Initial reports suggest that two cars were driving down the street and at least three gunshots were fired from one vehicle at the other. Responding officers were unable to locate the suspects or any victims, according to scanner traffic.
Update at 2 p.m. — ACPD just released the following about the incident in the department’s daily crime report.
SHOTS FIRED, 2023-02210199, 1000 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 7:59 p.m. on February 21, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the drivers of two vehicles became involved in a dispute, during which the male suspect exited his vehicle, brandished a firearm and discharged rounds, striking the victim’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. The suspect then fled the scene in a gray coupe vehicle. Responding officers canvassed the area yielding negative results.
Police in Alexandria after a shooting on Friday, Feb. 10 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Police in Alexandria after a shooting on Friday, Feb. 10 (staff photo by James Cullum)
A man who was arrested for a shooting in Alexandria nearly two weeks ago was released on bond in Arlington on felony weapons charges this past fall.
Arlington resident Tyayre Reynolds, 21, was arrested by officers during a traffic stop along S. Glebe Road on the evening of Friday, Feb. 10. He was later transferred to the custody of the Alexandria Police Department, according to Arlington County police.
Reynolds was wanted in Alexandria in connection with a shooting that happened there that same day, in the Arlandria neighborhood.
A 30-year-old man was shot in the upper body and suffered significant but non-life-threatening injuries in the attack, our sister site ALXnow reported. Reynolds was charged with malicious wounding, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Reynolds was out on bond while awaiting trial for the weapons charges in Arlington, according to court records.
He also previously pleaded guilty in July 2022 to a misdemeanor assault charge after threatening, then shoving, an Arlington Public Safety Aide while his car was towed.
(Public Safety Aide is the term for ACPD personnel who enforce parking regulations and help with traffic control, among other responsibilities.)
Arlington County and Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti says her office argued in October for Reynolds to be held in jail for the felony gun possession charges, but he was instead released on bond by a judge.
“We objected to bond… [but] the court made the decision to release him on various conditions,” says Dehghani-Tafti. “We take serious conduct seriously.”
ARLnow requested comment from judges with the Arlington County General District Court, but did not receive a response by publication time. The Office of the Magistrate handles the initial bond decision when the police are charging someone. General District Court judges handle bond motions.
Reynolds was pulled over in the early morning hours of Oct. 20, 2022 because the car he was driving was improperly registered and he didn’t stop at a red light, police allege. He was given two traffic citations, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Additionally, police searched his car and found a firearm, so they arrested him on charges of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
These stem from a felony conviction in Maryland. In September 2018, a then-17-year-old Reynolds was charged as an adult for assault and armed robbery of a food delivery driver in Waldorf, Southern Maryland News Net reported at the time.
Reynolds robbed the worker of $91 in cash at gunpoint, struck him with the butt of the gun, and kicked him while he was down, per the article. He kicked the delivery man in the torso and legs while he was down. Officers found a semi-automatic-style BB gun on the scene, broken in two after it was used to strike the victim.
Maryland Circuit Court records indicate he plead guilty in February 2019 and was sentenced in May 2019 to just over two years in prison.
While Reynolds is being held in Alexandria, he has a court date in Arlington General District Court on March 23. The court is checking on the status of an “evidentiary matter” for his prior felony weapon and ammunition possession case, says Dehghani-Tafti.
This July, he has a hearing on whether or not he has met the conditions of his release for the misdemeanor charge from May, the prosecutor said. Conditions usually include good behavior.
Charges that Tyayre Reynolds faces in Arlington County General District Court (via Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System)
ALXnow reporter James Cullum contributed to this report
The driver, 20-year-old Mayra Cruz-Arriaza, was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. Cruz-Arriaza was listed on a childcare hiring site as a part-time nanny who “love[s] doing arts and crafts, especially painting” with children and who helped to care for her brother with special needs.
More from a police press release, below.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal single vehicle crash that occurred in the early morning hours of February 21, 2023.
At approximately 1:47 a.m., police were dispatched to the 2500 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive for the report of a crash with injuries. Upon arrival, officers located the unresponsive driver inside the vehicle. She was transported to an area hospital where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. The deceased has been identified as Mayra Cruz-Arriaza, 20, of Arlington, VA.
