A D.C. deputy mayor is on leave after a reported assault in Arlington.
The incident happened Saturday around 12:30 p.m. but was not reported to police until Monday evening, an Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman said. It took place in the parking lot of the Gold’s Gym near Ballston, on the 3900 block of Wilson Blvd.
“The suspect and male victim became engaged in a verbal dispute after the door of the suspect’s parked vehicle struck the vehicle the victim was entering,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The dispute escalated, during which the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat.”
“During the course of the investigation, a suspect description was developed and on Tuesday, the victim responded to the Office of the Magistrate, completed a criminal complaint and a warrant for Assault and Battery was issued for Christopher Geldart, 53, of Falls Church,” Savage said. “He was notified by telephone of the warrant, turned himself in and was released on a summons.”
Geldart has served as the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice since being appointed in January 2021, according to his biography on the District’s website.
NBC 4 first reported on the incident and that Geldart is now on personal leave pending an investigation, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser. Fox 5 published surveillance video (below) apparently captured by the gym, which shows the parking lot confrontation.
The victim of the alleged assault suggested that this is not the first time Geldart was involved in an incident at a Gold’s location.
“Something should be done. It’s not okay,” Dustin Woodward, who’s identified as a trainer at the gym, told Fox 5. “We’ve been dealing with him a while at Gold’s. Multiple locations actually that’s how we even figured out who he was.”
A man who was charged with a hate crime after allegedly shoving a restaurant employee in Crystal City and refusing to pay for his meal pled guilty to a lesser offense.
In May 2021, Jordon Bevan left a local restaurant without paying, pushed an employee and used anti-Asian slurs, the Arlington County Police Department alleged at the time.
Bevan was charged with a hate crime, which is a felony, along with the misdemeanors of resisting arrest, defrauding an innkeeper and petit larceny. The nature of the slurs he is alleged to have used is unclear and court documents reviewed by ARLnow only detail Bevan using the term “Asians.”
The “dine and dash” case and hate crime allegations were widelyreported, with a video of the incident broadcast on local TV news.
The hate crime charge was later amended, however, to the misdemeanor assault and battery, according to court records. Bevan pled guilty to that in September 2021 and was not prosecuted for the other crimes.
After his May arrest, Bevan was discharged to reside in Ohio with his mother and seek mental health treatment, including psychiatric visits and medication, according to court records.
“There was a strong mental health component to this case, which included a resolution requiring mental health treatment, along with restitution and no contact provisions, all pursuant to a plea agreement wherein other charges were dismissed,” Arlington’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow. “That usually happens on our motion. There was a follow up hearing in December 2021 to ensure mental health compliance and our notes indicate the court deemed that Mr. Bevan was compliant.”
Mental health symptoms noted during an evaluation after his arrest were later found to no longer be present “likely due to treatment with antipsychotic medicines,” according to Bevan’s court file.
When asked if the hate crime charge was dropped because of insufficient evidence, a plea deal or otherwise, Dehghani-Tafti said there were multiple factors to consider.
“For each case, we take into consideration the evidence that supports the elements of the charge, mitigating evidence such as mental illness, and what is the just thing to do for all the parties involved,” she said. “Balancing all those things, here it made sense to focus on mental health treatment.”
According to a statement from the restaurant employee who was shoved, Bevan came into the restaurant and ordered what she described as too much food. She said she tried and failed to persuade him to shorten his order.
After being served he changed tables. The employee said she noticed he had disappeared when she went to take orders from other customers.
“My son and I went to follow him,” she said. “I asked him to pay for the food, but he kept saying ’emergency.'”
Here is the full cell phone video of the incident. Henry Kim, the young man who took the video, sent it to us. We've blurred out his mom's face at her request. pic.twitter.com/XZWRuuxtMe
The woman continued to ask Bevan to pay while her son recorded the confrontation. When her son called the police, Bevan tried to run away.
“I went in front of him to block him, but he kept trying to run,” she said. “He said, ‘Asians, get out of my face.'”
She said she fell after he bumped into her with his shoulder and he got away as she rose to give chase.
When asked if ACPD could confirm provide more information about the hate crime allegation, spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow that “no additional details are available to ensure the integrity of any future court proceedings.”
Court records show Bevan was also charged with two counts of petit larceny and one count of resisting arrest in April 2021 for separate, alleged “dine and dash” incidents in the Pentagon City area.
Records indicate he was only prosecuted for one count of petit larceny, for which he paid a $151 fine. He has a court date on Tuesday, Oct. 11 to review his progress.
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Police are investigating a pair of so-called “mob” assaults by groups of teens.
Both occurred Friday evening along separate sections of Langston Blvd. It’s unclear whether there’s any connection between the two.
