Arlington police are investigating after a woman says she was assaulted and robbed near Ballston Thursday night (Aug. 9).
Police say the woman was walking near the 3900 block of Fairfax Drive around 9 p.m. Thursday when a man came up behind her and shoved her into a wall.
The man then proceeded to rob the woman and assaulted her, though he ran off after a brief struggle. Police say the woman suffered “minor injuries” as a result of the scuffle.
Police describe the suspect as a “white male, approximately 40-45 years old, 5’8″-6’0″ tall, weighing 190-210 lbs., with brown hair.”
Full details from a county crime report:
ROBBERY (late), 2018-08100128, 3900 block of Fairfax Drive. At approximately 12:36 p.m. on August 10, police responded to the late report of a larceny. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 9:00 p.m. on August 9, the victim was walking in the area when an unknown male suspect approached her from behind, shoved her against a wall and stole her personal property. The suspect then assaulted her, however, the victim resisted and a brief struggle ensued before the suspect fled on foot with her property. The victim suffered minor injuries. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 40-45 years old, 5’8″-6’0″ tall, weighing 190-210 lbs., with brown hair. The investigation is ongoing.
Family Surprised to Learn Pet Was a Snapping Turtle — “An Arlington family took in a box turtle to be the new family pet recently — only to find out that it was actually a snapping turtle. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington tweeted out a photo of the turtle, noting that their officers had seized the turtle from the unwitting family.” [Patch, Twitter]
APS Delays Release of Construction Cost Report — “Arlington residents will have to wait a little longer for an analysis of the reasons behind the high costs of school construction in the county. The audit committees of the County Board and School Board had been slated to meet Aug. 7 in a joint session to discuss a report by school-system auditor John Mickevice on school-construction costs. That meeting, however, was called off.” [InsideNova]
TSA Keeps Finding Guns in Carry-ons at DCA — Earlier this month, in two separate incidents, TSA agents at Reagan National Airport seized loaded handguns from two men trying to carry them onto planes. The guns were the seventh and eighth seized at the airport so far this year. The men are now facing weapons charges. [Patch]
Jail Holds Creative Writing Contest — A 26-year-old man who’s in jail on a heroin possession charge won the Arlington County lockup’s first-ever creative writing contest yesterday. His prize-winning poem, in part: “I dream about the future. I dream about the past. I dream about the mountains. I dream about the sea. I dream of all the places that I would rather be.” [NBC Washington]
InsideNova Not Available in Europe — More than 1,000 U.S. news websites are blocking users from Europe after the EU implemented strict new privacy regulations known as GDPR on May 25. Among the sites that are no longer accessible from Europe, as seen in this screen shot from last month: InsideNova, which publishes articles from the Arlington Sun Gazette newspaper. [Nieman Journalism Lab]
A coalition of bicycling and transit advocates has drawn up a new map of the entire D.C. region’s bike trails, in a bid to promote a more holistic view of the area’s biking options.
The Capital Trails Coalition released the “diagrammatic map” today (Monday), displaying not only the 436 miles of existing trails across the region but also another 302 miles of planned paths that will someday create even more connectivity for cyclists.
The coalition, which includes both local government transportation agencies and a host of advocacy groups, included bike trails in six jurisdictions around the region on the map: Arlington County, Alexandria, D.C., Fairfax County, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Coalition Chair Jack Koczela hopes that will help people to see cycling as a viable option no matter where they live around the D.C. region, laying out a clear, unified guide to easily bikeable trails for commuting and recreation alike.
“We hope this comes to have the feel of the iconic Metrorail map,” Koczela told ARLnow. “This is so people can get an idea of what it is we’re talking about in terms of actual trails available to everybody around the region.”
Koczela says the coalition has spent more than two years now drafting the map, as the group sought to work with cyclists to identify trails that are both easy to ride and provide good access to the region’s activity and transit centers.
He’s hoping that the map will prove particularly useful to D.C. suburbs like Arlington. If commuters currently rely on cars or public transit to get to work because they aren’t sure how a trail that starts in Arlington connects with one in D.C., or even Maryland, he foresees this map being a vital resource to provide alternatives.
