Police car lightsOn Friday afternoon, a woman walking on the W&OD Trail was robbed at gunpoint by a pair of teens.

The robbery occurred near the East Falls Church Metro station.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 160415027, 6600 block of N. 19th Road. At approximately 1:10 p.m. on April 15, a female was walking eastbound on the W&OD trail. She was approached from behind by two suspects who brandished a firearm and demanded her personal belongings. The suspects fled eastbound on W&OD trail with her cellphone and an undisclosed amount of cash. Suspects are described as a black male and female in their late teens, approximately 5’5″-5’8″ tall with a thin build. They were wearing dark clothing.

Also in the latest ACPD crime report: a pair of armed robberies, in the Pentagon City area and along Lee Highway. Both robberies were reported to police well after the fact.

LATE ROBBERY, 160416020, 600 block of S. 15th Street. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on April 12, as a male victim was walking down the street he was approached by a male suspect who requested to use his cellphone. The victim complied and the suspect began walking away from the victim with his cellphone. The victim followed the subject in an attempt to regain his cellphone at which point two additional male suspects approached the victim. Two of the suspects brandished handguns and robbed the victim of his personal belongings. The first suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’8″ tall and weighed approximately 160 lbs. He was wearing a red shirt , gold chain, and black pants. The second suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’10” tall and weighed 180 lbs. He was wearing a denim jacket, dark jeans, and a black skull cap.

LATE ROBBERY, 160416070, 5000 block of N. Lee Highway. At approximately 10:20 p.m. on April 16, a male suspect at the corner of N. Edison Street and Lee Highway was approached from behind by an unknown male subject. The male suspect allegedly pointed a gun to his back and demanded his personal belongings. The suspect fled the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim. The suspect was described as a black male wearing a dark colored winter hat, gray shirt, and gray pants.

Just after midnight this morning, ACPD officers were allegedly assaulted by a pair of drunk suspects outside the 7-Eleven store on Washington Blvd in Lyon Park.

Both suspects are from Woodbridge, as is a third suspect who was charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice.

ASSAULT ON POLICE OFFICER, 160418001, 2700 block of N. Washington Boulevard. At approximately 12:02 a.m. on April 18, officers were dispatched to a 7/11 in reference to multiple disorderly subjects. The investigation revealed that a male suspect exited the store with alcohol that had not been properly paid for. During the course of the investigation the subject became combative towards the responding officers, striking them numerous times. Jonathan Lopez, 23, of Woodbridge VA, was charged with assault on police officer, felony petit larceny, disorderly conduct, and drunk in public. He is being held without bond. Angie Roque, 22, of Woodbridge VA, was charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice. Warrants were obtained for Vianka Membreno, 23, of Woodbridge VA, for assault on police, disorderly conduct, and drunk in public.


Hector Olivera mug shot (photo courtesy Arlington County Sheriff's Office)Atlanta Braves outfielder Hector Olivera has been arrested and charged with assault and battery after a dispute with a woman at the team hotel in Pentagon City allegedly became physical.

The incident happened just before 7 a.m. today at the Ritz-Carlton at 1250 S. Hayes Street, next to Pentagon City mall.

Police say they were called to the hotel for a report of a woman having a dispute with a man. After they arrived officers found a woman with visible bruises, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

The woman was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for evaluation. Olivera, who is in town with the team for a series against the Washington Nationals, was taken into custody.

Late this afternoon Olivera went before an Arlington magistrate and was charged with assault and battery. His bond was set at $10,000.

Per standard Major League Baseball policy, Olivera has been placed on administrative leave, various outlets reported. Rosslyn-based WJLA first reported the story.

Here’s the statement from ACPD:

On April 13, 2016, at approximately 6:51 a.m., police responded to a dispute at the Ritz Carlton located in 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. A female victim alleged that a male suspect assaulted her. The female victim had visible bruising and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. The male suspect remained on scene and was taken into custody. Hector Olivera, 31, of Miami, FL, was charged with assault and battery and bond was set at $10,000.


