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ACPD Announces Big Pot Bust

Published February 26, 2016 at 4:10PM | Updated February 26, 2016 at 4:30PM

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department says two arrests have been made in connection to a “large-scale” marijuana distribution network in the area.

In a press release, below, ACPD said the network sent parcels filled with marijuana from California to businesses and homes in the D.C. area. Thus far those businesses have not been identified, though police say warrants were executed at “various businesses and residences throughout the region.”

Two suspects — Dat T. Ngo and Kien V. Luong — have been arrested. Ngo was taken into custody at a nail salon in a Bethesda shopping center, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Drugs were seized from his vehicle, Bethesda Beat reported, citing a witness account.

Luong was arrested in Los Angeles, where he lives, and is awaiting extradition.

“This is an ongoing and active investigation [spanning] multiple states,” Savage said. “It’s likely we’ll see additional arrests in the future.”

From ACPD:

In August 2015, a joint investigation was initiated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Arlington County Police Department regarding the importation of marijuana into the Washington Metropolitan Region. As a result of this intensive investigation, a large-scale distribution network was identified as sending parcels from California to businesses in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Dat T. Ngo, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested by Montgomery County Police on an outstanding Arlington County warrant. Subsequent to his arrest, search warrants were executed at various businesses and residences throughout the region. The Northern Virginia Financial Initiative with Washington/Baltimore HIDTA also provided assistance. Search warrants were also executed in the State of California with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Kien V. Luong of Los Angeles, CA, was arrested on an outstanding Arlington County warrant and was being held at the Los Angeles County Jail awaiting extradition to the Commonwealth.

Man Arrested for Strolling Down Street Naked Thursday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Published February 26, 2016 at 11:35AM

A man who allegedly took a stroll down S. Harrison Street sans clothing yesterday morning was arrested and now faces a pair of criminal charges.

Police say 55-year-old Donald Lee Duncan was spotted walking naked along the 800 block of S. Harrison Street, in the Arlington Mill neighborhood, around 10 a.m.

Duncan, an Arlington resident, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and being drunk in public.

File photo

Police: Man Robs 7-Eleven, Arrested Two Days Later Trying to Rob Another

By ARLnow.com

Published February 18, 2016 at 4:55PM

An alert Arlington County police officer may have prevented a repeat convenience store robber from striking again.

Police say the officer saw a vehicle driving with its lights off just before 1 a.m. this morning (Thursday) in Lyon Park. The officer then saw a man running from the 7-Eleven parking lot at 2704 Washington Blvd, toward the car. The man was stopped and a black ski mask was found in his possession.

Police believe the man, 21-year-old Arlington resident Camron Richards, was about to rob the 7-Eleven when another car pulled into the parking lot, spooking him. He was charged with attempted robbery in connection with the incident.

Arlington police have also charged Richards with the robbery of a 7-Eleven on S. Carlin Springs Road, near Kenmore Middle School, on Tuesday afternoon. During that robbery, a suspect wearing a black ski mask used force to steal cash.

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said there have been a series of 7-Eleven robberies across Northern Virginia recently, prompting an FBI investigation.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 18, 2016 at 9:45AM

Widening Critics Still Questioning I-66 Deal — “Widening the highway for four miles from Beltway to Ballston will not relieve traffic congestion, according to every expert I’ve spoken to,” writes WAMU transportation reporter Martin Di Caro, regarding the I-66 deal struck by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette, meanwhile, says the overall plan for tolling I-66 is worth the compromise. [Twitter, WAMU]

Arlington Probably Won’t Sue Over I-395 HOT Lanes — After mounting an expensive legal battle over a plan by Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) administration to convert the HOV lanes on I-395 to High Occupancy Toll lanes, Arlington appears poised to accept a similar HOT lane plan by VDOT and the McAuliffe administration. There are some key differences between the two proposals, observers say. [Greater Greater Washington]

Arlington Man Arrested in D.C. Cold Case — Arlington resident Benito Valdez, 45, has been arrested and charged with an alleged accomplice in a 1991 triple homicide cold case in the District. [Associated Press]

Lee Highway Plan Comments Extended — The public comment period for the Lee Highway Visioning Study has been extended to March 31. [Arlington County]

Chamber Concert in Lyon Park This Weekend — On Saturday, IBIS Chamber Music will hold a free concert of chamber music in the newly-renovated Lyon Park Community Center (414 N. Fillmore Street). The concert will start at 7:30 p.m. and feature music by Schubert, Beethoven and Debussy. [ARLnow]

Local Resident’s Cat Story Appears in Book — A story by Arlington resident April Riser is featured in the new book, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Cat,” according to a PR rep for the publisher.

