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Morning Notes

Published September 13, 2016 at 9:00AM

Cemetery to Start Screening Visitors — Arlington National Cemetery will begin security screening of visitors and random inspection of vehicles in November. Visitors, particularly those in large groups, are being advised to allow extra time to go through screening. [Dept. of Defense]

Police: Dog Walker Stole from Residents — A dog walker who served clients in Arlington has been charged with stealing from them. Police say 34-year-old Margarita Denison and an accomplice stole valuables from watches to jewelry to baseball cards from homes in Arlington and Fairfax. Denison worked for the dog walking service Time for a Walk, which said it runs background checks and checks references but will be tightening security. [NBC Washington]

NPS Recommends Trail Projects in Arlington — Among the 18 regional trail-related projects recommended by a new National Park Service study are two in Arlington: connecting the Roosevelt Bridge path to the Mt. Vernon Trail, and improving safety at the so-called Intersection of Doom in Rosslyn. [Greater Greater Washington]

ACPD Lauded for Crisis Intervention — A father whose son spit and cursed at police as he was taken into custody in Arlington has written an op-ed to praise the Arlington County Police Department for its crisis intervention training. The father called police after his neurologically-disabled son got drunk and left the house. Officers could have hurt the son and threw him in jail, but instead used the minimum amount of force necessary and took him to a hospital, the man said. [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Man Charged with Deflowering 9/11 Wreath

By ARLnow.com

Published September 12, 2016 at 11:30AM

A man has been charged with vandalizing the wreath placed during Arlington’s 9/11 memorial ceremony.

The incident happened in Courthouse just after 11 a.m. on Sunday, shortly after the ceremony.

Police say 51-year-old Charles Harris removed flowers from the wreath and left the petals on the sidewalk. He was charged with the crimes of Injuring a Memorial and Drunk in Public.

From an Arlington County Police crime report:

INJURING A MEMORIAL, 160911022, 1500 block of N. Courthouse Road. At approximately 11:16 a.m. on September 11, police were dispatched to the report of a subject destroying the 9/11 Memorial Wreath used during the County’s September 11 Observance. Upon arrival, officers observed the subject removing flowers from the wreath and discarding petals on the sidewalk. Charles Harris, 51, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Injuring a Memorial and Drunk In Public. He was held on a $1,000 secured bond.

Murder Suspect Back in Arlington After 17 Years on the Run

By ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2016 at 10:00AM

A man accused of strangling a woman and stuffing her dead body in his trunk is back in Arlington to face justice.

Ludvin Estrada, now 46, arrived back in the U.S. today and is being held at the Arlington County jail, according to a police press release. Estrada fled to Guatemala after the May 11, 1999 murder, police say, and was able to elude capture until this past April.

“The apprehension of Estrada is the direct result of outstanding police work and the leveraging of resources from our federal and international partners,” Arlington County Police said in a press release.

The rest of the press release is below.

Following a joint investigation by the Arlington County Police Department, the United States Department of State, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, the United States Marshals Service and Guatemalan Law Enforcement, a subject wanted in the 1999 murder of Eva Veliz has been taken into custody in Guatemala and extradited to the United States. Ludvin Estrada, 46, arrived in the United States on Friday, September 9, 2016 and is currently being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility charged with murder.

On May 11, 1999, at approximately 4:33 p.m., Arlington County Police responded to the report of a 27-year-old female victim located deceased inside the trunk of a vehicle parked in the 1300 block of N. Pierce Street. The investigation revealed that on the evening prior, the victim and the subject had been out dancing and were seen leaving together at approximately 2:45 a.m. on May 11, 1999. At some point, a verbal altercation ensued between the two and the subject strangled the victim causing her death. Estrada immediately fled to Guatemala where he remained until his capture in 2016.

