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Arlington County police are investigating another series of airbag thefts.

The latest series was reported on the 1900 block of S. Eads Street in Crystal City just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday. A tipster tells us that thieves appeared to target Honda Civics parked at the Crystal House apartment complex.

More from an ACPD crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO, (Series), 2022-07280041, 1900 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 5:21 a.m. on July 28, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 8:00 p.m. on July 27 and 5:15 a.m. on July 28, the unknown suspect(s) smashed the windows to ten vehicles. Air bags were stolen from seven of the vehicles and tires were stolen from two of the vehicles. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

The seven airbag thefts reported yesterday are in addition to the nearly three dozen reported earlier this month in several Arlington neighborhoods, including Rosslyn and Pentagon City. Those thefts targeted Honda and Acura vehicles, police said.

On the same block of S. Eads Street yesterday morning, meanwhile, officers responded to another crime: an alleged break-in attempt at a business. A 57-year-old suspect was arrested and is being held without bond on charges of Unlawful Entry and Possession of Burglarious Tools, police say.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2022-07280259, 1900 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 10:57 a.m. on July 28, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. The investigation determined the suspect allegedly attempted to force entry into a business before fleeing the area on a bicycle when a witness confronted him. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the area of the 2000 block of S. Fern Street and took him into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, burglarious tools were located on the suspect’s person and within his property.


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(Updated at 12:05 p.m.) A local man is in jail after police say he sprayed four people with pepper spray along Columbia Pike for no apparent reason.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday) near the Bob & Edith’s diner at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Wayne Street.

According to police, the man first struck the driver of a car that was waiting at the intersection, then sprayed the driver and another occupant “with what was believed to be pepper spray.”

The 38-year-old suspect then assaulted a woman who was walking in the area and sprayed her and another woman with the chemical irritant, according to police.

Three of the victims were taken to a local hospital, while the suspect was taken into custody “without incident,” police said.

More from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-07270109, Columbia Pike and S. Wayne Street. At approximately 11:35 a.m. on July 27, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred. The investigation determined the male suspect allegedly approached a vehicle at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Veitch Street, struck the driver and sprayed both of the vehicle’s occupants with what was believed to be pepper spray. The suspect continued along Columbia Pike where he approached two female victims walking in the area, assaulted one and sprayed both with what was believed to be pepper spray. A lookout was broadcast and officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. Medics responded to the scene and evaluated the four victims with three being transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening. Wade Westmoreland, 38, of No Fixed Address was charged with Malicious Wounding by Caustic Agent (x4) and Assault and Battery (x2). He was held without bond.

Court records show the suspect, Wade Westmoreland, was previously released on his own recognizance after an arrest in May 2021.

He was charged with destruction of property and multiple counts of assaulting police and obstructing justice after police say he jumped on the hood of a stopped car in the Ballston area, smashed the windshield, and later “became physically combative with officers.”

Westmoreland was charged with failure to appear in court in May of this year, in connection with the case.

He’s due back in court for the latest and the previous in September and October, respectively. He was previously charged in Arlington with vehicle theft in 2017 and public intoxication in 2021, according to court records.


Lt. Gen. Frederick McCorkle (Image via Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame/YouTube)

A retired Marine Corps lieutenant general is facing a misdemeanor charge in Arlington after police say he drew a gun on someone having a dispute with his wife.

Lt. Gen. Frederick McCorkle (ret.), currently a resident of Tennessee, retired from the Marine Corps in October 2001 after serving as the Deputy Commandant for Aviation.

The alleged incident happened just before 9 p.m. last night (Wednesday). McCorkle was on the 900 block of S. Orme Street, near the Sheraton Pentagon City hotel and the entrance to Marine Corps headquarters at Henderson Hall, when police say there was a dispute between his wife and another woman.

According to Arlington County police, the 77-year-old McCorkle “became involved” in the dispute and “allegedly brandished a firearm.” He was stopped by officers and charged with brandishing, a misdemeanor in Virginia.

More from ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2022-07200223, 900 block of S. Orme Street. At approximately 8:50 p.m. on July 20, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim and a female subject became involved in a verbal dispute during which the subject’s husband became involved and allegedly brandished a firearm. The female subject and male suspect left the area prior to police arrival. Responding officers met with the victim and located the suspect. Frederick McCorkle, 77, of Gray, TN was charged with Brandishing.

