Glencarlyn

Police investigating armed robbery, shots fired incidents

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of gun-related incidents from Sunday.

First, they responded to a report of shots fired near Glencarlyn Park early Sunday morning. No injuries were reported but evidence of gunfire was found.

From today’s ACPD crime report:

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-12100033, 300 block of S. Harrison Street. At approximately 1:33 a.m. on December 10, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers recovered evidence confirming several shots had been fired. No victims or property damage were reported. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

Sunday night, amid heavy rain, a woman who had just parked her car was robbed by an armed suspect in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

More, below, from ACPD.

ROBBERY, 2023-12100220, 4300 block of 16th Street S. At approximately 9:46 p.m. on December 10, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was driving in the area when she observed the suspect vehicle, a black sedan, behind her. The victim then parked and exited her vehicle during which the suspect exited his vehicle, brandished what appeared to be a firearm and demanded the victim’s property. The suspect then fled the area in his vehicle with the victim’s stolen purse and cell phone. A lookout was broadcast and officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 6’3”-6’4” wearing a black jacket, gray mask and hat. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.

Police investigating armed robberies in Crystal City and Lyon Park

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of armed robberies over the weekend.

One happened Friday night in the Crystal City area, about a block from the Metro station, while the other happened early Sunday morning in Lyon Park.

From the latest ACPD crime report:

ROBBERY, 2023-10210255, 500 block of 18th Street S. At approximately 10:17 p.m. on October 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victims were walking in the area when they were approached by the two unknown male suspects during which the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded their belongings. The suspects stole one victim’s purse before fleeing the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast and officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results.  During the course of the investigation, the victim’s belongings were recovered in the area. Suspect One is described as a skinny-build Black male, approximately 5’8” with short dreadlocks wearing all dark clothing. Suspect Two is described as a heavy-set Black male, approximately 5’8” wearing a ski mask and dark clothing. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY, 2023-10220053, N. Barton Street at 9th Street N. At approximately 4:40 a.m. on October 22, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking in the area when four unknown male suspects exited the suspect vehicle, two suspects brandished firearms and demanded the victim’s belongings. The suspects stole the victim’s cellphone, wallet and keys before reentering the suspect vehicle and fleeing the area. No injuries were reported.

Also in the crime report, a 37-year-old Arlington woman has been arrested after allegedly slashing a man with a knife during a dispute.

The incident happened Saturday night in the Glencarlyn neighborhood. Police say the man suffered serious injuries.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-10210197, 300 block of S. Illinois Street. At approximately 7:07 p.m. on October 21, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and female suspect were involved in a verbal dispute during which the suspect allegedly brandished a knife and struck the victim, causing a laceration. Responding officers located the suspect and victim in the area of 5th Road S. and S. Kensington Street and immediately rendered medical aid to the victim. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries. [The suspect], 37, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding.

Additionally, police are investigating gunshots early Monday morning in the Green Valley neighborhood. One local resident had a bullet go through the window of their home.

MISSILE INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING, 2023-10230013, 2200 block of S. Garfield Street. At approximately 12:50 a.m. on October 23, police were dispatched to the report of a shots heard. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 12:30 a.m., the victim was inside his residence when he was awoken to noise and upon further investigation, observed a broken window with an apparent bullet hole. Responding officers canvassed the area, recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired in the area and located a vehicle with property damage. No injuries were reported. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

ACPD: Theft suspect throws fake gun at officers in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 47-year-old Richmond man is facing charges after police say he robbed a store and then threw a fake gun at responding officers.

The incident happened Friday afternoon after 3 p.m., in the Courthouse area.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-09080157, 2000 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 3:19 p.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business and allegedly concealed merchandise before attempting to exit the store without payment. A store employee confronted the suspect during which he lifted his shirt exposing what appeared to be a firearm before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers canvassed the area, located the suspect and gave him commands to stop. The suspect disregarded their commands and continued to walk away before stopping, lifting his shirt and throwing the firearm in the direction of the officers. The officers then took the suspect into custody and recovered the firearm which was determined to be a replica. [The suspect], 47, of Richmond Va. was arrested and charged with Robbery and Assault on Police (x2).

