Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)
A man accused of robbing a security guard in Courthouse was arrested in front of Arlington police headquarters Tuesday night.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and started inside an office building lobby on the 2100 block of Clarendon Blvd. Arlington County government headquarters is the only office building on that exact block.
“The suspect was inside the lobby of an office building when the security guard informed him that the building was closed,” said an ACPD crime report. “A verbal dispute ensued, during which the suspect allegedly pushed the security guard to the ground and stole her flashlight before fleeing the scene on foot.”
The security guard followed the suspect a short distance and flagged down police on the 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road, the same block as ACPD headquarters. Officers “took [the suspect] into custody without incident.”
“The victim sustained minor injuries and declined the treatment of medics,” the crime report noted.
A police spokeswoman declined to confirm to ARLnow whether the alleged robbery happened inside the county government building.
“ACPD reports criminal incidents by block number as to not directly or indirectly identify victims and reporting parties,” said Ashley Savage.
The 38-year-old suspect, who has no fixed address, has been charged with robbery, police said. Court records show no prior criminal history in Arlington, though a man of the same name and age has been arrested several times in Rhode Island, records posted online show.
The 7-Eleven store at 2001 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse (photo via Google Maps)
A man upset that he couldn’t buy alcohol before 6 a.m. allegedly stole it by force and then threw some of it at a store employee.
The incident happened around 5 a.m. Sunday, at the 7-Eleven at 2001 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse.
An “unknown male suspect entered into the business and began selecting alcoholic beverages,” Arlington County police said in the department’s daily crime report. “An employee informed the suspect that the sale of alcohol could not be completed prior to 6:00 a.m., during which the suspect ignored him. Another employee attempted to intervene, during which the suspect pushed him and exited the store with the unpaid merchandise.”
“A short time later, the suspect returned and threw one of the stolen items at the employee before fleeing the scene in a vehicle,” the crime report continued. “No injuries were reported.”
The suspect fled in what was described in police radio traffic as a white Budget rental van. Police were unable to locate the van or the man, who was described as “a Black male, approximately 30-35 years old, 6’0″, wearing a yellow cap, white shirt, yellow shorts and white shoes.”
A blood donor in Fairfax County (Photo by Obi – @pixel6propix on Unsplash)
Inova is setting up a day-long community blood drive in Courthouse on Monday
The healthcare company’s blood donation arm is again partnering with Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar for the event. Blood donors will receive $5 off any menu item at the restaurant for their contribution.
The blood drive is taking place from 1:30-5:30 p.m. on Aug. 8. The Inova Blood Services Bloodmobile will be parked in front of the restaurant at 2350 Clarendon Blvd, just up the street from the Courthouse Metro station.
Photo ID and a face-covering are required. Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar has been open since August 2010. The pizzeria has an ongoing relationship with Inova to help collect much-needed blood supplies in Northern Virginia.
Ballston at twilight with storm clouds looming (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Issues at Court House Station — Noted in a new Washington Metrorail Safety Commission report on the maintenance, cleaning and inspections of automatic train control systems: “For example, at Court House Station on the Orange and Silver Lines, a technician noted racks that were dusty and covered with black soot and noted that an electronic-friendly vacuum cleaner was required for proper cleaning, but no work order was opened. The records also showed missing manuals and reference documents, but no work order was opened.” [WMSC]
Anniversary of Pentagon Officer’s LODD — “Pentagon Police Cpl. George Gonzalez died in the line of duty one year ago today. At the Training Range named for him, members of his Pentagon Force Protection Agency platoon honored Gonzalez again on Tuesday.” [WJLA]
School Board Race Fundraising — “For the period through June 30, independent James ‘Vell’ Rives IV outraised Democratic endorsee Bethany Sutton by $14,286 to $13,132, according to figures from the Virginia Department of Elections. But from those figures you have to subtract the $7,000 loan that Rives gave his campaign, and also chop off a couple of thousand dropped in by Sutton family members to hers, when parsing the data.” [Sun Gazette]
Light Pole Knocked Down on the Pike — “Scanner: Columbia Pike temporary shut down at S. Wakefield Street after a vehicle ran into a county light pole, knocking it down. Driver reported to be injured, but not seriously.” [Twitter]
It’s Friday — After a stormy Thursday night comes another hot day with rain and strong storms in the evening and overnight. High of 91 and low of 76. Sunrise at 6:15 am and sunset at 8:17 pm. [Weather.gov]
2039 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse, the future location of a Taco Bell Cantina (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
2039 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse, the future location of a Taco Bell Cantina (staff photo)
2039 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse, the future location of a Taco Bell Cantina (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Expect to be chowing on chalupas and sipping cervezas at Courthouse’s Taco Bell Cantina by the end of the year.
