(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a series of two home burglaries that were reported Thursday morning in the Madison Manor neighborhood.
The burglaries occurred on the 6200 block of 12th Street N. and on the 1000 block of N. Quintana Street.
“As we were investigating these burglaries, we received a report from two witnesses that they saw two Hispanic males approach a residence in the 900 block of N. Quesada where they attempted to steal a bicycle,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The suspects fled the area on foot.”
An earlier version of this article reported that more than two homes were broken into, which is incorrect, Savage clarified.
From an ACPD crime report:
BURGLARY(series), 160331013, 6200 block of N. 12th Street. Between 9:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on March 31, two male subjects forced entry into a residence and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and several items of value. A second residence was entered in the same fashion and an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. Two witnesses described seeing two Hispanic males with backpacks and short black hair approach a residence in the area around the same time as the incident. Investigation is ongoing.
**This series is related to case numbers 160331015 1000 block of N. Quintana Street, 160331018 900 block of N. Quesada Street
(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a break-in and theft at Japanese Auto Service, a service station located between Clarendon and Virginia Square.
The service center, at 3413 Wilson Blvd, has been in business for 19 years, according to owner Ed Lahrime. It was broken into by an unknown suspect early Sunday morning.
From an ACPD crime report:
“At approximately 4:51 a.m. on March 27, an unknown male subject forced entry into a business and stole several items of value and an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect is described as a white male, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and dark shoes.”
A customer provided ARLnow.com with some additional details about what happened.
“The thief took their cash register and a significant amount of money in cash and checks,” the customer told us. “The store owner was able to provide the police with video of the suspect and they are currently reviewing the footage. Poor guy looked heart broken that his business had been violated like that.”
Lahrime said that his motion detection security system didn’t go off during the break-in, for some reason, and has since been replaced by the security company. He also had to replace a broken window and his cash register. All told, the theft is costing him more than $1,500, along with some sleep and peace of mind, he said.
“I couldn’t sleep that night,” he said. “I had to put my phone [with a connection to the surveillance system] next to me to make sure he didn’t come back to rob us again.”
Police told Lahrime of a number of other recent burglaries and burglary attempts in various parts of the county, from Shirlington to Clarendon, he said. This was the first burglary at Japanese Auto Service since it opened nearly two decades ago.
“Arlington is not safe,” said Lahrime.
Tuesday afternoon Arlington County Police released multiple surveillance images of the suspect, describing him as “a white male in his mid-20’s to early 30’s, wearing dark clothing and a gray hoodie.”
“If anyone has information on the identity and/or whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective Echenique of the Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit at 703.228.4241 or at [email protected],” police said in a press release. “To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).”
“This is an ongoing and active investigation,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
The video shows the thief returning to the scene of the crime a half hour after the initial break-in, apparently to steal some change from the floor, Lahrime added.
Sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, someone entered the United Bank in Arlington’s Williamsburg neighborhood through a hole in the wall, but nothing was stolen.
Police are investigating the break-in, in the Williamsburg Shopping Center. Investigators say the suspect was able to gain entry to a room behind the bank’s ATM, but not the main lobby of the bank. The hole was in a wall in a walkway between the bank and a barber shop, we’re told.
Some cuts were found on the ATM, but no money was stolen.
It was business as usual at the bank as of Wednesday afternoon. No holes were visible in the wall, which appeared to be recently plastered over.
From the Arlington County Police Department’s crime report:
BURGLARY, 160214018, 6400 block of N. Williamsburg Boulevard. Between 5:20 p.m. on February 13 and 9:15 a.m. on February 14, an unknown subject(s) forced entry through a hole in the wall of United Bank. No money was stolen and no damage was made other than cuts made to the ATM. There is no suspect(s) description.
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) Police have released new information about an attack in Lyon Village that sent a man to the hospital with a serious head injury.
Arlington County Police say that the victim, who was struck in the head with a bottle, was a homeowner who discovered a man in his house during a residential burglary.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. on the 1800 block of N. Adams Street, near the intersection with Lee Highway.
Police say the victim was at home during the break-in, but at first didn’t hear the suspect. When he discovered the burglar in the house, he confronted him and a struggle ensued in the kitchen.
During the struggle, the suspect grabbed a bottle and hit the victim over the head with it, causing a “severe laceration,” according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The suspect then fled on food.
The homeowner, bleeding profusely, made his way to a neighbor’s house. The neighbor then called police to report the assault.
The victim was transported via ambulance to Virginia Hospital Center with what’s described as a non-life-threatening injury. Police found a large amount of blood on the ground, including on the neighbor’s front step, and recovered a pair of bloody gloves, according to scanner traffic.
Police are still investigating the incident but currently believe that the attacker did not know the victim. The suspect is described as a 5’7″ black male in his 50s.
Earlier in the investigation, police said that they believed the victim was struck while walking down the street.
There have been a string of home burglaries in Arlington and police believe the connection between them is the use of an online cleaning service.
Arlington County Police are now warning residents to be wary of any cleaner from an online service who refuses to give his or her last name and phone number. The department recommends the use of a home video security system for those who cannot be at home during the cleaning.
ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage declined to name the online cleaning service in question, citing “the integrity of ongoing cases.” She did, however, specify that the “cleaners are contractors signed up with an online cleaning service that does the scheduling on their behalf.”
The most prominent company to fit that definition is Handy. The New York City-based startup recently raised $50 million in venture funding, valuing the company around half a billion dollars. It has been criticized for its classification of cleaners as independent contractors.
So far, Handy has not responded to an inquiry from ARLnow.com. On its website, Handy says its cleaners are “experienced, friendly, background-checked, and insured.”
