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UPDATING: Police Investigating Shooting in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 11 a.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a shooting in the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston.

A man was shot in the leg during a dispute and was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital, according to police. The man’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

There were no suspects in custody as of Saturday morning.

The shooting happened just after 11 p.m. Friday, outside of an apartment building on the 4300 block 4th Street N. Police remained on scene overnight, investigating the crime.

More from an ACPD press release:

On November 25 at approximately 11:07 p.m., Arlington County Police responded to a report of a shooting in the 4300 block of 4th Street N. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to George Washington University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The initial investigation revealed that the victim and a witness were walking in the 4300 block of 4th Street N. when they came upon a dispute between two male subjects. One subject discharged a firearm, striking the victim in the leg. The subjects fled the area prior to police arrival. The shooting subject is described as a black male with a thin build wearing a black shirt and yellow pants at the time of the incident.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective C. Riccio of 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).

UPDATED: Widespread Power Outage Reported in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Dominion power outage map Nov. 20

Update at 11:30 p.m. — Power has been mostly restored. Dominion is currently reporting only 87 customers without power in Arlington.

On a windy Sunday night, power outages are being reported around large parts of north Arlington.

The outages are so far being reported in the Virginia Square, Ballston, Cherrydale, Maywood and Donaldson Run neighborhoods.

As of 9:15 p.m. there are were 5,677 customers without power, according to Dominion’s outage map. There was no estimate as to when power might be restored.

Via Twitter:

File photo

BREAKING: Fire at Columbia Pike Church

By ARLnow.com
1/14

(Updated at 6:35 p.m.) Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at a church along Columbia Pike.

The smoky fire broke out at the Arlington Presbyterian Church at 3506 Columbia Pike around 5:30 p.m.

Initial reports suggest the fire started in a closet at Funshine Preschool, the child care center that’s housed in the church, before spreading to a hallway.

The flames were quickly brought under control after firefighters arrived on scene, but not before the building filled with smoke.

Additional fire department resources from Fairfax County and Fort Myer were requested to assist with the firefighting and subsequent ventilation efforts.

The church is set to be torn down and replaced with an affordable housing development with a new worship space. Its congregation has temporarily moved to the Arlington United Methodist Church (716 S. Glebe Road) in the Alcova Heights neighborhood.

In June we reported that the preschool’s lease had been extended through December, ahead of the planned demolition.

BREAKING: Vornado to Spin Off Local Business, Merge with JBG

By ARLnow.com

Vornado Realty TrustVornado, Arlington County’s biggest private landowner — with major collections of properties in Crystal City and Rosslyn — announced today that it is spinning off and merging its D.C. area operations with Chevy Chase, Md.-based JBG Companies.

The combined company would have both office and residential properties throughout Crystal City, Pentagon City and the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Among JBG’s properties in Arlington are the under-construction Central Place project in Rosslyn and the iconic “Bob Peck” office building at 800 N. Glebe Road in Ballston.

In 2014, Vornado’s properties in Arlington were assessed at $3.8 billion, or 5.7 percent of the total assessed value of all property in the county, according to the Washington Business Journal. JBG’s properties in Arlington were assessed at $1.31 billion.

From a press release, issued late this afternoon:

VORNADO REALTY TRUST (NYSE:VNO) (“Vornado”) announced today that its Board of Trustees has approved a tax-free spin-off of its Washington, DC business, currently known as Vornado/Charles E. Smith, and that it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge SpinCo with the operating company and certain select assets of The JBG Companies (“JBG”), a leading Washington, DC real estate company.

The combined company will be named JBG SMITH Properties. It will be the largest, market-leading, best-in-class, pure-play Washington, DC real estate company. This transaction represents a key milestone in Vornado’s value creation strategy which will have produced three world-class, highly focused REITs – Vornado itself (RemainCo), Urban Edge Properties, and now, JBG SMITH. Each of these companies has a highly focused
management team, unique assets, and a clearly defined mission.

