arrest

Suspect Arrested After Chase Through Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Police have apprehended a suspect after a foot chase through Ballston.

Initial reports suggest that a man fled on foot from some sort of incident in Ballston Common Mall while armed with a knife. Police chased the suspect for several blocks. He was finally apprehended near Carpool restaurant (4000 Fairfax Drive).

Medics are responding to the scene to treat an injured security guard.

Update at 11:30 a.m. on 6/7/11 — The police department has released the following description of the incident.

ATTEMPT MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST, 06/06/11, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 6 at 4:25 pm, a man assaulted a mall security guard and left the area. He then returned with a knife and damaged some office items. When police first located him, he ran, but was apprehended. Deandre Davis, 30, of Arlington, was charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property and Trespassing. He was held without bond.

Waverly Hills Man Accused of Running International Drug Ring

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) An Arlington man has been arrested and accused of running an international drug ring.

Federal prosecutors say Yonis M. Ishak of Arlington was the leader of a criminal conspiracy that imported millions of grams of the illegal African drug Khat into the United States from England, Holland and Canada. Public records show that Ishak lived in an apartment on the 2000 block of N. Vermont Street in Waverly Hills.

Authorities say Ishak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia, used couriers and the postal system to distribute nearly 10,000 pounds of Khat to at least 15 states, including California, Washington, Tennessee, New York and the D.C. metro area. Ishak was arrested yesterday along with 17 alleged co-conspirators. Ten of the individuals arrested were from Northern Virginia, although Ishak was the only one from Arlington.

Khat leaves contain the drug cathinone, an addictive amphetamine-like stimulant. The leaves are chewed by users, a common practice in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The charge of conspiring to distribute the drug carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. See more information on the case here.

Crime Report: Exposure Arrests

By ARLnow.com

Two men were arrested on exposure charges in this week’s Arlington County crime report.

EXPOSURE-ARREST, 05/11/11, 1700 block of S. 14th Street. On May 11 at 5 pm, police received a call regarding a disorderly intoxicated subject. When they located the suspect, he repeatedly exposed himself to the officers through a glass door. Samuel Crews, 27, of Arlington, was charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held on a $2,500 bond.

EXPOSURE-ARREST,05/14/11, 1800 block of Wilson Boulevard. On May 14 at 1:30 pm, a man was seen exposing himself while driving a vehicle. Terry Von Hurtt, 57, of Woodbridge, was charged with Masturbating in Public. He was held on a $1,000 bond.

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

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Crime Report: Day Laborer Robbed

By ARLnow.com

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, we learn more about the suspect arrested after a series of foot chases Sunday night.

ABDUCTION-ARREST, 05/02/11, 4900 block of N. 19th Street. On May 1 at 11:15 pm, a 17 year-old female was attacked by a former acquaintance. The suspect grabbed the victim and pulled her to a wooded area where he attempted to sexually assault her. The victim managed to escape and call police. After an extensive search and several foot pursuits, police apprehended the suspect. Milton Masariego-Deleon, 22, of Arlington, was charged with Abduction with the Intent to Defile. He was held without bond.

On Tuesday night, three suspects lured a day laborer into their car, then assaulted him and stole his money and cell phone.

ROBBERY, 05/03/11, 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road. On May 3 at 5:30 pm, a man entered a vehicle under the understanding that he was being hired for manual labor. An unknown female drove the car, and two unknown men were inside. The men then assaulted the subject and stole his cell phone and cash. The victim managed to flee the area. The suspects were all African American. The female was in her early 30’s, wore a purple top and had long hair. The first male suspect was in his late 20’s, 6’3″ with a skinny build. He was clean cut and wore a red and white short-sleeve shirt, black pants and black sunglasses. The second suspect was in his mid-30’s, 6’3″ with a chubby build. He had a goatee and wore a blue and red t-shirt and black pants.

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

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Police Arrest Suspect After Foot Pursuit Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:10 a.m.) A U.S. Park Police helicopter helped Arlington County police search for a suspect near Ballston tonight.

Police were investigating a possible attempted sexual assault just before midnight when a man took off running. After police lost track of him, the helicopter and a K-9 unit were called in to help search a neighborhood just west of Ballston Common Mall.

Around 12:50 a.m., police located the suspect, who took off running again. Officers were able to catch up with him and take him into custody outside the church at N. Carlin Springs Road and N. Thomas Street.

Photo courtesy @navidsm

Crime Report: Eluding Police, Temporarily

By ARLnow.com

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, a woman is accused of speeding around a police cruiser, with her hazard lights on, for no apparent reason. The officer tried to stop the vehicle but did not pursue it when the woman refused to pull over, per department policy, according to police. While doing a search of the area, however, police say the woman’s SUV was found parked in the middle of a busy street with music blaring. The woman was not in the car — she was allegedly found in a nearby office building.

(This item removed on 10/3/11, by request, due to outcome of trial.)

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Head of Signature Collection Firm Indicted on Felony Charges

By ARLnow.com

Less than two months after two of his employees pleaded guilty to charges stemming from last year’s change-of-government petition drive in Arlington, political strategist Shawn Wilmoth has been indicted on two felony counts of election fraud.

Wilmoth was the president of Signature Masters, the firm that was contracted to collect signatures for last year’s unsuccessful attempt to change Arlington’s form of government. The petition drive was sponsored largely by Arlington’s police and fire unions.