The preliminary investigation indicates the driver was traveling westbound on Arlington Mill Drive when the vehicle left the roadway, entered the median and struck a pedestrian crosswalk pole and two trees.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective S. Lafley at [email protected] or 703-228-4052. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Police respond to fight that ended with an arrest on gun charges (via Dave Statter)
A Falls Church man allegedly placed his gun in a flowerbox and asked someone to watch it in the midst of an argument in Ballston.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. Saturday along Wilson Blvd, in front of Ballston Quarter mall.
“The male victim had exited a business when the male suspect approached and began acting disorderly,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “The suspect and victim became involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly assaulted the victim and made threatening statements.”
“The victim then walked away and the suspect removed a firearm from his person, placed it into a flowerbox and asked a witness to watch it before reapproaching the victim,” the crime report continued. “Responding officers took the suspect into custody without incident and during a search of his person incident to arrest, located suspected narcotics.”
During the incident 911 callers reported a man with a gun, prompting a large police response. The argument and the response were both caught on camera and posted on Twitter by local public safety watcher Dave Statter.
(3) A 911 caller said he picked up the gun the man in the dispute stashed. Officers appeared to have found that person & got the gun. Witnesses identified the man initially detained as the person originally having the gun. He was handcuffed. Waiting to learn more from ACPD. pic.twitter.com/Qt8B5GhK0M
The suspect, a 32-year-old man from Falls Church whose first name is Justice, “was arrested and charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Concealing a Weapon, Assault & Battery, Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance while Possessing a Firearm, and Drunk in Public,” the crime report said. “He was held without bond.”
Also in today’s crime report, a 59-year-old man has been charged with burglary and destruction of property after a series of business break-ins in the Virginia Square and Ballston area.
The suspect was out on bond but wanted for violating pretrial conditions, court records show. He was previously arrested in 2021 for assault and in February 2022 for allegedly throwing a brick through the window of Olive Lebanese Eatery in Ballston, stealing $50 in cash and causing thousands of dollars in damage, as we previously reported.
Our previous reporting also noted that the suspect was wanted at the time for violating the conditions of an earlier release.
More from the crime report:
BURGLARY, 2023-02200040/02200044/02200051, 3800 block of Fairfax Drive/4300 block of Fairfax Drive/4300 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 4:15 a.m. on February 20, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary alarm in the 3800 block of Fairfax Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect allegedly forced entry into the business and tampered with two cash registers before fleeing the scene on foot. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the suspect forced entry into businesses in the 4300 block of Fairfax Drive and the 4300 block of Wilson Boulevard, rummaged through items and tampered with safes. Officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody without incident. Steven Pugh, 59, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Burglary (x2) and Destruction of Property (x2).
Renderings of the proposed apartment building for the Joyce Motors site in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
Renderings of the proposed apartment building for the Joyce Motors site in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
The Bank of America at 3401 Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)
A rendering for the proposed redevelopment at 3401 Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)
Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved two redevelopment proposals, one in Clarendon and one on Columbia Pike.
It greenlit an apartment complex for the Joyce Motors site at 3201 10th Street N. in Clarendon and one for the Bank of America office building at 3401 Columbia Pike.
The Clarendon proposal includes a site plan to construct an 11-story apartment building with ground-floor retail. It includes nine on-site committed affordable units, including five “family-sized units” as well as the relocation and preservation of the historic Joyce Motors façade and the full building preservation of the Clarendon Barbershop building several blocks away.
“For historic preservation purposes, the Board also approved transferring developmental rights from the Clarendon Barbershop Building to the Joyce Motors site, allowing unused density to be used toward the proposed 11-story [mixed-use] building,” per a County Board press release.
The developer committed to installing new sidewalk, building portions of 10th Road N. and a new alley, as well as LEED Gold certification and nearly $1 million in cash contributions for transportation and public spaces.
“It’s really a big win for staff, the community, the project development team, I’m really thrilled to see it manifest this way,” said Board Chair Christian Dorsey. “It’s a testament to the fact that, I know developers are often considered the enemies in society, they are also the conduit to the implementation of the plans that the community wants to create.”
“It’s not going to happen if we don’t have people who are willing to put together and take on all kinds of risks to get things done,” Dorsey continued. “The beauty of that is we can have win-wins, where you have a development team that hopefully has a successful project but the community, for generations, has something that reflects the plans they come up with.”
On the Pike, the Board approved the construction of a six-story, 250-unit apartment building and about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space, at the busy corner of S. Glebe Road and the Pike.
Normally, these kinds of projects are supposed to receive administrative approvals via the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code. This project, however, required County Board approval in part because the developer, Marcus Partners, requested relief from height restrictions on a portion of the property.
