News

Community activist facing additional charges amid search for more sexual assault victims

By ARLnow.com
Elder Julio Basurto speaks during a County Board meeting in 2021 (via Arlington County)

A noted local community activist is facing more charges in connection to a second alleged sexual assault.

Arlington County police say that Julio Basurto would drive up to Clarendon’s nightlife district early in the morning and offer women a ride, then would sexually assault the victim in his car.

He’s facing charges in two incidents — in May of this year, as previously reported, and now in October 2021, as just announced. Police also said today that they’re seeking victims from four other possible incidents ranging from September 2021 to September 2022.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is announcing additional charges have been obtained stemming from an incident that occurred on October 10, 2021, and are seeking possible additional victims.

At approximately 9:55 a.m. on October 10, 2021, police met with the adult female victim who reported a sexual assault inside an unknown vehicle. The investigation determined that during the early morning hours, the victim exited a nightlife establishment in the 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard when the suspect approached in a black vehicle and the victim entered. The suspect proceeded to sexually assault the victim during the ride before she was able to exit the vehicle. Julio Basurto, 42, of Arlington, VA was subsequently identified as a suspect and in July 2023, he was charged with Abduction with the Intent to Defile, Object Sexual Penetration and Unlawful Filming.

Based on information obtained during the comprehensive criminal investigation, detectives believe there may be additional incidents which occurred during the early morning hours on the following dates and are seeking possible victims:

  • September 20, 2021
  • October 3, 2021
  • October 14, 2021
  • September 4, 2022

Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Prior to his arrest in June, Basurto was frequently quoted by local news outlets — including ARLnow — as a community activist, often going by his church title: “Elder Julio Basurto.” He was outspoken on local issues from drug overdoses in schools to conditions in affordable apartment complexes.

Basurto worked as an interpreter, including for Arlington Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served on an APS advisory committee, received an award from a prominent local nonprofit for his tenant advocacy, and was highlighted by a County Board member on his website’s endorsements page.

Basurto previously had no criminal record in Arlington beyond traffic violations over the past few years, according to court records.

Weather

UPDATED: Flood and Severe Thunderstorm watches issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
A flooded Four Mile Run running high near Dominion Hills (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) For the second day in a row Arlington is under a Flood Watch.

The National Weather Service says that “anomalous moisture coupled with the potential for multiple slow moving thunderstorms will result in the potential for flash flooding.” The storms are expected to arrive later this afternoon, with the Flood Watch set to expire at 8 p.m.

The flood potential follows storms yesterday (Monday) that prompted Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood warnings all in the span of about 10 minutes. The heavy rain also flooded a busy intersection along Columbia Pike.

Later Tuesday afternoon a Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued as well.

More on today’s Flood Watch, below, from NWS.

Flood Watch
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
1229 PM EDT Tue Aug 15 2023

…Flash flooding will be possible this afternoon into the early evening, particularly for areas which were hit on Monday by very heavy rainfall…

…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…

* WHAT…Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.

* WHERE…Portions of DC, Maryland and northern Virginia, including the following areas: in DC, District of Columbia. In Maryland, Anne Arundel, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and Southeast Montgomery, Northwest Howard, Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges and Southern Baltimore. In northern Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria and Fairfax.

* WHEN…Until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– Given the antecedent conditions in place across portions of the D.C. metro area, additional heavy rainfall today will enhance the threat for further flash flooding issues. Hourly rainfall rates of 1.50 to 2.00 inches are possible in the heaviest downpours. Thunderstorms may be slow to move initially before becoming more progressive later in the afternoon.
– Please visit weather.gov/safety/flood for flood safety and preparedness information

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.

More on the Severe Thunderstorm Watch, below.

Sponsored

Listing of the Day: 6223 Langston Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Address: 6223 Langston Blvd
Neighborhood: Lee Ridge
Type: 3 BR, 2 BA single-family detached – 3300 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,299,000

Noteworthy: City living with tailored country surroundings/two-car garage

A timeless North Arlington Cape Cod, lovingly maintained and thoughtfully upgraded by the same owners since 1995.

This home features three upstairs bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Set behind a handsome stone retaining wall, the home enjoys wonderful privacy and quiet, thanks to its solid one-foot-thick stone construction. Large windows on every side invite natural light to spill across the high ceilings, solid wood floors, and custom built-ins found throughout both levels.

The kitchen is a chef’s delight, complete with a gas cooktop, granite countertops, and a suite of thoughtful additions including a microwave with convection capabilities. Surround sound enhances the first floor, ceiling and wall speakers in the sunroom, dining room, and living room, and SpeakerCraft ceiling speakers in the kitchen. Bright recessed lighting runs throughout the home, while the basement shines with upgraded fixtures that bring exceptional brightness to the space.

Outdoor living is equally as inviting with a rear stone patio and exterior lighting with carriage lamps and multiple spotlights that showcase the grounds beautifully. The primary suite is a true retreat with custom built-in cabinetry featuring granite countertops that flow seamlessly into the walk-in closet and bathroom.

Recent updates include exterior and interior painting (2024), a fully renovated lower-level bath (2024), and roof replacements over both the house and garage (2017). An oversized detached two-car garage with storage plus a driveway accommodating four or more cars provides exceptional convenience. This residence offers easy access to Georgetown, downtown DC, Airports, and Metro.

