News | ARLnow.com

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

Published December 23, 2016 at 12:00PM | Updated December 27, 2016 at 8:58AM

The team behind ARLnow.com wishes you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah this weekend.

Barring major breaking news, we will be taking a brief holiday hiatus until Tuesday morning. In the meantime, you’re welcome to discuss the holiday or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

We leave you with the following original poem, written by local resident James Miller in iambic trimeter. It’s entitled “Christmas in Rosslyn.”

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Lights shine like the dawning.
The wreaths are strewn across
Storefront and the awning.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Many a sight be seen
on Wilson Boulevard.
Baubles of red and green.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
The new buildings in grow.
Progress for the new year.
Concrete with hope, we sow.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Iwo Jima lights dark.
Heroes for a nation.
In ground we leave their mark.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Cemetery sits cold.
Wreaths lie in remembrance.
The sacrifice of old.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
The few do still recall.
The true love offered for
The victims of the Fall.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
May we remember why
The gift we all receive
The day our death did die.

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 23, 2016 at 9:00AM

Sun Gazette Moving HQ to Falls Church — The Sun Gazette newspaper is moving its headquarters from McLean to the city of Falls Church. The paper, which has an Arlington edition and a McLean/Great Falls/Vienna/Oakton edition, has previously, under its current editor, had its headquarters in Dunn Loring, Alexandria and Springfield. [InsideNova]

Review of Synetic’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ — Crystal City-based physical theater company Synetic is performing its unique take on “Sleeping Beauty” through Jan. 8. It has received a laudatory review from Broadway World. “Every mimed motion, from a butterfly alighting on a hand to that fated spinning wheel wound, is flawlessly executed and transports audiences to a place beyond imagination,” the publication wrote. [Broadway World]

Children of Inmates Receive Gifts — The annual “Project Christmas Angel” initiative has distributed more than 1,100 gifts this year to nearly 400 children whose parents will be locked up in the Arlington County jail or in state prisons over the holidays. The project also supports kids who have a parent that was recently released from incarceration. [InsideNova]

Final ‘Around Arlington’ of 2016 — The final episode of the county-produced Around Arlington television segment features updates on the Four Mile Run Valley initiative, humanitarian award winners and plans for 2017. [YouTube]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 22, 2016 at 8:30AM

Two Arrested for McD’s Beating — Arlington County Police have arrested two men for the beating of a 17-year-old boy at a McDonald’s on Lee Highway last week. The victim’s mother said she “believes the attack is payback for her son reporting a crime against him months ago.” [Fox 5]

Ray’s Files for Bankruptcy — The parent company of Ray’s The Steaks has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years. Owner Michael Landrum says Ray’s is in no danger of closing, however. [Washington Business Journal]

Rosslyn Hyatt Changes Branding — The Hyatt hotel on Wilson Blvd is now the first “Hyatt Centric” in the Mid-Atlantic region. Hyatt Centric is described as “a full-service brand that aims to attract a younger traveler, as well as to engage more with the neighborhood in which the hotels are located.” [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

Arlington Woman Gets Jail Time for Handbag Scheme

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2016 at 4:05PM

An Arlington woman arrested earlier this year for a counterfeit handbag fraud has been sentenced to jail time.

Federal prosecutors say 41-year-old Praepitcha Smatsorabudh would buy luxury handbags online, then return high-quality knockoff handbags to the store while selling the real bag online, netting big profits in the process

She was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and more than $800,000 in forfeiture and restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Crime Report: Criminals Take a Holiday

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2016 at 2:30PM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:44PM

After a fairly busy week of police-related stories last week, this week the Arlington County Police Department crime report is as sparse as we can ever remember.

Granted, the crime report does not include an attempted child abduction in Pentagon City, on which we reported yesterday, nor a police warning about a fake jewelry scam.

Playing a role in the slow crime week: very cold weather last week (crime reports are for the period from Thursday to Wednesday) and, potentially, the approaching holiday.