(Updated at 4:10 p.m. on 12/23/21) A 35-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly exposing himself to a woman who was oblivious to the whole thing.

The incident happened just after noon on Tuesday, on the 3700 block of Wilson Blvd in Virginia Square.

Police say a man was following a woman down the street, exposing his genitals to her. The only problem: she didn’t notice. A man who did notice the indecent exposure came over and alerted the woman, who called police.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 160412028, 3700 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 12:03 p.m. on April 12, a male witnessed a male subject following a female victim and exposing his genitals to her. Yaser Mansour [Redacted], 35, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure. He is being held without bond.

Also on Wednesday, a man was robbed at knifepoint by two suspects as he was leaving a building.

The incident happened around 10:40 a.m. on the 6100 block of Wilson Blvd, near Seven Corners.

Police are still investigating the the brazen, broad daylight robbery, during which one of the suspects held a knife to the victim’s throat. At one point the man tried to flee and had his hand slashed by the knife-wielding suspect, police said.

ROBBERY, 160412025, 6100 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:40 a.m. on April 12, two unknown subjects approached a male from behind and held a knife to his throat. When the victim attempted to flee, his hand was cut with the knife. The subjects fled the scene with the victims backpack. The first suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’0″ tall. He was wearing a black hoodie and black pants. The second suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’0″ tall. He was wearing a blue hoodie, jeans, and white shoes.

On Wednesday afternoon, meanwhile, a Dumfries man was arrested in Clarendon for allegedly brandishing a gun while driving.

The gun brandishing was observed by a police officer, who at first thought the man was threatening her. She called for backup and then conducted a traffic stop.

The man said he was not brandishing the gun at the officer, but rather at the car behind him, which was following too closely, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. He was charged with brandishing a firearm near a school — since the New Directions school was located less than 1,000 feet away, on the 2800 block of Wilson Blvd, Savage said.

BRANDISHING FIREARM NEAR SCHOOL, 160412032, 3000 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on April 12, while on patrol, an officer observed a male subject brandish a firearm in his vehicle near school property. Jeffrey M. Volan, 36, of Dumfries VA, was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm near a school. He was held on an unsecured bond.


(Updated at 4:10 p.m. on 12/23/21) An Alexandria man has been arrested and charged in a road rage incident on S. Glebe Road last month.

On the afternoon of March 9, a verbal dispute between two drivers turned violent when, according to police, one of them got out of his car and smashed the other’s car window — and hand, in the process — with a bat.

Arlington County Police say 60-year-old John [Redacted] of Alexandria has been arrested in the case and charged with unlawful wounding, destruction of property and driving on a revoked license.

“The victim was struck in the hand with the bat,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. He did not sustain severe injuries and did not require transport to the hospital. The victim and another witness were able to provide detectives with information that led to the suspect’s identification.”


Tulips in bloom at the Netherland Carillon (Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber)

Rapper Arrested in Arlington — D.C. rapper Martrel Reeves, better known as Fat Trel, was arrested by Arlington County Police early Thursday morning after a traffic stop in I-395. Reeves is reportedly facing charges of DWI, narcotics distribution, speeding and driving on a revoked license. [WJLA, XXL]

APS May Hire Horticulturist — In its new budget, the Arlington School Board is considering hiring a horticulturalist — “to help us keep our trees healthy” — along with a public engagement specialists and more psychologists and social workers. [InsideNova]

Beyer Dines With Undocumented Family — Earlier this week, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) sat down for dinner with the Pintos, a local family of five that includes a set of parents who are in the U.S. illegally but eligible for the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program. Beyer is encouraging Republicans to follow suit and get to know immigrant families like the Pintos. [Think Progress]

Garvey Wants Easier Access to TR Island — County Board Chair Libby Garvey says she is committed to getting a more direct connection from Rosslyn to Roosevelt Island built. Such a connection would require a bridge over I-66 and the GW Parkway. It could potentially get built as part of the massive Rosslyn Plaza development, which was recently approved by the County Board. [InsideNova]

Congratulations to Borderstan — A big congratulations to our sister site, Borderstan, for being recognized in this year’s “Best of D.C.” list. Borderstan — which covers the Dupont, Logan and Columbia Heights communities of D.C. — was named “Best Revival,” after being relaunched last year. [Washington City Paper]

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber


Police car (file photo)Arlington County Police say the suspect in a recent, brazen armed robbery has been arrested.

