crime

Crime Report: Lessons for Criminals Edition

By ARLnow.com

This week’s Arlington County crime report includes several cases that may serve as important lessons for criminals. For instance, if you’re going to (allegedly) shoplift from The Gap, leave the 16 bags of cocaine at home.

POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE (COCAINE), 02/10/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At 3:15 pm on February 10, a subject entered The Gap clothing store and placed items in a bag and left the store without paying. Store security detained the suspect for shoplifting. Upon arrival of officers, a further search of the suspect was conducted and a sandwich bag with 16 smaller bags of cocaine were located. Andreus Womack, 19, of Washington, D.C. was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute and petit larceny.

Also, if you’re going to (allegedly) steal a car, do so before getting drunk.

GRAND LARCENY OF AUTO (RECOVERED), 02/14/12, 300 block of S. 23rd Street. At 2:50 am on February 14, officers spotted a stolen vehicle that was being driven erratically and activated the emergency lights. The driver attempted to speed away, but struck a concrete column and fled the scene on foot through a parking garage. Officers apprehended Joseph Bennett, 45, of no fixed address, and he was charged with grand larceny of an auto, driving under the influence, hit and run, refusal and driving on a suspended license.

Finally, if you’re going to (allegedly) try to stab a CVS employee with scissors, make sure you have a better getaway vehicle than Metro.

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 02/12/12, 2100 block of N. 15th Street. On February 12 at approximately 5:30 pm, a suspect entered a store and tried to stab a store employee with a pair of scissors after being asked to leave. The suspect was located by officers in the Metro station, refused to obey police commands and continuously attempted to assault the arresting officers. A credit card and cell phone not belonging to the suspect were located during a search. Dana Brown, 28, of Landover, MD was charged with with assault and attempted malicious wounding.

As always, all suspects are innocent until proven guilty. The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Crime Report: Witness Punched, Drug Suspect Tased

By ARLnow.com

This week’s Arlington County crime report contained a number of notable items. Among them:

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, a suspect tried to flee after police found 32 grams of crack cocaine during a traffic stop on S. Glebe Road. Police used a Taser to help stop the suspect, identified by police as 41-year-old Deron Brown of Washington, D.C. Brown was charged with possession with the intent to distribute.

POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE (COCAINE), 02/07/12, 1200 block of S. Glebe Road. During a traffic stop at 2:30 pm on February 7, officers located approximately 32 grams of crack cocaine, a scale, six cell phones, numerous baggies and cash on a subject. When the subject resisted commands from officers and attempted to flee the scene on foot, he was tased. The subject was arrested and charged with transporting in excess of 28 grams of crack cocaine into the commonwealth, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and obstruction of justice. The subject has a past criminal history to include murder and armed robbery.

On Monday, Feb. 6, three juvenile suspects snatched the cell phone of a man at Pentagon City mall and tried to flee to the nearby Metro station. A witness, however, was able to apprehend one of the suspects — and was punched in the face during the apprehension.

ROBBERY, 02/06/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. On February 6 at 1:50 pm, two juvenile males distracted a man in the food court of Pentagon City Mall, while a third juvenile subject grabbed the victims iPhone. All three suspects ran towards the Metro escalator. A witness was able to apprehend one of the suspects and was punched in the face as a result. Mall security held the suspect in custody until police arrived. The apprehended suspect provided police information on his two accomplices.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, a “known gang affiliate” was stabbed in the abdomen after leaving a soccer game at Gunston Middle School.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 02/01/12, 1400 block of S. 28th Street. Arlington County officers were dispatched to INOVA Alexandria Hospital in reference to a victim that was stabbed in the abdomen. Shortly before 4 pm on February 1, the male victim and known gang affiliate, had left a soccer game at Gunston Middle School and was stabbed by an unknown subject. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’3″ tall with a skinny build. At the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing a black Northface jacket, black fleece pants, black Nike boots and a black baseball hat.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Guilty Plea Entered in County Fair Embezzlement Case

By Katie Pyzyk

A former county employee accused of embezzling from the Arlington County Fair has pleaded guilty to all counts against her.

Denise Marshall Roller pleaded to 11 felony counts, including embezzlement, forgery and money laundering. The 48-year-old Fredericksburg, Va. resident had worked since 2005 as the county fair’s event manager. She resigned last May, after police were tipped off to suspicious activity.

Investigators discovered that between February and May of last year, Marshall Roller deposited nearly $12,000 of checks intended for the fair into a fraudulent bank account. Court documents show she submitted forged bylaws to a local bank, which apparently allowed her to open an account in the fair’s name. She withdrew portions of the money over the three month period for her personal use, prosecutors said.

When confronted about the account by colleagues, police say Marshall Roller initially claimed she had set up a personal account at the bank and mistakenly deposited a county fair check into the account.

