drugs

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mother’s Day Weekend — Sunday is Mother’s Day and, just in case you’re the type to make last minute plans, here are some brunch ideas from around Arlington.

Route 1 Streetcar Compromise? — Arlington and Alexandria officials are considering a compromise that could end their reported impasse over the planned Route 1 streetcar project. Under the compromise, the streetcar line that starts in Crystal City would end at the new Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria, instead of at the Braddock Road Metro station, as originally proposed. [Connection Newspapers]

Employee Fired Over Rosslyn Derailment — A Metro track worker has been fired following last month’s derailment at the Rosslyn Metro station. [WTOP]

Cocaine Trafficking Ring Busted — Twenty-eight individuals have been arrested and charged with operating a cocaine trafficking ring in Northern Virginia. Five of those arrested are said to be Arlington residents. The Arlington County Police Department and other local agencies assisted the FBI in the investigation. [U.S. Attorney’s Office]

MMA Studio Coming to Columbia Pike — A new mixed martial arts studio called Pentagon MMA is coming to the former Kayak Station space on S. Edgewood Street, along Columbia Pike. [Along the Pike]

Turn in Unwanted Prescriptions at Drug Take-Back Day

By Katie Pyzyk

It’s time again to gather up any old prescriptions lying around the house and turn them in for proper disposal. Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Expired and unwanted prescriptions can be brought to sites throughout the county to prevent drug abuse and theft. It’s also an effort to prevent hazards from the improper disposal of these drugs, such as in the trash or flushing down a toilet. The service is free and there are no questions asked.

There are several sites throughout Arlington collecting the drugs from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., in addition to those announced by the Arlington County Police Department last week. Here is the full list:

  • Arlington Fire Station #1, 500 S. Glebe Road
  • Arlington Fire Station #8, 4845 Lee Highway
  • Arlington Fire Station #9, 1900 S. Walter Reed Drive
  • Pentagon parking lot, 551 Army Navy Drive
  • Ft. Myer Post Exchange, 104 McNair Road

The following site will be operating on Friday, from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. It will not hold hours on Saturday:

  • Arlington Hall Station Building 1, 111 S. George Mason Drive

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

The Gangs of Arlington — As of 2011 there were 10 active street gangs in Arlington. According to a speaker at a panel discussion held earlier this week, the gangs often try to recruit youths who have recently immigrated to the country. Arlington, however, has an extensive gang prevention program that limits the influence of gangs within the county. [Washington Examiner]

National Drug Take-Back Day — The Arlington County Police Department will be participating in National Drug Take-Back Day next weekend. From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, police will be collecting “expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs” — no questions asked — in an effort to prevent possible abuse and theft. Collection stations will be set up at fire stations 1, 8 and 9. [Arlington County Police]

Earth Day Twitter Chat Today — The Arlington County Department of Environmental Services is hosting a live Twitter chat on the topic of “green gardening” from noon to 1:00 p.m. today. “Join us and get answers to all of your questions related to landscaping and lawn care, native plants, and water conservation,” the county said in an email. One participant who submits a question will be randomly selected to receive a free rain barrel. [Facebook, Twitter]

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.

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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.

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Safe Drug Disposal at Prescription Take Back Day

By Katie Pyzyk

Updated at 10:50 a.m. Start going through your medicine cabinets and gathering your unused medications. Arlington County officials will be on hand for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.

Police and fire officials throughout the county will allow anyone with unused or expired medication to drop it off at designated sites for safe disposal. The program works to prevent prescription drugs from getting into the wrong hands and being abused. It also prevents medications from being disposed of improperly, such as being flushed down the toilet or thrown in the garbage.

You can bring any unwanted medication to the following locations on Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.:

  • Arlington Fire Station #9, 1900 S. Walter Reed Dr.
  • Arlington Fire Station #8, 4845 Lee Hwy.
  • Arlington Fire Station #1, 500 S. Glebe Rd.
  • Henderson Hall MCX, 1555 Southgate Rd., Ft. Myer
  • Ft. Myer PX, 210 McNair Rd., Ft. Myer
  • Pentagon Parking Lot, 551 Army Navy Dr.
The following location will collect medication Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.:
  • Chief of Staff Support Office, 111 S. George Mason Dr.

Arlington Schools Giving First-Time Substance Offenders a ‘Second Chance’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County launched a new initiative today to address youth substance abuse. Officials say the two-year pilot program, the first of its kind, may eventually become a model for other communities nationwide.

The so-called “Second Chance” program will allow middle and high school students caught with alcohol or marijuana to avoid school suspensions and criminal prosecution. To enter the program, students must be first-time offenders and must have the active participation of their parents or guardians.

