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Police: Robbery Suspect Arrested While Trying to Steal Car

Published December 5, 2017 at 3:45PM

A man suspected of robbing a store on Columbia Pike was arrested while trying to steal a car in the Rosslyn area, according to a pair of ACPD crime reports.

The alleged crimes happened over the weekend.

Around 9:15 p.m. Saturday, police say 54-year-old Arlington resident Donnell Cook held up a store on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike by implying to the clerk that he had a gun, before fleeing on foot. The store was not named in the police report.

The next day, just before midnight, police say they responded to the 1800 block of N. Quinn Street, in western Rosslyn, for a report of a man tampering with a vehicle. They say they found Cook inside a car that had “extensive damage,” and identified him as the previous night’s robbery suspect.

Cook is now facing a litany of charges, including robbery, attempted grand larceny auto, destruction of property and providing false identification to law enforcement. Earlier this year Cook was arrested and charged with public intoxication.

More from the Arlington County Police Department crime reports:

ROBBERY, 2017-12020258, 5500 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 9:15 p.m. on December 2, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown suspect entered a business and approached an employee behind the counter, implying he had a gun. The suspect forced his way behind the counter and stole money from the cash register, before fleeing on foot. Units set up a perimeter and a K-9 track yielded negative results. During the course of the investigation, officers developed a suspect identification and obtained an arrest warrant. Upon hearing the broadcast suspect lookout in the below attempted grand larceny auto (2017-12030251) case, officers responded and confirmed he was wanted on the outstanding robbery warrant. Donnell Cook, 54, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Robbery and Providing False ID to Law Enforcement to Avoid Arrest.

ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY WITH APPREHENSION, 2017-12030251, 1800 block of N. Quinn Street. At approximately 11:57 p.m. on December 3, police were dispatched to the report of a suspect tampering with a vehicle. Upon arrival, a suspect was located inside of the vehicle, which had extensive damage. Arriving officers identified the suspect as being wanted in a robbery case that occurred on December 2. Donnell Cook, 54, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Destruction of Property, Possession of Burglarous Tools and Attempted Grand Larceny Auto.

Taylor Elementary P.E. Teachers Accused of Smoking Marijuana in School

By ARLnow.com

Published December 5, 2017 at 10:15AM | Updated December 5, 2017 at 10:32AM

Two Taylor Elementary physical education teachers are facing charges and a third is being investigated after a drug bust at the sought-after north Arlington school.

In a letter to parents, school principal Harold Pellegreen said that P.E. teachers Michael Diaddigo and Luke Lloyd have been charged with possession of marijuana and have been suspended from the school. Another has been “placed on administrative leave, pending further investigation by the police.”

TV news reports, citing court documents, said that police were told by an informant that the three teachers regularly smoked pot in their school office. They were also told that Diaddigo distributed marijuana to other teachers on school property. Students were reportedly unaware of the activity.

On a staff page that has since been removed, Taylor Elementary’s website said that Diaddigo was new to Taylor after two years of part-time P.E. teaching at Arlington’s Campbell and Tuckahoe elementary schools. Diaddigo is a Loudoun County native while Lloyd attended high school and college in Fairfax County, the page said.

The full letter from Pellegreen to parents is below.

Subject: APS School Talk – A Message from the Principal
A message from TAYLOR ELEMENTARY

Dear Taylor Families:

I wanted to update you on an incident that occurred at school earlier today. Based on information received by the Arlington County Police Department, this morning we cooperated with the police on their investigation into a matter involving three Taylor staff members. As a result of their investigation, Michael Diaddigo and Luke Lloyd have been charged with possession of marijuana and have been suspended. One additional staff member has been placed on administrative leave, pending further investigation by the police.

As educators, we are obviously shocked and dismayed by this news, and our first concern has been for our students. While I can’t share the details about the investigation with you because it is an ongoing personnel and police matter, I want to share how we are rallying to support our children, families and staff:

We believe the investigation is only focused on the adults and does not involve any of their interactions with our children. We met with the Taylor staff this afternoon to share this news, and we all remain committed to maintaining our focus on our primary goal of providing the best academic and personal support for all Taylor
students.

Counselors will visit these classes next week to share with students what has happened in age-appropriate ways, and our counselors will be available to help any students who may have questions or need to
discuss this change.

Our administrative team is working with our Human Resources staff and we are following all APS personnel policies and procedures to deal with this matter appropriately.

We will continue to work to ensure that we have qualified replacements in place for these positions so that instruction can proceed without interruption.

This is a disheartening situation for Taylor and the entire APS community. Please be assured that we will continue to work together to ensure that Taylor’s students, families and staff are supported during this transition.

As always, don’t hesitate to call me if you need to discuss specific concerns about your child.

