crime

Tires Slashed in Pentagon City on New Year’s Day

By Katie Pyzyk

Police investigating tire slashing spree in Hall's Hill on 11/19/13 (photo via @ArlingtonVaPD)A number of vehicles in Pentagon City were discovered with their tires slashed on New Year’s Day.

According to police, an unknown vandal or vandals slashed tires on six vehicles in the 400 block of Army Navy Drive between 5:00 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday. There is no suspect description.

This is the latest in a string of tire slashing sprees that has plagued Arlington over the past several months. Hall’s Hill was hit twice, first in November when 36 vehicles were affected and again in December when 40 cars were vandalized. In July, police investigated a string of slashed tire incidents on 16 vehicles — mostly Toyota Priuses — in the Cherrydale, Waverly Hills and Barcroft Park neighborhoods. About two weeks later, in August, 10 vehicle owners found their tires slashed in the Arlington View neighborhood.

Thus far, police have not arrested any suspects in any of the tire slashing incidents.

Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity or who may have information about the vandalism incidents is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Crime Report: Christmas and New Year’s Eve

By ARLnow.com
File photo

The Arlington County Police Department has issued its crime report for the two weeks ending Dec. 31.

A few days before Christmas, some Grinch stole a fruit basket (and a gift card) from a Virginia Square apartment mail room.

BURGLARY, 131219008, 3500 block of N. Washington Boulevard. At 7:30 am on December 19, a victim noticed several packages of his had been opened in an apartment mail room. A fruit basket and Amazon gift card were stolen. There is no suspect(s) description.

The day after Christmas, with returns and post-holiday shopping in full swing, a man allegedly used his cell phone to film a woman in a dressing room.

PEEPING TOM, 131226018, unit block of S. Glebe Road. At 1:24 pm on December 26, a 24 year-old female victim reported a suspect attempted to film her with his phone as she was changing in the dressing room. The suspect fled the scene when the victim notified a store employee. The suspect is described as a Middle Eastern male in his 30’s, approximately 5’10” tall and 190 lbs with a goatee. He was wearing a dark and light blue sweater, jeans and brown shoes at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All names suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

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Police: ‘Inappropriate Comments’ Lead to Va. Square Assault

By Ethan Rothstein

Police car lightsThree men were arrested early this morning after allegedly assaulting a man outside Darna Lounge (946 N. Jackson Street) in Virginia Square.

The assault came after the victim left the bar at 2:15 a.m., according to the Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“Three subjects were exiting the bar when they made some inappropriate comments to a female who was standing with the victim, who then said something back to them,” Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told ARLnow.com.

Fahad Alshequiq, 29, of Falls Church; Dede Dede, 34, of Dumfries; and Abdulaziz Alreshood, 29, of Arlington were arrested and charged with assault by mob. They are being held without bond.

The victim refused a medical transport.

Crime Report: Man Stabbed Near Ballston Metro

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) A man reportedly was stabbed in the chest early Wednesday morning after exchanging words with his assailant near the Ballston Metro.

From this week’s crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 131218005, 4200 block of N. Fairfax Drive. At 1:30 am on December 18, an unknown subject allegedly stabbed a 30 year-old victim in the chest after a verbal altercation. The suspect fled on foot towards the Ballston Metro. The victim was driven by a friend to Virginia Hospital center with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a black male in his thirties, approximately 5’9″ tall and 150 lbs. He was wearing a khaki colored jacket with a black vest over top of it and a light blue skullcap at the time of the incident.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All named suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. (more…)

Teen Robbed for His Shoes

By Katie Pyzyk

Police car lightsPolice are looking for a suspect who robbed a teenager of his shoes on Friday (December 13) in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood.

According to police, the suspect approached the 15-year-old victim around 8:25 p.m. in the 5100 block of 8th Road S. and put him in a choke hold. The suspect demanded the victim’s Nike Foamposite shoes, shoved the victim and then fled.

The victim was not seriously injured and was not transported to the hospital.

Police describe the suspect as a dark skinned Hispanic male with a light beard, approximately 5’10”, 160 pounds and around 20 years old. At the time of the incident he was wearing a black jacket and dark pants. Another person was with the suspect at the time of the robbery, but was not directly involved in the incident. The second person is described as a light skinned male, approximately 6’2” with a heavy build. At the time of the incident he was wearing a black jacket and dark jeans and had a black backpack with him.

Anyone who may have information regarding the robbery is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Crime Report: Armed Robbery in Hotel Room

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Last Wednesday, an armed man robbed a woman at gunpoint in her room at the Sheraton hotel on Columbia Pike.

From this week’s crime report:

ROBBERY, 900 block of S. Orme Street. At 10:17 am on December 4, an unknown suspect allegedly robbed a female at gunpoint in her hotel room. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 20’s with short hair. The suspect was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, a gray sweater, and black and gold shoes at the time of the incident.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All names suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Another Tire Slashing Spree in Hall’s Hill

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County police car (file photo)Dozens of cars parked in the Hall’s Hill neighborhood had their tires slashed over the weekend in the same area where a similar incident occurred last month.

Police say 40 cars were hit sometime from 12:30-7:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 7. The first vandalized car was discovered at 7:00 a.m. that day and dozens of others were found as residents emerged from their homes.

The targeted cars were found along several blocks in Hall’s Hill: the 1800 and 1900 blocks of N. Dinwiddie Street, the 1800 block of N. Culpeper Street, the 1700 block of N. Cameron Street, the 4900 blocks of 17th and 18th Streets N., the 4700 and 5000 blocks of 19th Street N. and the 5000 block of 20th Street N. Most of the vehicles were in the street but some were also parked in driveways.