Listed by:
James Corry – James Corry Real Estate Services
[email protected]
(561) 389-3111

Around Town

New Ikea location in Pentagon City to open tomorrow

By ARLnow.com
1/6

A new small-format Ikea location is ready to open in Pentagon City.

The Scandinavian furniture and homegoods giant just announced that the storefront at the Pentagon Centre shopping center (1201 S. Hayes Street) will open tomorrow — Wednesday, Aug. 16.

The 5,000-square-foot “Plan and Order” location was first announced in March.

Unlike Ikea’s traditional large-format warehouse stores in College Park and Woodbridge, Plan and Order points only allow customers to order items — like kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture and fixtures — for delivery. There are currently no other Ikea small-format stores open in the D.C. area.

More, below, from an Ikea press release.

IKEA U.S. is excited to announce that on August 16, the IKEA Arlington Plan and order point, located in the Pentagon Centre shopping center, will open to the public. This is the first Plan and order point to open in the DC market, which will provide inspiration and ideas for the home and offer one-on-one consultation services for kitchen design, bedroom and bathroom solutions, small space living solutions and so much more. Metro DC customers can now begin scheduling their in-person appointments through the IKEA Arlington local store page.

“The IKEA Arlington Plan and order point is a new kind of IKEA store for Metro DC residents. Whether planning a big project or simply looking for inspiration, we hope to provide a more convenient way to shop. Our goal is to continually transform to better meet the needs of our customers in Virginia and beyond,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA U.S.

IKEA Arlington will be open for all visitors to browse the showroom to get inspiration Monday-Sunday 11 am – 7 pm. Customers may also book an appointment and sit down with an IKEA expert planner while they design, quote, and order IKEA products. There’s no need to lug furniture home as the IKEA team will conveniently arrange all items to be transported to a customer’s home or to another pick up point. To schedule an appointment at IKEA Arlington to plan a kitchen, wardrobe, or another room of the home (bedroom, living room, etc.) and for IKEA Business planning, visit the IKEA Arlington local store page and use the appointment booking tool.

“The all-new IKEA Arlington Plan and order point will allow customers to meet with professional consultants who can help them optimize their living and working spaces,” said Raquel Ely, Market Manager, IKEA U.S. “With full-service delivery, this is a new, intimate experience that’s uniquely IKEA. It’s where design expertise meets convenience. We are thrilled to be opening the first IKEA Plan & order point in our area, continuing to create customer meeting points that are more accessible and convenient to the many people in the DMV market while offering sustainable and affordable home furnishings solutions.”

IKEA has been on the outskirts of the DC area for more than 35 years with large-format IKEA stores in Woodbridge, VA and College Park, MD. The IKEA Arlington Plan and order point will be located in the Pentagon Centre shopping center at 1201 S. Hayes Street, Pentagon City, Arlington, VA in 5,012 square feet of leased space. It will be easily accessible by Metro via the Yellow or Blue line, Metrobus or car.

Announcement

Are You Concerned About Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety?

By Arlington Families for Safe Streets

If you are interested in improving pedestrian and cyclists’ safety on Arlington’s streets just let us know and we can put you on our mailing list. Arlington Families for Safe Streets (Arl FSS) is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. We do not ask anyone for dues, only moral support or volunteer time from our “members”.

We have monthly meetings and publish the meeting’s notes so people can be informed about the different pedestrian safety educational programs we do throughout the year as well as about the advocacy work we do with County and State Legislative Policymakers to improve traffic laws and/or improve street engineering changes to slow drivers down and reduce the risk of pedestrian fatalities. Speed kills and too many of us are driving too fast these days. Even though traffic volume is down in this COVID-19 world, pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries are up in 2020.

Go to Are You Concerned About Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety? Read more
Around Town

One year after fiery crash, Ireland’s Four Courts now aims to open in early September

By Jo DeVoe
1/9

One year and three days ago, a rideshare vehicle plowed into Ireland’s Four Courts, seriously injuring several patrons and sparking a devastating fire.

Six months after the crash, the pub began to rebuild and has since targeted reopening in August. With construction still in progress as of mid-August, managing partner Dave Cahill tells ARLnow he aims to throw open the doors in early September.

Cahill says the interior is getting its final finishes. Photos he shared show a cozy interior with a large stone fireplace, dark wood paneling and brass light fixtures. A large wood fireplace and some stained glass survived the fire and are prominently featured as well.

A greenish-blue and gold exterior will replace the old red-and-black façade. Inside, the layout of the pub will be more or less the same, though there will be some new features, including a new draft beer system.

The pub marked the anniversary of the crash in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Today is the one-year anniversary of the accident which closed the pub. In that time the level of support that we have received from our local community in Arlington and our friends across the country has been heartwarming.

We want to thank all of you. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the pub soon. Please continue to follow our social media pages for updates on our reopening date.

The driver, who was reportedly suffering a medical emergency, was not charged. All three pub-goers who suffered serious, potentially life-threatening injuries in the August crash were released from the hospital by the next month.

A number of first responders who responded to the chaotic scene were recently recognized for their heroism.

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