This week’s crime report includes just two incidents deemed noteworthy by police, both burglaries. From ACPD:

BURGLARY, 2016-12160062, 900 block of S. George Mason Drive. Between 3:25 a.m. and 3:40 a.m. on December 16, an unknown subject(s) forced entry into a business and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect is described as a white male, with a slim to average build. He was wearing a black north face jacket, dark pants with red stripes down the side, dark shoes, gloves, and a dark backpack.

BURGLARY, 2016-12180152, 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. Between 12:00 a.m. on December 1 and 11:30 a.m. on December 18, an unknown subject(s) entered a residence and stole numerous items of value. There is no suspect(s) description.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2016 at 9:10AM

Hunt Loses Mansion Legal Battle — Rodney P. Hunt, once one of the D.C. area’s wealthiest businessmen, has lost a legal battle to keep his $24 million Chain Bridge Road mansion. Hunt, who represented himself in court, asserted that the entity that bought the mansion at a foreclosure auction this summer was not its real owner. While Hunt was living there, the 20,000 square foot property hosted large “#RHPMansion” parties, one of which led to a drive-by shooting in McLean. [Washington Post]

‘Loss of Historic Architecture’ — The historic George Washington Carver Cooperative Apartments in the Arlington View neighborhood were torn down in February. The apartments’ 70-year history as a centerpiece of the working-class African American community there was, however, preserved via oral histories and historic markets. The property is now the Carver Place townhomes, which start at $689,000. So far, 38 of 73 have sold. [Falls Church News-Press]

Road Closure in Lyon Park — Washington Gas pipeline work is prompting a road closure in Lyon Park today and tomorrow. Cyclists who use the Arlington Blvd trail may also be affected. [BikeArlington Forum]

First Day of Winter — Today is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also known as the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight. [Capital Weather Gang]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

ACPD Warns of ‘Fake Gold’ Scam

By ARLnow.com

Published December 20, 2016 at 3:45PM

Arlington police are warning the public about a new scam that’s being reported around the area.

According to police, the scammers pose as motorists having car trouble. When someone stops to help, they say they need money and provide jewelry in return. The jewelry, however, is fake.

“With the holidays upon us, many are in the giving spirit,” police said in a press release. “For everyone’s safety and the guaranteed benefit of those in need, police recommend contributing to familiar organizations and charities in the community.”

The full ACPD press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department is warning the public about scams involving fake gold. In two instances occurring in Arlington County, motorists have been flagged down by subjects to assist with what appears to be a disabled vehicle. The subjects then explain to the victims that they are down on their luck and are urgently in need of money. In exchange for the money, the subjects are providing the victims with fake jewelry.

Police are also aware of similar scams in the area in which subjects offer to sell several pieces of fake jewelry. While the victim is distracted, the subjects attempt to remove the victim’s real jewelry and replace it with fake jewelry. Citizens should be skeptical of anyone who approaches them offering to sell items such as precious metals or consumer goods such as electronics. Citizens should also be aware of their surroundings, remove valuables from plain sight, keep belongings such as jewelry close to their person and park in a well-lit, high-traffic areas.

With the holidays upon us, many are in the giving spirit. For everyone’s safety and the guaranteed benefit of those in need, police recommend contributing to familiar organizations and charities in the community.

Citizens who see a disabled vehicle in Arlington County should contact the Emergency Communication Center at 703-558-2222 to request assistance for the motorist. Individuals seeking more information about fraud can contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit at [email protected] or visit the police website.

Police: Man Tried to Lure Girl Into Van With Promise of Candy, Dogs

By ARLnow.com

Published December 20, 2016 at 2:00PM

Arlington County Police are investigating a reported child abduction attempt in Pentagon City.

The incident happened Monday around 4 p.m., near the Costco and Best Buy parking lot. Police say a 10-year-old girl was approached by a man after being dropped off by her school bus.