So far, there are no court records connected to the case.

The hotel, in Arlington’s Foxcroft Heights neighborhood, often hosts military-related events.

Image via Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame/YouTube


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A man is facing numerous charges for allegedly going on a shopping spree immediately after stealing someone’s wallet in Virginia Square.

The incident started Thursday morning at a building along the 3800 block of Fairfax Drive, a block or two down the road from the Metro station.

“At approximately 11:02 a.m. on July 14, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered the lobby of a business and allegedly stole the victim’s wallet and car keys from behind the counter.”

“The victim then began receiving multiple notifications of attempted and approved fraudulent charges on his credit cards,” the crime report continued. “A lookout was broadcast and officers located the suspect in the area of Langston Boulevard and N. Glebe Road and took him into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, the victim’s property and the fraudulently purchased merchandise were recovered.”

The 34-year-old suspect from Montgomery Village, Maryland is facing nearly a dozen charges, including “Credit Card Theft (x3), Attempted Identity Theft (x3), Identity Theft, Attempted Credit Card Fraud (x3), Credit Card Fraud (x1), and Petit Larceny,” according to ACPD.

“He was held on bond,” the crime report noted.


Arlington police car (file photo)

Arlington is seeing a spate of men exposing themselves.

The past two Arlington County Police Department crime reports have included five separate indecent exposure incidents, four of which involve men masturbating in public and three of which resulted in arrests.

The incidents happened in the Pentagon City, Courthouse and Buckingham neighborhoods, as well as along Langston Blvd between the Yorktown and High View Park communities.

In the Buckingham incident, the given location of which is 2-3 blocks from Ballston, the suspect was following a female victim late at night when he allegedly started to touch himself inappropriately.

More from ACPD:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07110110, 5200 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 11:10 a.m. on July 11, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Officers met with the reporting party who stated she was walking into a building when she observed a male suspect on a bench with his genitals exposed and masturbating. The victim continued into the building and called police during which the suspect fled in an unknown direction. A lookout was broadcast and additional units canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07120017, 2200 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 1:32 a.m. on July 12, police were dispatched to the report of a trespassing. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, who had been previously banned from the business, and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the suspect entered into the lobby of the building, sat in the common area and allegedly began masturbating. [The suspect], 34, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public, Trespassing, and Indecent Exposure.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07090174, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 4:26 p.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered into the business and began looking at merchandise before allegedly placing his hands in his pants and touching himself inappropriately. Responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 46, of Arlington Va., was arrested and charged with Public Masturbation.

INDECENT EXPOSURE (Late), 2022-07090002, N. George Mason Drive at N. Henderson Road. At approximately 12:02 a.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the late report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 11:25 p.m. on July 8, the female victim was walking in the area when she observed the unknown male suspect walking behind her. The suspect exposed himself and began masturbating before fleeing the area on foot.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07090118, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 11:36 a.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from a business just occurred. While officers were enroute, dispatch advised that the suspect had entered into a second business and began exposing himself. Responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined that the suspect allegedly entered into the first business and concealed merchandise before fleeing on foot into the second business and exposing himself. During a search of the suspect incident to arrest, the stolen merchandise and suspected drug paraphernalia were recovered. [The suspect], 47, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Indecent Exposure, Petit Larceny: Shoplifting. He was held on no bond.


Police outside of W-L High School during threat investigation in 2017 (file photo)

Arlington police made 75% fewer arrests of juvenile suspects during the recently-concluded school year compared to the last pre-pandemic school year.

That’s according to data supplied by the Arlington County Police Department, at ARLnow’s request. Arrests of adult suspects also declined, but only by 16%.

The data covers arrests between Sept. 1, 2018-June 15, 2019, compared to the same time period in 2021 and 2022. During the past school year, juvenile arrests only made up about 3% of ACPD’s total arrests, the data shows.

Arlington arrest stats from Sept. 1-June 15 (courtesy ACPD)

Overall, crime in Arlington has increased from pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest ACPD annual report.

A number of factors may be behind the big drop in juvenile arrests, including — notably — changes to how the police department interacts with Arlington Public Schools. The school system voted to remove School Resource Officers from school buildings in June 2021 amid concerns about racial disparities in youth arrests and scrutiny of what advocates termed a “school-to-prison pipeline.”