On Saturday, March 12, an armed man entered the Jimmy John’s sandwich shop at 1138 N. Irving Street around 9 p.m., as the surrounding Clarendon neighborhood bustled with bar-goers.

The man pointed a gun at an employee, demanded money and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Last night, a suspect was taken into custody.

Donnell Nolan-Sharpe, 25, of D.C. was arrested in the District and has been charged with armed robbery. He is currently awaiting extradition to the Commonwealth, according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.


(Updated at 4:05 p.m. at 12/23/21) A driver who works for an Arlington towing firm was arrested Sunday morning and is now facing numerous theft and drug-related charges.

Philip [Redacted], a 35-year-old Arlington resident, was pulled over by police around 5 a.m. Sunday, on the 4000 block of Wilson Blvd in Ballston, after he was observed conducting an illegal tow by an officer, police said. Around the same time, the owner of the tow company informed police of suspicions that [Redacted] was stealing items from vehicles.

Police say they found “numerous stolen items” inside [Redacted’s] vehicle. It’s unclear whether any of the items came from cars that were being towed. Police located one of the the owners of the stolen items, whose car was broken into but not towed, said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police also performed a field sobriety test on [Redacted] and found marijuana in the vehicle, said Savage.

[Redacted] faces numerous charges, including three counts of grand larceny, one count of grand theft auto and one count of driving while intoxicated, along with possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and a civil violation for failing to inform police before performing a tow.

John O’Neill, owner of Ballston-based Advanced Towing, confirmed to ARLnow.com Monday afternoon that [Redacted] had been working for his company.

“I was alerted to suspicious activity and immediately contacted the police who were able to investigate and make an arrest within just a few minutes of my call,” O’Neill said. “For accuracy it is important to point out it is not accurate to say the suspect was performing an ‘illegal tow’ as noted in your article but was apprehended in the process of apparently stealing a car by using a tow truck. The vehicle being stolen and tampered with by the suspect… was not a vehicle subject to being towed pursuant to enforcement of parking restrictions hence it was not a legal or illegal tow.”

“The vehicle was apparently a randomly chosen by the suspect for a vehicle theft,” O’Neill added. [Redacted] no longer works for Advanced, he said.

[Redacted] has had other recent run-ins with the law in Arlington. In 2008 he was charged with possession of marijuana and an unlawful vehicle window tint. Last year he was also charged with DWI, although in January he was found guilty on an amended misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. In February he was charged with a traffic infraction for improper towing.

Police are not releasing the name of the tow company [Redacted] worked for, citing a policy against identifying the employers of those who are are arrested.


Tree in bloom in Fairlington

Arlington Man Killed in Motorcycle Accident — An Arlington man died Saturday after his motorcycle skidded out of control while he was trying to get on northbound I-395 from Route 236, near Landmark Mall in Alexandria. Altankhuyag Saintur, 26, was pronounced dead at Inova Fairfax Hospital. [Washington Post]

Firefighters Battle Blaze in Cherrydale — Arlington County firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a house fire on the 4000 block of Vacation Lane in Cherrydale early Saturday morning. No injuries were reported. [Twitter]

Shamrock Crawl Arrests — There were no major incidents during Saturday’s Shamrock Crawl in Clarendon, but nine people were arrested for drunken behavior. The Arlington County Police Department maintained a significant presence at the bar crawl — paid for by the organizers — which kept unruliness to a relative minimum. [WJLA]