A warrant was issued for Estrada in 1999 but efforts to locate him in Guatemala were unsuccessful. In 2012, the case was assigned to the Arlington County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit. Through a review of the case files, crime scene evidence and laboratory results detectives located additional information that verified Estrada’s involvement in the death of Eva Veliz. Efforts to locate and apprehend Estrada were resumed and he was taken into custody on April 11, 2016.

Crime Report: Driver Flashes Gun After Getting Cut Off

By ARLnow.com

Published September 7, 2016 at 11:00AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:31PM

A 52-year-old Arlington man is facing charges after police say he got mad and brandished a gun at a driver who tried to merge into his lane.

The road rage incident happened around 9 p.m. on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. The man was later located by police and arrested.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

BRANDISHING, 160902041, 1300 block N. Wilson. At approximately 9:07 p.m. on September 2, a male suspect brandished a firearm after the victim attempted to merge his vehicle into the same lane as the suspect. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival but was later located and positively identified by witnesses. Sergio Martinez, 52, of Arlington VA was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm. He was held on a $5,000 secure bond.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including two items already reported, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 6, 2016 at 9:30AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 11:11AM

Hazmat Incident, Arrests on I-66 — Two people were arrested on drug charges Saturday after their SUV broke down on I-66 and police found a suspicious liquid in and a suspicious smell coming from the vehicle. Lanes of westbound I-66 were shut down while a hazmat team investigated the substance. [WUSA, NBC 4]

Man Arrested for Sexual Assault on Orange Line Train — A man allegedly exposed himself and then tried to force a woman to perform a sex act on an Orange Line train Monday afternoon. The incident happened as the train was approaching the Dunn Loring station, but the man was reportedly arrested in Arlington and held at the county jail. [WTOP]

APS Still Searching for More Space — Arlington Public Schools officials have been busy trying to add more high school seats as a student capacity crunch continues and is expected to get worse at the top grade levels. For now, APS appears to be focused on adding seats at existing high schools and adding additional capacity through new high school programs, like the just-launched Arlington Tech program, as opposed to opening a fourth comprehensive high school. [InsideNova]

Photo (above) of Rosie the Riveter event at the Netherlands Carillon courtesy Valerie Crotty

Crime Report: Man Tries to Steal Motorcycle, Claims to Be Firefighter

By ARLnow.com

Published August 31, 2016 at 11:05AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:31PM

A Maryland man was arrested Monday after he allegedly tried to steal a motorcycle in the Pentagon City area.

The incident happened just after noon, a block from the Fashion Centre mall.

Police say the suspect, 34-year-old Michael Black, inexplicably claimed to be a volunteer firefighter after being stopped by officers, even going so far as to flash a fake badge.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

GRAND LARCENY OF AUTO (Significant), 160829019, 1700 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 12:15 p.m. on August 29, officers responded to the report of a suspicious person moving a motorcycle. The subject fled the scene prior to police arrival. A lookout was broadcast and a subject matching the victim’s description was located in the immediate area. Michael Delonte Black, 34, of Oxon Hill MD, was arrested and charged with grand larceny of auto, possession of burglarious tools, impersonating a firefighter, and destruction of property.

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

(more…)

Drunk Clarendon Bar-Goer Tries to Fight the Law (And the Law Won)

By ARLnow.com

Published August 29, 2016 at 11:00AM | Updated November 18, 2016 at 2:39PM

A 25-year-old Arlington man was arrested early Friday morning after allegedly trying to pick a fight with police.

According to an Arlington County Police Department crime report, the man “attempted to strike an officer and pull the officer to the ground,” while the officer was assisting with crowd control in Clarendon around bar closing time.

From ACPD:

ASSAULT ON POLICE OFFICER, 160826007, 2800 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:48 a.m. on August 26, officers responded to the area to assist with crowd control during restaurant closing time. An intoxicated male suspect approached the officers and attempted to start a confrontation. The male suspect became disorderly and when officers attempted to arrest him for Drunk In Public, he attempted to strike an officer and pull the officer to the ground. Francisco Xavier Andrade, 25, of Arlington VA was arrested and charged with Assault on Police (x2), Failure to ID, and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond.