Construction on the newest Taco Bell Cantina location at 2039 Wilson Blvd is anticipated to start within 30 days, a company spokesperson told ARLnow, with the hope that it opens prior to the end of the year.
The spokesperson also confirmed to ARLnow that this would be a Cantina location, as opposed to a regular Taco Bell.
The main difference between the two is that the former sells alcohol, including beer, wine, sangria, and “Twisted Freezes.”
The placement of the fast food chain restaurant-bar combo seems intended to attract a late-night crowd, within stumbling distance of a number of local bars. And the Courthouse location will have a special feature that might help that late-night crowd get their Crunchwrap Supreme just a bit faster.
“This location will be similar to [other Taco Bell Cantinas] in offerings, but will also have a convenient walk-up window,” the company spokesperson wrote.
In May, the company applied for a building permit for work on the 2,166 square-foot first floor of 2039 Wilson Blvd. That work is set to include adding a new HVAC system plus new plumbing, electrical systems, furniture, and kitchen equipment. A new restroom will also be added.
The Cantina will have a 48-person dining room to go along with the walk-up window.
The space at 2039 Wilson Blvd was once home to the Peruvian restaurant, bar, and hookah lounge Guarapo Lounge. However, it closed nearly six years ago and the space has remained vacant ever since.
This will also be a return to the neighborhood for Taco Bell. A location of the fast food chain once stood on the hill between Rosslyn and Courthouse, near where the 7-Eleven and Ace Hardware are today.
But that Taco Bell closed more than a decade ago, along with the beloved bar Dr. Dremo’s, when buildings were demolished to make way for new development.
The exterior of the Arlington County Justice Center, where the General District Court is located (via Google Maps)
A contract that’s part of a $1.9 million project to renovate “the courtroom of the future” is set to go before the Arlington County Board.
The Board plans to vote on Saturday (July 16) on an $890,000 construction contract to upgrade Arlington General District Court Courtroom 10B with technology updates and layout improvements. If approved, the contract will go to Michigan-based construction company Sorensen Gross.
Arlington courtrooms haven’t had a major renovation since 1994, according to a report to the County Board.
“Significant technology development has introduced new forms of evidence, including recordings from police body-worn cameras and smartphone cameras,” the report says. “Additional courtroom technology is needed to show this evidence to only the required participants. This technology prototype will address these issues and provide a more flexible setting for future expansion/modification to the system.”
The construction project is set to include renovations such as raising the floor to make routing cables easier, new video monitors and sound systems that coordinate microphones and integrate translation capabilities. By adding a new “technology backbone,” the county aims to give “more direct control of multimedia presentations,” according to the report.
The spectator area, jury box and witness stand are also set for changes, according to a Q&A document with prospective vendors. The changes will comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and improve the layout for judges, witnesses and clerks, according to the report.
The total budget for the project is around $1.9 million, which was included in the county’s adopted fiscal year 2022-2024 Capital Improvement Plan. In addition to the construction contract, the total cost reflects around $370,000 in design and administrative costs and $250,000 in contingency costs.
Construction is currently expected to start in early August and should be mostly complete by July of next year, according to the Q&A document.
A driver crashed his car into an office building in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A driver crashed his car into an office building in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A driver crashed his car into an office building in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A driver crashed his car into an office building in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A man crashed his Subaru into a Courthouse office building this afternoon.
The crash happened around 4 p.m. at the National Science Teaching Association building at 1840 Wilson Blvd, in the alley between Wilson and Clarendon boulevards.
The front of the Subaru went through a brick wall and into the building, but no one inside the building was reported to be hurt.
The middle-aged male driver of the car appeared disoriented as he was being pulled out of the driver’s seat by firefighters. He was taken on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance and on to a local hospital.
It’s unclear what caused the crash and whether the driver might have suffered a medical emergency.