Marshall Roller is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27.

Crime Report: Crimes Against Women

By ARLnow.com

This week’s Arlington County crime report contained several incidents of frightening crimes against women. Among them:

RAPE, 01/25/12, 3000 block of Columbia Pike. Between 2 and 3 pm on January 25, a female victim was raped by a known suspect in a hotel room. The suspect is in custody.

ROBBERY, 01/27/12, 4100 block of N. Henderson Road. At 1:30 am on January 27, an intoxicated female walking alone was punched in the face by an unknown male suspect and her wallet was stolen. Only when the female victim screamed for help did the suspect flee the scene on foot. There is no suspect description.

SEXUAL BATTERY, 01/31/12, 1600 block of N. Arlington Boulevard. On January 31 at 8:30 pm, a female returning to her hotel room was confronted by a subject just outside her door in the hallway and was sexually assaulted. When the victim went to the front desk to report the incident, the suspect fled on foot. The suspect is described as a black male, late 20’s, approximately 160 lbs with a slender build. At the time he was wearing a navy blue knit cap and a one-piece navy blue jumpsuit.

ARMED CARJACKING, 01/31/12, 3400 block of S. 25th Court. Just after 7pm on January 31, two unknown suspects approached the female victim as she was exiting her vehicle, brandished a handgun and demanded her car keys. The victim’s purse was also taken and her credit cards were reportedly used in Prince George’s County shortly after the carjacking. The suspects are described as black males, 18-27 years old, approximately 6′ tall and 170-200 lbs.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Police Ask for Sexual Assault Victims to Come Forward

By Katie Pyzyk

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit asks for the public’s help in solving a crime. The department is trying to catch a sex offender and would like victims or witnesses to come forward.

The suspect has been known to find his victims through contact on internet sites and online advertisements. He is described as a black male, 35-45 years old, 5’7″-5’9″ and 160-180 pounds.

An incident two weeks ago is the latest in what may be a string of crimes by the same suspect. The victim told police she had been hired by the suspect from an online advertisement to perform sexual acts in a Crystal City hotel room. When the suspect arrived at the room, the victim asked him to leave. The victim was forced to stay in the room against her will and perform unwanted sexual acts. She was able to escape and immediately went to the police.

Anyone who believes they have been a sexual assault victim or witness to a crime by this suspect is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department at 703-558-2222, or directly contact Detective Sandra Lafley at 703-228-4052. Detective Lafley can be emailed at [email protected].

Crime Report: Female Escort Sexually Assaulted

By ARLnow.com

A female escort was held against her will and sexually assaulted in a Crystal City hotel room last week, according to the latest Arlington County crime report.

ABDUCTION WITH INTENT TO DEFILE / SEXUAL ASSAULT, 01/19/12, 2000 block of S. Jefferson Davis Highway. On January 19, around 8 pm, a female escort was held against her will in a hotel room while an unknown male sexually assaulted her. The suspect is a black male, 30-39, 170 lbs.

This is the third time in recent memory that a crime against an escort has been reported in Crystal City. A local man was arrested on Nov. 4, 2010, after allegedly forcing two prostitutes to perform sex acts at gunpoint. Then on Dec. 15, 2011, a female escort was robbed of cash at gunpoint on the 2000 block of Jefferson Davis Highway.

Also in Crystal City last week, several men are accused of going to a 23rd Street nail salon, then skipping out on the bill. One suspect even allegedly took $1,500 from an employee’s purse.

GRAND LARCENY, 01/18/12, 500 block of S. 23rd Street. On January 17 at 4 pm, five suspects entered a nail salon, received service and left without paying. While distracting salon staff, one of the subjects stole $1,500 cash from an employee’s purse. All suspects were black males, 25-30 years of age; however three were dressed in female clothes and wore wigs.

Finally, a young woman is accused of robbing a juvenile at gunpoint during a pot deal in the East Falls Church area.

ARMED ROBBERY, 01/24/12, 2600 block of N. Winchester Street. Shortly after 6 pm on January 24, an unknown female suspect brandished a handgun and robbed a juvenile for $100 cash during a marijuana deal. Immediately after, the female fled the scene in a green SUV driven by another party. The suspect is described as an Asian female, approximately 18 years old, 5’5″, 120lbs, with a dark mole under her left eye.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Crime Report: Church Burglary Edition

By ARLnow.com

Someone had the nerve to break into the Greenbrier Baptist Church and steal a laptop last week, according to the latest Arlington County crime report.

BURGLARY, 01/05/12, 5400 block of S. 7th Road. Between 7:30 pm on January 4, and 6:20 am on January 5, an unknown subject entered through a basement window of a local church. A laptop computer was stolen. There is no suspect description.