Sincerely,

Harold Pellegreen
Principal

Crime Report: Rumble in the Bathroom

By ARLnow.com

Published November 22, 2017 at 2:45PM | Updated February 28, 2020 at 10:13AM

Two belligerents beat up a pair of bar-goers in a Buckingham bathroom Sunday, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

Two Arlington men in their 20s were arrested following the attacks, which allegedly stemmed from an “unprovoked verbal altercation” inside the bathroom.

The second victim was assaulted after trying to stop the initial fight, police say. The suspects were arrested later, at their home, and are being held without bond.

Woodbridge Man Charged with Assaulting Woman in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published November 21, 2017 at 10:45AM

A 22-year-old Woodbridge man has been charged with malicious wounding after sending a woman who tried to help him to the hospital.

The incident happened early Saturday morning in Clarendon. Police say the man was kicked out of a local bar for “being disorderly,” and a woman was trying to calm him down when he “became combative and assaulted her.” He then struck two witnesses who tried to come to the woman’s aid, according to police, before officers arrived and he was arrested.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-11180016, 1200 block of N. Herndon Street. At approximately 12:33 a.m. on November 18, police were dispatched to the report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect was removed from a restaurant for being disorderly. When the female victim attempted to calm the suspect down, he allegedly became combative and assaulted her. Two witnesses came to her aide and a physical altercation ensued where the suspect struck both witnesses. The female victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. Brandon Jordan, 22, of Woodbridge, VA, was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 17, 2017 at 8:30AM | Updated November 17, 2017 at 10:57AM

Beyer Blasts GOP Tax Bill — Says Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) regarding the tax bill that passed the House yesterday: “I am adamantly opposed to the House Republican tax bill, H.R.1. The bill will raise taxes on millions of middle class Americans in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, and yet still manages to explode the deficit.” [Rep. Don Beyer]

Crystal City Scores 320 Jobs — A Georgetown-based nonprofit is moving much of its staff to a new office in Crystal City, leasing 90,000 square feet and adding 320 jobs in Arlington County. The move was announced by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who approved a $500,000 state grant to assist Arlington with the project. [Virginia Business, Bisnow]

Dems Seek Ways to Defeat Vihstadt — “John Vihstadt, who in 2014 broke the Democratic stranglehold on the Arlington County Board, is ready to go back to the voters in 2018. And Arlington Democrats already are strategizing on how to oust him from office.” [InsideNova]

Charges Dropped Against ‘Laughing Librarian’ — Arlington librarian and Code Pink activist Desirée Fairooz, who was arrested after laughing during the confirmation hearing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has had the case against her dropped by the Justice Department. [American Libraries, NPR]

Incident at Kenmore Middle School — A tipster tells ARLnow.com that a Kenmore Middle School student was arrested yesterday afternoon for assaulting a PE teacher. An Arlington Public Schools spokesman, however, did not confirm that an arrest was made, saying: “There was an incident earlier today between a student and a teacher. Staff is following normal disciplinary procedures. But beyond that, we can’t disclose anymore because it is a student matter.”

Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman

Crime Report: Fleeing to the Pentagon Is a Bad Idea for Robbery Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2017 at 2:00PM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 5:10PM

A robbery suspect took an ill-fated getaway route onto the grounds of the Pentagon last Thursday afternoon, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The 26-year-old Maryland man had allegedly stolen items from a store in the Pentagon City mall and pushed away two security guards during his getaway. He then ran outside and tried to hail a taxicab but ended up continuing to flee on foot, according to the police report.

After jumping a fence into a Pentagon parking lot, he was taken into custody by Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers and handed over to ACPD. More from the crime report:

ROBBERY, 2017-11020174, 1000 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 2:57 p.m. on November 2, officers responded to the report of a larceny in progress. Upon arrival it was determined that a subject exited a business with merchandise concealed. A loss prevention officer attempted to stop the suspect, but was pushed away. The suspect dropped the bag of merchandise and fled, pushing away a second loss prevention officer attempting to stop him. While fleeing the mall, the suspect forced exit, causing damage to the door. The suspect unsuccessfully tried to flee in a stopped taxi and then headed on foot in the direction of the Pentagon. Officers canvased the area and were alerted by Officers with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency of a suspect, matching the description, who had jumped a fence into the parking lot. Trayvon Chappell, 26, of Suitland, MD, was arrested and charged with Robbery, Larceny with Intent to Sell, Possession of Burglarous Tools, and Destruction of Property.

Also in this week’s crime report was another incident in Pentagon City, which occurred last night (Tuesday) around 5:30 p.m. According to scanner traffic, a theft suspect near the Unleashed pet store on Pentagon Row became combative and tried to out-muscle a pair of officers. The officers struggled with the suspect before deploying a Taser to subdue him.