About JBG SMITH

  • Vornado shareholders are expected to own approximately 74% of the combined company, JBG limited partners are expected to own approximately 20%, and JBG management is expected to own approximately 6% (all percentages subject to closing adjustments).
  • JBG SMITH will be led by JBG’s senior management team which has a proven track record of superior execution in the Washington, DC market over the long term and through numerous cycles.
  • The combined company’s portfolio will consist of 50 office properties totaling approximately 11.8 million square feet, 18 multifamily properties with 4,451 residential units, and 11 other properties totaling approximately 0.7 million square feet. These assets are located in premier submarkets within the Washington, DC metropolitan area, concentrated in Downtown District of Columbia, Crystal City and Pentagon City, the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor, Reston, and Bethesda.
  • Importantly, JBG SMITH will have a pipeline of projects under construction and land for future development that could add over 20 million square feet to the portfolio, positioning the company for strong growth and attractive shareholder returns.
  • JBG SMITH will be the largest landlord to the U.S. Government in the nation’s capital.
  • The Company will be well capitalized, have substantial liquidity and a strong balance sheet.
  • The combination is expected to result in approximately $35 million of synergies producing an overhead structure in line with best-in-class peers.
  • The new company will continue to manage the JBG funds’ assets that are not being contributed for customary fees. The company will not raise new investment funds. JBG SMITH Board and Management
  • JBG SMITH’s Board of Trustees will consist of twelve members, a majority of whom will be independent. Vornado and JBG will each designate six trustees.
  • Steven Roth, Vornado’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will be Chairman of the Board.
  • W. Matt Kelly, a Managing Partner of JBG, will be Chief Executive Officer of JBG SMITH and a member of the Board.
  • Rob Stewart, a Managing Partner of JBG, will be Executive Vice Chairman of the Board.
  • The Board will also include seven independent trustees including Alan Forman of the Yale University Investments Office, JBG’s largest investor.
  • Michael Glosserman, a Managing Partner of JBG, will also join the Board, as will Mitchell Schear, current President of Vornado/Charles E. Smith.
  • From JBG, David Paul will be President and Chief Operating Officer, James Iker will be Chief Investment Officer, and Brian Coulter and Kai Reynolds will be Co-Chief Development Officers.
  • From Vornado/Charles E. Smith, Mitchell Schear will be a member of the Executive Committee, Patrick Tyrrell will be Chief Administrative Officer, Jim Creedon will be Executive Vice President responsible for Office Leasing, and Laurie Kramer will be Executive Vice President focused on integration of the teams.
  • The new company will look outside for a Chief Financial Officer and intends to have that individual in place before the close of the transaction.
  • The new company will integrate the best talent from each of Vornado/Charles E. Smith and JBG.
  • Vornado will provide transition services to JBG SMITH, in areas such as IT, tax and SEC reporting for an interim period.

BREAKING: Rosslyn’s Caffe Aficionado Shut Down After Police Raid

By ARLnow.com
1/17

Caffe Aficionado in Rosslyn (1919 N. Lynn Street) is closed following a police raid this morning (Friday).

Police say the cafe’s owner, Adiam Berhane, was involved in a scheme to profit from cloned credit cards. She and her business partner, Clark Donat, were both arrested and charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit credit card fraud.

From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

Following a joint investigation by local, state and federal partners, two suspects involved in a large-scale credit card cloning fraud have been identified and taken into custody. Adiam Berhane, 44, of Arlington VA and Clark Donat, 44, of Arlington VA have been arrested and charged with money laundering and two counts of conspiracy to commit credit card fraud. Both suspects are being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility. Additional charges are pending.

In November 2015, a victim with no known ties to Arlington County reported numerous attempted credit card transactions in the County. Law enforcement began an investigation into possible credit card cloning and through investigative leads, Adiam Berhane was identified as a possible suspect. Further investigation revealed that Berhane’s coffee shop, Caffé Aficionado located at 1919 N. Lynn Street, redeemed hundreds of thousands of dollars in pre-payable gift cards. It is believed that these gift cards were purchased using cloned credit cards.

The investigation into the activities of Berhane and Donat are ongoing. Anyone with information about these incidents or who believes they may be a victim of this fraud is asked to contact the Arlington County Financial Crimes Unit by email at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

The arrests of Berhane and Donat are the direct result of outstanding police work and the leveraging of resources during the joint investigation by the Arlington County Police Department, the United States Secret Service National Capitol Region Fraud Task Force, Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Maryland National Capital Park Police Montgomery County Division, City of Bowie Police Department, the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and with assistance from various financial institutions and retailers.

Police also executed a search warrant Friday morning at a residence at the high-end Gaslight Square apartments in Rosslyn (1700 Clarendon Blvd), hauling out boxes of evidence and at least one computer.

