Arlington Heights

UPDATED: Teen Killed in Skateboarding Accident

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 7:55 p.m.) John Malvar, an 18-year-old Arlington high school student, died after a skateboarding accident in Arlington Heights this afternoon.

The accident happened on the 300 block of S. Highland Street around 12:30 p.m. According to police, Malvar was skateboarding down the street while hanging on to the side of a pickup truck, driven by a 17-year-old male student at an unknown rate of speed.

Malvar somehow lost his balance and fell to the ground, hitting his head. He was not wearing a helmet. The fall caused “significant head trauma” and left a large pool of blood on the ground.

John Malvar (photo via Instagram)The teen was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived on scene, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Medics performed CPR, Malvar regained a pulse, and he was rushed to George Washington University in critical condition, Sternbeck said. He was later pronounced dead.

Charges — reckless driving, most likely — are pending against the 17-year-old driver, according to Sternbeck. Malvar and the driver attend both Washington-Lee High School and the Arlington Career Center, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia.

Malvar attended his senior prom last week, posting photos of himself and his date on Instagram (right). Washington-Lee High School’s graduation is set for June 20.

The 300 block of S. Highland Street was closed for several hours while crime scene investigators took photos and measurements of the accident scene. Detectives also interviewed witnesses and canvassed the street to see if any video surveillance systems might have recorded the moments prior to the accident.

Via Twitter, Washington-Lee Principal Gregg Robertson called Malvar “an awesome kid” who was proud of his perfect attendance this year. Robertson sent the following email to parents late this afternoon.

Dear Washington-Lee Community,

Regrettably, I must inform you that the injured student I mentioned in my earlier email has died. This is a difficult time for the Washington-Lee staff, students, and parents. The student involved was an incredible young man who contributed positively in many ways to our school and lives. The upcoming days will be difficult ones as we will be missing him and providing support to our Washington-Lee family. Please let us know of any students who may need individualized support. We have counselors available this evening until 6:00 pm and in the days to come. As I mentioned earlier, our thoughts remain with the families involved.

Sincerely,

Gregg

Board Expected to Defer Pines of Italy Permit Request

By Katie Pyzyk

The recently-opened Pines of Italy restaurant (3111 Columbia Pike) is applying for a live entertainment and dancing permit, but it doesn’t look like the request will be granted at Saturday’s County Board meeting.

Due to concerns from police and the Arlington Heights Civic Association (AHCA), the recommendation is to defer the permit request until the board’s September 15 meeting. Police note previous violent incidents at this site, and suggest future trouble could arise based on the history with the property’s management. AHCA opposes the permit due to the potential for crime and noise to impact neighbors.

A letter from the AHCA president says representatives met with the three partners of the property to address resident concerns. The property apparently is divided into a restaurant, a hookah bar and a night club and has one partner for each entity. The partners reportedly said the entertainment permit was not needed for the restaurant or hookah bar to do business, but wouldn’t specifically say it was for the club.

County staff recommended deferring until the September 15 meeting in order to give the restaurant owner time to establish a clean track record. If there are no issues for a six month period, which began at the Pines of Italy opening in February, the county will consider issuing the permit. The owner was asked to demonstrate good management and to establish better relationships with neighbors during this time period. County staff states in the permit report that the owner has agreed to the deferral.

In its letter last month, AHCA said if no problems arise from the property for one year, it will reconsider its position on the permit. In recent years the property has been home to a succession of restaurants, including Padrino’s Fine Italian Cuisine, Club 31-11, Coco’s Italian Restaurant, Lalibela II, and Cottage Ethiopian Restaurant.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Schools Operating on Normal Schedule — Arlington Public Schools are operating under a normal schedule this morning, despite a combination of rain, snow and slush that’s making travel a bit tricky for drivers. No word yet on whether students will be sent home early from school. Schools will close two hours early. Heavy snow is expected to start falling later this afternoon.

Homeless Count Scheduled for Today — Despite the inclement weather, volunteers are expected to head out to all corners of the county today to count the number of homeless individuals in Arlington. The count will be used to determine levels of federal and state aid, and to measure the effectiveness of the county’s homeless services. Among those participating in the count will be U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Heights Debates Next Neighborhood Project — The Arlington Heights Civic Association is taking suggestions on how to spend the next round of possible Neighborhood Conservation funds. [Pike Wire]

Police Called on GOP Volunteer at Patrick Henry Elementary

By ARLnow.com

Election officials called police when a Republican precinct captain became unruly outside Patrick Henry Elementary School in Arlington Heights this afternoon.

The man, a local resident named John Moroz, Jr., said he was passing out voting guides outside the school — as he has done every year since 1998 — when a voter directed profane language at him for being a Republican.

Moroz said he started shouting at the man, who left the scene by the time police arrived.

After he calmed down, Moroz complained to police about the lack of parking in the parking lot. No police action was taken, and Moroz ultimately returned to his volunteer duties.