The fire department’s technical rescue team remains on scene, shoring up the brick wall which was damaged as a result of the crash.
#Alert: Crews are operating at the scene of a single vehicle crash; vehicle into a building. 1 patient has been transported with non-life threatening injuries. Crews are working on stabilizing the impacted wall. There are no significant structural concerns as a result. pic.twitter.com/7jWE3qY2UD
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) July 13, 2022
Arlington is seeing a spate of men exposing themselves.
The pasttwo 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.
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A man was attacked by two would-be robbers, including one with a gun, in the Courthouse neighborhood Friday night, police say.
The mugging happened around 10:30 p.m. in the area of Rocky Run Park.
The suspects threatened the victim with a gun after knocking him to the ground, but fled without stealing anything after he called out for help, according to police
From today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-07080245, N. Barton Street at Fairfax Drive. At approximately 10:27 p.m. on July 8, police were dispatched to the report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking southbound on N. Barton Street when Suspect One struck him with an unknown object, knocking him to the ground. Suspect Two then brandished a firearm, threatened the victim and demanded his property. The victim yelled for help and the suspects fled the scene on foot without the victim’s property. A canvass of the area for the suspects yielded negative results. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated on scene by medics. Suspect One is described as a Black male in his 20’s, slim build, approximately 5’7, with short black hair, light-colored shirt and jeans. Suspect Two is described as a Black male in his 20’s, slim build, approximately 6’0, with short black hair wearing a light colored shirt and jeans. The investigation is ongoing.
The crime report also has details about an arrest made after an alleged road rage incident Friday afternoon.
Police say a 21-year-old Falls Church man was charged with brandishing a weapon after the incident — which started in Courthouse and ended with a dramatic, guns-drawn traffic stop along Route 50 — even though the weapon ended up being an airsoft gun.
Watch: @ArlingtonVaPD with guns drawn stopping a car a short time ago on Route 50 West at Irving St. Police had a report someone in the car was showing a gun in a threatening manner. The person who called 911 followed the car until police caught up. @ARLnowDOTcom#police#crimepic.twitter.com/id5Fx93Wqs
The man is facing additional charges, police say, because two children were inside his car at the time.
From ACPD:
BRANDISHING, 2022-07080144, 1500 block of N. Veitch Street. At approximately 1 p.m. on July 8, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Arriving officers located the two involved vehicles and initiated a traffic stop in the area of Arlington Boulevard and N. Irving Street. The investigation determined the occupants of the vehicles had been traveling along Arlington Boulevard when they became involved in a traffic dispute, during which the passenger in the suspect vehicle allegedly displayed what was believed to be a handgun. During the traffic stop, officers recovered an airsoft gun inside the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle was also determined to have to juvenile occupants at the time of the incident. Manuel Rivas, 21, of Falls Church, VA was taken into custody without incident and charged with Brandishing and Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor (x2).
A 3D image of the proposed Courthouse West development on Wilson Blvd (image via Arlington County)
The parking lot near the Whole Foods in Clarendon eyed for redevelopment, where “ghost kitchens” currently operate (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 7:10 p.m.) A planned development roughly between Clarendon and Courthouse could go as high as 16 stories, though county staff and some nearby residents are asking for it to be shorter.
The County Board is now set to vote at its meeting this Saturday on whether to advertise public hearings on the GLUP change.
The change calls for rezoning from “service commercial,” which allows the building to be up to 4 stories, to “Office-Apartment-Hotel.” This designation would allow the development to be between 6 and 16 stories high.
But the crux of the conversation last week was exactly how many stories should the development actually be allowed to get to.
The proposed project, dubbed “Courthouse West,” would redevelop a parking lot that’s just east of the Clarendon Whole Foods store. The lot currently houses a number of “ghost kitchen” trailers. A PNC Bank branch is also part of the development site, per documents filed with the county.
Ballston-based CRC Companies wants a 16-story apartment building there, as would be allowed by the new zoning designation.
However, county staff is calling for the development to be rezoned as a “medium” office-apartment-hotel development with a maximum height of up to 12 stories. And members of the public, at least those who filled out a recent online survey, want it to be even shorter than that.
In a survey first disseminated in December, three options were provided — 6, 10, and 17 stories — and about half of respondents, in total about 175, choose the six-story option.