Woman Charged With Peeing on Cop’s Foot

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2017 at 8:35AM

An Arlington woman is facing multiple charges after police say she spit and peed on officers while in the hospital.

The incident started around 3:15 p.m. Monday, when police were called to a business on the 3400 block of Washington Blvd in Virginia Square — the block includes a barbecue restaurant, a grocery store and a convenience store — for a “report of a person drunk in public.”

The woman, identified as 42-year-old Elena Bolonina, was so drunk that medics transported her to the hospital, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. That is where the real trouble reportedly started.

“While at Virginia Hospital Center, the suspect allegedly became combative kicking and spitting on officers,” said the crime report. “The subject then urinated on an officer’s foot while being transported to booking.”

Bolonina was arrested and charged with “Assault and Battery on Law Enforcement, Identity Theft, Urinating in Public, Obstruction of Justice and Public Drunkenness.”

Update: Man Tries, Fails to Rob Pharmacy

By ARLnow.com

Published November 7, 2017 at 11:30AM

A man tried and failed to rob a local pharmacy, and the resulting police response led to an arrest but not of the suspect.

ARLnow reported on the robbery and the subsequent police search for the suspect as it happened this past Thursday.

Police say a man entered the Arlington Pharmacy on Wilson Blvd in Bluemont just after 2:15 p.m. He “displayed a note demanding prescription drugs and implied he had a weapon,” but ended up leaving without any drugs.

Officers quickly began searching the area for the suspect — described as “a tall, thin, white male, clean shaven, approximately 5’10 to 6′ tall, in his 20’s, wearing a black baseball hat” — and an officer driving along George Mason Drive spotted a man who matched the description riding a bike down the street.

The man refused orders to stop and was ultimately tackled by an officer after nearly running the officer down with his bike, according to police. It was later determined that he was not the pharmacy robbery suspect but was wanted on a warrant from Fairfax County.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY, 2017-11020165, 5500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 2:19 p.m. on November 2, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male suspect entered a pharmacy, displayed a note demanding prescription drugs and implied he had a weapon. The suspect fled the scene on foot without any items. Officers canvased the area and a K-9 track was initiated with negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin, white male, clean shaven, approximately 5’10 to 6′ tall, in his 20’s, wearing a black baseball hat, black sunglasses, light colored sweatpants, a black sweatshirt and dark shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2017-11020166, S. George Mason Drive at S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on November 2, while canvasing the area, police attempted to stop a subject matching the description of a suspect wanted for attempted armed robbery. The suspect, who was traveling on bicycle, failed to stop, ignored the officer’s commands and continued riding away from the officer. Another officer in the area attempted to stop the suspect on foot but the suspect continued traveling in the direction of the officer. The officer was able to move out of the way and take control of the suspect. The suspect was non-compliant during the course of the arrest. Show-ups were conducted and the suspect was determined not to be related to the armed robbery, however, the suspect was determined to be wanted out of Fairfax County. Aaron Johnson, 28, of Oakton, VA, was arrested and charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Resisting Arrest and the outstanding warrant.

Photo courtesy Zachary L.

BREAKING: Armed Robbery at Pharmacy in Bluemont

By ARLnow.com

Published November 2, 2017 at 2:30PM | Updated November 2, 2017 at 3:03PM

Arlington Pharmacy on Wilson Blvd (photo via Google Maps)

Arlington County Police are on scene of a reported armed robbery at a business in the Bluemont neighborhood.

Initial reports suggest the Arlington Pharmacy at 5513 Wilson Blvd was robbed around 2:15 p.m., by a man implying that he had a weapon. The man was described as a six-foot tall white male wearing a black hat and black sunglasses.

Police have responded to the pharmacy and are currently taking a bike-riding suspect matching the description into custody along George Mason Drive.

Photo via Google Maps

Jennie Dean Park Stabbing Suspect Arrested

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2017 at 1:30PM

A man suspected of stabbing another man in Jennie Dean Park near Shirlington on June 20 has been arrested in California.

Jose Montano, 41, was arrested in Suisun City, which is about 50 miles northeast of San Francisco. United States Marshals Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and California Highway Patrol all assisted in the arrest, said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Montano “is being held on no bond in California and the extradition process is pending.”

The weekday afternoon stabbing in June left an acquaintance of Montano bleeding heavily from his arm, according to police. He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while Montano reportedly fled on a mountain bike.

Murder Suspect Was Arrested for Shoplifting in NYC

By ARLnow.com

Published October 25, 2017 at 4:40PM

More details have emerged about the arrest of murder suspect Jason Allen Johnson.

Arlington County Police say Johnson — who is wanted for the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man at a north Arlington house party in February — was arrested for shoplifting on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Johnson is being held in New York City, pending extradition to Virginia.