News

NEW: Code Red air quality alert issued for Thursday

By ARLnow.com
Haze from Canadian wildfires earlier this month as seen over DCA (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The concentration of Canadian wildfire smoke in Arlington and the D.C. area is expected to get worse tomorrow.

A Code Red air quality alert has been issued for the region on Thursday. That means that those with certain health issues should avoid outdoor activities and even healthy individuals should limit their time outside.

It comes after a hazy day today, with air quality readings in the lower Code Orange level. The current air quality index reading for Arlington is 137, just below the Code Red threshold of 150, according to AirNow.gov.

With hundreds of wildfires blazing in Canada, particularly Quebec and British Columbia, the area’s air quality will likely continue to fluctuate “over the next several days,” according to Fairfax County, as reported by our sister site FFXnow.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, three new fires started today, and there are 476 active blazes, about half of which remain out of control. The agency has recorded 2,988 fires in 2023 so far that have burned through 8 million acres of land.

More on the air quality forecast below, from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Red air day for the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow: Thursday, June 29. Code Red levels mean the air is unhealthy for everyone. Smoke coming from wildfires in Canada is contributing to the increased levels of fine particle pollution.

COG advises the following health precautions:

  • Sensitive groups like people with heart or lung disease like asthma or emphysema, older adults, and children should avoid long or intense outdoor activities. Consider rescheduling or moving activities indoors.
  • Healthy individuals should limit long or intense outdoor activities.

Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or the Clean Air Partners website.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency also recommends the following during wildfire events:

  • Take it easier during smoky times. If you can see or smell smoke, avoid strenuous activities such as mowing the lawn or going for a run.
  • Reschedule outdoor work tasks and activities to a time when air quality improves. If outdoor tasks and activities cannot be rescheduled and must be conducted when air quality is poor, it is recommended that individuals reduce smoke inhalation by:
    • Limiting the time spent outdoors by only performing essential activities.
    • Taking frequent breaks indoors in places where the air is clean, especially during periods with high outdoor levels of wildfire smoke.
    • If you must work outdoors, choosing a mask that will protect you like an N95 respirator mask. Cloth masks will not protect you from wildfire smoke.
    • Using a portable air cleaner in one or more rooms. If you have a central air system in your home, use it to filter the air.

On unhealthy air days, COG advises the following actions to improve the air:

  • Avoid lawn mowing or use an electric mower.
  • Use gas or electric grills instead of charcoal.
  • Fill your vehicles’ gas tank after sunset.
  • Take transit, carpool, or work from home.
  • Turn off lights and electronics when not in use and follow tips from your electric utility about how to use less electricity to cool your home.

COG provides air quality forecasts and current air quality conditions for metropolitan Washington. It also educates the public about voluntary actions people can take to reduce pollution and the health risks of bad air quality through its Clean Air Partners program, which is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

Arlington pulled prosecutors from traffic court. A driver who struck a girl on a bike escaped charges on an error.

By Jo DeVoe
The scene of the crash involving Heather Keppler’s daughter on a bicycle (courtesy Heather Keppler)

On Oct. 19, 2021, an elderly driver hit the daughter of Tara-Leeway Heights resident Heather Keppler while riding her bike.

The impact of her body cracked the windshield and she fell to the ground. She was whisked to the hospital in an ambulance where — not wanting to disturb any potential broken bones — doctors cut off a favorite running shirt and took a full-body X-ray.

Doctors said her tailbone was either broken or bruised and additional scans would confirm which injury it was. Keppler said they opted not to know, as the recovery process was the same: sitting on a donut pillow and missing her exercise routines. This pause took a toll on her daughter, then a freshman training for a regional running race.

Keppler decided to get a lawyer when one for the 86-year-old man involved called to see if she had one. The mother says in retrospect — after her experience ended in dropped charges — she is lucky she hired legal help.

“I don’t know how I would’ve found out [what] was going on,” she said.

Heather Keppler at her home in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Since June 2020, Arlington police officers have been shepherding through the legal system less-serious traffic misdemeanors: speeding, driving without a license, and so on. Before, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney had a prosecutor outside Courtroom 3C — where those cases are adjudicated — to enter plea bargains.

This arrangement was imperfect, according to Arlington’s top prosecutor, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who just won the Democratic primary race for her seat against challenger Josh Katcher.

The assigned prosecutor often did not have “any prior knowledge of the case” and did not share pre-court-date discovery with defendants, she wrote in a 2020 memo to County Manager Mark Schwartz. This was one reason she removed prosecutors from “3C.”

After hearing from a state agency that trains prosecutors and the Virginia State Bar Ethics Counsel, it became clear her staff could not meet their obligations to share all exculpating or incriminating evidence in these cases, she argued.

Dehghani-Tafti attributed this largely to an uptick in available footage from cameras that police wear and have in their cars. Sharing all evidence would require prosecutors to review, process and disclose footage from some 40,000 cases — a tall order given current staffing levels.

“We did not come to this decision lightly, but rather after a thorough analysis of several factors,” she wrote to the Arlington County Police Department in a 2020 memo.

Three years later, she tells ARLnow that her office has kept the promises in that memo.

“We have gotten involved in every case in which our law enforcement partners have asked us to get involved, as was promised in the memo,” she said.

Keppler, however, suspects that the lack of prosecutorial presence in traffic court could explain how her daughter never got her day in court. She supported Dehghani-Tafti in her original, successful 2019 bid but this experience led her to flip for Katcher.

The bike that Keppler’s daughter rode when she was hit (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Dropped charges 

After not hearing anything about her daughter’s case for some time, Keppler began to get worried.

Her lawyer found that subpoenas ordering the Kepplers and their assigned police officer to court on Nov. 18, 2021 were written but never issued.

“Because it was never issued, we never showed up to court,” she said. “Because no one was there, they dismissed the case.”

Like Keppler, local personal injury lawyer Jeff Jankovich says a prosecutor outside 3C could have helped the Kepplers. This person could have checked for the subpoenas and asked the judge to move the hearing date so everyone could make it.

Although Dehghani-Tafti’s memo says prosecutors were unfamiliar with the traffic cases on the docket that day, Jankovich recalls days when there were extremely experienced prosecutors who “did a pretty thorough job” of evaluating each case.

“If there were aggravating facts — an accident where someone was injured, or someone had significant prior record, even if it was minor speeding but the third, fourth or fifth offense — they were on top of that and it affected how they approached case,” he said.

(more…)

More than a dozen mirrors stolen from cars parked in S. Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car (file photo)

Residents of several south Arlington neighborhoods woke up Monday morning to find mirrors stolen from their parked cars.

The thefts happened at some point Sunday or Monday, in the Barcroft and Douglas Park neighborhoods, as well as the Shirlington area. An unknown thief or thieves stole the glass from side view mirrors of 14 vehicles, and damaged the mirrors of another three.

More, below, from an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

LARCENY FROM AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series) (Late), 2023-06260040/2023-06260075/2023-06260135/2023-06260177, 4400 block of 4th Street S./ 2500 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive/2100 block of S. Quebec Street/2800 block of S. Wakefield Street. At approximately 7:34 a.m. on June 26, police were dispatched to the late report of destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined between 12:00 p.m. on June 25 and 1:00 p.m. on June 26, the unknown suspect(s) stole the glass from the sideview mirrors of 14 vehicles and damaged the glass of the sideview mirrors of three vehicles in the area. No other items were reported damaged or stolen. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

This is not the first such theft in the county. Last month four vehicles in north Arlington had side view mirror glass stolen in a theft spree, while a fifth vehicle was damaged.

Many modern side view mirrors house sensors and other electronics that could be worth more than a thousand dollars, making them attractive to thieves.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Crow on a wire, in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

‘State of the County’ Address — “Following his address, [Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey] answered questions about how the county is addressing affordable housing, the high office vacancy rate, and the County’s customer service response. On customer service, Dorsey noted that he ultimately “wants to make sure that when people go to the County, even when they don’t get the answer that they wanted, that they still feel heard.” [Press Release]

Fundraiser for Murder Victim — “The family of Shontae Crawford, who was stabbed to death in her Arlington apartment on June 19, is holding an online fundraising campaign to cover the costs of her funeral and memorial services. Any excess money raised from the online campaign will go to her son Donovon Dimauri, according to the GoFundMe site.” [Patch, GoFundMe]

