Murder suspect Heber Amaya-Gallo (photo courtesy ACPD)(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) A 28-year-old Arlington man has been charged with murder after police say he killed his roommate during a fight.

The charges follow the death investigation yesterday on 7th Road S. in the Arlington Mill neighborhood. It is Arlington’s first reported homicide of 2017.

Police say Heber Amaya-Gallo killed 55-year-old Michael Wiggins after a “verbal altercation between roommates became physical” in an apartment. Amaya-Gallo has been charged with first degree murder and is being held without bond.

As pointed out in the comments section, Amaya-Gallo has been implicated in at least three other violent crimes in Arlington over the past seven years.

From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. on January 30, 2017, Arlington County Police officers were dispatched to the 5100 block of 7th Road S. for a death investigation. Arriving officers located 55-year-old Michael Wiggins of Arlington, VA deceased inside the residence. Three subjects were located on scene and transported to police headquarters where they were interviewed by detectives. Heber Amaya-Gallo, 28, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with first degree murder. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility on no bond. The other two subjects were determined to be witnesses and have not been charged.

The investigation revealed that a verbal altercation between roommates became physical, resulting in the death of the victim. Official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective S. Roeseler of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4182 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).


Update at 11:40 a.m. — Police say the man’s death was a homicide. A suspect has been arrested and charged with first degree murder.

Earlier: Arlington County Police are investigating what they’re calling a “suspicious death” in an apartment building in the Arlington Mill neighborhood.

The body of a 55-year-old man was found in an apartment in one of the garden apartment buildings on 7th Road S. Two people have been detained by police for questioning, according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police are not yet confirming whether this is Arlington County’s first homicide of 2017. That determination will be made by a medical examiner, Savage said.

The apartments are located across from Tyrol Hill Park. School children were playing in the park while police were conducting their investigation Monday afternoon.


Map of Windy Run Park (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) Police are investigating a dead body found between Windy Run Park, in north Arlington, and the banks of the Potomac River.

U.S. Park Police, as well as Arlington County police and firefighters, hiked to the scene after someone alerted authorities to a body spotted in the rocky, wooded area along the river and the GW Parkway.

The body is that of a man, according to Park Police spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Rose, contradicting initial reports that the deceased was female. Rose did not have any additional information.

Photo via Google Maps


Police car (file photo)A few people kicked off their Christmas day with an early morning fight.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. in the Nauck neighborhood, on the 2600 block of Shirlington Road.

Police say that following a fight between two women, a man walked up and hit one of the women in the face with a glass bottle.

The victim was transported to the hospital and the suspect remains at large.

From this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2016-12250025, 2600 block of Shirlington Road. At approximately 2:04 a.m. on December 25, a physical altercation ensued between two female subjects. Following the altercation, a known male subject approached one of the females involved in the earlier altercation and hit her in the face with a glass bottle. The victim was transported to Alexandria Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a black male in his mid-twenties, approximately 5’11” tall and weighed 200 lbs. He was wearing a black t-shirt, black jacket, black boots, and blue jeans at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report is below, including an update on the investigation into the death in a steakhouse bathroom.

SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL DOA, 2016-12260080, 2200 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 2:03 p.m. on December 26, officers responded to the report of a possible death. Upon arrival it was determined an employee located an unconscious male inside of the establishment’s bathroom. Medics arrived and pronounced the male deceased. There were no signs of foul play and the death is not considered suspicious. The investigation is ongoing.

LATE BURGLARY, 2016-12270048, 900 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 7:00 a.m. on December 27, officers responded to the report of a late burglary. Upon arrival, officers determined an unknown male subject entered a business and attempted to steal items. When confronted by an employee, the subject dropped the merchandise and fled the scene on foot. No items appear to be missing. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with a medium build. He was wearing a red sports jersey and a winter hat.

BURGLARY, 2016-12270098, 1000 block of Arlington Boulevard. At approximately 11:49 a.m. on December 27, officers responded to the report of a burglary that had just occurred a few minutes prior. An unknown male subject forced entry into a residence and fled the scene shortly after. It is unknown at this time if the subject stole any items. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’5″ tall and weighed 190-200 lbs. He was wearing a gray short sleeve shirt, navy blue pants, and white shoes.