Alexandria Man Charged With Exposing Himself on Blue Line Train in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2016 at 3:05PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:41PM

A 47-year-old Alexandria man has been arrested and charged with exposing himself to multiple women on Metro trains.

The first incident happened in Arlington County on March 28, aboard a Blue Line train to Franconia. The suspect, William Madison, Jr., was subsequently arrested and charged with indecent exposure on July 29. Then, on August 15, Metro Transit Police say Madison again exposed himself to a woman, this time on an Orange Line train in Fairfax County.

Police believe Madison might have committed similar crimes that went unreported, and are asking any additional victims to come forward.

From a Metro press release:

For the second time in less than three weeks, Metro Transit Police (MTPD) have arrested a Virginia man on charges of indecent exposure. The suspect, William Madison, Jr., 47, of Alexandria, is now facing charges in Arlington and Fairfax counties.

Madison was first arrested by Transit Police on July 29 after being located by the MTPD warrant squad. The original offense occurred in Arlington County March 28, 2016, aboard a Franconia-bound Blue Line train. Madison is accused of exposing himself to an adult female passenger aboard the train. Following his arrest, Madison was released on his personal recognizance.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday, August 15, Madison allegedly exposed himself to an adult female passenger aboard a Vienna-bound Orange Line train. MTPD detectives were able to identify Madison using CCTV cameras and subsequently obtained an arrest warrant. Madison was re-arrested yesterday at Huntington Station while attempting to enter the Metrorail system. He was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he was held on a $1,000 secured bond.

Based on these circumstances, Transit Police detectives believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information for investigators is urged to call the MTPD Criminal Investigations Division at (301) 955-3000.

Six Arrested in Military Road Home Invasion Robbery

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2016 at 2:50PM

(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) A half dozen teens have been arrested and charged in connection with a home invasion robbery in the Donaldson Run area.

A witness said the armed suspects, dressed in masks, invaded a house party on N. Military Road around midnight last night.

“Masked men stormed a house with guns, knives and pepper spray where a group of high school aged kids were having a party,” said a passerby who witnessed the end of the alleged robbery and wished to remain anonymous.

“I immediately called 911 and informed them of what I saw, which was a group of people attacking someone and then people fleeing in a dark Honda Civic,” the witness told ARLnow.com. “It turned out that the group doing the attacking were the party-goers and the person being attacked was one of the robbers. The person being attacked got into the Honda and took off. They were apparently apprehended not too long after that.”

Police say five of the suspects were taken into custody after an officer stopped a suspicious vehicle in the area. Another was “located on foot.” One of the suspects was an 18-year-old Arlington man, while the rest — including one 17-year-old juvenile — were from Annandale and Alexandria.

In a press release, below, police say the crime happened at a home on the 3000 block of Military Road, after the suspects forced their way through a rear door.

The Arlington County Police Department has arrested and charged 6 suspects, 5 adults and 1 juvenile, for their role in an armed home invasion robbery in the 3000 block of Military Road. At approximately 12:00 a.m. on August 5, officers were dispatched to the area for a fight in progress near the street. A responding officer conducted a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle in the area and took five of the suspects into custody without incident. An additional suspect was located on foot a short while later.

The investigation revealed that the suspects forced entry into the home through a rear door. Once inside, the suspects, armed with a handgun, knife and pepper spray used the threat of bodily harm to rob the victims. The victims were robbed of various items of value and an undisclosed amount of cash. One victim received a non-life threatening stab wound which did not require medical treatment.