Tree Group Peeved by Proposal — “If the Arlington government can’t sufficiently care for trees on its own property, why is it trying to gain authority over trees on private property? That’s the view of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG), which is asking its supporters to contact County Board members in opposition to proposed changes to a county ordinance. The change would, first, require private-property owners to remove trees or portions of trees when county officials determine there is a hazard.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Teens Battle Mysterious Disease — “Doctors prescribed a fleet of medications to regulate Noah’s sleep, blood pressure, nausea and presumed mental health issues, but his symptoms persisted. He missed school. He couldn’t participate in sports or social activities. His parents dragged him from one specialist to the next, until finally an anesthesiologist at an endoscopy appointment asked: ‘Have you ever heard of POTS?'” [Arlington Magazine]

AFAC Celebrating Anniversary — “The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating long term food insecurity in Arlington County, proudly announces its 35th Anniversary of serving the community on June 30, 2023. Since its inception in 1988, AFAC has been at the forefront of providing vital food resources to individuals and families in need in Arlington and Northern Virginia.” [Press Release]

Measuring Local Household Bills — “Residents of Arlington spend nearly $11,000 per year more than the national average when it comes to household bills, but are not in the uppermost tier of Virginia among overall spending. In fact, Arlington ranks just 28th among Old Dominion jurisdictions in the new survey from Doxo, with the typical county household spending $2,941 per month on routine bills – about 28 percent of average total monthly household income.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

Streetscape improvements and apartment construction take shape in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

Transportation and streetscape upgrades are making progress on several streets in Courthouse near an under-construction apartment tower.

The work is all associated with “The Commodore,” an new apartment building at 2050 Wilson Blvd. It replaces several low-slung commercial buildings, including restaurants like Summers, that were part of what Arlington County dubbed the “Landmark Block.” Today (Tuesday), fencing around the tower was festooned with banners announcing leasing would start this fall.

Developer Greystar is redoing a handful of streets nearby as part of the community benefits package associated with the project.Arlington County delegated some street upgrade work to Greystar in early 2022, saying it would be cheaper, easier and more efficient for the company to do the work as part of the apartment construction activity.

Today, pedestrians may notice fencing around a torn-up N. Uhle Street, which separates the Courthouse Metro station and the “Landmark Block.” This street previously had street trees, lighting and parking spaces.

An aerial view of the pedestrian promenade on N. Uhle Street (via Arlington County)

Eventually, it will become a long-envisioned pedestrian promenade leading to the Courthouse Metro station.

The block will have public seating lined with shade trees, lighting and landscaped planting beds, potentially bookended by public art.

The future N. Uhle Street pedestrian promenade (via Arlington County)

Nearby, 15th Street N. looks freshly repaved and is partly blocked off to vehicle traffic by jersey barriers, cones and caution tape. Signs along this street announce temporarily relocated bus stops.

It will become a curbless street shared by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, featuring a “slow speed configuration” to increase the safety of users.

Clarendon Blvd, Wilson Blvd and N. Courthouse Road will get wider sidewalks, new pedestrian crossings, protected or dedicated bike lanes, widened medians and new trees and planted beds. The county parking lot entrance from 15th Street N. will be relocated, as well.

Greystar is also relocating existing and installing new traffic infrastructure, adding a “bike island” at the intersection of 15th Street N. and Clarendon Blvd and a new water main under N. Courthouse Road.

Those who want to know the latest vehicle and pedestrian traffic impacts can subscribe to a county newsletter for the area.

Two blocks away, construction is also continuing on the former Wendy’s lot, another Greystar project. The former fast food joint is being replaced with an apartment tower, ground-floor retail and a plaza at 2025 Clarendon Blvd, — as approved in March 2022. Together, the two projects realize a significant part of the county’s vision for the neighborhood.

This Wendy’s project will also result in transportation upgrades, such as bicycle amenities, new sidewalks and street trees, to Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd.

Greystar declined to provide a construction update to ARLnow for this article.

Arlington to consider hunting and sterilizing deer, or fencing parks, to cull herds

By Jo DeVoe
Deer grazing in the forest (via Arlington County Dept. of Parks and Recreation/YouTube)

Hunting and sterilizing deer and fencing off parks are options Arlington County could pursue to cull its reportedly oversized, and hungry, deer population.