The first happened inside a business along the 4800 block of Langston Blvd and involved 10 juvenile suspects, according to police.
The name of the business was not listed, but the block includes a McDonald’s, tattoo and piercing shops, and an Indian grocery store.
From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ASSAULT BY MOB (Late), 2022-09300231, 4800 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 11:23 p.m. on September 30, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined that earlier in the evening, the juvenile victim was inside a business when he was approached by Suspect One who unsuccessfully attempted to remove his hat. When the victim refused to give his hat, Suspect One struck him in the head. Approximately nine other juvenile suspects then began to physically assault the victim with Suspects Two and Three being the primary aggressors. The victim was able to safely leave the area on foot. He sustained minor injuries and declined the treatment of medics. Suspect One is described as an Asian male with short black hair, approximately 5’8″-6’0″ tall, 16-18 years old, wearing a black hoodie and gray pants. Suspect Two is described as a White male with brown hair and a beard, approximately 5’8″-6’0″ tall, 16-18 years old, wearing a gray sweater, light-wash black jeans and gray sneakers. Suspect Three is described as an Asian male, approximately 5’8″ – 6’0″ tall, approximately 16-18 years old with short brown hair wearing a navy blue hoodie and black shorts. The investigation is ongoing.
The second incident happened on the same block as the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. It reportedly involved a juvenile suspect who was known to the victim saying that the victim wasn’t allowed to walk along the sidewalk near then, then striking the victim.
From ACPD:
ASSAULT BY MOB (Late), 2022-10010041, 2400 block of N. Harrison Street. At approximately 4:11 a.m. on October 1, police were dispatched to the police station for the late report of an assault. The investigation determined that at approximately 10:00 p.m. on September 30, the juvenile victim was walking in the area when he approached the known juvenile suspect who was standing on the sidewalk with two friends. The suspect allegedly told the victim he couldn’t be there before striking him. The two friends then also assaulted the victim before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim sustained non-life threatening injuries and later self-reported to an area hospital for medical treatment. The investigation is ongoing.
A former county employee arrested and convicted for assaulting a police officer after being fired is back behind bars.
Vincent Moody, a 57-year-old Arlington resident, is now accused of trying to rape a woman in the restroom of a business on the 4800 block of Langston Blvd. The name of the business was not given, but that block includes a McDonald’s, a body piercing business, a tattoo parlor, and an Indian grocery store.
After the alleged sexual assault, according to a police press release, Moody started walking east on Langston Blvd and punched a man who happened to be walking by.
The alleged incidents happened on the evening of Monday, Sept. 12, according to Arlington County police.
Arlington County Police have arrested a 57-year-old Arlington man after he assaulted two individuals in separate incidents along Langston Boulevard on the evening of September 12. Vincent Moody, 57, of Arlington, VA is charged with Attempted Rape, Abduction with the Intent to Defile and Assault and Battery. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 10:47 p.m. on September 12, police were dispatched to the 4800 block of Langston Boulevard for the report of a dispute in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was inside a business when she entered the women’s restroom and was followed in by the suspect. The suspect allegedly requested sex, grabbed the victim, attempted to remove her clothing and pushed her into a stall. The victim called a friend, who entered the restroom and pulled the suspect away from the victim.
The suspect left the business and was walking in the 4700 block of Langston Boulevard when he approached the male victim and female witness, who were unrelated to the previous incident. The suspect struck the male victim and began walking towards the witness. The witness ran into a business for assistance and they contacted police. Arriving officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident.
This remains an active criminal investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Detective P. Pena at 703-228-4183 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.
Moody worked as a facilities assistant for the county prior to the dispute over his employment at county government headquarters in Courthouse on Nov. 15, 2017. He pled guilty to assault on a law enforcement officer in December of that year and received a 360 day sentence with all but four days suspended.
In the years since, he has been in and out of Arlington’s court system, with the office of former prosecutor Theo Stamos dropping three separate probation violation charges in 2018 and 2019. Moody was also found guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer again in 2018 and given a one year sentence, with all but two months suspended.
Fines levied by the court are marked as not paid, according to court records.
More recently, Moody was issued a citation for destruction of property in December 2021 and charged with trespassing in March of this year. The trespass charge, the third on his record since 2017, was dropped by current prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti’s office after a hearing in May, Arlington County General District Court records show.
(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) A pair of incidents involving local businesses and armed suspects were reported in today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
One happened on the 2000 block of Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse around 8:40 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“The female victim was standing outside a business when the suspect walked by and she greeted her,” according to police. “The suspect then allegedly made threatening statements, brandished a knife and held it towards the victim before fleeing the scene on foot.”
Initial reports suggest that the victim was an employee of the Ace hardware store on the block and that the suspect held the knife up to her throat. It’s not clear what, if anything, prompted the alleged attack.