“Contributing factors to the decline may include legislative changes, changes in crime trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, updated policies between ACPD and APS, and reduced police staffing,” said police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

It’s unclear how many of the juvenile arrests are of local students. Savage noted that “while the request for juvenile arrest statistics was related to timeframes that encompass the school year, these statistics reflect all juvenile arrests at any location in the County and do not necessarily involve Arlington County students.”

Despite some highprofile incidents at schools since the removal of SROs — and some adjustments to APS involving law enforcement in certain circumstances — officials say they’ve been able to keep students safe without the on-site police presence.


Sunset along Columbia Pike near the construction site for the Arlington National Cemetery expansion by the US Air Force Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington Man Arrested for Fairfax Murder — “A man was arrested in connection to the homicide of 32-year-old DonorSee founder Gret Glyer, according to Fairfax City Police officials. Joshua Danehower, 33, of Arlington, Va., was arrested at Dulles International Airport Tuesday night. He was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Glyer’s death, according to police. He was also charged with one count of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.” [WJLA, Fox News]

Air Quality Warning Today — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code ORANGE Air Quality Alert Thursday for Northern Virginia. A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.” [National Weather Service]

Wardian Powering Through Dozens of Audiobooks — Achieving his Forrest Gump-esque goal of running some 3,000 miles coast-to-coast is not the only feat Arlington resident and decorated ultramarathoner Michael Wardian has tallied over the past couple of months. He says he has also listened to at least 35 audiobooks on 2x speed while on the journey. [NBC 4]

AIM ‘Coming Out Party’ Tonight — “The AIM and WERA teams invite you to join us tomorrow to celebrate our exciting new direction and plans! Come out and meet our new staff, learn about amazing programs and classes, and see how you can be a part of the future of inclusive public media in Arlington! Mix, mingle, meet Ms. Gay Arlington, dance to the tunes of drag queen DJ’s Katja and Giorgio — and have fun!” [Eventbrite]

Kitchen Fire and Power Outage in Ballston — “Kitchen fire at Uncle Julio’s. Sounds minor but the restaurant was evacuated, per scanner. There’s also a power outage in the area, affecting more than 600 Dominion customers, per the company’s outage map.” [Twitter]

Big Response to Gun Brandishing — A man allegedly brandished a gun in a Pentagon City apartment building lobby yesterday afternoon, prompting a big police response. [Twitter, Twitter]

It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 68. Sunrise at 5:48 am and sunset at 8:39 pm. [Weather.gov]


Amazon HQ2 reflected in a puddle in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Way to Complain About Helo Noise –Those with concerns about helicopter noise in the local area now have a new outlet to provide feedback. A new helicopter-complaint pilot program was announced June 24 by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) in collaboration with the Helicopter Association International and Eastern Regional Helicopter Council. Residents will be able to submit noise concerns online at https://www.planenoise.com/dcmetro/, or by voicemail at (877) 209-3200.” [Sun Gazette, Press Release]

Arrest After Crash on the Pike — From ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage, responding to an ARLnow inquiry about this crash: “At approximately 12:10 p.m. on June 27, police were dispatched to the report of a crash with injuries at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Quincy Street. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the striking vehicle hit two vehicles and a tree before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers canvassed the area, located the driver and took her into custody. One patient was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.”

Amazon Eyes Greenhouse for HQ2 — “The greenery proposed for Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington is so extensive that the company needs a greenhouse to keep it going. According to plans submitted to the county, Amazon hopes to convert Meadow Farms Nurseries and Landscapes (10618 Leesburg Pike) in Great Falls into a greenhouse to provide a ‘permanent operation to provide for the continuous maintenance of the extensive landscaping elements’ at HQ2.” [FFXnow]

APS Website Redesign Coming — “We are in the early stages of redesigning our website. Can you spare 15 minutes to help make sure the new Arlington Public Schools website will be easy for everyone to use? We’ve set up an online exercise to gather feedback, and we’d love for you to participate.” [Arlington Public Schools]

It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 79 and low of 61. Sunrise at 5:47 am and sunset at 8:39 pm. [Weather.gov]


Damaged door at TJ Middle School entrance (photo courtesy anonymous)

Update on 3/1/23 — Charges against the suspect were dropped, with certain conditions, as part of a deferred disposition deal with prosecutors.