Over the last two years, consultants estimated Arlington has a herd of whitetail deer numbering 290 and, in some areas, the concentration exceeded “healthy” levels.

These large herds are overgrazing the local forest understory and eating away the habitat that sustains birds, insects and bats, according to consultants, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation and some local naturalists.

Now, the parks department is investigating ways to cull the deer. Interested residents can attend a forum on Tuesday, July 11 at the Lubber Run Community Center to learn about management options and share their thoughts.

Through Thursday, July 13, residents can take an online survey to share their thoughts on the four lethal and non-lethal methods on the table:

  • professional sharpshooting
  • surgical sterilization of female deer
  • public archery hunting
  • fenced parks

“We want to be good stewards of Arlington County we’re trying to do the best that we can and this assessment is part of it,” county Natural Resources Manager Alonso Abugattas said in a recent video. “We’re hoping that, through this, we can decide how we can best proceed. This is just the beginning of what promises to be a conversation with the public.”

In the feedback form, Arlington County says sharpshooting, with professionals using sound-suppressed rifles and lead-free bullets, is safe for the public and “the most effective and fastest method for controlling overabundant deer.”

The practice meets euthanasia criteria set by national veterinarian groups. Meat from sharpshooting is donated.

Right behind sharpshooting, in terms of efficacy, could be sterilization. The county says experimental research has shown that, four years after surgical sterilization, deer populations may be reduced to almost half their original size.

Both these would require state permission. Arlington could instead change its own codes to expand archery hunting areas. If it took this course, vetted hunters, using modern compound bows or crossbows, would cull deer.

The county acknowledges the efficacy of archery “is unlikely to be at the level necessary for plant and forest regeneration” on its own and may need to be combined with sharpshooting or sterilization.

Or, Arlington could simply build fences around entire parks — a method that avoids death and sterilization but may be costly and ineffective, the county says.

Fencing “can be expensive to build and maintain, displaces deer into adjacent communities, limits vegetation regrowth to within fence boundaries, and requires vigilance in keeping gates closed and a plan to remove deer should they enter Arlington Parks,” per the form.

Survey respondents are asked how much they support or disagree with the four methods. The county asks which goals it should prioritize in choosing a method, such as forest health, minimized deer suffering and safety.

In the video, Abugattas emphasizes that doing nothing is not an option. An adult deer eats 5-7 pounds of vegetation in a day, or about one ton in a year. After their first year, an adult can produce two fawns every year for up to 20 years.

(more…)

How ranked-choice voting helped the County Board primary results reflect a divided electorate

By Jo DeVoe
Voters and Arlington County Board Democratic nominees Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey watch the tabulation process on Friday, June 23, 2023 in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 12:35 p.m.) Ranked-choice voting may have helped voters nominate a “split” Democratic ticket for Arlington County Board — at least when it comes to Missing Middle.

Last week, in relatively robust turnout for a primary in a non-presidential year, Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham received the Democratic nomination. Some 28,897 ballots were cast, up from 19,958 in 2015, the last time with two open seats and no incumbents on the ballot.

The Democratic duo are split, for and against, on the zoning code update allowing 2-6 unit buildings on lots previously zoned for single-family homes. Local elections buffs say the ideological diversity on this “split ticket” is a perk of ranked-choice voting that reflects the will of voters, even if it occasionally surprised observers.

“If we had used the simpler method of representation — of winner-takes-all — we most likely would have had two Democratic nominees who had the same position on Missing Middle,” says Jeremy Mayer, associate professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

The two departing Board members, Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey, strongly supported the changes. This time around, voters have chosen Cunningham, who called it a “mess,” and Coffey who, while generally supportive, criticized it for lacking cohesion with other housing policies.

It appears this election may be a stronger referendum on Missing Middle than the 2022 race. Incumbent Matt de Ferranti ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and bested two independents with 60% of votes last fall, campaigning on a middling view of the zoning changes.

This time, the leaderboard was not clear cut. Despite “anti” Missing Middle candidates leading at first, realtor Natalie Roy lost to Coffey, who picked up votes from eliminated “pro” Missing Middle candidates.

This result “much more accurately reflects the opinions of Democrat-leaning Arlingtonians,” said Mayer, a lifelong Arlingtonian. “That’s a good thing for democracy.”