“This is a strong project, I do… appreciate a little bit of architectural diversity coming forward, I think it will add a lot to the neighborhood,” said Board Member Katie Cristol. “I appreciate our staff’s efforts to make sure compliance with the code is a floor in terms of fulfilling the vision of the neighborhood as well as thorough, additional work to mitigate impacts that may be happening and maximizing the positives.”
Arlington School Board chair Reid Goldstein at Wakefield High School for the opening of Amazon’s new STEM-focused tech space (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) The Chair of the Arlington School Board just announced that he will not be running for reelection.
Reid Goldstein was first elected in 2015, after winning a two-way Democratic endorsement caucus. An Arlington resident for nearly 40 years, Goldstein participated in various local committees and civic groups prior to his election and is the father of two Arlington public school grads.
He said today in a statement that he is “excited to explore new ways of serving the community.”
After serving nearly eight years on the Arlington School Board, I have made the decision not to seek another term. I have always believed that building a healthy and desirable community is not a spectator sport and have been committed to public service in Arlington for almost 25 years. However, as this chapter of my life comes to a close, I am excited to explore new ways of serving the community.
I am deeply grateful to the Arlington community, students, teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, and colleagues who have made my time on the School Board so fulfilling. Together, we have made great progress and I am proud of what we have accomplished.
I will make a formal announcement about my decision not to run at the next meeting of the Arlington Democrats on March 1.
He was lauded on social media this morning by the 2022 School Board chair, Barbara Kanninen, who also chose not to seek reelection last year.
This afternoon (Tuesday), Arlington parent Miranda Turner announced the launch of her second bid for a seat on the School Board.
Turner made a name for herself during her first campaign in 2021, calling for a quicker return to in-person learning when APS was still virtual due to Covid. She dropped out after her opponent, Mary Kadera, won the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.
“I’m running because we have students in our schools now who need more from APS,” Turner said in a statement. “From quality instruction, resources to recruit, support and retain teachers, equitable support, high expectations for all, and oversight that asks tough questions — these are the cornerstones to a quality school system.”
Others may also make announcements at the upcoming Wednesday, March 1 meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.
The Rosslyn dog park at Gateway Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Juan Soto Selling N. Arlington Home — “Parting is such sweet sorrow, but it’s time for baseball superstar Juan Soto to move on from the D.C. metro area. After an incredible five seasons of success with the Washington Nationals, including a 2019 World Series win, the talented right fielder has listed his home in nearby Arlington, VA, for $1,095,000.” [Realtor.com]
House Fire in Arlington Heights — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “Units are on the scene of a structure fire in the 800 block of S Ivy St… Units arrived and found fire in the basement and first floor of the structure… Origin and cause remain under investigation. 2 adult residents displaced and 1 firefighter hospitalized (stable, non-life threatening) as a result of this fire.” [Twitter]
Amazon Heading Back to Office — “Amazon.com Inc. said it’s sending employees back to the office starting May 1, a shift from the remote-work-friendly policy it’s had for almost three years. The Seattle-based tech giant’s CEO, Andy Jassy, said employees will be expected back in offices at least three days per week starting in May. He added there are ‘exceptions to these expectations, but that will be a small minority,’ according to his statement.” [Washington Business Journal, GeekWire, Amazon]
Lidl HQ Layoffs — “Approximately 200 employees at Lidl US headquarters in Arlington, VA have been laid off, according to a statement from the grocery story chain. The German-owned grocery store chain has been growing quickly in the D.C. area and throughout the East Coast. Lidl representative Chandler Spivey confirmed to FOX 5 that no store employees are impacted by the layoffs.” [Fox 5]
Local Lawmakers on National TV — Bills by Del. Alfonso Lopez and state Sen. Barbara Favola landed the former an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and the latter a mention of the bill on CBS’s The Late Show. [Twitter, MSNBC, Twitter]
Chamber Hosts Hospitality Awards — “It was perhaps fitting that the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Hospitality Superstars honors were presented on Valentine’s Day. ‘These individuals truly are the heart of the Arlington hospitality industry, and our community is lucky to have each and every one of them,’ Chamber CEO Kate Bates said at the awards program.” [Gazette Leader]
N. Va. Localities See Rising Segregation — “It’s no mystery that de facto racial segregation persists in Greater Washington and its communities. And by some measures it’s been getting worse due in part to the ongoing housing affordability crisis. ‘Segregation is on the rise in our region.’ That’s according to the draft Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan, which eight regional counties and cities have provisionally signed on to… this marks the first time in 25 years several of the region’s counties and cities have collaborated on a common plan, which aims to, among other things, ‘overcome past and current segregation patterns.'” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Tuesday — Clearing skies and breezy after a cloudy, possibly damp start in the morning. High of 63 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:55 am and sunset at 5:52 pm. [Weather.gov]
Two men could be seen standing on the lift, which had been raised to the top of the under-construction fire station, shortly before the rescue. Initial reports suggested that one was dangling from their safety equipment immediately after the accident.