Caffe Aficionado first opened in Rosslyn three years ago, promising high-quality coffee, espresso and pastries with an Italian flare. A second location at the Watergate in D.C. was also in the works.

Update at 1:50 p.m. — A reader points out that it appears Berhane was previously convicted of credit card fraud in New York City. Police tell ARLnow.com that Berhane has used numerous aliases in the past, including Carole Jones, Deborah Hyman and Adiam Testamichael.

Caffe Aficionado fraud warning email to an ARLnow.com employeeUpdate at 3:15 p.m. — An individual who met an ARLnow.com employee at Caffe Aficionado, while our office was in Rosslyn, was apparently a victim of the fraud. The individual, who did not want her name used, sent an email to our employee a few days after the meeting in 2014, warning that her credit card information might have been stolen from the cafe. Her credit card had been used to buy three $500 Macy’s gift cards. The incident was reported to police.

Photos (top) by Samantha Moore

Pepper Spray Used to Break Up Large Fight at W-L Football Game

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)A large fight broke out at tonight’s Washington-Lee High School football game, prompting police to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

No significant injuries were reported, said Arlington County Police spokesman Capt. Bruce Benson. Those involved in the fight — students, reportedly — were evaluated but did not require medical treatment.

Washington-Lee’s football team was at home tonight, facing McLean High School. Police requested extra officers for security at the end of the game.

As of 9:45 p.m. no arrests had been made, Benson said.

Update at 11:55 a.m. — In addition to the fight during last night’s game, there was also a strong-arm robbery reported after the game. Police searched for the teenage suspect but were unable to locate him. The following email about the robbery was sent to the Cherrydale neighborhood listserv this morning.

My son was robbed after the Homecoming game at Washington Lee. It was right by the bike racks in front of the school on Stafford street, the guy asked for change for, and when my son took out the money to check, the boy snatched the money and ran, and when he yelled and tried to follow him, suddenly a group of the perpetrators friends showed up. I am glad the he did not engage, and instead went looking for a police officer.

The perpetrator had a Black Beanie cap, a grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans, he might have been only 15-16 years old. Even though only about $20 was snatched from my son, I hope the police follow up, as this totally is a sign of organized activity. Per police others were robbed last night as well.

BREAKING: SUV Drives Down Sidewalk in Clarendon, One Trapped

By ARLnow.com
1/23

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) An SUV has crashed into the side of Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon, trapping one person underneath the vehicle.

Police and fire department rescue units responded to the scene and within a half hour was able to free the person from under the SUV.

Witnesses tell ARLnow.com that an older man in an SUV drove through the intersection of Washington Blvd and Clarendon Blvd, struck a woman in the crosswalk, knocked down a light pole and drove down the sidewalk before the vehicle finally came to a stop next to Mad Rose.

A woman was trapped underneath the SUV and could be heard screaming for help, a witness said. She was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University hospital but is expected to survive, police say.

The woman was an employee of Mad Rose Tavern, a restaurant manager said. The restaurant’s popular sidewalk cafe along Clarendon Blvd was destroyed by the SUV, but was not open at the time of the crash.

Investigators have secured surveillance footage of the crash from the restaurant, we’re told. The driver had bloodshot eyes and appeared to be intoxicated, said the restaurant manager.

The woman struck in the crosswalk was spun around by the collision but did not appear to be seriously hurt, a witness said. She was transported to Virginia Hospital Center, according to a police department spokeswoman. A third person was being evaluated by paramedics on scene.

Another witness said he spoke with the driver, who appeared dazed and disoriented, immediately after the crash. The witness asked what happened and, according to him, the man said he had just picked up medication from a local pharmacy.

The driver was led in handcuffs to a police cruiser. So far there’s no word on any charges filed.

Washington Blvd is currently closed between Highland and Clarendon, while Clarendon is closed between Washington and Highland. A large number of emergency responders are on scene but are beginning to pick up and go back in service.

Police are currently expected to remain on scene for an extended period of time due to traffic impacts from the traffic lights at the intersection of Washington and Clarendon being knocked out by the crash. Drivers in the Clarendon area should expect heavy traffic during the evening rush hour.

Update on 10/5/16 — The driver has been charged with DUI.

UPDATED: Report of Man With Gun on Marymount Campus

By ARLnow.com

Arlington's Marymount University (Flickr pool photo by Eric)Update at 2 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given by police. “This appears to have been a false report,” the university said via Twitter. “Please resume normal activities.”