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Man Arrested After Alleged Robbery Attempt in Clarendon Tuesday Afternoon

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2016 at 2:30PM

A 22-year-old D.C. man is in custody after police say he tried, unsuccessfully, to rob two women of their purses in broad daylight in Clarendon.

The alleged crime happened around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, on the 2900 block of Clarendon Blvd, near the Cheesecake Factory.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 160209041, 2900 block of N. Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 3:28 p.m. on February 9, a male subject blocked the path of two females and demanded their purses. The suspect implied he had a weapon in his jacket. The victims fled and the suspect was later apprehended down the road. Michael William Lewis, 22, of Washington DC, was arrested and charged with attempted robbery. He is being held without bond.

State Police Chase Ends With Wreck in East Falls Church

By ARLnow.com

Published January 15, 2016 at 8:50AM

For the second time in two months, a police chase from I-66 has ended in East Falls Church.

The vehicle pursuit began around 2:45 a.m., when a Virginia State Police trooper pulled over a Nissan Xterra that was heading east on I-66 at a high rate of speed.

“During the course of the traffic stop, the Nissan fled from the trooper and headed east on I-66. The suspect vehicle took Exit 68 and the trooper lost sight of it,” according to a VSP press release. “As the Nissan came through the exit ramp, it ran off the road, went through a fence, struck a tree and then an unoccupied vehicle in a parking lot. The driver then fled the scene on foot.”

Arlington County and Fairfax County police helped to search for the driver, who was apprehended just before 4 a.m. after being found “behind a trash can” at the East Falls Church Metro station.

The man, 21-year-old Artis Thomas, Jr. of Washington, D.C., was taken into custody “without further incident” and locked up in the Arlington County Detention Center. He was charged with ” DUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs), felony eluding law enforcement, possession of a concealed weapon, hit-and-run, and possession of marijuana,” according to VSP.

Police say they recovered a handgun from Thomas’ vehicle.

Man Arrested, Charged in Two Arlington Bank Robberies

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2016 at 4:40PM

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with two recent bank robberies in Arlington.

Nathaniel Moone, 45, was taken into custody this past Friday evening by Metro Transit Police, at the Eastern Market Metro station in D.C.

Police say Moone was the man who tried to rob a Wells Fargo bank in Rosslyn on Dec. 30, but fled before receiving any money. He later successfully robbed the Wells Fargo across from Costco in Pentagon City this past Thursday, Jan. 7.

Moone was identified by detectives following the Jan. 7 robbery and arrested the next day.

The full press release from the Arlington County Police Department:

A bank robbery suspect was taken into custody by the Metro Transit Police Department. Nathaniel Howard Moone, 45, of no fixed address, was arrested during the evening of January 8, 2015 as he exited the Eastern Market Metro station. Moone was charged with bank robbery and attempted bank robbery and is currently being held pending extradition.

At approximately 4:48 pm on December 30, 2015, the Arlington County Emergency Communications Center was alerted of an attempted bank robbery that had just taken place at the Wells Fargo, located in the 1300 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. The subject attempted to rob the bank by passing a note to the teller but became frustrated and fled the scene on foot.

At approximately 10:10 am on January 7, 2016, the Arlington County Emergency Communications Center was alerted of a bank robbery that had just taken place at the Wells Fargo, located in the 1400 block of S. Fern Street. The subjected entered the bank and handed a teller a note that demanded money. The teller gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money and the subject fled on foot. The suspect remained at-large for a little over twenty-four hours.

“Our detectives were able to identify this suspect in a timely manner as a direct result of our outstanding relationship and the ability to share resources with our partners at Metro Transit Police Department,” comments Daniel J. Murray, Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations Division for Arlington County Police Department.

Long Rap Sheet for Man Charged With Sexual Battery on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2016 at 10:50AM

A 30-year-old man arrested for sexual battery and public drunkenness on Columbia Pike Monday has been arrested for being drunk in public at least 19 times since July 2011.

Nahome Gebrekidan, of no fixed address, was arrested Monday afternoon on the western end of Columbia Pike in Arlington.