“The victim described the suspect as speaking with a British accent as he offered her candy and reported to have dogs inside his van,” police said in a press release. “When the victim refused, the suspect grabbed her backpack and jacket before the victim was able to escape. The suspect fled the area by vehicle.”

From the press release:

The suspect is described as a white male, possibly in his 20’s with black hair and wearing a black shirt and possibly red pants at the time of the incident. His vehicle is described as a white van with a sliding side door.

Police have increased patrols in the area. Anyone with information on the identity of this individual or details surrounding this incident is asked to contact Detective K. Bercovicz of the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 703.228.4235 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 20, 2016 at 9:00AM

Earlier School Closing Decisions — Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy says the school system will try to make school closing decisions earlier this year, preferably the night before a snow or ice event. [InsideNova]

Remy Has Role in New Netflix Series — “Arlington Rap” guy Remy Munasifi has a prominent role in the new Netflix comedy series Brown Nation. [IMDB, Mashable]

Arlington Company Gets $1 Billion Investment — Rosslyn-based satellite internet company OneWeb has received a $1 billion investment from SoftBank. The Japanese company said it’s the “first step” in its $50 billion commitment to President-elect Donald Trump to create jobs in the U.S. [Reuters]

Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 19, 2016 at 11:45AM

Icy Saturday Morning — Several crashes were reported around Arlington Saturday as freezing rain turned roads and sidewalks into sheets of ice. The slippery conditions lasted for most of the morning, before a warm-up started melting the ice around lunchtime. [Storify]

Wreaths Laid at ANC — Despite the icy weather, tens of thousands of volunteers helped to lay 245,000 wreaths on grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday morning. Arlington County Police assisted with crowd control for the annual Christmastime event. [WTOP, The Blaze, Twitter]

Students, School Board Speak Out on Boundary Changes — At last week’s Arlington School Board meeting, students spoke in opposition to high school boundary changes some see as furthering racial segregation. School Board members, however, defended their recent boundary change vote. [Washington Post, InsideNova, YouTube]

Borderstan Closes, Editor Coming to ARLnow — Borderstan, ARLnow.com’s sister site that covers the mid-city neighborhoods of D.C., is shutting down at the end of the week. One of its co-editors, Tim Regan, will be joining the ARLnow team in January. [Borderstan, Washingtonian]

Photo courtesy Becca Collins

ACPD to Conduct Extra DUI Patrols During the Holidays

By ARLnow.com

Published December 19, 2016 at 9:15AM | Updated December 19, 2016 at 9:57AM

Arlington County Police are conducting additional DUI patrols during the holiday season.

The DUI enforcement campaign started Sunday and will run through Jan. 3. It coincides, in part, with the SoberRide free taxi service that’s currently in effect.

From an ACPD press release:

Due to the increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, law enforcement agencies across America will be actively searching for and arresting drunk drivers from December 18, 2016 to January 3, 2017. During the 2015 Christmas holiday period (6 p.m. December 24th – 5:59 a.m. December 28th), the nation lost 34 lives per day in drunk driving crashes–a total of 120 deaths over 3.5 days.

If you plan on drinking this holiday season, hand the keys over to someone else – a sober friend, a taxi, a ride share driver or public transportation. Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s 2016 Holiday SoberRide program is offering free taxi rides home from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am nightly from Friday, December 16 through Sunday, January 1, 2017. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $30.00 fare), call 800-200-8294 (TAXI). Or, try NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or a friend by identifying their location so they can be picked up. The app is available at http://ow.ly/RWs3S for Android and http://ow.ly/RWs8h for iPhone users.

As part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police will be increasing the number of patrols, setting up roadblocks and using local media to reach out to all drivers. If you’re drinking and driving, Arlington County Police Department will stop you.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, call the police right away. If someone you know is about to drive after drinking, take their keys and help them get home safely.

Please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk–or worse, the risk of having a crash.

If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.

If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use public transportation, request a ride sharing application or call SoberRide.

Remember, driving after drinking should never be an option. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

#DUI
#police