News

Police Chase Started Because of Expired Inspection Sticker

By ARLnow.com
1/10

A D.C. man is facing felony charges following a police chase that ended in Arlington yesterday, all because of an expired inspection sticker.

Police say 27-year-old Kenneth Kelley, Jr. was driving a 1995 Chevy Tahoe in Dale City yesterday around 1:00 p.m., when a Virginia state trooper noticed the expired inspection sticker. The trooper tried to make a traffic stop, but Kelley refused to pull over and sped away, according to a Virginia State Police press release.

Kelley and his two passengers were soon tailed by a phalanx of state troopers and the Fairfax County Police helicopter, as he headed north toward Arlington. From VSP:

The suspect vehicle made its way to the Prince William Parkway and then northbound on Interstate 95 and then into Arlington County on I-395. The Tahoe took the Glebe Road exit and continued into a residential neighborhood. The driver and two passengers pulled up to a residence on South Veitch Street, parked the Tahoe, fled the vehicle on foot and broke into the residence.

State police entered the residence and took all three males into custody without incident. No one was at the residence at the time it was broken into.

Kelley has been charged in Arlington with felony eluding and unlawful entry. He’s also charged with felony eluding in Prince William County, as well as misdemeanor charges for the expired inspection sticker, improper registration, driving on a suspended license and disregarding traffic lights.

Kelley was also wanted by an outstanding warrant, as was a passenger.

Passenger, Robert Hall, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged with one count of unlawful entering of a dwelling and identity theft. Hall was wanted by Prince George’s County, Md. Police on an outstanding warrant.

The other passenger, Nathaniel Pickett, 55, of Washington, D.C., was charged with one count of unlawful entering of a dwelling.

The investigation remains ongoing at this time.

No injuries or vehicle crashes resulted from this pursuit.

The Fairfax County Police helicopter was instrumental in assisting state police with following the suspect vehicle and locating the subjects at the residence. In addition, the Arlington County and City of Alexandria Police Departments also assisted with the incident.

A County Board Member is in Violation of Arlington’s Snow Removal Ordinance

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) In 2010, Jay Fisette was the lone County Board member to vote against the county’s snow removal ordinance.

In 2015, he is the lone County Board member with a snowy sidewalk in front of his house.

Responding to a reader tip, ARLnow.com checked out the sidewalk in front of Fisette’s home last night, as well as those in front of County Board members Walter Tejada, John Vihstadt and the County Board Chair, Mary Hynes. (Libby Garvey lives in a condominium.)

While those of his colleagues were immaculately cleared, the sidewalk in front of Fisette’s Ashton Heights home was still largely covered with snow and ice. There was some evidence of perhaps an attempt at shoveling, but much of the sidewalk was completely covered.

Arlington’s snow removal ordinance requires homeowners to clear snow and ice from the entire width of their sidewalk within 24 hours of the end of a snow event with accumulations below six inches, or within 36 hours of a six inch or higher snowfall. It calls for a fine between $50 and $100 for violations.

Fisette wasn’t the only one in his neighborhood with an snowy, icy sidewalk. Numerous houses, including one across the street, were in violation of the ordinance as well.

Fisette also isn’t the only local county policymaker guilty to not following their county’s snow ordinance. Yesterday, the Washington Post pointed out that the sidewalk outside Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal’s house still had patches of ice and snow.

This afternoon, Fisette talked to ARLnow.com and issued a mea culpa.

“I should have figured out a way to clean the sidewalk,” Fistte acknowledged. “The ordinance was an attempt to improve or keep sidewalks safe for people, and that’s a very worthy goal. I’ve always done that in the past.”

Fisette explained that his husband is out of town this week and he worked a 14 hour day on Tuesday, when the snow struck, leaving the house at 8:00 a.m. and not returning until 10:00 p.m.

