arrest

Man Whispers Bad Words at Goodwill

By ARLnow.com

A man is in jail after police say he touched a woman inappropriately and whispered dirty things in her ear at a store on Glebe Road.

The alleged incident happened at the Goodwill store on S. Glebe Road this past Friday afternoon. Police say the victim was shopping inside the store around 4:30 p.m when a man approached her, grabbed her buttocks, and “whispered vulgar comments in her ear.”

“The suspect was holding the victim against him for several minutes until the victim was able to break free,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Police located the suspect nearby. Laurence Allan Watkins, 40, of no fixed address was arrested and charged with abduction and sexual battery. He was held without bond.”

File photo

Man Arrested for Yorktown High School Sex Assault

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:55 p.m. on 12/23/21) A 34-year-old Arlington man has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl on the Yorktown High School track.

The alleged incident happened around 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday. According to police, the man (described as having a “muscular build”) touched the girl’s buttocks as she was jogging around the track. He also blew her kisses and said “hey baby,” according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The girl is a student at Yorktown but was not participating in a school activity at the time of the incident, Sternbeck said.

Acting on a hunch — the suspect was said to frequent the track area and has been known to approach female joggers — an Arlington police officer stopped by the school around 6:45 last night.

The officer spotted a man fitting the suspect’s description near the track, then observed him hop a fence and urinate on a tree in a wooded area, Sternbeck said. The man was arrested and the victim’s mother was able to positively ID him on scene, according to Sternbeck.

Anibal [redacted], 34, has been charged with sexual assault and urinating in public, Sternbeck said. He’s currently being held at the Arlington County Detention Facility.

“This is an example of how the Arlington County Police Department is dedicated to keeping a safe community,” Deputy Police Chief Daniel Murray told ARLnow.com. “Individuals committing crimes of this nature in Arlington will be held accountable for their actions.”

Police: Man Upset With Loud Party Fires Gunshot

By ARLnow.com

A man who was “irritated with loud noise from a party” fired a gunshot into the air when some party-goers approached him, according to an Arlington County Police crime report.

The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21, on the 3000 block of S. Randolph Street in Shirlington.

The man, who was intoxicated, was upset that a “drinking party” in his apartment building was making a ruckus, even after he asked the party-goers to quiet down, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Frustrated, the man began filming the party with his cell phone from the building’s courtyard.

Four people from the party then approached the man, according to Sternbeck. Feeling “threatened,” the man took out a pistol from his waistband and fired a single gunshot into the air, Sternbeck said; the party-goers scattered, and the man placed the gun on the ground waited for police to arrive. Nobody was injured.

Patrick John Kelley, 32, was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm and reckless handling of a firearm. He was held on a secured bond.

The shell casing from the shot was found, but the bullet was not recovered, Sternbeck said.

Man Arrested for August Stabbing Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington man has been arrested for a brutal daylight stabbing near Clarendon in August.

Police say 28-year-old Elin Daniel Reyes of Arlington stabbed a man outside the Pio Pio restaurant at 3300 Wilson Boulevard on Thursday, Aug. 9. Reyes has been charged with malicious wounding and robbery. He’s expected to be arraigned later this week.

The charges are the result of an “extensive investigation,” police say. Reyes has been held at the Arlington County Detention Facility on a probation violation since Oct. 18, according to an Arlington County Police Department press release.

As reported in August, the victim of Reyes’ alleged crime was stabbed numerous times in the hands, shoulder, front, back and arms. His injuries were described as life-threatening at the time. The brutal stabbing occurred after the victim gave chase when he saw his car being broken in to.

Photo (above) courtesy ACPD. Warning: Readers may find one of the photos below disturbing.

 

Crime Report: Stolen iPhone Tracked Via GPS

By ARLnow.com

A iPhone’s remote GPS tracking feature saved the day for a burglary victim last weekend.

The incident started when a resident of a house invited a woman inside for a drink early Sunday morning, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. After the woman left, one or more of the home’s residents noticed items missing, including an iPhone. The victim called police and used a GPS tracking feature to point police to the whereabouts of the stolen iPhone.