“During the course of the investigation, officers identified the suspect, located her and took her into custody without incident at her residence,” said ACPD. “No injuries were reported.”
A 33-year-old Arlington woman was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery and Abduction, police said. She was held in jail without bond.
Early this morning, meanwhile, police responded to the 3300 block of Langston Blvd in the Cherrydale neighborhood for another report of an armed suspect at a local business.
“At approximately 4:38 a.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery [that] just occurred,” said today’s crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the employee was inside the lobby of the business when the unknown suspect entered and approached the counter. The suspect then brandished a firearm and demanded money. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene.”
The name of the business was not given by police.
“No injuries were reported,” the crime report said. “The investigation is ongoing.”
Police in front of Arlington Central Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Man arrested after attack in front of library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The suspect’s dog being picked up by animal control officers (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A dispute among acquaintances led to an attack outside of and then inside Arlington Central Library, police say.
Police were dispatched to the library around 1:45 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls about two people arguing or fighting. They arrived and found at least one person “covered in blood,” according to scanner traffic.
“At approximately 1:47 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1000 block of N. Quincy Street for the report of trouble unknown,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library. The dispute escalated when the suspect struck the victim with an object and physically assaulted him.”
One tipster described the incident as a “really savage beating.”
“I was in the library at the time, he was thrown to the ground and punched multiple times for several minutes, bloodied face,” another tipster told ARLnow. “I am not aware of the reason for the attack… the victim kept asking ‘Why did he attack me? What did I do?'”
The second tipster noted that “there were several… eyewitnesses” and said that the attack “continued inside the library” after starting outside.
The man who was attacked was taken via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
“The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition,” said Savage. “The suspect was taken into custody by responding officers and charges are pending.”
The suspect was questioned by police and ultimately arrested near the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Pollard Street. A dog he had been walking was picked up by animal control officers.
In a crime report released Friday, police said the victim was struck with a stick outside and further assaulted by the suspect when he went inside the library to seek help.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-08250137, 1000 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 1:47 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a stick. The victim ran into the library for assistance and the suspect followed and physically assaulted him. Responding officers located the suspect at the intersection of N. Pollard Street and Fairfax Drive and took him into custody without incident. The victim was transported to an area hospital it stable condition. [The suspect], 35, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.
A man is facing multiple charges after an unusual incident in the Ballston area this morning.
Around 8:30 a.m. police were dispatched to the AVA Ballston apartment complex at 4650 Washington Blvd for a report of a man who was standing nude near a grill in the building’s courtyard.
After police arrived on scene, an officer radioed that the man had assaulted her and ran into a second floor apartment at one of the complex’s lower-rise buildings.
“The arriving officer located the suspect who refused to follow of the officer’s commands, assaulted the officer and then fled into a residence,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “With the assistance of additional units, the suspect was taken into custody and provided false identifying information to officers.”
It was a startling scene for those who live nearby. A resident described “over 10 police cars” outside the complex and “one officer with a police shield and an axe.”
“No one is telling us anything (is it safe to go outside?)” the resident wrote in a tip to ARLnow.
Savage said the public is not in danger and the suspect will face several charges.
“Warrants for Assault and Battery on Police, Identity Theft and Indecent Exposure were obtained,” he said. “There is no ongoing threat to the community related to the incident.”
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)
A driver who fled from police early Saturday morning in Crystal City then returned, successfully fled again, and returned and tried to flee a third time, police say.
The third time was the charm for officers.
Police say the unusual sequence ended with a foot chase and the arrest of a 19-year-old Springfield, Virginia man near the Pentagon City mall. It followed a vehicle pursuit that originally ended when the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C., but was re-initiated after he inexplicably returned, according to police.
The man is now facing numerous felony charges, including drug possession, three counts of eluding, and attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer for allegedly ramming a police cruiser with his vehicle during the first half of the car chase.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2022-08200075, 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway. At approximately 3:54 a.m. on August 20, a patrol officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and attempted a traffic stop in the 2400 block of S. Eads Street. The driver disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled from the stop. At approximately 8:00 a.m., officers observed the vehicle traveling in the area of 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway and attempted a second traffic stop. The driver accelerated, struck a police cruiser with his vehicle, and fled onto Richmond Highway. A vehicle pursuit was initiated and subsequently terminated in Washington D.C. due to the driver’s erratic behavior. Shortly afterwards, officers observed the vehicle reenter the County and reinitiated the pursuit. The driver exited the vehicle in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive and attempted to flee the scene on foot. Following a foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody. A search of the suspect incident to arrest yielded suspected narcotics. Adrian Molina, 19, of Springfield, VA was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding of a Law Enforcement Officer, Felony Hit and Run, Felony Eluding (x3), Possession of a Schedule I/II Narcotic, Obstruction of Justice and Driving without a License.