A crowd of local residents gathered on the other side of Langston Blvd, watching the rescue unfold.
Firefighters used a ladder truck to reach the lift. The men were then lowered to the ground and helped onto stretchers. They both appeared shaken but not seriously injured.
The thoroughfare remained blocked in both directions by the police and fire department activity for about an hour, reopening shortly after 3 p.m.
Power outage map (via Dominion)
Just over 900 Dominion customers are now without power in the neighborhoods around the construction site.
Power company personnel and workplace safety investigators are heading to the scene, according to the fire department.
FINAL: Two patients have been transported to area hospitals in stable condition. The investigation into the circumstances of the incident remains ongoing. Units are clearing the scene and some lanes of traffic will open shortly.
Marymount University main house (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Marymount University is cutting several degrees to save money, but in the process has angered some in the school’s community.
In a bid to cut fruitless vine branches, the school is eliminating 10 degrees and programs — mostly in the humanities, including theology and English.
The looming decision has roiled the school community, including current and former students, faculty and even a national association of historians.
In a letter shared with ARLnow, the Catholic university’s president Irma Becerra said Marymount will eliminate bachelor’s degrees in theology and religious studies, philosophy, mathematics, art, history, sociology, English, economics and secondary education, as well as a master’s program in English and the humanities.
“Over the long term, it would be irresponsible to sustain majors [and] programs with consistently low enrollment, low graduation rates, and lack of potential for growth,” Becerra said. “Recommendations and decisions on programs marked for elimination are based on clear evidence of student choices and behavior over time.”
Becerra said the savings from ending programs for these subjects — to which Catholic thought has contributed for more than a millennium — would support more popular majors. Other savings would come from a voluntary retirement program.
The attention to the university’s budget comes after what appeared to be a fruitful 2022 for the Catholic school, with higher enrollment rates, new softball and wrestling teams and new majors. It was even mulling building a new athletic facility.
Reaction from the school community has been swift. Alumni started a petition and the Student Government Association and the American Historical Association have sent letters to Becerra pleading for her to reverse course. Long emails blasting this decision have poured into ARLnow today (Friday) from current and former students and faculty.
“This is unnecessary and a real threat to shared governance and our faculty’s ability to serve our students well,” said Holly Karapetkova, English and composition professor and Arlington County’s poet laureate. “That’s what we’re all here for and we know the programs are valuable to the students.”
She added that these programs benefit the entire student body by supporting campus publications and regularly hosting events.
“The consequences of this ‘academic realignment’ have not been thought through,” said Adam Kovach, a Marymount philosophy professor. “The administration claims program closures will allow the university to shift resources to grow programs with larger enrollments and to create innovative new programs, but this is all vague and aspirational.”
“We have not heard any definite plan for how to grow,” Kovach continued. “We have not seen evidence these changes will lead to cost savings that could just as well be achieved without closing programs. The strategy appears to be, wreck first and find out what to build later.”
A report shared with ARLnow from the Director of the School of Humanities shows there are around 91 students majoring in art, English, history, math, philosophy, sociology and religious studies. Some 93% said they would have gone elsewhere had these programs not existed, taking some $2.7 million in room and board and tuition fees with them.
Alumna Elyssa Giordano said the comments on the petition, which had more than 400 signatures as of 4 p.m. Friday, “express how disappointed people are with this decision,” adding that while 300 people signing a petition normally “is not a huge deal, it is for a small school where total enrollment ranges from 1,500-3,000.”
Ethan Reed, a sophomore and the president of the school’s College Democrats, predicted “this will only hurt our community with an even smaller population and will further harm the social sciences and sociology programs at the school.” (more…)
There is an unassuming pump station near Fort Ethan Allen Park in North Arlington that the county says is “a vital component” of its drinking water distribution system.
The Ethan Allen Pump Station, when needed, ensures proper water pressure for customers, says a spokesman for the Dept. of Environmental Services. But for several years, the Ethan Allen station has had a portable generator outside because the one inside is inoperable, according to a county report.
