News

Alexandria Man Charged With Exposing Himself on Blue Line Train in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

William Madison, Jr.A 47-year-old Alexandria man has been arrested and charged with exposing himself to multiple women on Metro trains.

The first incident happened in Arlington County on March 28, aboard a Blue Line train to Franconia. The suspect, William Madison, Jr., was subsequently arrested and charged with indecent exposure on July 29. Then, on August 15, Metro Transit Police say Madison again exposed himself to a woman, this time on an Orange Line train in Fairfax County.

Police believe Madison might have committed similar crimes that went unreported, and are asking any additional victims to come forward.

From a Metro press release:

For the second time in less than three weeks, Metro Transit Police (MTPD) have arrested a Virginia man on charges of indecent exposure. The suspect, William Madison, Jr., 47, of Alexandria, is now facing charges in Arlington and Fairfax counties.

Madison was first arrested by Transit Police on July 29 after being located by the MTPD warrant squad. The original offense occurred in Arlington County March 28, 2016, aboard a Franconia-bound Blue Line train. Madison is accused of exposing himself to an adult female passenger aboard the train. Following his arrest, Madison was released on his personal recognizance.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday, August 15, Madison allegedly exposed himself to an adult female passenger aboard a Vienna-bound Orange Line train. MTPD detectives were able to identify Madison using CCTV cameras and subsequently obtained an arrest warrant. Madison was re-arrested yesterday at Huntington Station while attempting to enter the Metrorail system. He was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he was held on a $1,000 secured bond.

Based on these circumstances, Transit Police detectives believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information for investigators is urged to call the MTPD Criminal Investigations Division at (301) 955-3000.

Crime Report: Gunshot and Bomb Threat

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA bomb threat called into the Arlington County courthouse building yesterday prompted a sweep with bomb-sniffing dogs.

An unknown male caller phoned in the bomb threat Tuesday afternoon. No explosives were found.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

BOMB THREAT, 160816032, 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road. At approximately 1:20 p.m on August 16, an unknown male subject called an office within the courthouse building and made a bomb threat. A K-9 sweep of the building was conducted with negative results. There is no suspect(s) description.

On Monday night, a resident in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, near Rosslyn, reported hearing a loud “pop” inside their home.

Police arrived and found that a single gunshot had been fired into the residence. From ACPD:

MISSILE INTO OCCUPIED DWELLING, 160815043, 1200 block of N. Rhode Street. At approximately 9:17 p.m. on August 15, two residents heard a loud pop inside their residence. Upon police investigation, it was determined that a single gunshot round had entered the residence causing minor damage. Police conducted checks in the area and found no similar incidents. There is no suspect(s) description and the investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A mobile food vendor on Columbia Pike

County Considering Rideshare Subsidies — Arlington County is studying a plan that would subsidize rides on Uber and Lyft for residents who live in “more remote residential areas of the county where bus service to Metro stations is limited.” The plan, if implemented, would “replace some fixed bus service in north Arlington.” [Washington Post]

APS SOL Results — The results of the Virginia Standards of Learning tests are out. In response, Arlington Public Schools released a press release with the title “APS Continues to Make Progress in Closing the Achievement Gap.” It says: “In 2016, the APS met or exceeded the state passing rates on 28 of 29 assessments, across all grade levels and subjects. APS exceeded the state passing rates by 5 to 13 percentage points on 16 of the assessments.” [Arlington Public Schools, InsideNova, Washington Post]

APS Doesn’t Make Newsweek List — Updated at 2:05 p.m. — Newsweek is out with its annual list of the top 500 public high schools in the country, and no Arlington public school made the list. In fact, only four Virginia high schools made the list. In 2010, every APS high school was on the list. APS says it has not been submitting stats to Newsweek over the past few years. [Newsweek]

Boxing Coming to Arlington This Weekend — A nine-card boxing bout will take place at the Crystal City Hilton hotel Friday night. [Fight News]

ACPD Wreath-Laying Ceremony at ANC — Arlington County Police brass laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. [Instagram]

Lost Dog On the Pike — A woman is trying to find her lost chihuahua, which was last seen near the intersection of Glebe Road and 9th Street S., near Columbia Pike. [Twitter]

Bearded Woman Questioned in Toilet Seat Cover Arson

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County fire truckThe Arlington County Fire Marshal’s office is trying to determine who set a toilet seat cover dispenser on fire on Columbia Pike Monday afternoon.

Investigators believe the small fire, inside a bathroom at the Inova Urgent Care clinic (3263 Columbia Pike) was an act of arson. And it may be part of a string of intentionally-set small fires.

Arlington County firefighters responded to several suspicious small fires Sunday and Monday, including two set 20 minutes apart.

“There have been an uptick in small fires in the county,” said Lt. Jason Hart. “We have not tied them together yet, it’s still under investigation.”

After Monday’s bathroom fire, Arlington police put out a lookout call for a woman with a facial hair, who was suspected of setting the fire. Based on the description relayed over the radio, the woman was detained and questioned, but was ultimately released due to lack of evidence, Hart said.

Another ‘Mansion Party’ Is Planned for This Weekend

By ARLnow.com
1/6

The huge Chain Bridge Road mansion that hosted a party that led to a drive-by shooting in McLean on Sunday is slated to hold another bash this weekend.

The “Leo Birthday Splash Party” will run from 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, according to the flyer. An online ticketing page — tickets are $30 — and the flyer say the event will feature a DJ and other musical performances, bottle service, a cash bar, Caribbean cuisine, a bathing suit contest and an appearance by local party promoter/exotic dancer Cream.

Off-site parking in McLean with a free shuttle to the mansion will be provided for guests, the flyer says.

