armed robbery

Crime Report: Armed Robbery in Hotel Room

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Last Wednesday, an armed man robbed a woman at gunpoint in her room at the Sheraton hotel on Columbia Pike.

From this week’s crime report:

ROBBERY, 900 block of S. Orme Street. At 10:17 am on December 4, an unknown suspect allegedly robbed a female at gunpoint in her hotel room. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 20’s with short hair. The suspect was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, a gray sweater, and black and gold shoes at the time of the incident.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All names suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Armed Robbery at Auto Parts Store

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County Police Department badgePolice are investigating an armed robbery at Advance Auto Parts on the 5400 block of Lee Highway.

According to police, two subjects walked into the store shortly before it closed on Sunday night, around 8:40 p.m. A suspect with a gun forced one of the two store employees to the floor. The other suspect remained with that employee while the armed suspect led a second employee to the back to get money from the safe.

After taking money from the safe, police say the suspects grabbed money from cash registers in the front of the store. They demanded both employees to lie on the floor, then fled the scene. Neither store employee was injured.

Police say the suspect with the gun is described as a 6’1″ black male, about 200 pounds, wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. The second suspect is described as a 6’0″ black male, about 200 pounds, wearing a black shirt and tan pants. Both are believed to be in their 20s and were wearing black ski masks at the time.

Anybody who may have information about the robbery or the suspects is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.

Crime Report: Armed Robbery in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

A man was robbed at gunpoint in the Buckingham neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to police.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 08/17/13, 4300 block of N. Pershing Drive. At 12:30 am on August 17, a victim was allegedly approached by two subjects in all black clothing and instructed to lay on the ground at gunpoint. The victim was robbed of his debit card, passport and cell phone. The suspect with the gun is described as a 5’7″ tall, heavy set black female in her 20’s. The second suspect is described as a 6’1″ tall black male in his 20’s with an average build. Both were wearing zip up hoodies during the incident and remain at-large.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Armed Robbers Steal Bible, Cell Phone

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA pair of gun-toting men robbed someone of a cell phone and a bible along Wilson Blvd Sunday night.

The armed men approached the victim on the 6000 block of Wilson Blvd around 11:20 p.m. Sunday. Wearing ski masks, the men took the victim’s cell phone and a bible, then fled on foot into a wooded area, according to Arlington County police.

Police K-9 units, along with Fairfax County and U.S. Park Police helicopters, were brought in to try to find the suspects, who were described only as Hispanic males. The men were not located and remain at large.

Crime Report: Cell Phone Buyers Robbed

By ARLnow.com

It sounds like a shady business transaction, so the end result is not entirely surprising. Last week, two people were robbed after showing up to a meeting they arranged to try to buy cell phones.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 06/15/13, 1900 block of S. Columbia Pike. At 11:40 am on June 15, a victim arranged a meeting to purchase cell phones and was allegedly robbed at gunpoint by three subjects. Suspect 1, brandished the firearm and pistol whipped the victim, is described as a black male with a beard. He was wearing a white t-shirt with blue basketball shorts. Suspect 2 is described as a black male and was wearing dark clothing with a red beanie hat. Suspect 3 is described as a black male wearing dark clothing.

ARMED ROBBERY, 06/14/13, 2700 block of N. Key Boulevard. At 11:11 pm on June 13, a victim arranged a meeting to purchase cell phones and was allegedly robbed at gunpoint by two subjects. Suspect 1, brandished the firearm, is described as a black male in his 20’s, approximately 6’2″ tall with a slim build and long dreads. He was wearing a navy and white track suit. Suspect 2 is described as a black male in his mid 20’s, approximately 6’0″ tall and 180 lbs. He was wearing dark clothing and had a tattoo on the right side of his neck.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Shot Fired During Armed Robbery in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA gunshot was fired during an armed robbery in Crystal City early this morning.

The robbery happened on the 2400 block of S. Eads Street around 12:30 a.m. Police say two Arlington men, ages 32 and 33, were walking to their car from a nearby restaurant when a man crossed the street and engaged them in conversation. The man then pulled out a gun and demanded cash.

The victims emptied their pockets and then ran away. For an unknown reason, the suspect then fired a single gunshot, striking the side of the CVS Pharmacy building. No one was hurt.

A K-9 unit and the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter responded to help in the ensuing search for the suspect. The suspect was not found, but the shirt he was wearing at the time of the robbery and the victims’ phones and keys were recovered a short distance away.

In all, the suspect made off with about $20 to $30, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The suspect is described as a 45-50 year-old black male, approximately 5’4″ and 140 lbs. He was wearing a black and red horizontal-striped shirt and brown shorts.

Police Investigate Armed Robbery on Custis Trail

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police Department badgeThe Arlington County Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that occurred on the Custis Trail near Ballston last night.

The incident happened on the bike trail near Glebe Road around 10:20 p.m.

According to police, two suspects knocked a man off his bike and stole his cell phone while brandishing a handgun. A U.S. Park Police helicopter was called in to search for the suspects, who fled on foot, but police were unable to track them down.

From a police press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating an armed robbery that occurred on the Custis Bike Trail yesterday evening.

At 10:20 p.m., two unknown subjects attempted to block the Nelly Custis bike trail when the first victim was riding by on his bicycle. The victim was able to get away, but noticed one of the subjects brandishing a handgun. Shortly after the first incident, a second victim attempted to pass by, but was knocked off of his bike by both suspects and a firearm was brandished. Both suspects then took the victim’s cell phone and fled eastbound on Custis Trail by foot. The victim was transported to the Virginia Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries that he sustained during the attack.

