News

Alleged pickleball masturbator nabbed after Columbia Pike peeping incident

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man whose stroke on the pickleball court was most unwelcome has allegedly been identified and arrested.

Police say a 49-year-old Arlington resident was taken into custody Monday after a peeping incident along Columbia Pike Friday night.

Just before 7 p.m. Friday, according to Arlington County police, the man was spotted masturbating while peeping into a business on the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street. A source tells ARLnow that the business was a boxing gym.

Police were only told about the incident the next day, but a “review of evidence in the case” led them to the suspect, who was then also linked to a public masturbation incident on the morning of May 3 at the Walter Reed Community Center pickleball courts.

ARLnow previously reported about a pair of masturbation incidents at the Walter Reed courts in April. A police press release makes no reference to those incidents.

The suspect is currently being held in jail on two counts of public masturbation and one count of peeping, according to police.

More, below, from the ACPD press release.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Patrol Section is announcing the arrest of a suspect following investigations into exposure incidents. Alexei Rodriguez, 49, of Arlington, VA is charged with Public Masturbation (x2) and Peeping. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on November 4, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street for the late report of a peeping. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 6:55 p.m. on November 3, the occupants of an open business allegedly observed the suspect peeping through a window and masturbating before leaving the scene on foot. Following the review of evidence in the case, officers identified the suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody on the morning of November 6.

As a result of the ongoing criminal investigation, officers identified Mr. Rodriguez as the suspect in an exposure incident from May and obtained an additional arrest warrant. At approximately 10:44 a.m. on May 3, a patrol officer was contacted by a community member regarding a male suspect allegedly observed masturbating by the courts of the Walter Reed Community Center located at 2909 16th Street S.

Crime prevention and control is a key initiative of the Arlington County Police Department and officers are committed to conducting active patrols throughout Arlington and comprehensive follow-up investigations to identify, deter and prevent criminal activity. Community members observing in-progress criminal activity should report information immediately for police investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Opinion

Morning Poll: What are you going do with your Virginia tax rebate?

By ARLnow.com
Letter accompanying a Virginia tax rebate (photo courtesy anonymous)

Virginia residents have been receiving state tax rebates over the past week or so.

The rebates for those who paid taxes in 2022 — $200 for individual filers, $400 for joint filers — were approved by the Virginia General Assembly in a compromise budget and signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Putting aside the eyebrows raised by the checks going out during election week, we were wondering what our readers in Arlington are planning to do with their rebate.

Are you planning to go right out and spend it, invest it for the long term, or something in between?

Sponsored

Arts Focus: Celebrate Día de los Muertos at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington

By Sponsor

This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Enjoy an unforgettable evening of celebration and culture at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington on Saturday, Nov. 1, with an outdoor picnic in honor of Día de los Muertos. Set against the backdrop of crisp fall weather in Virginia Square, this family-friendly event promises art, music, delicious food and performances for all ages.

Spread out your blanket and partake in activities like interactive art projects, live performances and games of lotería (lottery). Savor the flavors of tacos and craft espresso drinks from local food trucks such as TNT Mexican Grill, Taco Cinco De Mayo and Rossana Coffee. Additional vendors include Ana Schwar, Otterly Artistic Designs and David Amoroso. Festive lighting will be provided by AVLD Events .

A cherished Arlington tradition, the event is co-sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington and Arlington Arts, celebrating the Mexican holiday dedicated to remembering loved ones with joy and festivity. National Geographic notes, Día de los Muertos blends ancient Aztec rituals with Spanish customs brought to Mexico in the early 1500s, honoring the dead through colorful and lively celebrations.

Arlington-based artist David Amoroso is once again creating a large-scale ofrenda (altar) on the museum’s front portico. Attendees are invited to bring a photo of a deceased loved one to include in the ofrenda, making the altar a collective tribute. Participants will be able to decorate their own Calavera masks. Amoroso is also working with Johnerick Lawson on a kinetic element to showcase their creations!

The evening will be filled with music and dance, including a performance by Mariachi Imperio by Blanca Chucuan. The DC-based, woman-led ensemble is carrying on this venerable musical tradition in the DMV, having performed everywhere from the Smithsonian Institution to popular area restaurants and family Quinceanera’s. Dance enthusiasts will also be captivated by the folkloric Mexican dance group Los Quetzales, known for their vibrant performances over the past 26 years.

While you’re there, don’t miss the chance to take a selfie with the popular Reclining Liberty sculpture by Zaq Landsberg. This striking, 25-foot installation juxtaposes the Statue of Liberty with a traditional Buddhist reclining pose, encouraging reflection on the ideals the iconic statue represents. Installed in 2023 co-sponsored by Arlington Public Art and MoCA Arlington, the sculpture was recently granted permanent status at the venue.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington has been a key collaborator with Arlington County Government for decades. Housed in the historic Clarendon School building, the museum is part of Arlington’s cultural legacy, operating under a long-term lease with the County. The building, designed in 1910 and renovated in 2004, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mark your calendar for this vibrant celebration! The Día de los Muertos event will take place from 5:00 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, 3550 Wilson Boulevard. Click here for event details. Visit the Arlington Cultural Affairs website for more details and to explore Arlington’s exciting public art and cultural programs.

Don’t miss out — join us to honor tradition, celebrate culture and experience the arts in Arlington!

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Autumnal scene at Sharps Park in North Arlington (Flickr pool photo by Michael McCullough)

Flyover This Afternoon — From AlertDC: “The Naval Air Force Atlantic will conduct a military aircraft flyover in the NCR over the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at approximately 3:10PM.”