Another alleged assault on police happened early this morning in Clarendon. Police say a drunk man started “became disorderly and uncooperative” along the 3100 block of Clarendon Blvd, near some of the neighborhood’s bars, after officers tried to “have him secure a safe ride home.”
From the crime report:
At approximately 1:35 a.m. on August 22, police were dispatched to the report of an intoxicated individual. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the male suspect and attempted to have him secure a safe ride home. The suspect ignored the officer’s instructions and became disorderly and uncooperative. As officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, he actively resisted arrest and a physical struggle ensued. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was successfully detained. While being walked to a transport vehicle, the suspect assaulted the arresting officer.
A 27-year-old D.C. man “was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, Public Intoxication and Obstruction of Justice,” ACPD said. “He was held without bond.”
On Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, police arrested a 40-year-old South Carolina man in a Pentagon City parking lot near the mall, after a woman said she saw him in a car exposing himself.
The man has an extensive history of indecent exposure arrests, according to variousnewsreports.
From ACPD’s crime report:
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-08210124, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 3:23 p.m. on August 21, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure that had just occurred. Upon arrival, the victim stated she was going to exit her parked vehicle when she observed the unknown male suspect allegedly exposing himself in the car parked next to hers. The suspect was located on scene and taken into custody without incident. Berrino McClary, 40, of Kingstree, SC, was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held without bond.
Police on scene at the Siena Park Apartments on Friday morning (photo courtesy John Antonelli)
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) An Arlington County police officer has been arrested and charged with seriously injuring a woman while off duty.
The alleged assault happened early Friday morning at two separate locations along Columbia Pike in Arlington. The police department says the 34-year-old officer and the woman knew each other, though their exact relationship was not described.
The incident started when the pair left a “nightlife establishment” and drove to an area near Towers Park, where police say the off-duty officer, identified as William Hahn, threw the woman to the ground and smashed her phone following a verbal dispute.
They then drove to an address that likely corresponds to the Siena Park Apartments where, according to police, Hahn struck the woman in the face in the building’s parking garage.
Hahn, who was hired by ACPD in June 2020, has been placed on leave without pay and is facing charges of Malicious Wounding and Destruction of Property.
More from a police department press release, below.
The Arlington County Police Department has arrested and charged an off-duty Arlington officer following an assault investigation. William Hahn, 34, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Destruction of Property. He was held without bond.
At approximately 5:08 a.m. on August 5, police were dispatched to the 2300 block of Columbia Pike for the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, officers located the female victim outside a residential building suffering from injuries considered serious but non-life threatening. She was transported to an area hospital for treatment and subsequently released. The suspect was located inside a residence in the building and taken into custody.
The investigation indicated the suspect and victim, who are known to each other, left a nightlife establishment and drove to the 800 block of S. Scott Street where they became involved in a verbal dispute. During the dispute, both parties exited the vehicle and the suspect allegedly took the victim’s phone and broke it. The suspect then threw the victim to the ground and physically assaulted her. Following the assault, the parties reentered the suspect’s vehicle and drove to the 2300 block of Columbia Pike. While inside the residential building’s parking garage, a second verbal dispute occurred, during which the suspect struck the victim in the face. The suspect and victim then exited the vehicle and were waiting for the building’s elevator when they encountered the reporting party who contacted the Emergency Communications Center after observing the victim’s injuries.
“I want to assure the community these serious criminal allegations reflect behavior that is unacceptable by any member of our agency and these actions are in direct contradiction to our role as professional law enforcement officers,” said Chief Andy Penn. “We are committed to holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards while remaining transparent to ensure the public’s trust and will complete a comprehensive criminal and internal administrative investigation into this incident.”
Hahn was hired by the Arlington County Police Department in June 2020. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the criminal and internal administrative investigations.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Intersection of S. Quincy Street and Campbell Avenue in Shirlington (via Google Maps)
A trio of scooter-riding teens or tweens attacked and seriously injured someone in Shirlington early Friday morning, according to police.
The incident happened shortly before 5 a.m. near the intersection of S. Quincy Street and Campbell Avenue. The motive for the alleged attack is unclear.
“At 4:52 a.m. on July 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the male victim was walking in the area when three unknown juvenile male suspects approached and assaulted him. The suspects then fled the scene on scooters.”
Police described the victim’s injuries as “serious but non-life threatening.” He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
ARLnow asked police for more information about the attack and whether anything was taken from the victim.
“Nothing was reported stolen,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The investigation is ongoing and police continue to work to determine the events that preceded the assault.”
Savage said the victim described the suspects as “possibly middle to high school-aged.”
(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.