“A lot of people’s experience on trails is really hyperlocal, and a lot of people aren’t thinking of these trails as a way to connect them to other areas of the region,” said Carm Saimbre, communications coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, a coalition member. “The vision with this is to create connections and fill gaps in the network, so it becomes just as established as getting around the Beltway by car.”
With so many planned trails included on the map, Koczela notes that the document is certainly an aspirational one in many respects. In Arlington alone, the map includes not only trails currently under construction, like a new section of trail alongside Washington Blvd, but also ones still in the planning stages, like the extension of the Mt. Vernon Trail from Theodore Roosevelt Island.
But by showing just how adding more trails could better connect the region, Koczela thinks the map will be a valuable tool as his coalition lobbies for more funding for bike infrastructure going forward.
“Our goal for the next year is to increase awareness and get the political community engaged, thinking about the trails as a network,” Koczela said.
Wind and heavy rain in Clarendon during thunderstorm
An approaching rain storm in Clarendon.
Updated at 5 p.m. — Several instances of flooded roadways and five downed trees have been reported in various parts of Arlington after a thunderstorm packing heavy rain, hail and strong, gusty winds rolled through the county at the start of the evening rush hour. Thus far no significant power outages have been reported.
Storm update: Roadway flooding reported on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike and the intersection of Lee Highway and Kirkwood. Tree reported down along Military Road.
Update at 4:15 p.m. — The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Arlington through 5 p.m. More from NWS:
BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
411 PM EDT MON AUG 13 2018
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 500 PM EDT.
* AT 410 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER LAKE RIDGE, OR NEAR WOODBRIDGE, MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
SOURCE…TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN INDEPENDENT HILL IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY.
IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA, ANNANDALE, SPRINGFIELD, FORT WASHINGTON, FORT HUNT, GROVETON, HUNTINGTON, FORT BELVOIR, REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, CRYSTAL CITY, BURKE, LINCOLNIA, LORTON, FRANCONIA, HYBLA VALLEY, NEWINGTON, LAKE BARCROFT, I395 AND I495 INTERCHANGE AND BALLSTON.
Earlier: Weather watchers say some heavy rain this afternoon could produce dangerous flooding in Arlington.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the county and several other jurisdictions around the D.C. region through 10 p.m. today.
The NWS is warning that “slow-moving showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening will be capable of producing intense rainfall rates that could lead to flash flooding.”
Flash Flood Watch has been expanded southward to include metro Washington DC and additional portions of northwestern Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Aside from the flood threat, storms this afternoon and evening could produce localized damage due to gusty winds. Keep alert! pic.twitter.com/MTvM8W0YMp
District of Columbia-Prince Georges-Anne Arundel-Shenandoah-
Warren-Fairfax-Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-Hardy-
Western Grant-Eastern Grant-
Including the cities of Washington, Bowie, Suitland-Silver Hill,
Clinton, College Park, Greenbelt, Laurel, Camp Springs,
Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Severn, South Gate, Severna Park, Arnold,
Odenton, Strasburg, Woodstock, Mount Jackson, New Market,
Front Royal, Reston, Herndon, Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly,
McLean, Franconia, Arlington, Alexandria, Moorefield, Bayard,
Mount Storm, and Petersburg
105 PM EDT Mon Aug 13 2018
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING…
The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has expanded
the
* Flash Flood Watch to include portions of central Maryland, The
District of Columbia, Virginia, and eastern West Virginia,
including the following areas, in central Maryland, Anne
Arundel and Prince Georges. The District of Columbia. In
Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, Fairfax,
Shenandoah, and Warren. In eastern West Virginia, Eastern
Grant, Hardy, and Western Grant.
* Until 10 PM EDT this evening
* Slow moving showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and
evening will be capable of producing intense rainfall rates
that could lead to flash flooding.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead
to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
Arlington County Police have arrested a man who they say is the serial flasher responsible for a series of incidents dating back to 2017.
Fairfax County resident Santiago Rodriquez Campos, 34, has been charged with indecent exposure and sexual battery in connection to a Aug. 29, 2017 incident in which, according to police, he exposed himself to a woman and then brushed up against her.
Charges are also pending for a series of indecent exposure incidents in the Rosslyn and the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights area, according to ACPD. Police say the arrest was made by a regional fugitive task force and is the result of an “intensive investigation.”
