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Crime Report: Armed Robbery at Crystal City 7-Eleven

Published December 17, 2015 at 3:45PM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:16PM

File photo

The 7-Eleven store on 23rd Street in Crystal City was robbed by a knife-wielding man Sunday night, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The suspect made off with cash after robbing an employee at knifepoint. From ACPD:

ARMED ROBBERY, 151214001, 400 block of S. 23rd Street. At approximately 10:44 pm on December 13, a 7-11 employee was robbed of cash at knifepoint by an unknown subject. The suspect fled on foot and is described as a Hispanic male between 6’0-3″ tall and 225 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket, dark colored jeans, black winter hat and tan boots at the time of the incident.

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

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FBI Seeking Information About Serial Gas Station Robber

By Jennifer Currier

Published December 8, 2015 at 3:30PM

The FBI is seeking information about a man wanted for a string of eight gas station robberies, including one in Arlington.

The robberies occurred in Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Richmond and Washington, D.C. One of these includes the late morning armed robbery at a Shell station on Lee Highway on Nov. 19.

The suspect is described as a white male, 30-40 years old and approximately six feet tall with facial hair. In surveillance footage of each of the robberies, he is seen wearing a gray pullover, khaki shorts or jeans, a blue baseball hat.

More information from a press release:

Law enforcement authorities are seeking an armed unknown male subject who has committed eight robberies at gas station convenience stores in Virginia and Washington, DC, between mid November and December of 2015.

The armed robberies occurred as follows:

Nov. 15 at 11:48 am: Exxon Gas located at 8715 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA

Nov. 19 at 11:34 am: Shell Gas located at 5630 North Lee Highway, Arlington, VA

Nov. 23 at 12:05 pm: Valero Gas located at 5516 Mudd Tavern Road, Woodford, VA

Nov. 25 at 11:24 am: Mobil Gas located at 10800 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA

Nov. 27 at 11:55 am: Exxon Gas located at 3535 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Nov. 29 at 12:23 pm: Shell Gas located at 6519 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA

Dec. 01 at 01:34 pm: Shell Gas located at 805 E. Parham Road, Richmond VA

Dec. 04 at 08:59 pm: BP Gas located at 6701 Wilson Boulevard, Falls Church, VA

During each robbery, the subject purchased an item from the gas station attendant, produced a black handgun and reached over the counter to pull cash from the cash register.

REWARD
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of this unknown robber.

SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Arlington County and Fairfax County, Virginia Police Departments are investigating these robberies and request that anyone with information call the FBI at 202-278-2000. You may also contact your local FBI office; or submit a tip on the FBI’s website by visiting tips.fbi.gov.

DEVELOPING: Armed Robbery at Gas Station on Lee Highway

By Jennifer Currier

Published November 19, 2015 at 12:15PM

Arlington County Police are searching for the suspect following an armed robbery at a gas station along Lee Highway.

The robbery occurred around 11:30 a.m. at the Shell station at 5630 Lee Highway, near the intersection of N. Kensington Street.

According to scanner traffic, the suspect is a white male wearing gray pants and a gray sweater, described as approximately six feet tall and in his 40s.

Early reports said he robbed the station at gunpoint with a semi-automatic weapon and stole $400 to $500. Police said he fled the scene on foot, traveling south on N. Kensington.

A K-9 unit was dispatched from Alexandria to help the search. Police also went to the Rivendell School, which is across the street from the station, to notify administrators about the situation.

No injuries were reported.

Earlier this morning an armed robbery was reported at the Giant supermarket at 2901 S. Glebe Road near Arlington Ridge, prompting administrators to secure the building at nearby Gunston Middle School, according to scanner traffic. So far police have not responded to a request for comment about the earlier robbery.

DEVELOPING: Armed Robbery at Lyon Park Gas Station

By ARLnow.com

Published November 10, 2015 at 5:25PM

Arlington County Police are on the scene of a reported armed robbery at a gas station in Lyon Park.

The robbery occurred just after 5 p.m., at the Blue Ridge Partners gas and service station on the 2700 block of N. Pershing Drive, at the intersection with Washington Blvd.