Two of Wilmoth’s signature collectors, Cheryl Simmons and William Cockerham, pleaded guilty to election fraud charges in February. State law specifies that petition signatures must be witnessed by someone who is at least eligible to register to vote. As convicted felons, neither Simmons nor Cockerham were eligible.

In a statement of fact entered as part of Simmons’ guilty plea, prosecutors said that Simmons told Wilmoth that she had been convicted of a felony before she was hired. Nonetheless, prosecutors say Wilmoth hired Simmons to collect signatures at a fee of $3 per signature. Later, when news reports revealed that Simmons was a felon, Wilmoth told the Washington Post that Simmons had passed a background check.

“It was an issue with the background-check company we are dealing with,” he told the paper.

Prosecutors said most of the 55 petitions pages that Simmons signed as a witness were handed to her by Wilmoth at a local Starbucks. Only a few pages, prosecutors said, contained signatures she had actually collected.

An Arlington grand jury handed down an indictment for Wilmoth on March 28. A warrant was then issued for his arrest. He was arrested Friday afternoon in Warren, Mich., according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Andy Parker. Lt. Eric Schulz of the Warren Police Department confirmed Wilmoth’s arrest and said he was likely being held at the nearby Macomb County Jail.

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ICE Makes 11 Arrests in Arlington As Part of N. Va. Sweep

By ARLnow.com

A three-day sweep of Northern Virgina by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents resulted in 163 arrests, including 11 in Arlington County.

Of those arrested, 130 were described as aliens with criminal records who were previously convicted of crimes including rape, assault, burglary and narcotics possession. ICE also arrested eight fugitives and three individuals accused of re-entering the United States after a previous deportaiton.

Of the 11 individuals arrested in Arlington, one was a man described as a 39-year-old Ecuadorian national and legal permanent resident of the United States.

“His previous criminal convictions include three counts of contributing to delinquency of minor, assault and battery against a family or household member, grand larceny and receiving stolen property, and statutory rape of a child between 13 and 15 years of age,” authorities said. “He was taken into ICE custody pending a hearing before an immigration judge.”

“We are a nation with a proud history of immigration. If you come here lawfully, work hard, and play by the rules, the United States welcomes you with open arms,” ICE Director John Morton said in a statement today. “For those who come here unlawfully and commit crimes at the expense of their neighbors and their communities, we will not rest until we find you and send you home.”

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell also lauded the raids.

“Once again through our working relationship with ICE, Virginia has had the opportunity to continue to safeguard its communities from convicted criminals,” McDonnell said.

ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams were assisted by various local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Secret Service, Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Police, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Arlington County Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal said the department was notified about the pending arrests, but did not participate.

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Arrest Made in Murder of Rosslyn Resident

By ARLnow.com

An arrest has been made in the murder of Jayna Murray, the Rosslyn resident found dead in a Bethesda yoga store last Saturday.

Charging documents say Murray’s Lululemon store coworker, 28-year-old Brittany Norwood, stabbed and beat her to death, then tried to cover up the crime. Norwood, who was found tied up in a bathroom, initially told detectives that two men wearing gloves and masks forced their way into the store and assaulted them. Norwood was arrested on Friday and charged with first degree murder after police found evidence that allegedly conflicted with Norwood’s story.

Norwood was a standout soccer player at Decatur High School, near Seattle, and at Stony Brook University in New York. The Washington Post reports that Montgomery County authorities are investigating whether Murray may have been killed after Norwood was accused of stealing merchandise.

Updated on 3/22/11 — ABC7 is reporting that Norwood may have been suspected of stealing from another Lululemon store before being transferred to the Bethesda store.

Randy Realtor Charged With Unlawful Entry

By ARLnow.com

A real estate agent has been arrested after Arlington County police say he solicited the services of a prostitute inside a vacant, for-sale home.

Springfield, Va. resident Dennis [REDACTED], 55, was charged with unlawful entry and solicitation of prostitution after being apprehended on the 3700 block of South 2nd Street on Friday, March 11. Cops say they were tipped off when someone called to report a suspicious vehicle next to the home.

“Police were alerted when people saw a car in the driveway that did not belong there,” said police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.

Nosal said that [REDACTED] was not the “listing agent” on the home, but had access via a key box on the door.

[REDACTED] has 24 years of real estate experience and is noted for his “award winning service,” according to a profile on the Coldwell Banker web site. He was held on a $5,000 bond.

The arrest was listed in this week’s Arlington County crime report.

Arrest Made in Ballston Hit-and-Run

By ARLnow.com

A Fairfax man has been arrested and charged in a hit-and-run accident that seriously injured a 22-year-old woman in Ballston.

The accident happened just after midnight on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010. Police said the woman was trying to cross Fairfax Drive near the Ballston Metro station when she was struck by a dark-colored vehicle that then sped away. The woman was taken to the local hospital in serious condition.

Police say they used debris left at the scene to charge 24-year-old John Christopher Reynolds of Fairfax with Felony Hit and Run.

Reynolds’ Facebook page says he studied psychology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University and has been working as a “leadership consultant” for the Kappa Delta Rho national fraternity.

He is currently being held at the Arlington County Detention Center.

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department

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