A man who allegedly tried to force his way into a locked down middle school after claiming to be armed is facing charges.

Alexander Sentayhu, 25, thought there was an active shooter in Thomas Jefferson Middle School after, police say, he received text messages from relatives inside this past Friday afternoon. The school had been secured and locked to the outside due to a robbery at a 7-Eleven store nearby.

Sentayhu went to the school to pick up his relatives, “believing there may possibly be an act of violence occurring inside,” Arlington County police said.

“Upon finding the school locked, the suspect called the Emergency Communications Center indicating he was armed and requested access to the school,” police said. “At approximately 12:51 p.m., the suspect kicked the door, breaking the glass, and continued to try to force the door open. He was unsuccessful in gaining entry and left the scene prior to the arrival of officers.”

Police on scene at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Sentayhu spoke at a White House press conference with Vice President Kamala Harris in April, highlighting the issue of medical debt, according to news reports. ARLnow previously reported on an online fundraiser for Sentayhu in early 2020, after he incurred steep medical costs while suffering a significant heart issue.

The news reports on the press conference noted that Sentayhu served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Sentayhu turned himself in Friday night and was charged with Destruction of Public Property. He was released on bond but may face additional charges, police said.

In a press release Monday evening, the police department assured residents that it is well prepared to respond to incidents of active violence in schools, while pledging to work with Arlington Public Schools to communicate with families and residents about such incidents.

A parent told ARLnow on Friday that students and parents were initially panicked when the school was abruptly secured without explanation. It happened amid anxiety about school violence following the May 24 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

More from an ACPD press release, below.

(more…)


(Updated on 6/13/22) A robbery at a convenience store may have led to a panic about an active shooter at a nearby Arlington middle school.

It started at the 7-Eleven at 201 S. Glebe Road. Police were dispatched there shortly before 12:30 p.m. for a report of a man with a weapon robbing the store. They were initially told that someone was injured inside.

“At approximately 12:21, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury inside a business in the 200 block of S. Glebe Road,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect entered the business, produced a hammer, smashed a display case, stole merchandise and attempted to assault an employee. The suspect resisted arrest but was successful taken into custody by officers. Charges are pending.”

In the end, no one was found to be injured. The suspect was initially held at gunpoint by arriving officers, then arrested, according to scanner traffic.

As officers were rushing to the scene, ACPD asked that nearby Thomas Jefferson Middle School be placed on “secure the school mode” — in other words, locked from the outside. Given the recent mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school, the somewhat routine security precaution may have panicked some students and parents.

Around 1 p.m. police were dispatched to the school for a report of a man armed with a gun who was trying to get inside, apparently in an effort to stop a potential active shooter. By the time officers arrived, the man had left the school campus, but a glass door at the entrance was damaged.

(On June 13, a local man was charged with Destruction of Public Property after allegedly trying to break into the school, concerned that an act of violence was underway inside.)

Damaged door at TJ Middle School entrance (photo courtesy anonymous)

Savage said the initial indication is that “the report of an individual with the gun was someone picking up a student at the school.” No other details were immediately available.

“Police remain on scene investigating the circumstances of what occurred,” Savage said. She noted that there was “no threat to TJ Middle related to [the robbery].”

But parents, students and teachers were allegedly left in the dark as to why the school was secured.

“My daughter texted us and said they hadn’t been told why they were in lockdown,” a parent told ARLnow. “We did not hear from the school. Apparently teachers weren’t told why either.”

“There were a lot of scared students,” the parent added.


A Maryland woman is facing charges after allegedly stealing flowers and punching a cop in the face.

The incident happened late Monday afternoon, during the Memorial Day holiday.

Arlington County police say they were initially dispatched to the scene, along the 200 block of S. Glebe Road, for a report of a larceny in progress.

“Upon arrival, officers made contact with the reporting party who stated the female suspect had stolen flowers and destroyed a planter outside of their business,” said today’s ACPD crime report. “The officers located the suspect in the area and attempted to detain her. The suspect resisted and struck one of the arresting officers in the face before being taken into custody.”

Businesses on that block of S. Glebe Road include a 7-Eleven store and a service station. Police did not identify the business involved.

The 34-year-old suspect from Rockville, Maryland was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Destruction of Property.

“She was held without bond,” the crime report noted.


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