Police went to the address provided by the victim and found the stolen items, according to Sternbeck. The suspect confessed on the scene, he said.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

BURGLARY, 10/07/12, 1300 block of S. Queen Street. Between 3:30 and 8 am on October 7, a subject entered a victim’s residence and stole numerous items, including credit cards, laptop, playstation 3, cash and an iPhone. The suspect was located through the stolen iPhone GPS tracker. Carole Jean Jamison, 40, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with burglary, grand larceny and larceny of credit cards.

Also on this week’s crime report, police say a man tried to rob the 7-Eleven store on the 200 block of S. Glebe Road, only to have his efforts to grab crash from the register foiled by the store’s clerk. Frustrated by his failed robbery attempt, the man proceeded to “trash” the store, destroying merchandise and throwing things to the ground, according to Sternbeck.

“He was knocking over everything,” Sternbeck said.

The man was arrested thanks in part to the fact that the clerk locked the exits from the store, trapping the suspect inside.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 10/06/12, 200 block of S. Glebe Road. On October 6 at 2:49 am, a subject entered a 7-11 convenience store and attempted to get inside the cash register. A physical altercation ensues with the store clerk and the subject proceeds to destroy the merchandise and items throughout the store while trapped inside. Police arrive on scene and take Darryl Dwight Forrest, 31, of no fixed address into custody. He is charged with attempted robbery, destruction of property, assault and battery and providing false identification to police. He was held without bond.

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

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Police: Would-Be Rapist Stopped By Alert Officer

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:20 p.m. on 12/23/21) Arlington County Police say one of their officers stopped an attempted rape in progress near Drew Model Elementary School in Nauck last night.

The incident happened just before 11:00 yesterday (Monday) night. The officer was walking in the Nauck neighborhood when he heard a woman screaming for help. Using a flashlight, the officer located a man with his pants unbuttoned, attempting to rape a female victim in a wooded area on the 3500 block of 23rd Street S., in the area of the school and the Drew Community Center, according to police.

Dumfries, Va. resident Kenneth [redacted], 34, was arrested and charged with attempted rape. He’s being held without bond.

According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, [redacted] met the woman at a nearby bus stop, asked her for a cigarette, and started talking to her, before throwing her to the ground and attempting to rape her. The woman had a “busted lip” but did not require medical treatment, Sternbeck said.

Fugitive With Bullet Wound to Foot Arrested at Hospital

By ARLnow.com

A wanted Maryland man was arrested at Virginia Hospital Center last week after he showed up with a bullet wound to his foot.

The incident happened just before 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The man was found on the ground at the hospital’s Emergency Room entrance, with a gunshot wound to his right foot, according to a police report. He was brought inside and treated by hospital staff.

When police showed up to interview the man, he refused to provide information about what happened. It was at that point that a fingerprint scan revealed that the man was actually a fugitive wanted for a crime in the District of Columbia.

Police arrested 22-year-old Isaiah Green of Capitol Heights, Md. As of last week he was being held without bond and was awaiting extradition.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Busted for Meth Lab Worked for USA Today — One of the men arrested in connection with a suspected meth lab in a Virginia Square apartment building used to be a journalist who was regularly published in USA Today. Leonard Fischer, 44, was formerly a technology reporter for Gannett News Service. [Jim Romenesko, Kenneth in the 212]

Arlington Unemployment Rate Declines — Arlington still has the lowest unemployment rate in Virginia. Arlington’s jobless rate dipped from 3.7 percent in June to 3.5 percent in July, according to newly-released data. The average in Virginia is 6 percent, and the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent. [Sun Gazette]

Outdoor Movie Lineup Announced — Crystal City’s lineup of outdoor movies for 2013 has been announced. The series — with the theme of “Blockbusters” — will kick of with E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial on June 3, 2013 and will wrap up with Jurassic Park on Aug. 26, 2013. The lineup was chosen via online vote by members of the public. [Crystal City]

Crime Report: Accusations Lead to Roommate Fight

By ARLnow.com

 

A man is in jail after allegedly beating up his roommate over money.