The following individuals have been arrested as a result of this investigation:

George Nymbal, 18, of Arlington VA has been charged with Robbery (x2), Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Malicious Wounding, Attempted Malicious Wounding, Using a Mask to Conceal Identity

Marcos Powers, 18, of Annandale VA has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Using a Mask to Conceal Identity, Burglary

Misael Leaver, 18, of Alexandria VA has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Robbery, Using a Mask to Conceal Identity, Burglary

Landry Bryant, 18, of Alexandria VA has been charged with Robbery, Use of a Mask to Conceal Identity, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Burglary

Samir Boufnichal, 19, of Alexandria VA has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary

A 17-year-old juvenile has been charged with Robbery (x8), Conspiracy to Commit Robbery

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective R. Munizza of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4171 [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 28, 2016 at 9:30AM

Minor Charges for Man Who Ran from Cops — The man who ran from police Tuesday in Ballston did so, apparently, to avoid being charged with driving on a suspended license and improper registration. He’s now also facing eluding and failure to I.D. charges. The passenger in the car did not flee and is being charged with identity theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. [Arlington County]

I-395 HOT Lanes ‘Pretty Close to a Done Deal’ — A plan to convert the I-395 HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll lanes appears to be proceeding. Thanks to promises to use toll revenue to enhance carpooling and express bus service, Arlington officials have been generally supportive of the plan so far. That, after the county sued to block a previous I-395 HOT lane plan. [Washington Post]

Arlington Names New Zoning Administrator — Arlova Vonhm, the county’s Acting Zoning Administrator, has been appointed to the position on a permanent basis. “Vonhm, who joined the County in 2012 as a principal planner, leads a team of 30 Zoning staff. Her team collaborates with Inspection Services and other County staff to process and approve building permits, while actively enforcing the County’s Zoning Ordinance,” notes a press release. In the past few years, Arlington’s zoning administrators have drawn the ire of many in the business community for a heavy-handed approach to enforcing Arlington’s zoning rules. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

ACPD Announces Major Clarendon Drug Bust

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2016 at 10:40AM

Arlington County Police have made a major drug bust in the Clarendon area.

Nine people have been charged, accused of being part of a drug network that distributed marijuana, MDMA and cocaine in the neighborhood.

A tenth person was arrested and charged with making death threat against undercover officers.

From an ACPD press release:

Detectives assigned to the Arlington County Police Department Organized Crime Section – Vice / Drug Enforcement Unit and the Virginia State Police recently concluded a 7-month undercover investigation focused on drug distribution activity in the Clarendon area of Arlington County. During this time, undercover detectives conducted numerous purchases of narcotics. As a result of this intensive investigation, undercover officers identified a narcotics distribution network, seized a significant amount of cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, and THC and made 9 arrests.

The following individuals have been arrested as a result of this investigation:

Kyle Bailey, 22, of Arlington VA has been charged with two counts of Distribution of Marijuana

Michael Bramlett, 32, of Arlington VA has been charged with two counts of Distribution of Cocaine

Benjamin Lee Callender, 31, of Woodbridge VA has been charged with two counts of Distribution of Cocaine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Victoriano Castro Reyes, 26, of Woodbridge VA has been charged with Distribution of Marijuana and Child Endangerment

Amanda Mantanona, 24, of Woodbridge VA has been charged with Child Endangerment and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana

Omar Small, 22, of Arlington VA has been charged with Distribution of Marijuana

Joshua Swinton, 28, of Arlington VA has been charged with three counts of Distribution of Marijuana and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana

Justin Terrell, 30, of Alexandria VA has been charged with two counts of Distribution of MDMA and Distribution of Cocaine

Daryl Villanueva, 29 of Arlington VA has been charged with three counts of Distribution of Cocaine and Distribution of MDMA

In addition, after the initial phase of arrests were completed, the involved undercover officers began to receive death threats and threats of severe bodily harm. The threats were very graphic. Through further investigation, the source of these threats was identified and arrested without incident. Tesfayie Tesfa, 29, of Alexandria VA was arrested and charged with four counts of Obstruction of Justice and four counts of Death Threats by Text. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility.