arlington’s long fight over the issue. Howell, the longest serving member of the county’s legislative delegation, also sits on that committee.

Notably, none of the county’s representatives in Richmond have put forward a bill to give Arlington the power to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway, just yet. Lawmakers previously warned the Board that they’d be hesitant to back such an effort this year without more support from the business community, or perhaps Amazon’s intervention, given Route 1’s proximity to the tech giant’s future headquarters.

Instead, most of the lawmakers representing sections of Arlington have put a clear focus on one issue, perhaps above all others: gun control.

Republicans in Richmond have steadfastly refused to advance most firearms-related legislation over the years, but county lawmakers seem ready to renew many of their legislative pushes on the issue this year.

Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48th District) is re-introducing a bill that would allow police or prosecutors secure a two-week ban on buying or owning a gun if they believe they present a “substantial risk of injury to himself or others.” A judge would ultimately get to decide if the ban stands, and if it should be extended for a period up to six months.

Sullivan has twice seen similar legislation left to die in committees: one bill failed in 2018, another in 2017.

Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th District) is also bringing back legislation to ban devices that increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic rifles, commonly known as “bump stocks.” Lawmakers across the country worked to ban the devices after one was used in the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert last year; Ebbin’s bill on the subject died on a party-line vote in committee last session.

Howell is also re-upping legislation that would make it a felony for anyone to leave a “loaded, unsecured” firearm in the presence of anyone under the age of 18. It’s only a misdemeanor under current state law, and Howell’s effort to make the change died on a party line vote in committee earlier this year.

She’s also reintroducing a bill to make it a felony for anyone who is subject to a “permanent protective order” over fears that they may be violent to own a gun. Howell previously succeeded in establishing a misdemeanor penalty for the practice in 2016; her push to upgrade it a felony passed one committee last year before failing on a party-line vote in another.

Other bills backed by Arlington legislators would address inequities in the criminal justice system more broadly.

For example, Ebbin is trying once more to decriminalize the possession of marijuana, imposing fines on people who are caught with small quantities of the drug in lieu of jail time. He’s seen similar efforts fail, often on party-line votes, in the last four legislative sessions.

Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th District) is also backing what appears to be new legislation to require state corrections officials to produce an annual report on how many people are held in solitary confinement in Virginia prisons, and what steps workers take to address their mental health needs. Virginia has begun moving away from the practice, as it’s increasingly been criticized nationwide, but some reports indicate that the state still holds large numbers of inmates in solitary confinement at some of its most secure facilities.

Dels. Mark Levine (D-45th District) and Alfonso Lopez (D-49th District) are the lone Arlington representatives that have yet to pre-file any of their own legislation ahead of the new session, but have signed on as cosponsors of many other bills. Those include everything from the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the formal legalization of same-sex marriage.

And, on a lighter note, both Ebbin and Hope have signed on to ceremonial resolutions commending the Washington Capitals on their long-awaited Stanley Cup victory.


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