More from a police press release:
The Arlington County Police Department has charged 34-year-old Santiago Rodriquez Campos of Fairfax County with sexual battery and indecent exposure for his role in an incident stemming from 2017. Campos is linked to a series of indecent exposures and additional charges in Arlington County are pending.
At approximately 12:15 a.m. on August 29, 2017, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that a female victim was walking in the area when an unknown suspect approached her from behind, exposed his genitals and brushed against her. The suspect then fled the area on foot prior to police arrival.
Following an intensive investigation into the indecent exposure series, Santiago Rodriquez Campos was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on the evening of August 9, 2018, at his residence in Fairfax County. He is being held in the District of Columbia where he is facing additional charges.
The investigation into Santiago Rodriquez Campos is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective J. Echenique of the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).
Workers recently put the finishing touches on a new protected bike lane through Ballston.
The new lane runs along N. Quincy Street, stretching from N. Glebe Road to 9th Street N. The lane was installed as the county’s embarked on some summer paving work, and workers took the opportunity to add protected lanes in several spots around the county.
Protected bike lanes contribute to making our streets calmer, easier to understand, and more useable for people from ages eight to 80,” Erin Potter of Bike Arlington explained in a March blog post. “Well-designed protected bike lanes establish more order and predictability on the streets. Cyclists tend to behave themselves and do a better job of following the rules when they are using properly designed and separated facilities. Drivers also appreciate a sense of order and clarity that the separation provides.”
We would like to draw your attention to Arlington's newest protected bike lane!
Check it out yourself: Quincy Street between 9th St. N and Glebe Rd in Ballston.
The paving work has also involved some parking changes along 5th Road N. between N. Quincy Street and N. Pollard Street, adjacent to Mosaic Park, changing the parking there to back-in spots on an angle.
Top Chef Alum Opening Clarendon Restaurant — “Former ‘Top Chef’ contestant Katsuji Tanabe, best known for his kosher taco spot MexiKosher in New York, will open his first restaurant in the D.C. area in Clarendon in September. Le Kon, whose name comes from the Japanese word for corn, is taking over the space previously occupied by Park Lane Tavern at 3227 Washington Blvd.” [Washington Business Journal]
Progress on Child Care Initiative — “The county government’s child-care initiative has been under way for a little over a year, focusing in large part on the existing barriers to increasing the supply of day-care providers in the county. Hurdles run the gamut from zoning and parking issues to qualifications and pay of teachers and other staff… Using the most recent data available, county officials estimate there were about 13,500 children under age 5 in Arlington in 2015, but only about half that number of available slots in day care.” [InsideNova]
Flyover Planned Today — A flyover of Arlington National Cemetery is planned to take place at 9:15 a.m. today. [Twitter]
White Supremacist Train Runs Through Arlington — A small group of white supremacists rode Metro from the Vienna station, through Arlington, before arriving in D.C. for a rally. Police tried to keep the group separated from a much larger group of anti-hate protesters, prompting some complaints about the white supremacists having their own “private” Metrorail car, though a reporter was able to board their train car at Clarendon without issue. [Twitter, Twitter]
W&OD Railroad Stopped Running 50 Years Ago — The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad stopped running 50 years ago this month, after 130 years of service. The former rail line was later acquired by the regional park authority and converted into the current W&OD Trail, which runs from Arlington to rural Loudoun County. [InsideNova]
Reminder: Major Metro Work — “Starting Saturday (Aug. 11) and running through Aug. 26, Metro will shut down the Blue Line completely starting at the Arlington Cemetery station, and single-track between the McPherson Square and Smithsonian stations. Officials expect that will result in 20-minute headways on the Orange and Silver lines ‘at all times,’ and it’s urging riders to ‘only use Metrorail if you have no other option.'” [ARLnow, Twitter]
County Twitter Account Pokes Fun at Metro — Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services tweeted yesterday: “As a courtesy, the C&O Canal-Alexandria Canal system will be reopen to traffic. Note: two-mule minimum per team.” [Twitter]
Arlington firefighters extinguished a fire at a Ballston townhome this afternoon (Friday).