This is the same neighborhood struck last month when 36 vehicles were discovered with slashed tires. Some of the vehicles vandalized on Saturday had been hit last month as well.

Police do not have any suspects so far but the investigation is ongoing.

“We are aware of the continued target of that general area and without going into specifics about the tactical strategy, we will be deploying resources in that area,” said Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the Hall’s Hill neighborhood or who may have information about the vandalism incidents is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Crime Report: Man’s Ear Severed in Fight

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police Department badgeA man lost part of his ear in a fight last week.

The incident happened Friday afternoon at a residence in the Alcova Heights neighborhood. The upper portion of man’s ear was severed, but he was “very uncooperative” and wouldn’t tell police what happened, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Police do not have any suspects in the case.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 3600 block of S. 3rd Street. At 2:00 pm on November 29, an intoxicated male subject’s ear was severed in a fight. An investigation is ongoing.

Earlier this week, someone lit a field marker flag on fire at Long Bridge Park, causing minor damage.

ARSON, 400 block of S. Long Bridge Drive. Between 3:00 pm on December 2 and 7:00 am on December 3, an unknown subject lit one of the field markers on a soccer field on fire. No suspect description is available.

Police are also investigating a report of a woman being sexually assaulted after leaving a bar in the Courthouse neighborhood last Sunday night.

The woman was intoxicated at the time, can’t remember details of the alleged incident and reported it three days later, according to Sternbeck. There are no suspects in the case.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Sternbeck said.

SEXUAL ASSAULT, 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road. Between 10:30 pm on November 24 to 12:07 am on November 25, a female victim reported she was allegedly sexually assaulted after leaving a bar. An investigation is ongoing.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All named suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Note that ACPD is now including case numbers and basic details of minor incidents in its crime report.

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Crime Report: Burglaries Galore

By Katie Pyzyk

This week’s Arlington County crime report contains a number of burglaries.

Police managed to arrest three suspects during one of the burglaries, which took place in an apartment complex community room. From the crime report:

BURGLARY, 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. On November 17 at 12:50am, a witness reported three individuals breaking into a community room. The three subjects were apprehended inside the community room in possession of marijuana, burglarious tools, and a stolen credit card. The subjects were all charged with Burglary, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Credit Card Theft, Credit Card Fraud, and Possession of Marijuana. The subjects were identified as Edwin Hercules-Torres, 21, of Alexandria, VA, Soami Salmeron, 22, of Alexandria, VA, and Jose Depena-Echevarria, 19, of Alexandria, VA.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Arlington Teen Arrested After Wild Police Chase

By Katie Pyzyk

Police car (file photo)An 18-year-old Arlington resident has been arrested after allegedly leading police on a wild chase overnight, which ended up with an officer needing medical attention.

Police received a call around 12:40 a.m. on Wednesday saying that the suspect, later identified as Victor Solano, was attempting to drive his Chrysler 300 into the yard of a garden style apartment near the 4600 block of 20th Road N., near the Lee Heights Shops.

In the process of trying to back out of the yard, he reportedly struck two vehicles and then drove away. One of the struck vehicles was occupied and the person inside called 911, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Police saw Solano’s vehicle nearby and attempted a traffic stop, but he struck another vehicle and the police cruiser, then fled in his vehicle, according to Sternbeck. A police chase ensued.

Another officer saw Solano’s vehicle during the police pursuit and managed to stop him briefly between a police cruiser, a fence and a power pole near 16th Street N. and N. Culpeper Street. The officer got out of his cruiser and gave verbal commands, but Solano allegedly ignored the commands. Instead, police say Solano accelerated, jumped the curb and ran over the officer’s foot. He then allegedly struck the same police cruiser he had hit earlier and again fled.

Police say Solano eventually wrecked his vehicle around 18th Street N. and N. Cameron Street, then attempted to flee on foot. Two police officers took him into custody, and he was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with minor bumps and bruises.

The officer whose foot was run over was also transported to the hospital for X-rays. He sustained minor injuries but is expected to remain on duty. The officer who was in the cruiser that was hit twice did not sustain injuries.

Solano has been charged with DUI, reckless driving, felony eluding and assault on a police officer.

Arlington Woman Convicted of Sex Trafficking

By Katie Pyzyk

Police car lightsAn Arlington woman has been convicted of running a sex trafficking venture in Northern Virginia.

Ruth Antuanet Miller, 35, originally from Peru but now an Arlington resident, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion. She admitted to trafficking at least five victims.

Miller admitted in a statement filed in federal court that from May 2011 through July 2013, she was the leader of a criminal enterprise that prostituted women at hotels and motels around Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and in Fairfax County.

Some of the women involved were undocumented immigrants. Miller coerced some of them into prostitution by claiming she had ties to immigration agencies in the United States, and she could have the women removed from the country if they refused to engage in prostitution. Other women were told they would be arrested by local law enforcement agencies if they did not perform sex acts for money. Miller also claimed to have affiliation with a street gang and implied the women would be harmed if they didn’t comply.

Miller reported keeping half of the money the victims earned from prostitution while the victims kept the other half. Co-conspirators assisted Miller with operations such as booking hotel rooms, transporting the victims, collecting money and advertising on the internet.

The Arlington County Police Department and the City of Falls Church Police Department assisted Homeland Security Investigations and the Fairfax County Police Department with the investigation.

Miller will be sentenced on March 28, 2014, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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