“I know everybody has had complications… it’s not meant to be an excuse, because I should have gone out and done it,” he said. “I will take care of it when I get home from work at the end of the day.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Snowy creek in Arlington (Flickr pool photo by Mrs. Gemstone)

Civ Fed Considering Retail Plan Opposition — The Arlington County Civic Federation is considering opposing the county’s update of its retail action plan. “What problem are we trying to solve here?” asked the writer of a resolution that calls for the county to scrap the effort. [InsideNova]

WaPo Supports County Outreach Initiative — The Washington Post editorial board has penned an editorial in support of the new community outreach effort that Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes announced at the Board’s New Years Day meeting. [Washington Post]

Arthur Announces Reelection Bid — Arlington Sheriff Beth Arthur formally announced her bid for reelection at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Arthur touted her role in making the Arlington County Detention Facility in Courthouse “one of the best jails in the country.” She also noted that her children, ages 3 and 6 when she first became sheriff, will be old enough to vote for her for the first time in November.

Stamos Running For Reelection — Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos also announced her reelection bid at Wednesday’s ACDC meeting. She cited her office’s drug addiction program for offenders and two recent murder convictions as notable successes.

Flickr pool photo by Mrs. Gemstone

Crime Report: Tween Brandishes Knife in 7-Eleven Slurpee Robbery

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA middle school-aged perp brandished a knife while stealing a Slurpee from a Crystal City 7-Eleven store, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The incident happened this past Friday, just after 7:00 p.m. Police say a group of five boys ages 11 to 13 entered the 7-Eleven and stole Slurpees.

When the cashier confronted the suspects, one allegedly brandished a knife and made threats, before fleeing the scene on foot.

From the crime report:

ROBBERY, 150102041, 400 block of S. 23rd Street. At 7:14 pm on January 2, a group of five juveniles entered a 7-11 and stole slurpees. When the cashier confronted the subjects, one of them brandished a knife and made threatening remarks. The suspects fled the scene on foot. The five suspects were described as black males between 11-13 years old and were wearing dark clothing.

The rest of this week’s Arlington crime report, after the jump.

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State Troopers Swarm Arna Valley As Police Chase Ends in Residential Neighborhood

By ARLnow.com
1/10

A police chase that started in Prince William County ended in Arlington’s Arna Valley neighborhood this afternoon.

Virginia State Police reportedly began pursuing a green Chevrolet SUV in Prince William , following it up I-95 and I-395. The SUV took the Glebe Road exit off I-395 around 1:00 p.m., speeding toward the residential neighborhood of Arna Valley, near Shirlington.

The suspects bailed out on S. Veitch Street, between 26th and 27th Streets. All three were quickly apprehended.

Dozens of police officers, including state troopers and Arlington County officers, swarmed the area as the pursuit ended. A Fairfax County Police helicopter could be seen overhead. Nearby Gunston Middle School was secured for a short time during and after the chase.

Per department policy, Arlington County Police were not involved in the pursuit.

So far there’s no word on what charges the suspects are facing, or on what state troopers might have found in the SUV.

Separately, around 3:00 p.m., Virginia State Police were in pursuit of a vehicle involved in a felony hit-and-run. The chase was called off as the vehicle was approaching Arlington on northbound I-395, according to scanner traffic.

Update at 5:00 p.m. — Virginia State Police have released a statement about both chases.

PURSUIT #1 – Prince William County to Arlington County

At approximately 12:53 p.m. Wednesday, a Virginia State Police trooper was on patrol along Cardinal Drive (near Minnieville Road) in Dale City when a 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe with an expired inspection sticker passed by. The trooper initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, which refused to stop and sped away from the trooper. The suspect vehicle made its way to the Prince William Parkway and then northbound on Interstate 95 and then into Arlington County on I-395. The Tahoe took the Glebe Road exit and continued into a residential neighborhood. The driver and two passengers pulled up to a residence on South Veitch Street, fled the vehicle on foot and entered the residence. All three males have been taken into custody without incident and charges are pending. The investigation remains ongoing at this time.

No injuries or vehicle crashes resulted from this pursuit.

The Fairfax County Police helicopter was instrumental in assisting state police with following the suspect vehicle and locating the subjects at the residence. In addition, the Arlington County and City of Alexandria Police Departments also assisted with the incident.

PURSUIT #2 – Stafford County to Arlington County

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Virginia State Police trooper was in the crossover at the 137 mile marker in Stafford County monitoring northbound traffic when a Toyota Camry came through radar at 94 mph. When the trooper pulled out to initiate a traffic stop on the car, it sped away in excess of 100 mph. The car continued northbound on the shoulder and weaving through lanes. Within 10 minutes near the 158 mile marker in Prince William County, the trooper terminated the pursuit for public safety purposes. The Toyota continued northbound. There were three subjects in the vehicle.