Also in today’s crime report were a number of weekend incidents involving guns, including a shots fired call in Glencarlyn, a gun brandishing in Clarendon, and an armed robbery of jewelry along Columbia Pike.

From ACPD:

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-09100027, 300 block of S. Harrison Street. At approximately 1:44 a.m. on September 10, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers recovered evidence confirming several shots had been fired. Witnesses reported observing several unknown individuals running from the area after the shots were discharged. No victims or property damage were located. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

BRANDISHING, 2023-09100028, 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 1:49 a.m. on September 10, the victim approached an officer to report disorderly conduct. The preliminary investigation indicates that following a dispute earlier in the evening where the suspect was allegedly acting disorderly inside a business, he approached an employee of the business and lifted his shirt to display a firearm. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. Officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results.

ROBBERY, 2023-09090226, 1800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 8:10 p.m. on September 9, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim met with the suspect, an acquittance, for the prearranged sale of jewelry. During the incident, the suspect grabbed the jewelry and ran to his vehicle. The victim ran after him and upon arriving at the suspect’s vehicle, observed the passenger brandishing a firearm. The suspects then fled the scene in the vehicle with the stolen jewelry. The investigation is ongoing.

Insect damage jeopardizes the oldest building in Arlington

By Hallie LeTendre
The Ball-Sellers House (image via Google Maps)

The oldest home in Arlington is in jeopardy of being destroyed, the Arlington Historical Society says, and insects are to blame.

The Ball-Sellers House was originally built in the 18th century, sometime within the mid-1700s, according to the historical society.

The home is a Virginia state historical landmark and has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, an Arlington Historical Society article said.

Despite weathering several centuries, the house is now being threatened by something just about a quarter of an inch long: powderpost beetles.

“The beetles eat the wood the house is made of and make it become like sawdust,” Annette Benbow, who serves on the Ball-Sellers House Committee and the Arlington Historical Society board, tells ARLnow.

Benbow says she believes the beetles have been caught in time to save the home. However, money needs to be raised to cover the cost.

The Arlington Historical Society created a GoFundMe page that has raised, as of Tuesday morning, $1,375 of its $6,000 goal.

“We need to spray the home with a very expensive material that will not hurt the house, but will prevent the furthering of damage that the beetles have caused,” Benbow said.

The house remains open to the public — from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays, April through October, according to the historical society. It is located on 5620 3rd Street S., in the Glencarlyn neighborhood.

If the $6,000 is not raised online, the Arlington Historical Society will still pay for the spray, but the expense would affect the society’s budget and take away funds for other projects and historic buildings, Benbow said.

“We do not get money from any governmental level. All of our money comes from donations or membership dues,” she said. “The house must be saved as it is a structural and historical artifact that is irreplaceable and rare.”

Image via Google Maps

Speed limit reductions coming to roads in Courthouse and Glencarlyn

By ARLnow.com
1/2

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).

Photos via Google Maps

Vehicle-related thefts reported in three Arlington neighborhoods

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police believe a pair of suspects criss-crossed the county early Tuesday morning, breaking into cars and stealing two.

The series of thefts happened in the Glencarlyn, Bluemont and Woodmont neighborhoods, according to the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report. Arlington has recently seen a rash of vehicle crimes, including the theft of airbags from 20 Hondas in late April and the theft of nearly a dozen catalytic converters in March and April.

The latest crime spree was reported to police early Tuesday. Five cars were broken into and items were stolen from one. Additionally, two SUVs — a Honda and an Acura — were reported stolen.

From ACPD’s crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/LARCENY FROM AUTO (Series), 2022-05100037/05100054/05100068, 5500 block of 3rd Street S./5600 block of 8th Street N./2900 block of 24th Street N. At approximately 5:00 a.m. on May 10, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim observed two unknown male suspects attempt to enter into her vehicle, during which she yelled and the suspects fled the scene in a silver SUV. The investigation determined that the suspects entered into and rummaged through approximately four victim vehicles and stole personal items from one of the vehicles. Additionally, it was discovered two vehicles were stolen from the 5600 block of 8th Street N. and the 2900 block of 24th Street N. The stolen vehicles are described as a silver in color, 2017 Honda CRV bearing VA license plate UDE1466 and a gray in color, 2015 Acura RDX bearing VA license plate WTARUSH. The two suspects are described as tall, unknown race males with skinny builds, wearing dark clothing and masks. The investigation is ongoing.