Police say a woman was walking down the street just before 4:00 p.m., when she passed a man later identified as Gebrekidan.

“After they passed one another, she felt a hand go between her legs, touching her genitals over her jeans,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The suspect did not say anything to the victim and continued to walk westbound on Columbia Pike.”

Gebrekidan has been charged with sexual battery and being drunk in public. His next court date is scheduled for Feb. 5.

Court records show that Gebrekidan has been charged with being drunk in public 18 times in Fairfax County and Alexandria alone, over the past four and a half years. He has also faced minor charges like trespassing and disorderly conduct in those jurisdictions.

Police: Lobbyist Threatened to Kill Computer Technician

By ARLnow.com

Published December 29, 2015 at 1:00PM | Updated June 27, 2016 at 12:05PM

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) A lobbyist has been charged after allegedly threatening to kill a technician who was fixing his computer.

The incident happened around 11 a.m. Monday, at the suspect’s house on the 2700 block of S. Grove Street in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood, near Crystal City.

Police say 50-year-old Joseph N. Mondello “refused to let a computer technician leave the residence until his computer was fixed.” Mondello also “allegedly had a gun in his possession and threatened to kill the victim,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

Mondello, who’s a registered lobbyist, was charged with abduction by force or intimidation and use of a firearm in a felony, according to court records. The abduction charge can carry a sentence of anything from a couple of months in jail to up to 10 years in prison.

According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, Mondello had a previous “run in” with another computer technician, but that encounter did not escalate to the degree of this latest incident.

File photo

Man Arrested for Doing Lines of Cocaine Off of Table at Clarendon Pizza Shop

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2015 at 12:45PM | Updated December 21, 2015 at 1:34PM

A man was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly doing lines of cocaine off of a table at Goody’s restaurant in Clarendon.

The incident happened just before 3 a.m. Police say 26-year-old William Donovan of Vienna, Va. was sitting by himself at a table in the tiny pizzeria, snorting cocaine. A uniformed Arlington County police officer who was standing nearby witnessed the alleged drug use and went to arrest Donovan.

At that point Donovan, who police say was highly intoxicated, defiantly said something to the effect of “I’m going home tonight,” and took a “fighting stance,” according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Donovan began kicking and punching the officer, prompting a witness to jump in and help restrain him while additional officers sped to the scene, Sternbeck said.

Donovan was charged with possession of cocaine, two counts of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, according to Sternbeck, and is being held without bond.

He “eventually apologized while being transported to jail,” Sternbeck noted.

Two Arrested Following Shooting Near Pentagon City Mall and Police Chase

By ARLnow.com

Published December 18, 2015 at 5:15PM | Updated December 19, 2015 at 12:04AM

(Updated at 11:55 p.m.) Two suspects are in custody after leading Arlington County Police on a vehicle pursuit through the District of Columbia, following a shooting near the Pentagon City mall.

The alleged road rage incident happened around 3:10 p.m., at the 15th Street South exit of the mall’s parking lot. NBC 4 reported that a driver was having trouble using a credit card to exit from one of the gates. The driver was trying to get the car behind to let them reverse out, when someone in that car fired a gunshot in the air.

Witnesses called 911 and reported the shooting, describing the suspect vehicle as white in color with D.C. tags

A car matching the description given to police was spotted by an officer on I-395. That led to a pursuit across the 14th Street Bridge into D.C., near the National Mall, and back on I-395 before ending at 3rd and F Streets NW, near the Third Street Tunnel, where the suspects bailed out and took off running.

Arlington police, aided by D.C. police, were able to chase and apprehend both suspects, according to ACPD spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm.

Reginald Carroll, a 21-year-old D.C. resident, has been charged with willfully discharging a firearm in public and felony eluding. Calvin Pelzer, also 21 years old and from D.C., has been charged with discharging a firearm and obstruction of justice.

The suspects threw a gun out of the window during the vehicle pursuit, Malcolm said. It was recovered along I-395 near the GW Parkway.

Arlington County Police normally don’t engage in car chases, but department policy specifies that such pursuits are authorized for violent crimes involving firearms, “for the safety of the community,” according to Malcolm.

No one was reported injured in the shooting. As of early Friday evening, investigators were still looking for bullet casings and other evidence near the scene. They’re also trying to find other witnesses as well as the other driver involved, who fled after the shooting.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Malcolm said.