A man who allegedly robbed a store in Pentagon City and assaulted an employee in the process was arrested nearby after a struggle with police.

Arlington County Police say they responded to the 1200 block of S. Hayes Street — near the Metro station and the mall — around 3:30 p.m. Monday for an “assault in progress.”

“Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly attempted to exit a business without paying for merchandise and, once confronted, struck an employee in the arm before leaving the scene,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“A responding officer located an individual matching the suspect description and attempted to take him into custody,” the crime report continues. “The suspect refused to comply with the lawful commands of the officer and resisted arrest.”

The officer called for backup and, together with another arriving officer, was able to take the suspect into custody. Stephen Russell, a 27-year-old D.C. resident, was held on no bond on charges of robbery and obstruction of justice, ACPD said.

File photo


Sietsema’s Dining Guide Includes Arlington Spots — Out of 77 restaurants on Washington Post food critic’s prestigious  annual Fall Dining Guide, four are Arlington-based or have Arlington outposts: Thai Square on Columbia Pike, Sfoglina in Rosslyn, Jaleo in Crystal City, and Buena Vida in Clarendon. [Washington Post]

Dance Flash Mob in Ballston — “Flash Mob in #Ballston! Volunteers and @BMDCdance treated @marymountu’s Ballston Center students to an impromptu performance at the Fall Wellness Fair! #LifeisFull” [Twitter]

Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Child on Metro — “Patel was stopped by MTPD officers shortly before 6 p.m. after a juvenile male victim reported that the suspect sat next to him and then groped him aboard a Yellow Line train traveling between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations. The train was in the District of Columbia at the time of the offense.” [WMATA]

ACPD Encouraging ‘See Something, Say Something’ — “While the overall crime rate is down regionwide, in 2019 there’s an increase in the number of people calling police in Arlington, Virginia; and the police chief thinks it is because people are becoming engaged with law enforcement. And that’s a good thing.” [WTOP]

‘Trail Rage’ Incident in Arlington — “At approximately 4:50 p.m., the victim and a friend were riding their bikes along the Custis Trail when they had a brief exchange with the suspect who was traveling by bicycle in the opposite direction. The suspect later caught up to the victim on the trail, became aggressive and struck the victim’s bike with his tire, before the victim was able to ride away. The suspect again caught up to the victim, attempted to grab his personal belongings, before the victim kicked the suspects’ bicycle and rode away.” [Arlington County]

Lee Highway Planning Meeting Today — “From 12-3:30pm: Lee Highway-area residents, business owners, community members and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend the Plan Lee Highway: Open Design Studio.” [Twitter, Arlington County]

Nearby: Rabid Raccoon in Falls Church — “On October 4, a sick raccoon was euthanized by City of Falls Church Police in the area of Lea Court and S. Spring Street. On October 9, the Fairfax County Health Department confirmed that the raccoon was suffering from rabies. In this case, there was no human exposure to the animal, however, the community should be cognizant of the rabies threat at all times.” [City of Falls Church]

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak


A man punched two Arlington County police officers while trespassing in an apartment building in Pentagon City, according to an ACPD crime report.

The incident happened Saturday morning on the 1200 block of S. Eads Street, after police were called for a report of an irate man trespassing in the building.

A struggle ensued after officers located the man, during which he was tased and taken into custody, police say. More from the crime report:

ASSAULT & BATTERY ON POLICE, 2019-10050119, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on October 5, police were dispatched to the report of a trespasser inside a residential building. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect became irate after engaging in a verbal dispute with staff. The suspect then left the leasing office, but remained in the building, where he was located by police. Arriving officers made contact with the suspect, who continued to act disorderly, disobeyed lawful commands and attempted to strike two officers with closed fists. A brief struggled ensued and the officers deployed their tasers prior to taking the suspect into custody. Amro Ali, 33, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on Police (x2). He was held on no bond.


A would-be robber walked up behind a man and struck him several times with a metal pipe around just after midnight this morning, police say.

The attack happened as the man was entering a residential building on the 900 block of S. Buchanan Street, in the Barcroft neighborhood near Columbia Pike.

The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said, while the suspect — who tried but failed to steal items from the victim — fled the scene and remains at large.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-09190004, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 12:07 a.m. on September 19, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male victim was walking into a residential building when the suspect approached him from behind and struck him several times with a metal pole. The suspect attempted to steal the victim’s personal property, but the victim was able to push the suspect away. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A perimeter was established and a search of the area yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a black male, in his 30’s, 5’6″ tall with short black hair. He was wearing a dark colored shirt and beige shorts at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.