Initial reports suggest that two men robbed the store, with one man displaying a small chrome pistol. Then men took cash, an iPhone and Newport cigarette cartons, before fleeing on foot to a nearby black SUV with tinted windows and Maryland tags and then driving off.

Both suspects are described as black males in their 40s with average builds. The first suspect is described as 5’9″, wearing a Washington Redskins jacket. The second is described as 5’10” with a black jacket and a black ski cap.

No one was injured in the robbery.

DEVELOPING: Armed Robbery Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published October 22, 2015 at 1:30PM | Updated October 22, 2015 at 2:01PM

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Arlington County Police have swarmed the area around Ballston in search of two armed robbery suspects.

The Sunoco gas station at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd was robbed earlier this afternoon by two suspects, one of whom has a gun, according to police.

While police try to track down the suspects, nearby Washington-Lee High School has been placed in “secure the school” mode, which usually means that exterior doors are locked and students are not allowed outside.

Around 2 p.m., police released a surveillance image of a robbery suspect, taken inside the Sunoco’s convenience store.

Shotgun-Wielding Bandits Rob Crystal City Hotel

By ARLnow.com

Published September 21, 2015 at 4:55PM | Updated September 24, 2015 at 5:18PM

A trio of men armed with shotguns robbed a hotel in Crystal City early Saturday morning.

The frightening incident happened just before 3 a.m. on Sept. 19, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the 1400 block of Crystal Drive. The men made off with cash following the hold up, police say.

From the Arlington County Police crime report:

Three unknown subjects entered the [Crowne] Plaza Hotel with shotguns and stole an undisclosed amount of money. The subjects fled on foot. The first suspect is described as a mixed race male in his twenties, approximately 5’10”-6’1″ tall and weighed 175 lbs. He was wearing a black ski mask, a black hooded long sleeve North Face jacket, black pants, and black shoes. The second suspect is described as a white male in his twenties, approximately 5’9″-5’11” tall and weighed 210 lbs. He was wearing a black ski mask, a baggy brown jacket, black pants, and black shoes. The third suspect is described as a black male in his twenties, approximately 6’0″ tall and weighed 155 lbs. He was wearing a black ski mask, a tight black jacket, black pants, and black shoes.

Man Stabbed, Seriously Injured While Trying to Stop Purse Snatching

By ARLnow.com

Published September 8, 2015 at 4:25PM

A man was stabbed in the chest and slashed across the face while trying to stop a purse snatching near Kenmore Middle School early Saturday morning.

The incident happened around 12:40 a.m., on the 5900 block of Arlington Blvd. Police say a 48-year-old woman was walking down the street when a man came up to her and tried to steal her purse.

A male friend of the victim, who was walking in front of her, intervened and tried to stop the robbery. A second suspect then stepped in and stabbed the 53-year-old man in the chest and slashed him across the face with a knife, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

After the suspects ran off, the victims managed to flag down a passerby, who called 911.

Medics found the man lying in the grass, suffering life threatening injuries, Sternbeck said. They managed to stabilize him and rush him to Inova Fairfax Hospital. The medics’ quick actions likely saved the man’s life, Sternbeck said — he’s expected to survive.

The woman whose purse was stolen, meanwhile, suffered a laceration to her hand during the robbery.

Police are searching for the two suspects, who remain at large.

“The first suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’4″ tall, and wearing a black t-shirt and dark pants,” according to a police crime report. “The second suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’6″ tall, and wearing a black t-shirt and dark pants.”

Man Shot During Robbery in Penrose

By ARLnow.com

Published June 5, 2015 at 12:30PM | Updated June 5, 2015 at 12:48PM

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) A man was shot and robbed of his gold chain necklaces during an early morning robbery in the Penrose neighborhood this week.

The armed robbery and shooting happened around 2:22 a.m. Wednesday, on the street along the 200 block of S. Cleveland Street.

Police say the 20-year-old victim was shot in the arm by the robbery suspect and later transported to George Washington University hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

“The suspect is described as a white male, between 5’5″-6’0″ tall and 150-200 lbs,” according to a crime report. “He was wearing torn blue jeans, a grey hoodie and grey tennis shoes at the time of the incident.”