The incident happened yesterday (Tuesday) evening in the Nauck neighborhood. Police say a knife-wielding man beat up his roommate after accusing the victim of stealing several hundred dollars. Police responded and swarmed the area when a neighbor called police to report seeing the victim bleeding and hunched over outside the house, with the suspect standing by him with a knife in hand.

The victim — who wasn’t actually stabbed, according to police — was treated and released for minor injuries.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 08/21/12, 3600 block of S. Kemper Road. On August 21 at 4:35 pm, two roommates got into a dispute over money and a physical altercation ensued. One of the roommates pulled a knife and beat up the victim roommate, who had to be transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Jose Alejandro Mendez Cruz, 19, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding. He was held without bond.

On Sunday morning, meanwhile, a suspect cut a hole in the metal security gate of a Pentagon City store and stole $28 in loose change. Police say the suspect could have gotten away with much more — $700 in cash was sitting next to one of the registers.

BURGLARY, 08/20/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. Between 9:40 pm on August 19 and 9:40 am on August 20, an unknown subject(s) cut a hole in a metal security gate and entered a business, opting to steal approximately $28 in loose change instead of the $700 in cash next to the register. There is no suspect(s) description.

The rest of this weeks’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.

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James Sylvester Caroline Charged With Murder

By ARLnow.com

The suspect in the death of Columbia Pike jewelry store owner Tommy Wong has been formally charged with murder.

Washington D.C. resident James Sylvester Caroline, 53, is being held without bond at the Arlington County jail on the murder charge and on a separate probation violation charge. He was arrested on the Arlington/Alexandria line during a traffic stop on Wednesday afternoon. Police say the arrest was the result of dogged police work and inter-agency cooperation.

“Through round the clock police work, this individual was located and taken into custody in a timely manner,” said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, who was unable to reveal any other details about the crime or the investigation.

Wong was killed during an armed robbery at his store — Capital Jewelers at 3219 Columbia Pike — on the afternoon of Friday, July 27. At a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, friends and family members described Wong as a kind and gentle man who worked hard to serve customers and provide for his family.

UPDATED: Police Arrest Suspect in Pike Homicide

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of Columbia Pike jewelry shop owner Tommy Wong.

Police say the suspect, 53-year-old Southeast D.C. resident James Sylvester Caroline, was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. He’s being held at the Arlington County jail for a probation violation, but charges are expected to be filed against him in Wong’s death.

(Update on 8/3/12: Caroline has been formally charged with murder.)

Wong was killed during a robbery at the Capital Jewelers store at 3219 Columbia Pike on the afternoon of Friday, July 27. Friends, family and residents held a candlelight vigil for Wong last night.

A law enforcement source tells ARLnow.com that Caroline was arrested during a traffic stop on the 4300 block of King Street, on the Arlington/Alexandria line. The arrest, we’re told, was the result of “round the clock” work by numerous Arlington detectives and police officers.

Caroline’s long criminal record in Virginia includes charges of grand larceny and probation violation in 1994, failure to appear in court in 1998 and 1999, and credit card theft and fraud in 2005. Caroline is also currently being investigated for a jewelry store robbery in D.C., in which the suspect was caught on surveillance video wearing the same yellow vest as the suspect in the Columbia Pike homicide.

Police issued the following press release about Caroline’s arrest:

Charges are expected to be brought forward on a 52 year-old DC man for his role in a recent jewelry store homicide in Arlington County.

Wednesday afternoon, the Arlington County Police Department arrested James Sylvester Caroline, 52, of Washington, D.C. for probation violation. He is currently being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility. Additional charges are expected to be brought forward on Caroline in relation to the July 27, 2012 jewelry store homicide that resulted in the death of 52 year-old Tommy Wong.

Details on the arrest and the investigation will not be released at this time.

The Arlington County Police Department would like to recognize the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Police Department for their assistance that led to capture of Caroline. Additionally, Arlington County Police want to extend an appreciation to the community for their support and efforts by providing numerous tips over the past several days.

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