Thousands Expected at Today’s Amazon Event — “Thousands of job-seekers are expected to swarm the site of Amazon’s future headquarters at a ‘career day‘ in Crystal City on Tuesday, as the online retail giant begins to accelerate its hiring and presence in Northern Virginia.” The opening time has been pushed up to 8 a.m. [Washington Post, Twitter]

Suspect Chomps on Cop Along Lee Highway — “The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with Suspect One, when he observed Suspect Two attempt to flee on foot. With the assistance of additional officers arriving on scene, Suspect Two was stopped. While officers attempted to remove Suspect One from the vehicle and detain him, he actively resisted and bit an officer.” [Arlington County]

Race No Longer Required on Marriage LicensesUpdated at 8:45 a.m. — “Virginia will no longer require couples to identify by race on their marriage licenses, the state’s attorney general announced this week. Under a new policy — which Attorney General Mark Herring detailed in emails to court clerks and members of the media late Friday — people getting married will be able to select ‘Declined to Answer’ in a box asking about race.” [Washington Post]


GMU to Expand Va. Square Campus — “George Mason University wants to transform its Arlington campus into an ‘innovation district’ as it kicks off an Amazon-inspired overhaul… Mason expects to use the expansion to add 3,000 to 4,000 graduate students to the campus by 2024.” [Washington Business Journal]

Man Arrested For Assaulting Police in Ballston — “At approximately 8:32 p.m. on September 11, police were dispatched the report of a disorderly subject inside a restaurant who had allegedly been throwing items and threatening staff. Upon police arrival, the business staff requested the subject be banned from the property. While speaking with the subject, he threatened an officer and took a defensive stance. While placing him under arrest, the subject became combative, kicked and spit at the officers.” [Arlington County]

Home Inventory Tight in Arlington — “New listings in Arlington declined 16.5% in August compared with last year, said Chris Finnegan, vice president at Bright MLS. The median sale price for all home types in the 22202 ZIP code, where Amazon is building and staffing up HQ2, was $749,000 in August. It’s a 23% jump since the company made its HQ2 announcement in November 2018.” [Washington Business Journal, InsideNova]

Coffee Beanery Open in Va. Square — Coffee Beanery, a coffee chain with locations across the northeast, has opened a new location at 3444 Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square. [Facebook]

Tech Company Picks Arlington for U.S. HQ — ” Varjo, the technology leader in industrial-grade VR/XR headsets, today announced the opening of its U.S. headquarters… in Arlington, Virginia, located just outside of Washington D.C.” [Varjo via Potomac Tech Wire]

Potomac Kempo Now Open — Martial arts studio Potomac Kempo yesterday held a grand opening ceremony for its fifth location, at 3650 S. Glebe Road, in the Potomac Yard area. The studio started holding classes on Aug. 31, we’re told. [Facebook]

Video: USS Arlington Crew Welcomed at Fire Station — “Crew members from the USS Arlington were welcomed at Arlington’s Fire Station 5 before running in the The Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9/11 Memorial Race. The USS Arlington honors the 184 victims and the thousands of emergency, fire and rescue personnel of Arlington County and localities in the National Capital Region who provided critical emergency assistance after the attack on 9/11.” [YouTube]


A man yelling at an employee in a Rosslyn business did not take kindly to a patron filming the encounter on a cell phone, according to an Arlington County Police crime report.

The incident happened on the 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive — the same block as the Holiday Inn hotel — around 7 a.m. this past Saturday.

“The suspect entered a business and allegedly began acting disorderly, engaged in a verbal dispute with an employee and damaged property,” police said in the crime report. “The suspect then observed a patron filming him, struck the patron with a closed fist and stole their cell phone.”

“The suspect fled the business and threw the phone, causing it to break,” the crime report continues. “Arriving officers located the suspect still in the vicinity of the business. Olubunmi Osinuga, 36, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Robbery, Destruction of Property (<$1000) and Destruction of Property (>$1000). He was held on no bond.”


(Updated at 5 p.m.) A police officer was punched in a face by a man upset at being bumped at the Arlington County Fair, according to a crime report.

The alleged incident happened Sunday night around 8:30 p.m., during the waning hours of the fair, which is held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center.

“An officer was on patrol at the fair when he and the suspect bumped shoulders,” according to the Arlington County Police Department. “The suspect became angry and struck the officer in the face with a closed fist.”

“Jaylen Gibson, 20, of Forestville, MD was arrested and charged with assault and battery on police officer,” the report continues. “He was held on no bond.”

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf


Four people, all in their 20s, were arrested after a wild incident early Sunday morning at Bob and Edith’s Diner on Columbia Pike.