Marymount University main house during Christmastime (Flickr pool photo by Eric)

Man Found Dead in Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse — A middle-aged man was found dead in the bathroom at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Crystal City Monday afternoon. The restaurant was closed and the man was found by a cleaning crew. Arlington County police say the death is not considered suspicious. [WTOP, Fox 5]

Same-Sex Marriage Rate Falls — So far in 2016, only 1.9 percent of the more than 3,600 marriage licenses issued by the Arlington Circuit Court were issued to same-sex couples. That compares to 5.3 percent from June to December 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationally. The first same-sex marriage in Arlington took place in Oct. 2014. [InsideNova]

Morning Rush Hour Crash on I-395 — Several lanes of northbound I-395 were blocked near Shirlington Circle this morning due to a crash. [Twitter]

Arlington Man Reunited With Trophy — Arlington resident Larry Funkhouser has been reunited with a high school baseball trophy he won 50 years ago but had since lost. Thanks to a post on the “I grew up in Arlington” Facebook page, the trophy was located at an antique shop in Purcellville and delivered to Funkhouser just in time for Christmas. [Fox 5]

Arlington’s Family Christmas Miracle — An Arlington couple’s two-year-old has become only the fifth child in the country to receive an auditory brainstem implant surgery. As a result of the procedure, which is in a clinical trial, the child, who was born deaf, can now hear. [WJLA]

Flickr pool photo by Eric


1600 block of N. Kent Street (photo via Google Maps)Arlington County Police are investigating a death in Rosslyn.

A body was found this morning on the 1600 block of N. Kent Street, a narrow one-way that runs by the Rosslyn Spectrum theater.

At this point the death is not considered suspicious and is being investigated as a probable suicide, said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police are expected to remain on scene for some time, interviewing witnesses and conducting a death investigation.

Photo (top) via Google Maps


Update at 12 p.m. on 5/30 — The victim has been identified by state police as Craig A. Vanbrunt, 66, of Pendleton, Indiana. The crash remains under investigation.

Notes VSP: “The crash did NOT occur during the Rolling Thunder Ride. Mr. Vanbrunt was part of a group that had participated in the ride earlier in the day — but they had completed their participation and were headed out when the crash occurred.”

Earlier: A motorcyclist was killed Sunday afternoon in a crash on westbound I-66 near Rosslyn.

From Virginia State Police:

At 4:13 p.m. Sunday (May 29, 2016), Virginia State Police Trooper M.D. Hart responded to a single-vehicle crash in Arlington County. The crash occurred in the westbound lanes of I-66 at the 74 mile marker.

A group of motorcycles were traveling in the westbound lanes of I-66 when they came upon stopped traffic approaching the Rosslyn Tunnel. One of the motorcycles was unable to brake in time and lost control. The motorcycle crashed and its rider, who was wearing a helmet, fell from the bike.

The adult, male motorcyclist was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he died later Sunday evening.

State police are still in the process of notifying his next of kin.

The crash remains under investigation.


Glencarlyn forest (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Report: Toddler Left in Car Suffered Burns — The Annandale man charged in the death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter was watching TV and drinking beer as the child sat forgotten in his car, NBC 4 reports. He was also driving on a revoked license. The girl had a body temperature of 107 when she was rushed to the hospital and had second-degree burns from the car seat. [NBC Washington]

Park Aides Get Banning Powers — Park ranger aides in Arlington now have the legal authority to ban people from parks. The County Board voted earlier this month to add aides to the list of county personnel with powers of attorney for the “Park Safe” program. Offenders who violate the ban — which is typically levied on those who repeatedly violate park rules — can be charged with criminal trespassing. [InsideNova]

Moon Bounce Opportunity — Arlington County will be holding a “Fitness Day in the Park” at Alcova Heights Park on Saturday. The event will include games, nutrition and fitness demos, an inflatable rock wall and a moon bounce. [Arlington County]

Festival Argentino in Arlington — The 2016 Argentine Festival will be held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Road) on Saturday, May 14. The event will feature traditional food, exhibitions, music and dance. Tickets are $20 in advance. [Festival Argentino USA]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick


Police car (file photo)A man who accidentally left a friend’s two-year-old child in the back seat of his car, resulting in the little girl’s death, is now facing charges, police say.

Daiquan Fields, a 32-year-old Annandale resident, has been charged with felony child neglect and involuntary manslaughter. He will face prosecution in Arlington.

Police say Fields was to drop the child off somewhere Wednesday morning, but forgot and left her in the back seat of his car all day. When he went to pick up the mother in front of the Pentagon City mall around 3:30 that afternoon, he spotted the child, unresponsive.