Another Grocery Store for the Pike? — Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey would like to attract another food option for the western end of Columbia Pike, at least for the two years between when the Food Star store closes for construction and another grocery store opens in its place. [InsideNova]

Two Programs Planned at Arlington Mill Center — Arlington County has agreed to lease 9,400 square feet of third-floor space in the Arlington Mill Community Center to two local children’s programs: Aspire! After School Learning and Jane Franklin Dance. Aspire! will have 18 months to raise the funds to build out and lease the space, under a Letter of Intent signed with the county. [Arlington County]


Police car lightsArlington County Police have made at least one arrest in an assault and robbery that happened across from a school and a church yesterday afternoon.

Police say three men beat up and robbed someone they know on the unit block of N. Thomas Street around 2:15 p.m. Thursday. According to scanner traffic, they took electronics and left the victim in need of medical treatment.

One arrest has been reported as police continue to investigate the crime. The incident took place across the street from the Cathedral of St. Thomas More and the St. Thomas More Cathedral School.

From an ACPD crime report:

ROBBERY, 160317034, unit block of N. Thomas Street. At approximately 2:15 p.m. on March 17, three black males assaulted a known male victim and robbed him of several items of value. Timothy Bennett, 28, of Alexandria Va, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, unlawful wounding, and grand larceny. Investigation is ongoing.


(Updated at 3:4o p.m. on 12/23/21) A 42-year-old man was arrested yesterday after police say he was masturbating along the W&OD Trail, in Bluemont Park.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m., out in the open in broad daylight, with a number of people around using the park and the trail at the time. It happened near the train car, just a short distance from Ashlawn Elementary School.

A pregnant woman who was walking by called police after the man started talking to her while in the act. The man was subsequently arrested and jailed without bond.

From the Arlington County Police crime report:

OBSCENE SEXUAL DISPLAY, 160308032, 600 block of N. Manchester Street. At approximately 1:30 p.m. on March 8, a female victim was walking on the bike trail and observed a male subject masturbating. Darrell Devon [Redacted], 42, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with obscene sexual display. He is being held on no bond.


Santos Efrain Vasquez-Lopez (photo courtesy ACPD)Arlington County Police have made an arrest in the Aug. 1, 2015 sexual assault of a woman in the Buckingham neighborhood.

It was initially believed that the Aug. 1 case may have been related to another series of sexual assaults last summer. A suspect was arrested in October and charged in some of those crimes. (That suspect, Melvin Perez Bonilla, is still in jail and due in court today to face charges in a July 25 assault on N. Scott Street, police say.)

Investigators now believe that separate suspects were each responsible for a separate series of assaults.

Police say the man just taken into custody, 19-year-old Santos Efrain Vasquez-Lopez, may have also sexually assaulted women along the W&OD Trail. ACPD is asking anyone with information about him to come forward.

From a press release:

The Arlington County Police Department arrested and charged a 19 year-old subject with abduction with the intent to defile for his role in a sexual assault incident last summer. Santos Efrain Vasquez-Lopez, 19, of Arlington, VA is currently being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

The attack occurred on August 1, 2015 in the 4300 block of N. Pershing Drive at approximately 11:26 p.m. As the 25-year-old victim was walking home, the suspect grabbed her from behind and pushed her to the ground. The suspect held her down, covered her mouth, and attempted to remove her shorts. The victim was able to bite one of the suspect’s hands before he fled the area on foot.

Investigators assigned to the Tactical Unit and detectives assigned to the Special Victims Unit were able to identify a suspect matching the description provided by the victim. Police were able to secure DNA analysis results from the state lab, confirming Vasquez-Lopez’s involvement in the incident. Tactical Unit officers took Vasquez-Lopez into custody at his residence in the late evening hours of February 24, 2016.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating Vasquez-Lopez’s possible involvement in a series of assaults along the bike trail last summer and additional charges may be pending. Anyone who has information regarding this incident or concerning Vasquez-Lopez is asked to call Detective Bercovicz at 703.228.4235 or email [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).


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