Also last week, someone was bold enough to break into at least five vehicles in the Pentagon City mall parking garage in the middle of the day.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (SERIES), 01/04/11, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. On January 4 between 9 am and 1:30 pm, an unknown subject broke into at least five vehicles in a mall parking garage. Various items were stolen. There is no suspect description.

The rest of this week’s shorter-than-usual crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Crime Report: Assault With Food Edition

By ARLnow.com

Early Monday morning, a convenience store clerk on Columbia Pike was assaulted with “various packaged food items” by a man who wanted to use the store’s phone. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ASSAULT AND BATTERY, 01/02/12, 4900 block of Columbia Pike. On January 2 at 3 am, an unknown man assaulted a convenience store clerk with various packaged food items when the clerk refused to let the suspect use the store phone. The suspect is described as a black Ethiopian male, in his 30’s, 5’8″ and 180 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans and a white knit hat.

Also on Monday, a small store on S. Glebe Road was robbed at gunpoint by two masked men.

ROBBERY, 01/02/12, 1600 block of S. Glebe Road. On January 2 at 5 pm, two men entered a small store. They brandished a handgun and stole money from the cash register before fleeing. The first suspect wore a gray hood over his head, a dark cloth covering his face, jeans, and black shoes with white shoelaces. The second suspect was wearing a gray or green jacket, jeans, a cloth covering his face, and a hood over his head.

Early Tuesday morning, a man attempted to carjack a taxicab in Lyon Village.

ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 01/03/11, 1700 block of N. Barton Street. On January 3 at 2:20 am, an unknown man assaulted a taxi cab driver. The suspect choked him and attempted to drive off in the cab. The suspect hit another car, and then fled the area on foot. The suspect is described as a black male, late twenties to early thirties and approximately 185 lbs. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black snow cap.

The rest of the weekly crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Window Broken During Fight at Bob & Edith’s Diner

By ARLnow.com

An early morning fight resulted in a broken door, a broken window and two arrests at Bob & Edith’s Diner on Columbia Pike over the weekend.

Police say Zachary Szabo, 23, assaulted Jamel Toms, 26, inside the restaurant around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31. Toms then “became disorderly, broke the restaurant door, and threw a glass sugar container at a plate glass window, shattering it,” according to the daily Arlington County police report.

Toms, of Alexandria, was charged with “Releasing a Missile Into an Occupied Dwelling” and two felony counts of Destruction of Property. He was held on a $10,000 bond.

Szabo, of Woodbridge, was charged with Assault and Battery. He was held without bond.

The damage to the restaurant was still visible as of yesterday evening.

Crime Report: Surprise Guest Edition

By ARLnow.com

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, a real estate agent got a bit of a surprise upon entering a for-sale property and discovering someone sleeping there.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY-ARREST, 12/23/11, 500 block of S. 25th Street. On December 23 at 9:30 am, a realtor found that a subject had broken into a property and was sleeping there. Lorenzo Brown, 19, of Landover, MD, was charged with Unlawful Entry and Destruction of Property. He was held on a $5,000 bond.

This week’s crime report also includes several items we’ve already told you about: the arrest of a bank robbery suspect, the robbery of a gas station, several arrests on Christmas Day. See the rest of the report after the jump.

(more…)

Busy Christmas Day for Arlington Police

By ARLnow.com

Sunday was a busier-than-usual Christmas Day for Arlington County police.

Among the incidents reported: a police cruiser window was smashed, a Courthouse area business was broken into and a gas station was robbed at gunpoint. All three incidents resulted in arrests.

From the ACPD daily crime report:

DOMESTIC ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST, 12/25/11, 5600 block of S. 7th Rd. On December 25 at 1 am, a man assaulted his wife. He was extremely disorderly during arrest and kicked out the window of a police cruiser. Carlos Villatoro, 30, of Arlington, was charged with Felony Destruction of Property, Domestic Assault and Battery, Possession of Marijuana and Curse and Abuse. He was held without bond.

BURGLARY-ARREST, 12/25/11, 2300 block of Wilson Blvd. On December 25 at 7 am, two men were seen breaking into a business. They were apprehended at the scene by police. Mohamed Alim, 19, of Alexandria, and Adil Gour, 19, of Fairfax, were both charged with Burglary. They were held without bond.

ROBBERY-ARREST, 12/25/11, 4100 block of Four Mile Run Dr. On December 25 at 12:15 pm, a man entered a gas station and robbed the cashier of money an cigarettes while brandishing a handgun. The suspect then fled in a while that a second person was driving. Both suspects were apprehended by police. Liban Jama, 23, of Arlington, was charged with Armed Robbery and Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. Earl Brown, 27, of Arlington, was charged with Armed Robbery. They were both held without bond.

View More Stories