Earlier: Arlington County Police are investigating a report of a man with a gun on the Marymount University campus in north Arlington.

Those on campus are being told to “go to a secure location and await further information,” according to the university’s Twitter account.

“This is not a drill,” the tweet also notes. The university was scheduled to conduct a series of active shooter drills on campus starting this Thursday, Oct. 6.

Police are advising people to avoid the area while they look for the man.

Flickr pool photo (top) by Eric

BREAKING: Wild Motorcycle Chase Ends on Spout Run Parkway

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A wild police chase that started on I-66 has ended in Arlington.

Virginia State Police were chasing two motorcyclists who refused to stop after one was reportedly involved in a crash on the highway, according to scanner traffic.

The pursuit continued into Arlington and the motorcyclists took the Glebe Road exit into Ballston. With a Fairfax County Police helicopter overhead tracking their movement, the bikers briefly stopped in Ballston and then made their way north, past the area of Washington-Lee High School and onto Lee Highway, according to police radio traffic.

One of the suspects was reportedly taken into custody after he damaged his motorcycle and tried to flee on foot into the woods at the intersection of Spout Run Parkway and Lorcom Lane.

The other continued to flee down residential streets, allegedly driving onto front lawns and zooming past pedestrians. By apparent coincidence, the motorcyclist rode right by where the first suspect was arrested, and was himself then stopped and taken into custody on Spout Run Parkway

Police temporarily closed portions of the parkway to traffic during the incident.

Virginia State Police pursued the suspects through the county; per Arlington County Police policy against chasing suspects for minor crimes, ACPD units were instructed not to pursue.

UPDATED: Multiple Vehicle Crash on NB I-395

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 11:25 p.m.) Arlington County police and firefighters responded to a multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-395 just before the 14th Street Bridge.

The crash happened around 6:30 p.m., in the midst of rush hour. More than 20 vehicles were involved over a stretch of I-395. All lanes heading to D.C. were completely blocked at the main crash site. Traffic was being diverted onto the GW Parkway and Washington Blvd, though HOV lanes remained open.

There was a report of a woman trapped in one of the vehicles, but she was quickly freed, according to scanner traffic. Four people were said to be injured, but their injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. Three were transported to local hospitals.

The driver of a pickup truck suffered a medical emergency, leading to the crashes, according to a statement from Virginia State Police (below).

At 6:25 p.m., Tuesday (July 12, 2016), Virginia State Police responded to a multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-395 in Arlington County.

The driver of a 2002 Toyota Tundra was traveling north on I-395 when he experienced a medical emergency and lost control of his vehicle. The Tundra began bumping into other northbound vehicles causing a chain reaction crash over a five mile stretch of interstate that ended when the Tundra got boxed in by traffic and came to a stop at Exit 10C.

A total of 21 vehicles were involved – to include the Toyota Tundra. The majority of vehicles had only minor damage with just eight having to be towed from the scene.

The driver of the Tundra, a 57-year-old Alexandria, Va., man was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crashes…and for his serious medical emergency. At this stage of the investigation, he is not being charged due to the circumstances of the medical emergency.

Three other people were also transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of minor injuries.

The scene was cleared and all lanes re-opened by 8:55 p.m.

BREAKING: Girl Critically Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash

By ARLnow.com
1/18

(Updated at 9:50 p.m.) Arlington County police and firefighters responded to a serious multi-vehicle crash on S. Glebe Road Tuesday night.

The crash happened just before 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of Glebe and 19th Street S. Police on scene reported that four people were injured, including an 8-year-old girl who was initially trapped in one of the vehicles.

“A vehicle was on S. Glebe Road driving at a high rate of speed when it crossed into oncoming traffic, striking two vehicles,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Three of the injured individuals are being transported to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to scanner traffic.

“All three occupants of one vehicle were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Savage said. “An 8-year-old girl suffered critical injuries. Occupants of the second vehicle were treated by medics on scene but refused transport.”

One person has been taken into custody by officers on reported suspicion of DUI, according to scanner traffic.

“The driver of the striking vehicle is expected to face charges,” said Savage. “Those charges have not been determined at this time.”

There were three men in the striking vehicle, according to Savage. One was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, for a total of four who were hospitalized.

The crash involved a Chevrolet Camero, a Land Rover SUV and a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle.

Both directions of Glebe Road were closed at the crash scene. The road was expected to remain closed while the cars are removed, debris is cleared and a police investigation is conducted.

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