NBC 4 reported last night that the 20,000 square foot mansion, which sold at a foreclosure auction in June for $7.3 million (it was once valued at $23-24 million), has been used as a “party house,” according to neighbors.

Numerous photos and videos have been posted to Instagram from what’s labeled as the “RPH Mansion” — the initials of its owner (or, possibly, former owner), businessman Rodney P. Hunt. Many of the Instagram posts depict young people partying poolside as a DJ performs.

Event flyers sent anonymously to ARLnow.com (above) detail a number of events that have taken place at 201 Chain Bridge Road over the past month, including the Eritrean Festival Uber Mansion Afterhour Event where a dispute allegedly led to Sunday morning’s shooting. Events at the mansion date back to at least 2013, when it hosted an “epic” New Year’s Eve party with free valet, two floors of partying and four cash bars.

Sprint Customers May Get Busy Signal When Trying to Call 911

By ARLnow.com

Sprint mobile phone customers may get a busy signal in Arlington and other parts of the D.C. region when they try to make an emergency call.

The Arlington Alerts system issued the following notice shortly after noon today.

Sprint cellular service is affected throughout the area. If you receive a busy signal when you call 9-1-1, you should attempt to text to 9-1-1, use a landline phone or use a cellphone covered by another provider.

The problem is also affecting Sprint customers in Fairfax County, the Washington Post reports.

Worker Falls at Crystal City Construction Site

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A worker fell 20-25 feet at a construction site in Crystal City this morning.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m., reportedly at the m.flats construction site at 505 18th Street S.

The worker was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital with what were reported to be non-life-threatening injuries. State occupational safety officials are investigating the incident.

Construction is nearing completion at m.flats, which replaced a former Post Office.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ultimate frisbee (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Arlington Mansion Party Led to Shooting — Two people were shot in McLean early Sunday in what was described as a drive-by shooting following a party in Arlington. It turns out that the party was at a multi-million-dollar mansion overlooking the Potomac on tony Chain Bridge Road. The home has been the scene of numerous police incidents over the past couple of years, mostly robberies and various disturbances, and lately neighbors have said it’s become a “party house.” [NBC Washington]

Heat Advisory Today — Arlington is again under a Heat Advisory, with dangerous heat index values up to 109 expected. “Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside,” forecasters warn. [National Weather Service]

Standoff With Suicidal Man Ends Peacefully — There were some tense moments in a neighborhood just off of Columbia Pike yesterday. Between about 4-5 p.m., there was a police standoff with an armed, suicidal man at a home on 9th Street S. Roads were blocked and some neighbors were evacuated. The standoff ended peacefully and the man was taken into custody.

Arlington’s InfoSec Jobs Are Low Paying? — A compilation of city-level data from job search site Indeed suggests that Arlington has the lowest-paying average salary for information security specialists of 15 large cities. Adjusted for cost of living, Minneapolis had the highest average salary. Arlington’s COLA-adjusted salary is 72 percent below that of the Minnesota city. D.C. also ranked low on the list, placing just three spots above Arlington. [Indeed]

Arlington Rapper Releases Single — VA Prime, an Arlington-based rap artist who hails from the Nauck neighborhood and formerly attended Washington-Lee and Wakefield high schools, has released a new single. “School” encourages young listeners to “stay in school, plan it out, get your grades up.” The rhyme further encourages hard work and hustle: “Keep grinding, we going to raise up,” it says. [Soundcloud]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

S. Joyce Street Closed Due to Downed Tree

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A road is closed in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood due to a downed tree and power lines.

The large tree fell this afternoon during calm weather, taking power and utility lines down with it. Thirty-five Dominion customers are without power in the area, according to the power company.

A Dominion repair crew is on scene, but the intersection of S. Joyce Street and 28th Street S., near Glebe Road, is closed. The tree and numerous wires are down in the intersection.

Volunteers Needed to Help Clean Up Four Mile Run Next Month

By Adrian Cruz

Barcroft Park/Four Mile Run clean-upA local organization is looking for Arlington residents to help remove litter from Four Mile Run next month.

Volunteers with Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) will help pick up trash from the stream during the organization’s annual cleanup at Barcroft Park on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Those who sign up for the event will be tasked with removing debris from Barcroft Park and along the banks of Four Mile Run.

The cleanup is being held in conjunction with Clean Virginia Waterways Day and the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. As part of its collaborative efforts, ACE will collect data on the garbage its volunteers remove from the stream.

“We will submit the data to both groups to contribute to an understanding of how litter is impacting our waterways and the wildlife that depends on our waterways,” said Elenor Hodges, executive director at ACE.

Those interested in helping out should bring along sturdy shoes they don’t mind getting wet, work gloves and a water bottle and wear long pants and sleeves to protect against poison ivy, Hodges said.

Two Shot in McLean After Arlington Party

By ARLnow.com

Fairfax County police car lightsTwo people were shot during a drive-by shooting in McLean early Sunday morning, following a fight at a party in Arlington.

The shooting occurred on Dolley Madison Boulevard (Route 123), near the entrance to the GW Parkway, around 4 a.m.

“Preliminary information suggests that this incident stemmed from an altercation between several people at a party somewhere in Arlington County earlier in the night,” Fairfax County Police said in a press release. “One group left the party in a vehicle and when they reached Dolley Madison Boulevard and Kirby Road, another vehicle pulled alongside and fired several shots, striking two occupants in the first vehicle. The unidentified suspect vehicle then fled the scene.”

“Little is known about the two victims at this point, other than they drove themselves to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the press release continued. “There is no suspect or vehicle description at this time.”

The Fairfax County Police helicopter assisted with the response to the shooting, but was unable to locate the suspects. Police are asking that anyone with information about the shooting call them at 703-691-2131 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477

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