First responders were called to the 600 block of N. Oxford Street, near Mosaic Park, for a blaze around 3:15 p.m.
The fire was concentrated in the basement, and extinguished without incident. No injuries resulted from the fire.
#FinalUpdate: Fire is out, contained to structure of origin. No injuries. Crews are picking up and going in service. Fire Marshal is on scene investigating. pic.twitter.com/1k73vylRCA
The fire marshal is still investigating the exact cause of the blaze, but scanner traffic suggests it started due to a washer or dryer in the basement.
The head of the Clarendon Alliance says he plans to step down at the end of next month.
Executive Director Matt Hussmann announced yesterday (Thursday) that he’ll be resigning his post once the organization holds its annual “Clarendon Day” on Sept. 22.
Hussmann has headed up the group, which advocates on behalf of local businesses and manages a variety of Clarendon events, since 2011.
“I am proud of the work we have done and the accomplishments we have made,” Hussmann wrote in a statement. “I am looking forward to another successful Clarendon Day and will work with the organization to ensure a smooth transition for the new executive director.”
Scott Pedowitz, the newly elected president of the Alliance’s Board of Directors, commended Hussmann for his “seven years of commitment to Clarendon.”
According to his bio on the group’s website, Hussmann worked at a “business improvement association” in Canada before joining the Alliance, as well as at the Downtown DC Business Improvement District.
Pedowitz added that the Alliance has already started a search for Hussmann’s successor, and wrote in a statement that the group is “now looking ahead to an opportunity for the Clarendon Alliance to continue to refine our mission and goals to continue to serve the Clarendon neighborhood best.”
Arlington Transit is closing several bus stops around Ballston to cope with construction this weekend.
Starting tonight (Friday) at 9 p.m. and running through Sunday (Aug. 12) at 7 p.m., the bus service plans to close the following stops along its 41 line:
Northbound N. Randolph Street at Wilson Blvd
Southbound N. Randolph Street at the Ballston Quarter mall
Northbound N. Glebe Road at N. Quincy Street
Northbound N. Glebe Road at N. Henderson Road
ART noted in a service alert that some stops along N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd will remain open, should riders need options along the corridor.
The construction work prompting the bus stop closures will require occasional road closures as well, as it’s largely tied to the Ballston Quarter construction and some summer paving work.
As white supremacists prepare to march through D.C. this weekend, on the first anniversary of last year’s violent rally in Charlottesville, an Arlington college student hopes to match every step they take through the city by raising money to push back on hate.
Allison Herrity, a Washington-Lee graduate and a rising junior at George Washington University, kicked off the “Stomp Out Hate Walk-A-Thon” ahead of the “Unite the Right 2” rally coming to the city Saturday (Aug. 11).
While the white nationalists participating in the event, led by many of the organizers of the deadly demonstration in Charlottesville, may very well be outnumbered by counter-protesters, Herrity and fellow GW student Kendall Keelen say they wanted to find some way for people across the region to show their opposition to “Unite the Right” without actually heading into D.C. this weekend.
“We see this as a way for individuals who are unable to protest physically for a variety of reasons to make it clear that the actions of these white nationalists are not okay, and will not be accepted here or anywhere,” Herrity told ARLnow via email.
Herrity, who grew up in Ashton Heights and still lives in Arlington, says the proceeds of the fundraiser will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a legal advocacy organization dedicated to monitoring hate groups across the country. Herrity and Keelen will accept donations of any size, but the online fundraising site they’ve set up gives people the option to donate “per step” that the rally-goers take through D.C.
They estimate that the group will take roughly 1,700 steps if all goes according to plan and they march from the Foggy Bottom Metro station to Lafayette Park. Herrity said she was inspired by people in the German town of Wunsiedel, who similarly donated money to an anti-extremist organization for every meter neo-Nazi demonstrators marched through the town.
“We would have done a per mile pledge, but the protesters will not even be walking a mile,” Herrity and Keelen wrote on the fundraising page. “But hey, carrying around all that hate must be exhausting.”
So far, the pair have managed to raise just under $1,000, and they’ve set a $5,000 goal for the effort.
Arlington police are investigating after a woman says she was assaulted and robbed near Ballston Thursday night (Aug. 9).