At 2:53 p.m., Virginia State Police were notified of a hit-and-run crash in the northbound lanes of I-395 at the Seminary Road Exit. Based on witness statements, it is believed this crash was caused by the same Toyota Camry. A Honda Civic was northbound on I-395 when it was sideswiped by a black sedan. The black car continued northbound at a high rate of speed. The driver of the Honda Civic, a 24-year-old Woodbridge woman, was transported to Inova Alexandria Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. She was wearing a seat belt and was the car’s only occupant.

Anyone with information about the black Toyota Camry with Tennessee plates is asked to please contact the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026 or #77 on a cell phone.

Gas Leak Shuts Down Part of Crystal Drive in Front of EPA Building

By Ethan Rothstein
1/12

Update at 3:45 p.m. — The gas line has been shut off and the incident has been cleared. Northbound Crystal Drive remains shut down between Potomac Ave and 27 Street S. as repairs on the gas line continue.

Emergency crews are shutting down the 2600 block of Crystal Drive to repair a gas leak.

According to scanner traffic, multiple units from the Arlington County Fire Department are on scene for a hole in a four-inch gas line running underneath the street. Crystal Drive is under construction in the area and crews appeared to have hit the line while working.

The construction subcontractor that struck the gas line was working on the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway project, Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Eric Balliet confirmed to ARLnow.com.

Police are also being dispatched to keep pedestrians away from the leak and to try to keep those in the buildings adjacent to the leak inside. One of those buildings is a large Environmental Protection Agency office at 2777 Crystal Drive.

The street is shut down from Potomac Ave to around 26th Street S. Drivers in the area should seek alternate routes. According to the scanner, police have cleared the buildings in the area and there are no evacuations.

There is no indication yet of when the leak will be repaired and how it may affect the evening rush. Washington Gas repair crews are on scene.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mother and son shovel snow on 1/6/14 (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

Murphy Apologizes for Snowy School Opening — Arlington Public Schools superintendent Patrick Murphy has personally apologized for the unpopular decision to open schools on time yesterday, in the midst of a snow storm. Murphy said APS, like other local school systems that also opened on time, had to make a decision early in the morning, when the forecast still called for less snow. “Once that decision is made, we are kind of locked in,” said Murphy. [InsideNova]

Salt Truck Slides Down Hill — The refreeze may have claimed a salt truck last night. A reader spotted a salt truck being pulled out of a ditch on N. Roosevelt Street. [Twitter]

Crystal City Profiled — As part of its ongoing “Where We Live” series, the Washington Post has profiled Crystal City, which the paper says is “not just underground anymore.” The neighborhood is noted for being convenient to various forms of transportation and having a very low crime rate. [Washington Post]

Remembering Kathryn Stone — Kathryn Stone, a “legendary figure in the history of Arlington County and the Commonwealth,” is remembered for her role in advancing the role of women in government. [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Metro Delays Cause Overcrowding During Morning Rush

By Ethan Rothstein
1/3

Commuters hoping to avoid icy roads were met with huge crowds and delays on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines this morning.

A disabled train outside Stadium-Armory at around 8:00 a.m. was when the problems began, resulting in single-tracking on all three lines. According to several commuters on Twitter, a Blue Line train passed Arlington Cemetery and turned around. Some trains were offloaded, forcing passengers back out into frigid weather at outside platforms.

Uber in Arlington was instituting surge pricing at four times the regular rate at one point.

WMATA reported that the train was clear at 8:53 a.m., but residual delays persisted well after 9:00 a.m.

BREAKING: Roads Closed, Bus Service Affected As Snow Makes Driving Treacherous

By ARLnow.com

Extremely slow regional traffic due to snow on 1/6/15 at 7:45 a.m.

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) This morning’s commute is officially a traffic nightmare for anyone still out on the roads.

The map above shows just how bad traffic is around the region as two and a half inches of slick, powdery snow have fallen. Numerous accidents have been reported around the county as students make their way to school and commuters make their way to work.

Metrobus service has now been limited to snow emergency routes — major roadways only. There is no Metrobus service on secondary streets.

Arlington snow crews so far are only treating primary and secondary roads, not neighborhood streets.