Woman Abducted, Robbed in Douglas Park

By ARLnow.com

Published April 9, 2015 at 10:15AM | Updated April 9, 2015 at 12:49PM

Police are investigating a brazen daytime robbery in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

A woman told police that an SUV pulled up to her around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, on the 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive. There were two women inside the SUV, who flashed a handgun and demanded that the victim get into the vehicle.

While inside, according a crime report, the suspects robbed the victim of a handbag containing cash, a cell phone and a passport. They drove a few blocks then let the victim out of the vehicle.

From the crime report:

Both suspects were described as Hispanic females, approximately 45 years old. One suspect wore a baseball cap and grey hoodie. The second suspect had bleached blonde hair. She was wearing a hoodie with floral print, ripped blue jeans and ankle-high snow boots. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a dark color SUV, unknown make, model or tags. The investigation remains on going at this time.

UPDATED: Man Arrested After 7-Eleven Robbery, Carjacking Attempt

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 17, 2015 at 2:25PM | Updated February 17, 2015 at 4:10PM

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A convicted felon put a knife to the throat of a 7-Eleven clerk in Lyon Park early this morning, then tried to carjack a delivery truck at gunpoint before ditching the gun and running off into the neighborhood, according to police.

The incident happened around 2:15 a.m., in the midst of this morning’s snow storm, at the 7-Eleven store at 2704 Washington Blvd.

Police say Antonius Sallis, 33, held up the store, putting a knife to the throat of a clerk with one hand while holding a handgun in his other hand. Sallis demanded Newport cigarettes and cash, then slashed the clerk’s neck before leaving the store, Arlington County Police said in a press release.

A delivery truck driver witnessed the robbery, police said, then was robbed himself. The driver told investigators that Sallis demanded his wallet and tried to steal the truck.

Police say the getaway was foiled when Sallis could not disengage the truck’s airbrake, at which point he took off running into the neighborhood.

Officers tracked him down and after a brief foot chase, Sallis was arrested, ACPD spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm said. He’s charged with two counts of armed robbery, malicious wounding, abduction, carjacking and being felon in possession of a firearm.

Police and canine units searched for hours after the robbery to find the gun. Just before 3:00 p.m., an officer found it, along with “some other evidence” in the backyard of a house on the 300 block of N. Fillmore Street, Malcolm said.

“Officers during their evening shift briefing were told the suspected path the suspect traveled,” Malcolm said. “About two blocks behind the 7-Eleven, an officer spotted it.”

Sallis, who police say is homeless, is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Center.

Earlier, police said Sallis — who has retained a lawyer — was being uncooperative as officers searched for the weapon.

“We did searches with canines, patrolled the area… We’ve looked everywhere we can, but we’re only 360 police officers and not all of us are in,” Malcolm told ARLnow.com earlier today. “We’re asking the community to be mindful and look for the firearm. It could be in the snow, in a trash can, in a storm sewer.

“We’re most concerned about kids finding the firearm,” Malcolm said. “We really need to find this.”

Police recovered the knife and other evidence when they apprehended Sallis, Malcolm noted.

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department

Armed Robbers Strike Crystal City McDonald’s

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2015 at 3:30PM

Photo courtesy Arlington County Policy Department

Two masked men held up the McDonald’s at 2620 Jefferson Davis Highway early this morning and stole cash.

The two men caught on surveillance cameras entered the fast-food joint about 4:40 a.m. and jumped over the front counter, police said. One man pointed a handgun at employees while the other man served as a lookout. The thieves stuffed cash into a backpack and drove off in a dark sedan. No injuries were reported.

Police described the first suspect as a black man in his 20s who stands about 5-foot-3, weighs 125 pounds and was last seen wearing ripped jeans and construction boots. The other man was described as black, about 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds. He was wearing dark jeans and a black North Face coat.

Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to contact Det. Mulvaney of the ACPD’s robbery/homicide unit at 703-228-4239 or at [email protected], or submit a tip anonymously at 866-411-TIPS (8477).