arrest

Serial Stabbing Suspect Was Arrested, Released in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

The man suspected in the stabbing deaths of five people was arrested and later released in Arlington last week, the Arlington County Police Department has confirmed.

Elias Abuelazam, 33, was pulled over for a traffic violation on the 1100 block of South Walter Reed Drive early Thursday morning, according to police spokesperson Crystal Nosal. After Abuelazam’s information was run through a computer database, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for simple assault in Leesburg.

He was booked and a mug shot was taken. A magistrate then released him on his own personal recognisance, police said.

The Washington Post reports that Abuelazam is suspected in a stabbing that occurred in Leesburg later that morning.

Abuelazam was arrested at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport last night while reportedly trying to flee to Israel. He is suspected in at least 20 stabbings in Michigan, Ohio and Northern Virginia. Five of those attacks were fatal.

Abuelazam lived in Leesburg as recently as one year ago, according to ABC 7.

Police Identify Standoff Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Police have identified the suspect in this morning’s standoff in Douglas Park as 58-year-old Thomas Amshey.

Amshey is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Center. He has been charged with assault, brandishing a firearm and obstruction of justice.

Amshey surrendered to police at 11:20 this morning, following a 16-hour standoff that involved dozens of police officers and culminated with SWAT team members launching tear grenade cannisters into Amshey’s home.

See the police press release on the incident, after the jump.

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Metro Employee Fired After Pentagon City Incident

By ARLnow.com

A Metro track maintenance employee has been fired after being charged with being drunk in public and assaulting two police officers at the Pentagon City Metro station, a WMATA spokesperson has confirmed. The Washington Examiner first reported tonight that the employee “was terminated, effective June 30.”

The incident happened on Thursday, June 10. ARLnow.com reported exclusively that the employee was pepper sprayed and taken into custody by Metro Transit Police after allegedly struggling with officers. At one point, an empty glass bottle was pulled out of the man’s pocket.

Officers first confronted the man after he “appeared to be unsteady on his feet around 5:15 p.m.,” Metro said in a statement after the incident. He had been an employee with Metro since 2006.

Like any union member fired by Metro, the man will have an opportunity to file a grievance to appeal the decision. Two fired Metro bus drivers were reinstated last month after filing grievances.

EXCLUSIVE: Metro Employee Pepper Sprayed, Arrested At Pentagon City Station

By ARLnow.com

An employee with Metro’s Track and Structures/Systems Maintenance Department was arrested by Metro Transit Police at the Pentagon City Metro station Thursday night, a Metro spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow.com this morning.

“MTPD officers on patrol at the station observed a man who appeared to be unsteady on his feet around 5:15 p.m,” Metro spokesperson Ron Holzer said in an statement. “The man began to run as the officers approached. He then struggled with the officers when they apprehended him… He was charged with being drunk in public and impeding an officer with force (assault).”

The employee was off-duty at the time of his arrest, according to Holzer. He was in his uniform but “his shift had ended many hours before his arrest.”

The man was pepper sprayed during the struggle with police. At that point Arlington paramedics were called to evaluate him. After he was evaluated, officers could be seen pulling an empty glass bottle from the employee’s back pocket.

The man, who has not been identified, has been working for Metro since December 2006, Holzer said.

He could be overheard yelling as police officers surrounded him on a public sidewalk near the Pentagon Centre shopping center.

“I’ve been arrested so many times it’s hilarious,” he said at one point.

Two Arrested in Gunston Middle School Break-In

By ARLnow.com

Two people were taken into custody early Monday morning during an apparent break-in at Gunston Middle School.

A police officer arrested the pair at gunpoint after responding to the school on a routine call for a tripped motion detector. The officer first spotted a broken window then encountered the suspects inside.

Initial reports suggest the suspects may have been attempting to steal laptops from the school’s library.

Police Use Taser on Man in Columbia Pike Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Police used a Taser on a man in the parking lot of the Arlington Coin Laundry store just before midnight last night. It’s the first known use of a Taser by Arlington officers since the April 30 incident at a Columbia Pike apartment building where a man died after being Tasered by police.

This latest incident happened at 4821 Columbia Pike, just down the road from April’s incident. Police had been called to the location for a report of intoxicated men trying to break into the laundromat. Shortly after police arrived an officer reported that a Taser had been used on one suspect.

Paramedics were sent to the scene immediately afterward to assess the man’s condition. They left after apparently not finding any life-threatening side effects from the electric jolt.

So far it’s not known what the man did to provoke police. It’s also not known whether he will face any charges.