A U.S. Park Police helicopter and the Arlington County Police Department’s K-9 Unit assisted with efforts to locate the subjects, but both subjects remain at-large. The first suspect is described as a white male, around the age of 25 and approximately 5’8” tall and 185 lbs. Suspect one was wearing a dark puffy winter jacket and dark pants. The second suspect is described as a male of an unknown race, approximately 6’0” tall and 200 lbs. Suspect two was wearing a dark jacket and dark pants at the time of the incident.

If anyone has information on the identities and/or whereabouts of these individuals, please contact Detective Christine Everest of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703.228.4180 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Police Witness Armed Robbery, Arrest Suspects

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County police car(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Police arrested three men who they reportedly observed attacking and robbing a pedestrian last night.

Just before midnight on Tuesday (February 5), officers observed three individuals acting suspiciously around Wilson Blvd. and N. Monroe Street. Police say the men were walking around the area, looking into cars and loitering on the corner. They then reportedly entered a Jeep Wrangler and police followed the vehicle from a distance.

Police observed the vehicle cruising throughout the Ballston and Clarendon neighborhoods, making U-turns for no apparent reason. The vehicle then pulled into a parking spot at the Gold’s Gym near N. Pollard Street, where two of the men exited the vehicle and crossed the street. The officers stopped and continued to watch the subjects.

One of the suspects allegedly began following a lone man walking down the street. The victim turned around and the suspect then reportedly grabbed him, showed a gun and demanded money. Police say the second suspect punched the victim in the face several times until he fell to the ground. The victim handed over his wallet and cell phone to the attackers, who officers say fled in the Jeep.

Police performed a traffic stop on the Jeep and took the suspects into custody without incident.

“The officers were observing from a safe distance and when the suspects engaged in the criminal act, they responded immediately,” said Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. “The amount of time from when the criminal act occurred and the suspects fleeing the scene was just seconds. We were able to take them into custody a short distance away.”

The victim, who had been walking home and was nearly at his building, ran inside to call police, unaware that his alleged attackers had already been apprehended.

The three subjects have been charged with robbery. They are 32-year-old Oscar Alfredo Morant Nunez of Fairfax, 19-year-old Christopher Louise Songer of Woodbridge, and 18-year-old Elder Ramirez-Miranda of Vienna.

The victim did not need to be treated for injuries and his belongings were returned to him.

Three Arrested After Armed Robbery on Custis Trail

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carThree men are in custody after an armed robbery, assault and handgun brandishing on the Custis Trail, according to Arlington County Police.

A jogger was robbed by the men around 12:30 p.m. on the trail near the Glebe Road bridge over I-66, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The victim struggled and was struck in the head — possibly with a pistol.

The men took a GPS watch and sunglasses and fled down the trail, Sternbeck said. A short time later, another trail user told police that one of the men pointed a silver handgun in his direction when he passed by.

Police notified Arlington Public Schools of the robbery and three nearby schools — Washington-Lee High School, Arlington Traditional School and Glebe Elementary — were placed in a secured state. Based on that initial notification from ACPD, an email alert sent to parents erroneously reported a shooting.

This afternoon, the Arlington County Police notified us of a robbery of a jogger that occurred on a nearby bike path. The report we received said that the incident also involved a shooting. As a precaution, we have secured the school building and all students are being kept inside.

Three men were apprehended outside the Ballston Metro station around 1:30 p.m., Sternbeck said. A handgun was recovered. The men are now being questioned by police.

“It was great police work… getting these individuals off the street,” Sternbeck said.

The robbery victim is currently being evaluated for injuries at Virginia Hospital Center.

Crime Report: Armed Robbery at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

A man robbed the Currency Exchange store at the Pentagon City mall on Chrismas Eve by implying that he had a weapon, according to police.

No weapon was seen, but the man was able to flee the scene after obtaining cash. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 12/24/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At 2:42 pm on December 24, an unknown suspect robbed the Currency Exchange at Pentagon City Mall. The subject fled the scene on foot in the direction of the Metro. The subject is described as a black male, approximately 50 years old, 150 lbs, with a short beard. He was wearing a jean jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt and a black Nike hat at the time of the incident.

Also this week, a man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after has was caught masturbating at the L.A. Fitness health club in Crystal City, according to police.

A gym patron walked into the sauna and witnessed the man mid-act, police said. According to Arlington County spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the suspect began to “tussle” with the witness after he said he was going to alert the manager; no charges were filed as a result of the scuffle.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 12/21/12, 3500 block of S. Clark Street. On December 21 at 9:21 am, a subject was seen masturbating inside the sauna of a gym. Morris Umansky, 63, of Arlington, VA, was charged with indecent exposure and released on a summons.

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

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Four Arrested After Armed Bank Robbery in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police Department badgeA crew of heavily armed men robbed the Navy Federal Credit Union at 875 N. Randolph Street in Ballston Saturday morning, in a heist reminiscent of a Hollywood movie.

Three men who were wearing ski masks and pointing guns entered the credit union, located a block from Ballston Common Mall, just before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

They shouted threats and forced the 13 customers in the business to lie on the ground. The men made off with several bags full of cash — an undisclosed but substantial sum of money — and were whisked from the scene of the crime by a getaway driver who was waiting outside, Sternbeck told ARLnow.com.

The suspects threw the bags (minus the cash) out of the car window as they made their escape to D.C. via I-66, Sternbeck said, but they were apparently unaware that the cash contained a GPS transceiver. Metropolitan Police used the GPS signal to track the cash to a residence in Southeast D.C., where all four men were arrested.

The FBI is investigating and the men may face federal charges, Sternbeck said.

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