According to Arlington County Police, police were called to the business around 3:30 a.m. and found one of the diners “yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff.” While escorting the suspect out of the business, three of his dining companions allegedly attempted to interfere with the responding officer and a scuffle ensued, ending in backup arriving and helping to arrest the group.

All four suspects are charged with Drunk in Public, while two are also facing other charges.

The ACPD crime report (below) says the incident happened on the 2300 block of Columbia Pike; the only business on that block that open at the time would have been Bob and Edith’s.

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-06230071, 2300 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 3:38 a.m. on June 23, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject inside of a business. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff. As an officer attempted to escort the suspect out of the business, three additional suspects began following behind, while yelling verbal profanities at the officer. While exiting, the Suspect One allegedly stopped in the doorway and ignored lawful commands, refusing to exit. He became combative and swung at the officer. Suspect Two allegedly attempted to interfere with the officer’s interaction with Suspect One, at which point, the first suspect pushed the officer. Suspect Three then allegedly grabbed the officer’s outer carrier vest and became verbally irate and physically aggressive towards the officer. Suspect Four allegedly attempted to physically obstruct the officer’s efforts to control Suspect Three. The officer was then able to move the four suspects out of the staircase area and to the exterior of the business. While the officer attempted to place Suspect One in handcuffs, he actively resisted and then grabbed the officer’s arm. With the assistance of additional units arriving on scene, Suspect One was taken into custody, however, Suspects Two, Three and Four continued to act disorderly, ignoring lawful commands from officers to disperse and were subsequently taken into custody. The officer suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment during the incident. Rudy Barrera, 25, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement, Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond. Gabriel Gonzalez, 25, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. Yancy Aguilar, 22, of Fairfax, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public. Cinthia Escobar-Gomez, 24, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public.


Three juvenile suspects are facing an array of charges after police say they attacked someone in a Ballston park Wednesday afternoon.

Officers were flagged down by the victim around 1 p.m., according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

Police say the victim was meeting three people he or she knew in a local park, on the 1300 block of N. Vermont Street near Washington-Lee High School, when the trio “assaulted the victim and stole his personal belongings, resulting in serious, but non life-threatening injuries that required medical treatment.”

Per ACPD:

The victim left the park and sought assistance from an officer he located nearby. During the course of the investigation, police located two of the suspects in the area. The first suspect was taken into custody without incident. The second suspect disobeyed lawful commands and actively resisted, yelling verbal profanities and striking the officer, causing injury that required medical treatment. The third suspect was apprehended later by members of the Tactical Unit without incident. Petitions for Robbery by Force and Assault or Battery by Mob were sought for the first and third juvenile suspects. Petitions for Robbery by Force, Assault or Battery by Mob, Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement and Possession of Marijuana were sought for the second juvenile suspect.

Citing laws protecting the privacy of juvenile suspects and victims, a police spokeswoman declined to say whether they were students or to provide other information.


A man was cut by a drunk, knife-wielding acquaintance during an physical altercation that spanned two different locations early Sunday morning, according to Arlington County Police.

Police say two men who knew each other got into an argument that turned violent in a Ballston apartment around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The intoxicated suspect then drove the victim to Penrose neighborhood, near the 2nd Street S. entrance to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, where the altercation continued, said ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark.

The victim reportedly escaped after the suspect fell asleep in his car.

“The victim was able to exit the vehicle safely after the suspect stopped the vehicle and fell asleep in the area of 2nd Road N. and Washington Boulevard, where officers ultimately made contact with the suspect and took him into custody,” Clark said via email. “This is an ongoing investigation and the reason(s) why the dispute initiated, as well as the circumstances surrounding why the suspect transported the victim in his vehicle, will be determined as part of the investigation.”

The suspect was identified as a 20-year-old resident of Ft. Myer.

More from an ACPD crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-05190107, 900 block of N. Pollard Street. At approximately 7:05 a.m. on May 19, police were dispatched to the Office of the Magistrate for the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 1:30 a.m., the victim and known suspect were inside a residence when they allegedly became involved in a physical altercation in which the intoxicated suspect struck the victim multiple times and tackled the victim. The suspect then produced a knife and threatened the victim, and strangled him. The suspect and victim exited the residence and the suspect drove the victim to another location, where he again threatened the victim and cut the victim with the knife. The victim was able to escape after suspect fell asleep in the vehicle. Investigating officers located the suspect in his vehicle and he was taken into custody without incident. Robert Reyna, 20, of Fort Myer, Va., was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding, Strangulation, Abduction, Assault and Battery and Underage Possession of Alcohol. He was held on no bond.


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