Crime Report: Shooting Arrest

By ARLnow.com

From this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report we highlight this case of a man who was shot near the Green Valley Pharmacy during an argument.

Police were first alerted to the shooting when the man was dropped off at the Virginia Hospital Center ER with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. After a short investigation, police were able to find and arrest the suspect — which wasn’t too hard because he was still hanging out near where the shooting occurred.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 05/10/10, 2400 block of S. Shirlington Road. On May 9 at 11:50 pm, two men argued and one man shot the other in the leg. Police located the suspect. Michael Nash, 57, of no fixed address was charged with Malicious Wounding, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted felon. He was held without bond.

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

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Former Youth Soccer Coach Arrested For Sex Crimes

By ARLnow.com

A former youth soccer coach has been arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a boy. Police have released his name and photo in hopes of identifying additional victims.

Arlington police arrested 47-year-old Luis Hoil yesterday and charged him with Forcible Sodomy. He’s being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Center.

Investigators say Hoil sexually assaulted a juvenile male between 1999 and 2001. Hoil was the coach of the Crystal City Soccer Club from 1998 to 2003. The club serves students of Oakridge Elementary and Gunston Middle schools.

Hoil has lived in Arlington for the past 20 years, police said. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703-228-4242.

Afternoon Notes: Armed Robbery Arrest, Animal Cruelty Bill

By ARLnow.com

Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested — A man who’s suspected in three armed robberies in Arlington, and at least 15 throughout Northern Virginia, has been apprehended. Eugene Athony Thomas, 24, was arrested in Fairfax County on Monday after a joint investigation by Fairfax and Arlington County police. More from the Falls Church News-Press.

Parks Dept. Creating “Arlingtonopoly” Game — The county’s parks and recreation department is creating a “Monopoly” knock-off called “Arlingtonopoly.” Local landmarks and businesses (who fork over several hundred dollars) will substitute for Boardwalk, Park Place and rest of the original board game’s familiar properties. More from the Sun Gazette.

FBR Reports Lower-Than-Expected Loss — Rosslyn-based investment bank FBR Capital Markets reported a loss of $8.3 million, or 13 cents per share, for the first quarter of 2010. Analysts expected a 28 cent loss, according to Reuters.

Moran Co-Sponsors Animal Cruelty Bill Following SCOTUS Ruling — Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) introduced a bill today to bar the sale of videos which graphically depict the abuse and killing of animals. The quick action follows yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that deemed a previous law too broad. “I refuse to stand by while people profit from the mutilation and torture of helpless puppies, kittens and other animals,” Moran said in a statement.

Arlington Native Named VT Undergrad Rep — Arlington native Shane McCarty has been named the undergraduate student representative to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. He’ll hold the prestigious position for the 2010-2011 academic year. McCarty, a junior majoring in marketing, is also vice president of the university’s Student Government Association.

Arlington Prevails in First HOT Lanes Ruling — Arlington has scored a small victory in its lawsuit against the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia over the HOT lanes project. A federal judge denied VDOT’s motion to dismiss the case.

Save the Planetarium Rally Tomorrow — Supporters of the David M. Brown Planetarium plan to hold a rally at tomorrow night’s school board meeting, a week before the board’s planned vote on its FY2011 budget. The Save the Planetarium group has amassed more than 3,150 fans on Facebook and has collected more than 880 signatures for a petition.

Fake FBI “Director” Arrested in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington woman is facing federal charges for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent.

Authorities say Brenna Reilly, 29, told neighbors in her Arlington apartment building that she was the director of the FBI’s Forensic Division. She even convinced a neighbor to quit his job and serve as her assistant, according to court documents.

Reilly was arrested earlier this month. Arlington County police assisted with the arrest.

More from the Washington Examiner.

Arlington Man Charged With Murder in Pershing Drive Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Arlington resident Anner Rouben Hernandez-Estrada, 20, has been arrested and charged with a murder that occurred late Sunday in the Lyon Park neighborhood, police said Monday night.

Police have identified the victim as 20-year-old Cain Guevara-Estrada of Arlington. Investigators say Guevara-Estrada was found on a sidewalk in the 2800 block of North Pershing Drive, suffering from wounds to his upper body. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

A source tells ARLnow.com that Guevara-Estrada was stabbed to death. Police say they do not believe there is a connection between this crime and the stabbing death of Carl Diener on Dec. 29.

Hernandez-Estrada is currently being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Center.

“This is another great example of our detectives pulling together info and locating a suspect of a seriously violent crime within one day,” Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal said, referring to the quick arrest of an abduction suspect earlier this month.

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department.