Ranked-choice voting tempered the influence of the Democratic establishment, he and former Arlington County Civic Federation President Allan Gajadhar said. Democrats had full control of the Arlington County Board for years until 2014, when Republican John Vihstadt joined the Board as an independent, and have had it since 2018, when de Ferranti beat him.

This year, the Democratic establishment coalesced around Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., who nabbed endorsements from County Board members Takis Karantonis and de Ferranti, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, state Sen. Barbara Favola, and others. He was eliminated in the fourth tabulation round.

Cunningham, meanwhile, had support from some well-known Democrats as well as people outside the party, like Vihstadt, who last year supported independent and outspoken Missing Middle critic Audrey Clement. Cunningham also had the support of Board Vice-Chair Libby Garvey, who endorsed Vihstadt in 2014.

“In a place with a dominant faction, it does broaden the base of the people who can get elected beyond the party control mechanisms,” Gajadhar said. “In this case, it was one issue, Missing Middle. In other elections… [there could be] not just a diversity of ideas but of people who could conceivably run and be successful.”

Former county treasurer turned amateur election pundit Frank O’Leary sees a common thread between Garvey’s support for Cunningham amid doubts about Missing Middle and her alliance with Vihstadt against the Columbia Pike streetcar. He does not, however, predict the downfall of Missing Middle if Cunningham and Garvey join forces.

“I suspect it will be peace and harmony on the County Board,” he said.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Ballston at twilight with storm clouds looming (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Assault Along Langston Blvd — “4800 block of Langston Boulevard… the two male victims were inside a business when the two male suspects approached and a verbal dispute ensued. The suspects then physically assaulted the victims before fleeing the scene in a SUV. Victim One was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening and Victim Two declined medics on scene.” [ACPD]

Cristol Preps for Tysons Job — “As she prepares to leave elected office after seven and a half years, Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol is looking ahead to her next post. Cristol does not formally come on board as CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) until July 5 – a day after her County Board resignation takes effect – but earlier this month she appeared before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ Economic Initiatives Committee as part of a briefing on the new organization’s plans.” [Gazette Leader]

Dorsey Debt Decision — “No show — Court enters $34k judgment against @ArlCountyBoard Chair Dorsey on June 7th for failure to pay credit card debt.” [Twitter]

‘Apology’ for Karen Comment — From local political consultant Ben Tribbett, as quoted in a press release: “I would like to apologize to any Karen’s who were offended by my comments… Whether they are calling the police on individuals in their neighborhood, playing pickleball or just innocently measuring their neighbors grass length, the Karen community in Arlington plays an important role in the civic lifestyle Arlingtonians have come to expect.” [PDF]

It’s Tuesday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 81. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. At night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 65. [Weather.gov]

ACPD: Bystanders intervene as suspect fights officer in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene of assault in Clarendon on Sunday, June 25 (photo courtesy Matthew Hurtt)

A man allegedly assaulted a police officer in Clarendon last night, prompting bystanders to intervene.

The incident happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. Police were initially dispatched to N. Danville Street near the Starbucks for a report of a potential domestic violence incident between a man and a woman.

The suspect reportedly started fighting with the first arriving officer before her backup arrived, according to scanner traffic, leading to numerous officers throughout the county speeding to the scene to assist.

Before they arrived, however, several bystanders “attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle,” an Arlington County police spokeswoman said. The suspect was eventually taken into custody and now faces multiple charges, including assault on police and DUI.

More, below, from ACPD.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-06250225, 2600 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on June 25, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute. The preliminary investigation indicates the male victim observed the suspect yelling at an individual inside a vehicle and banging on the vehicle’s window before the suspect entered the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle on. The victim was recording the incident with his cell phone when the suspect allegedly exited the vehicle, approached the victim and knocked his phone out of his hand. As the responding officer attempted to detain the suspect, he became combative and struggled with and assaulted the officer. Bystanders attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle. With the assistance of additional arriving officers, the suspect was taken into custody. [The suspect], 26, of Annandale, VA was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Assault and Battery, Driving under the Influence and Obstruction of Justice. He was held on a secure bond.

JUST IN: Community activist charged with sexual assault

By ARLnow.com
Elder Julio Basurto speaks during the County Board recessed meeting in 2021 (via Arlington County)

A man well known as a local community activist has been charged with sexual assault.