Students referred to Second Chance by schools, police, courts or parents will attend an educational, three-day “early intervention” program, as well as a subsequent “booster session.” The time in the program will be considered an excused absence from school. Supporters say that the “second chance” allows students to avoid the negative impacts of school suspensions and other traditional forms of punishment.

“To suspend a student for five or ten days, to have them sitting at home and missing school — maybe their parents are there or maybe they’re not — is not an effective way to deal with someone who’s just getting involved in drugs and alcohol,” said Arlington School Board member Abby Raphael. “We need to intervene, we need education, we need to get the parents involved, and we need to [prevent students from] falling further behind in school.”

The mandatory parental component of the program, Raphael said, is crucial to the program’s success.

“We know that to really be successful in preventing kids from using drugs and alcohol… parents have to be involved,” she said.

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Waverly Hills Man Accused of Running International Drug Ring

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) An Arlington man has been arrested and accused of running an international drug ring.

Federal prosecutors say Yonis M. Ishak of Arlington was the leader of a criminal conspiracy that imported millions of grams of the illegal African drug Khat into the United States from England, Holland and Canada. Public records show that Ishak lived in an apartment on the 2000 block of N. Vermont Street in Waverly Hills.

Authorities say Ishak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia, used couriers and the postal system to distribute nearly 10,000 pounds of Khat to at least 15 states, including California, Washington, Tennessee, New York and the D.C. metro area. Ishak was arrested yesterday along with 17 alleged co-conspirators. Ten of the individuals arrested were from Northern Virginia, although Ishak was the only one from Arlington.

Khat leaves contain the drug cathinone, an addictive amphetamine-like stimulant. The leaves are chewed by users, a common practice in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The charge of conspiring to distribute the drug carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. See more information on the case here.

Crime Report: Moped Mow Down Edition

By ARLnow.com

If the Three Stooges were young and dealing drugs, the following crime report item might be the plot to one of their episodes.

ROBBERY/MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 03/24/11, 5000 block of Columbia Pike. On March 24 at 6:40 pm, two men decided to rob a subject they knew was selling narcotics. The subject assaulted the drug dealer and stole money and narcotics. When the assaulted subject saw them a short time later, he attempted to run them over with his moped. All three subjects were detained. One of the subjects was 17 years old and taken to juvenile detention. Norman Purvis, 18, of Arlington was charged with Conspiring to Commit Robbery, Robbery, and Possession of Marijuana. Deivi Coreas, 18, of Arlington was charged with Malicious Bodily Injury, Attempted Malicious Wounding, and Distribution of Marijuana. Both subjects were held without bond.

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

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Volunteer Opp: Marketing for Anti-Underage Drinking Campaign

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s Community Health Protection Bureau is looking for a volunteer with marketing or communications experience “to partner with a community-based coalition working to address underage binge drinking and drug use in Arlington County.”

Responsibilities include working with a team to develop program image; developing marketing plan; and creating various promotional materials such as pamphlets, brochures, and press releases.

Desired qualifications include: communications/marketing experience, excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and accuracy, good interpersonal skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Publisher, PowerPoint). This is a great opportunity for someone looking to expand their portfolio and work with a community group.

This is a Virtual Volunteer position. The volunteer will need to meet with the program team periodically and communicate on a regular basis via e-mail and phone. All work can be done off-site.

See more details here. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact Margaret Ostafin at 703-228-5659.

Suspect Pleads ‘No Contest’ to Langston-Brown Tire Slashings

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) A 22-year-old man has been arrested and has pleaded no contest to two tire slashing sprees in the Langston-Brown area.

Cameron Scott Fraley, of no fixed address, was arrested on Dec. 19, 2010, four days after allegedly slashing the tires on more than 30 cars near Glebe Elementary School and Virginia Hospital Center.

Fraley was charged with misdemeanor destruction of property for the December tire-slashing spree. He was charged with another count of destruction of property for another tire-slashing spree in the same neighborhood in October, when 15-20 vehicles were hit.

Fraley pleaded no contest to both charges, and was sentenced to 200 days in jail with all but 40 days suspended, according to court records. He was also assessed $356 in court costs.

The tire slashings came at a time when Fraley was facing a felony charge for possession of oxycodone. According to court records, Fraley was indicted by a grand jury on the oxycodone charge on Oct. 18. The first tire slashing was discovered early on the morning of Oct. 20.

The second tire slashing was discovered on Dec. 15, the same morning Fraley entered a plea. A pre-sentence hearing on Fraley’s oxycodone charge is scheduled for Feb. 18.

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