Fields called 911 and the girl was transported to Virginia Hospital Center, where she was declared dead, according to police. From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

The initial investigation revealed a two-year-old girl had reportedly been accidentally left in the back seat of a car by a caretaker. Our initial investigation has determined that a male acquaintance of the child’s mother was supposed to drop three children off at two locations on the morning of April 20. It appears he dropped off two older children, ages 10 and 15, and then returned to the home in Fairfax County, not realizing that the two-year-old remained in the back seat of the car. Sometime later, the acquaintance got back in the car to pick up the children’s mother. When he arrived at her location in the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street, he looked in the back seat area of the car and saw the child. When he discovered that she was unresponsive, he immediately called 911.

Upon review, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner could not determine where the death actually occurred. After consultation between Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney’s Office and the Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, it was determined the prosecution would be handled by Arlington County.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective N. Brooks of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4169 [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).


ACFD Arlington County ambulance (file photo)Update at 6:05 p.m. — Charges have now been filed in the case.

Fairfax County Police are investigating the death of a two-year-old girl who was found in the back of a car in Pentagon City.

Medics were called to the front of the Pentagon City mall, on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a child who was unresponsive in the back of a car and was being administered CPR. The girl was later pronounced dead.

An investigation determined that the girl had likely died in Annandale after being left in the back of the car all day by a caretaker.

From the Fairfax County Police Department:

Our initial investigation has determined that a male acquaintance of the child’s mother was supposed to drop three children off at two locations on the morning of April 20. It appears he dropped off two older children, ages 10 and 15, and then returned to the home in Fairfax County, not realizing that the two-year-old remained on the back seat of the car. Sometime later, the acquaintance got back in the car to pick up the children’s mother. When he arrived at her location in Arlington County, he looked in the back seat area of the car and saw the child. When he discovered that she was unresponsive, he immediately called 911.

So far, no charges have been filed in the case. The two older children are staying with a relative pending the results of the investigation.

“As detectives continue their investigation, they will consult with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County for a determination of criminal liability,” said police.


Plants rising on the forest floor (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Arlington Man Found Dead in Canal — Police have identified the man found floating dead in the C&O Canal in Georgetown as 51-year-old Arlington resident Osbaldo Lemus Bernal. So far, his death has not been deemed suspicious. [DCist, Patch]

Gutshall Steps Up Campaign Against Garvey — Planning Commission member and County Board hopeful Erik Gutshall is stepping up the rhetoric against his Democratic primary opponent, County Board member Libby Garvey. Gutshall, in an email, called Garvey a “failed… career politician.” At an event last night he blasted her tenure on the School Board — saying she did not do enough to address the school system’s capacity crisis — and her alleged lack of effort in addressing transit issues along Columbia Pike, following the cancellation of the streetcar project. [InsideNova, Blue Virginia]

Gutshall Wins Straw Poll Landslide — Those attending Del. Alfonso Lopez’s (D) second annual straw poll event on Columbia Pike last night favored Erik Gutshall over Libby Garvey in a landslide. One could argue that the event was attended by a select group of Democrats pre-disposed to oppose Garvey, but Gutshall captured 88 percent of the vote to Garvey’s 12 percent. The straw poll also asked attendees about the School Board race (Nancy Van Doren – 46%, Tannia Talento – 35%, Michael Shea – 11%, Chaz Crismon – 7%) and the Democratic presidential nomination (Hillary Clinton – 77%, Bernie Sanders – 23%).

Dancer’s Video Features New Local Art Wall — A local dancer used Crystal City’s new art wall along 23rd Street as the backdrop for a psychedelic music video. [YouTube]

Registration Open for Rosslyn Social Event — Registration is now open for City Social, Rosslyn’s annual meeting. The event, on May 11, is open to residents and will be attended by a number of Rosslyn movers and shakers. In addition to live music and giveaways, attendees at this year’s City Social will be able to enjoy wine, beer and a bourbon bar from Barley Mac, which is preparing to open in the former Red, Hot & Blue space on Wilson Blvd. [Rosslyn BID]

Wegman’s Inches Closer to Arlington — Arlington’s favorite unattainable grocery store obsession will soon be closer than ever. Wegman’s is reportedly planning to open a store in Tysons Corner in 2019. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick


View More Stories