Julio Basurto, 42, was arrested as part of an investigation into a sexual assault that happened early in the morning of Sunday, May 21, Arlington County police said this afternoon.

According to ACPD, Basurto picked up a woman from outside of a bar in Clarendon, then sexually assaulted her part-way through the ride. He was not working as a rideshare driver at the time, police noted.

Prior to his arrest last week, Basurto was frequently quoted by local news outlets — including ARLnow — as a community activist, often going by his church title: “Elder Julio Basurto.” He was outspoken on local issues from drug overdoses in schools to conditions in affordable apartment complexes.

Basurto worked as an interpreter, including for Arlington Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served on an APS advisory committee, received an award from a prominent local nonprofit for his tenant advocacy, and was highlighted by a County Board member on his website’s endorsements page.

Arlington police are now actively investigating whether Basurto might have assaulted others.

“This remains an active criminal investigation possibly related to other assaults in the area,” police said in a press release. “Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line.”

Sources tell ARLnow that Basurto’s personality took a dark turn in recent months, leading to a fallout with another local activist. Basurto has no criminal record in Arlington beyond traffic violations over the past few years, according to court records.

The full ACPD press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. Julio Basurto, 42, of Arlington, VA is charged with Abduction and Forcible Sodomy. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 6:40 a.m. on May 21, police met with the adult female victim who reported a sexual assault inside an unknown vehicle. The investigation determined that during the early morning hours, the victim exited a nightlife establishment and was in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard when the suspect approached in a black vehicle and the victim entered. During the course of the ride, the suspect sexually assaulted her before she was able to exit the vehicle. The suspect was not operating as a rideshare driver or in a for-hire status.

During the course of the investigation, detectives reviewed evidence and conducted witness interviews. The review resulted in additional information that led detectives to identify the suspect and obtain warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody without incident on the evening of June 22.

This remains an active criminal investigation possibly related to other assaults in the area. Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

Basurto’s most recent Twitter post was of a bible verse.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Storm clouds over Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Flyover Planned This Morning — From D.C.’s alert system: “The US Navy will conduct a flyover over the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, June 26th, 2023 at 9:15AM.”

Equipment Issue Grounds Flights — “Flights to and from airports in the Washington region were suspended for a time Sunday evening after a problem at a major air traffic control facility, according to both the Federal Aviation Administration and the local airports authority. Departures from both National and Dulles were subjected to a ground stop.” [Washington Post]

Dateline Examines Arlington Murder — “The murder of Arlington resident Andrea Cincotta, who was found strangled and stuffed inside a bedroom closet 25 years ago, [was] featured Friday night on a new episode of NBC News’ ‘Dateline.’ […] “Dateline” interviewed Cincotta’s son, Kevin Cincotta, in his first network television interview on the case.” ABC’s 20/20 also recently aired an episode about the case. [Patch, Peacock]

Arlington Rises in Dog Park Rankings — “Arlington County ranked as the fifth-best city in the U.S. for its dog parks in 2023, up from its ranking as 14th best a year ago, according to a new report by LawnStarter. Among the key metrics used by LawnStarter, Arlington ranked fourth for the number of top-rated dog parks, eighth for the number of dog parks per 100,000 residents, and 44th for the number of very hot days.” [Patch]

Dogs Go to Jail — “The Arlington County Detention Facility had some special four-legged visitors Wednesday as a local therapy dog organization, People Animals Love, interacted with those incarcerated.” [ACSO]

Pike Library to Stay Open — “Construction may be about to begin on the new Arlington Career Center building, but patrons using the adjacent Columbia Pike branch library should not see significant impacts. ‘No library services or programs will be affected and Columbia Pike Library will remain open during the construction period,’ county officials said.” [Gazette Leader]

More Metro Service Improvements — “Metro customers will see more trains, more buses, and simpler fares next week as Metro rolls out its tenth service improvement since last summer… Beginning Monday, June 26, Orange Line trains will operate every 10 minutes from opening until 9:30 p.m.” [WMATA]

It’s Monday — Chances of storms throughout the day. Storms later in the day may be severe. High near 90. South wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. At night: Showers and storms. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 66. [Weather.gov]

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