After nearly two and a half hours of discussion and public comment last week, the commission voted against staff recommendations and in favor of advertising the 16-story option.
A number of commissioners noted that the vote was intended to allow continued discussion about 16 stories and not take it off the table; it didn’t necessarily constitute a recommendation for the development to go that high, they said.
County staff’s recommendation of 12 stories is essentially a compromise. There’s an understanding that the development could have the right to go to 16 stories, but staff doesn’t want to set a “precedent” since so many other buildings in that part of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor are shorter.
During the public comment section, a number of nearby residents went into detail about why they didn’t want a 16-story, or even a 12-story, building on that specific parcel of land that lies halfway between the Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations. Among the reasons were concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety and school crowding.
John Carten of the Lyon Village Citizens’ Association called the survey that went out to the public “very flawed and biased” because it only offered three choices. He says the residents he represents want a six-story building at maximum.
“Twelve story buildings would tower over houses in Lyon Village,” he said. “This will open the door to other developers who want the same density.”
(Carten and the association have also been sharply critical of the potential for more development on the other side of the largely Metro-accessible neighborhood that could result from the ongoing Langston Blvd planning process.)
Still, other residents noted that a 12- or 16-story apartment building would contribute more affordable housing and better take advantage of the neighborhood’s transit options.
Segment of Fairfax Drive set for speed limit reduction (via Google Maps)
Segment of 5th Street S. set for speed limit reduction (via Google Maps)
A pair of local road segments are set for a speed limit reduction.
At its meeting this coming Saturday, the Arlington County Board is expected to vote to advertise changes in the speed limit along Fairfax Drive from Arlington Boulevard to N. Barton Street, near Courthouse and Rocky Run Park, and on 5th Road S. from South Carlin Springs Road to the Fairfax County line, near Carlin Springs Elementary School.
“The Department of Environmental Services, Division of Transportation has conducted a study on each of the above-mentioned corridors,” a report to the County Board says. “The results of the studies recommend that the speed limit be decreased from 30 miles per hour (mph) to 25 mph on the studied segment of Fairfax Drive and from 35 mph to 25 mph on the studied segment of 5th Road South.”
The ultimate goal is safety.
“One of the implementation actions for that policy is the adoption of lower speed limits for arterial streets on which there are high volumes of pedestrian crossings and higher density land development,” said the report.
The changes will advertised, ahead of a final Board vote on the change set for September. The price tag for the speed limit changes is about a thousand dollars.
“Public notices advertising the County Board’s consideration of this item at its September 17, 2022, meeting will be published in the June 23 and June 30 editions of the Washington Times newspaper,” said the Board report. “The cost of purchasing and installing speed limit signs to reflect these changes will be approximately $500 per corridor, for a total of $1,000.”
More on why the speed limits are being changed, per the report:
The Department of Environmental Services, Division of Transportation has conducted engineering studies on the aforementioned corridors. These studies compiled data on speed statistics, collisions, traffic volumes, current and anticipated pedestrian and bicyclist activity, adjacent land uses and development patterns, future projects, and roadway characteristics. The data were evaluated to determine if the existing speed limits are appropriate, or if a modification to the speed limit is recommended to improve safety. These engineering studies formed the basis of staff’s recommendation to amend the code to lower the speed limits along each of the corridors.
Fairfax Drive from Arlington Boulevard to North Barton Street is classified as a neighborhood roadway and its adjacent land uses are medium to high density residential homes and the popular Rocky Run Park. The street has high pedestrian activity, including a weekday average of over 400 pedestrian crossings per day. The design of the roadway encourages a lower speed limit, supported by the collected data showing 85th percentile speeds just above 25 mph and average speeds just above 20 mph. For these reasons, it is recommended to lower the speed limit from the existing 30 mph limit to 25 mph.
5th Road South between South Carlin Springs Road and the Fairfax County line is a minor arterial roadway that fronts Carlin Springs Elementary School and low-density residential homes. The entirety of the segment is within a school zone, as well as within the walking zone for Carlin Springs Elementary School and Kenmore Middle School. The roadway also includes a buffered bike lane to encourage biking. It is recommended to lower the speed limit from the existing 35 mph limit to 25 mph in order to create a safer environment for all roadway users.
Following an appropriate Board approval, new speed limit signs will be placed in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