Parents Still Coping With Son’s Death — “Some families cope with loss behind closed doors. Rose and Kris chose to shoulder theirs frequently out in the open. As the months passed, rather than avoid situations where Braylon should have been, they embraced them—and were embraced in return. They were in the bleachers for as many W-L basketball games as their schedules would allow. In the spring, they attended pre-prom gatherings and graduation parties for Braylon’s peers.” [Arlington Magazine]

Arlington Rents Dip Slightly — “Median Arlington apartment rents dropped 0.9 percent from September to October, in line with historic norms but slightly above the 0.7-percent national dropoff. The median rental rate for county apartments for the month was $2,275 ($2,146 for one-bedroom units and $2,567 for two bedrooms), according to figures reported Oct. 31 by Apartment List.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Thanksgiving Pie Guide — “Spend more time with family and guests—and less in the kitchen—with the help of these area bakeries.” [Arlington Magazine]

Guilty Plea in Child Exploitation Case — “A former FBI contractor pleaded guilty today to production and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, beginning in February, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, groomed a 13-year-old minor (MV1) to transition from playing Valorant with him, a popular first-person shooter game, to engaging in “strip” games on a video chat function in Discord.” [ARLnow]

Morning Robbery in Virginia Square — “At approximately 8:00 a.m., the female victim was inside her parked vehicle when the two suspects approached. Suspect One opened the passenger door while Suspect Two opened the driver’s side door, assaulted the victim and stole her cellphone. The victim screamed and Suspect One ran from the scene and Suspect Two fled in a white SUV. Medics evaluated the victim on scene.” [ACPD]

Local Company Makes Acquisition — “Arlington health-tech company Surescripts LLC has acquired Minneapolis-based analytics startup ActiveRadar Inc. in a deal the local firm says adds an important dimension to its electronic prescription service for health systems and pharmacies.” [Washington Business Journal]

HQ2 Lit Up in Green — “In honor of Veterans Day, more than 30 of Amazon’s operation sites around the U.S. and the company’s headquarters in King County, Washington, and Arlington County, Virginia will participate in Operation Green Light for Veterans from November 6 – 12.” [Press Release]

Doug Kammerer Predicts Snowy Winter — “Get those waterproof boots and snow shovels ready — because if you want snow, and lots of it, Storm Team4 says this could be your year. Storm Team 4 is predicting: 22″-30″ of snow this winter for the I-95 corridor and the D.C. metro area.” [NBC 4]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 61 degrees, accompanied by a north wind at 6 mph, later becoming light and variable. For Wednesday night, the sky will be partly cloudy with a low temperature around 49 degrees and a southeast wind at 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Michael McCullough

News

DEVELOPING: Arlington Democrats celebrate another local election sweep

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 11:15 p.m.) It is another good election night for Arlington Democrats.

While some might have hoped for a Missing Middle-inspired upset in the two-seat Arlington County Board race, Democrats Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham have commanding leads over Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and independent Audrey Clement.

All but one Arlington precinct have reported results as of 10 p.m.

There is some evidence of a relatively minor Missing Middle backlash at the ballot box on Election Day: Cunningham — who advocates for “closely monitoring and revising” the policy, also known as “Expanded Housing Options” — is running just shy of three points ahead of Coffey, who generally supports it.

Clement, the most outspoken Missing Middle critic among the four candidates, has nearly 13% of the vote, about the same as Fierro. That compares to about 35% and 38% for Coffey and Cunningham, respectively.

Elsewhere down the ballot, it’s a sea of blue votes.

Among competitive races, GOP state Senate candidate Sophia Moshasha kept it closest, with about 24% of the vote to 75% for incumbent Sen. Adam Ebbin. Republican David Henshaw has 21% of the vote to 79% for incumbent Sen. Barbara Favola. And incumbent Del. Alfonso Lopez is defeating independent Major Mike Webb 81% to 18%.

The remaining races have no active second candidates, resulting in the election of incumbent Del. Patrick Hope in the 1st House District, Adele McClure in the 2nd House District, incumbent Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson, incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Sheriff Jose Quiroz, Commissioner of Revenue Kim Klingler, incumbent Treasurer Carla de la Pava, and School Board member Miranda Turner.

“We’re really excited,” Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker told ARLnow. “It seems like the voter turnout was really high all day long… We had a lot of local issues this year that brought people out in the primary. I think that helped Democrats.”

“With respect to the General Assembly, it was every bit about protecting the progress Democrats made after the 2019 election on voting rights, on education, on common sense gun safety, on protecting reproductive rights,” Baker continued. “Arlington voters were motivated to go to the polls.”

On the County Board race, Baker said he expects “difficult conversations” to continue while Board members “find the right approach and combination of policy to solve the issue of housing.”

Local Democrats potentially have another reason to celebrate tonight: election watchers project the party has won control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.

While the Arlington GOP came up well short in the vote tally, it did notch a national news story today.

A voter’s expletive-filled rant against local party chair Matthew Hurtt, who was handing out sample ballots — as previously noted by ARLnow — ended up on the homepage of Fox News, Townhall and other media outlets.

James Jarvis contributed to this report

Announcement

Encore Learning Announces Fall Courses, Clubs, and Special Events

By Encore Learning

If you are a lifelong learner over 50+ who wants to make new friends, power up your brain, and enjoy a wide-variety college-level courses, Encore Learning is for you.  A non-profit, Encore Learning offers courses and Special Events in the arts, health, law, literature, technology and more. Courses are presented either online or in-person.

Encore Learning also offers nine social clubs covering everything from breakfast to bridge….tech to travel.

Go to Encore Learning Announces Fall Courses, Clubs, and Special Events Read more
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