Conditions are bad enough on local roads that we’ve heard of at least one tow truck getting stuck en route to an accident scene An Arlington County Police spokesman, who himself was stuck in heavy traffic having moved only 3 miles in an hour and a half, said officers were doing their best to keep up with all the accidents.

“Obviously traffic is pretty [bad],” said ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The county’s 911 call center is “getting a steady flow of emergency calls. The majority of calls are for struck vehicles… we’re addressing accidents first, then stuck vehicles.”

Sternbeck noted that the police department has a normal staffing level this morning.

At least one crossing guard has not been able to make it to her post near Jefferson Middle School, but no police officers are available to replace her, according to scanner traffic. At N. McKinkey Road in 9th Street, medics are responding to a crossing guard who slipped, injured her knee and is lying in the middle of the road.

Students are tweeting ARLnow.com saying their buses are running late or are getting stuck. Others say their school bus never showed up at all.

There have been police reports of school buses getting stuck in various locations, including near Oak Ridge Elementary and on 16th Street S. at S. Taylor Street.

The following roads have been closed by police due to cars getting stuck on hills:

  • 14th Street N. between Kirkwood and Kenmore
  • S. Adams Street between 25th and 26th
  • Wilson Blvd at N. Larrimore Street
  • 16th Street between Taylor and Stafford
  • N. Patrick Henry Drive at 9th
  • 8th Road S. at Dinwiddie
  • N. McKinley Road north of Wilson Blvd (several accidents reported)

Drivers and residents have been tweeting reports of accidents and stuck vehicles.

http://twitter.com/WASHDCBEN/status/552446634739896321

http://twitter.com/hoborocks/status/552454487672369153

http://twitter.com/goffashley/status/552456432634052609

http://twitter.com/cybersmell/status/552457662580137985

Trash collection is being delayed until later in the day today, according to the Dept. of Environmental Services.

A “ground stop” was in place for flights at Reagan National Airport for part of the morning. As of 8:50 a.m., the airport said the main runway had been treated and “our operations are back to normal.”

While numerous problems have been reported on the roads, at least one bike trail was well-treated this morning.

The National Weather Service belatedly issued a Winter Storm Warning just after 9:00 a.m.

… WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW… HEAVY AT TIMES.
* ACCUMULATIONS… 4 TO 6 INCHES.
* TIMING… UNTIL 1 PM. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE THROUGH 11 AM.
* TEMPERATURES… LOW 20S.
* WINDS… VARIABLE 5 MPH.
* IMPACTS… HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATING ON ALL SURFACES WELL BELOW FREEZING AND VISIBILITY BELOW HALF MILE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE FOR VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Crime Report: Bomb Threat at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A bomb threat was phoned into the Pentagon City mall on Christmas Eve, according to the latest Arlington County weekly crime report.

The bomb threat was called in around 1:00 p.m., just before a “black lives matter” protest at the mall. It’s unclear if the threat was in any way connected to or in response to the protest.

BOMB THREAT, 141224021, 1100 block of S Hayes St. On 12/24/14 at 1304 hours, unknown suspect called in a bomb threat to the Pentagon City Mall. Nothing suspicious found in garage area and mall did not evacuate.

PROTEST, 141224033, 1100 block of S Hayes St. On 12/24/14 at 1432 hours, approximately 15 individuals protested at Pentagon City Mall. No arrests made.

Also in the crime report, an armed robbery occurred in the Rosslyn / Courthouse area. The incident happened early last Monday morning.

ROBBERY,141229005, 1800 block of N Wilson BL. On 12/29/14 at 0330 hours, an unknown suspect displayed a handgun while demanding cigarettes and cash. Suspect description is black male, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

The rest of the weekly crime report, after the jump.

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Fire Damages Electric Bike Shop

By ARLnow.com
1/6

An electric bicycle shop in the Clarendon area was damaged by a fire Sunday night.

The fire department was called just before 8:00 p.m. for a fire at the Hybrid Pedals shop at 925 N. Jackson Street. The shop sells bikes outfitted with electric motors, also called “eBikes.”

The blaze was extinguished quickly, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani, but caused an estimated $150,000 in damage.

The fire started by the heat from a battery charger, Marchegiani said. No one was at the shop at the time and no injuries were reported.

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