The police department issued an infographic (above) and the following statement about the online cleaning-related thefts.
The Arlington County Police Department has seen an increase in thefts from homes that have utilized online cleaning services. While a burglar has to break into an unsuspecting home, the same results can happen by giving unknown people access to your home. Below are a few things to consider before allowing any service provider into your home.
How long has the service been in business in your community?
Did you receive a favorable recommendation from friends or family?
Does the service have the appropriate permits to conduct business?
Is the service licensed properly with the County or the State?
When searching for an online cleaning service, it is suspicious of subcontractors to only provide partial names or to fail to provide telephone numbers. While there are many legitimate service providers, it is always recommended you remain present when the service is being provided and that you place all valuables in a secure area prior to their arrival.
If it is not possible for you to remain at home while the service is being provided and you can’t have a friend or family member assist you, you may want to reschedule for another time or consider monitoring the activity with a home video security system. These systems can be monitored via the web or your smartphone.
You work hard for things you have purchased. Help us to help you enjoy the fruits of your labor and avoid being a victim of theft.
A local online cleaning service, Maids in Black, said via a spokeswoman that it is “not a part of this investigation.”
“We pride ourself on hiring trustworthy employees who all must pass a background screening to ensure only the highest quality of service,” said Joanna Kalita. “These instances are quite unfortunate, however, in no way connected to Maids In Black.”
A woman woke up early Monday morning to find a man in her kitchen, stealing from her.
The incident happened around 3:45 a.m. at a home near East Falls Church. The suspect fled was was soon found by police and taken into custody.
From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
BURGLARY, 151207009, 2400 block of N. Potomac Street. At approximately 3:45 a.m. on December 7, a female victim awoke to an unknown male subject in her kitchen. The subject fled out the back door taking an undisclosed amount of cash. Shortly after, officers located a subject matching the suspect description and found items belonging to the victims on him. Michael Edward Thomas, 25, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with burglary, possession of a controlled substance, petit larceny, and possession of marijuana. He is being held without bond.
A man was arrested over the weekend and charged with attempted burglary after throwing a rock at a Clarendon area bank.
The incident happened just after noon Sunday at the PNC Bank at 2601 Clarendon Blvd.
Police say 27-year-old Uchenna Eze threw a rock at the bank “in an attempt to steal money.” He was arrested, charged with attempted burglary and held without bond.
Two soldiers from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall were arrested and charged in an unusual burglary over the weekend.
The incident happened Saturday afternoon. Police say the men broke into a house on the 2100 block of 2nd Street S., near the entrance to the base, and stole an 18 pack of beer and a NASCAR sweatshirt.
The men were arrested and held at the Arlington County jail on a military detainer. From the Arlington County Police crime report:
BURGLARY, 151114050, 2100 block of S. 2nd Street. At approximately 4:45 p.m. on November 14, two subjects entered a residence and stole an 18 pack of beer and a NASCAR sweatshirt. Benjamin Wilson, 21, of Ft. Myer, VA and Alexander Heintz, 19, of Ft. Myer, VA were arrested and charged with burglary, destruction of property and larceny from auto. Both were held on a military detainer.
An unscrupulous burglar was not thinking of the children when he stole items from a Rosslyn child care center early Monday morning.
The incident happened around 2:45 a.m. Monday. Police say a man wearing a brown coat and a backpack broke into the Rosslyn Children’s Center (RCC), at 1401 Wilson Blvd, and stole two laptops and a hard drive.
From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
BURGLARY, 151026013, 1400 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 2:45 a.m. on October 26, an unknown subject(s) entered the Rosslyn Children’s Center and stole two laptops and an external drive. The suspect is described as a male wearing a brown coat and backpack at the time of the incident.
RCC was in the news two weeks ago for its plan to move to a new location in Rosslyn.
Arlington County Police responded to an unusual burglary call yesterday in the Donaldson Run neighborhood.
A homeowner returned to his or her residence on the 2700 block of N. Beechwood Street after a few days away, only to find that something wasn’t quite right — someone had been inside the house and had helped themselves to some sweet treats.
“Between 12:00 p.m. on August 9 and 9:00 p.m. on August 12, an unknown suspect(s) entered a residence through a doggie door and ate the homeowner’s popsicles and whipped cream,” according to a crime report. “The suspect(s) proceeded to play with Pokémon cards that were found in the residence.”
“After they enjoyed some popsicles, they played a bit with some Pokemon cards and left,” ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said of the suspect or suspects, whose identity and motive remains a mystery.
Arlington County Police are looking for a serial office burglar who’s suspected of taking items from “numerous” offices along Arlington’s Metro corridors.
Police say the images above are from a burglary this month on the 2300 block of Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse, steps from county government headquarters and just a couple of blocks from police headquarters.
From an ACPD press release:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect involved in numerous office burglaries in the metro-accessible corridors of Arlington County to include an early July 2015 incident in the Courthouse area.
The suspect forced entry into an office suite located in the 2300 block of Clarendon Boulevard, at 7:40 a.m. on July 7, 2015. The lone suspect was captured on surveillance video and later entered a suite where he stole an unsecured laptop computer. He then placed the laptop into a black and blue colored backpack before leaving the scene.
The subject is described as a black male approximately 5’11” – 6′ tall, weighing 190 pounds with a large build. In several incidents, it appears that the suspect is carrying a small towel in or on his hand.
The suspect targets vulnerable office suites in the early morning hours as employees are beginning to arrive or in the later afternoon after most employees have gone for the day. He appears to target mainly electronic devices.
If anyone has information on the identity and/or whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective James Stone of the Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit at 703.228.4245 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).
(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a series of two home burglaries that were reported Thursday morning in the Madison Manor neighborhood.