This weekend, the Arlington County Board is set to review a contract that would see the installation of a new permanent generator inside, which a staff report says will be less of an eye- and ear-sore for the neighborhood.
The Ethan Allen Pump Station is just one part of the complex system that cycles water from the Potomac River to your faucets and then to a wastewater treatment plant in South Arlington, near the county line. The $779,000 maintenance project, meanwhile, is part of a 10-year, $245 million maintenance schedule for the county’s water-sewer infrastructure, which in turn is based on a 2014 master plan aimed at ensuring the system meets current and projected water demands through 2040.
“These programs construct and maintain the infrastructure, facilities and equipment that provide safe, reliable and compliant drinking water, sanitary sewer collection and wastewater treatment for the county’s residents, businesses and visitors,” according to the county.
Arlington, D.C. and Fairfax County get their water from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Dalecarlia Treatment Plant in northwest D.C., which is fed Potomac River water via the Washington Aqueduct. The same treatment plant is responsible for the annual disinfectant change, taking place next week, which will add a slight chlorine taste to the water for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Some 7.5 billion gallons of water annually traverse about 500 miles of pipelines to enter Arlington’s apartments and businesses and single-family homes. Wastewater then goes to the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant, which treats it before it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
Where your water comes from (via Arlington County)
This system is built on all these parts — including a pump station in North Arlington — functioning. Sometimes, however, that infrastructure fails to deliver clean, colorless water, which is another issue the county is addressing.
While DES says this happens rarely, ARLnow has heard from readers, from time to time, who report discoloration issues with their water.
“In our case, the fouled and rust colored water is likely due to aging pipes,” Bluemont resident PJ Dermer recently told us. “At least this is what Arlington is telling us.”
Relief from discolored water, however, requires upgrading aging infrastructure.
“Replacement of water mains requires much resources and environmental disturbances like digging; lining an older main can solve an issue of water quality and requires far fewer resources and disturbances,” says DES spokesman Peter Golkin.
In the meantime, there are stop gap solutions, like county service workers flushing out the water mains.
Dermer said this week that he believes his complaints have gained traction, as the county is now working on replacing the water main and pipes along his street.
“Arlington’s drinking water is safe and meets all federal and state standards,” Golkin says. “When customers have specific concerns about their water service, we work diligently to address those areas of the system to their satisfaction.”
Discolored water in a home in Bluemont (courtesy PJ Dermer)
Water and water systems aren’t the splashiest area for spending on major infrastructure, at least according to one county-conducted poll of residents that asked about capital investment priorities.
Glowing vestibule in Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by Emma K Alexandra)
Smart Parking Pilot Vendor Selected — “eleven-x, a global leader providing complete, high-performance, wireless IoT and Smart City solutions, today announced it was selected by Arlington County, Virginia for one of the largest municipal smart parking installations in North America.” [Press Release, CBC]
DARPA Lease Renewal — “The GSA has also forwarded a new lease for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, headquartered at 675 N. Randolph St. in Ballston… Under the current lease, which expires in December 2026, DARPA pays $14.3 million annually. The new 20-year lease is estimated to cost $13.8 million a year.” [Washington Business Journal]
Narcan Training Event — “Hundreds of people have taken part in the three Take Action events that have been held over the past two weeks in Arlington County. Through the event, the community has been able to get free training on to use Narcan, a brand of Naloxone.
They were organized by the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative.” [WUSA 9]
Attorney General in Arlington Last Night — “Spotted earlier tonight: Virginia Attorney General @JasonMiyaresVA preparing to give a speech to this group at Metro 29 Diner.” [Twitter]
Naked Man Walking Down I-395 — From Dave Statter: “Yes, that was a naked man taking a leisurely stroll on I-395N & GW Parkway S around 8:45 pm. @usparkpolicepio with @ArlingtonVaPD stopped him near the airport. @ArlingtonVaFD took him to a hospital.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Lawsuit Challenging Court Record Policy — “A coalition of national and regional newspapers have piled into a legal brief attacking Virginia’s two-road system of access to court records where one privileged group can review the records online while the press and public are cut off… The Virginia Attorney General is defending the policy with the argument that internet bots might look for private information if access is opened up.” [Courthouse News Service]
It’s Friday — Rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 68 and low of 36. Sunrise at 6:58 am and sunset at 5:49 pm. [Weather.gov]