Covid-related staffing shortages force Arlington libraries to shut down two branches this week

By Matt Blitz
Arlington Central Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Covid-related staffing shortages are forcing Arlington libraries to shutter some services, including shutting down two branches this week.

Cherrydale and Glencarlyn libraries will both be closed through Sunday (Jan. 23), including the book drops, according to an announcement on Monday (Jan. 17).

Holds on the shelf at these branches will be moved to Central Library on Wednesday (Jan. 19) and available until Wednesday, Jan. 26. No new holds will be fulfilled at the two branches during the closure.

The current plan is to reopen the Cherrydale and Glencarlyn branches on Monday, Jan. 24.

“Operations will continue to be assessed, as these plans are contingent on current staffing levels,” Henrik Sundqvist, spokesperson for Arlington Public Libraries, tells ARLnow. “Announcements regarding resuming in-person programming will be made when we have more information.”

Also starting Monday, all in-person programs at Arlington libraries will be paused and a number of meeting and study rooms will be unavailable in order to cut back on workload and provide more space for staff.

All of this is related to a staffing shortage, notes Sundqvist, something that’s impacting many other businesses across the region and country.

Back in November, Arlington libraries announced the system was set to finally fully reopen at the beginning of January for the first time in nearly two years. That ended up being very short-lived, with two branches again closing only several weeks later.

The reason for the lengthy reopening process was due to a “high number of vacant public service jobs.” The library system has since increased hiring, Sundqvist confirms.

Dealing with holds, in particular, can be a tedious and time consuming task for staff, Sundqvist notes. Though, it’s understandable why residents may not have been picking up held books recently.

“When people don’t pick up holds, the holds need to be pulled and re-shelved which increases staff workload,” Sundqvist says. “It’s reasonable to think recent weather and higher levels of community COVID-19 affect people’s ability and willingness to come into the library and pick up holds.”

Additionally, in recent weeks, Arlington libraries has been distributing at-home COVID tests, which has increased staff workload. All locations are currently out of stock on tests.

It’s anticipated that the Cherrydale and Glencarlyn branches will be open for good and hold service restored starting next week, but Arlington libraries can’t make any promises.

“Our intention is to do everything possible to keep library locations open,” says Sundqvist. “However, like many other services in the region, we may continue to be impacted by COVID-19 related staffing shortages.”

Morning Notes

By Brandi Bottalico
Lonely job (Courtesy of Jeff Vincent/Flickr)

Columbia Pike Optician Robbed — “Security camera video captured the tense moments when a group of thieves robbed an Arlington County store owned by a man known in the community for his charity work… The five suspects take hammers to the cases and fill bags with Cartier, Dior and Gucci frames, about $60,000 of merchandise.” [NBC4]

Mail Delays Frustrate Residents — “Residents across the D.C. region have become increasingly frustrated over delays in mail deliveries, with last week’s snowstorms, a spike in coronavirus cases and long-standing problems with the U.S. Postal Service contributing to a breakdown in services… Arlington resident Diana Wahl said she received no mail between Dec. 27 and Jan. 9. She finally received some mail on Monday and Tuesday, but older mail.” [Washington Post]

Fmr. Local Prosecutor Joins New AG’s Office — “From the job title, it doesn’t look as if [former Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo] Stamos’s primary role is going to be to keep an eye on those prosecutors. But multi-tasking is the way of the world these days, and by picking her, Miyares certainly poked his thumb in the eye of some of the Northern Virginia chief prosecutors.” [Sun Gazette]

Some Local Libraries Closed — “Due to Covid-19 related staffing shortages, Cherrydale and Glencarlyn Libraries will be closed Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 13 – 16. All library locations are closed Monday, Jan. 17 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.” [Arlington Public Library]

Winter Storm PSA from ACPD — From the Arlington County Police Department: “With the risk of another winter storm on the horizon, now is a good time to register for Arlington Alert to receive information on major emergencies, weather, traffic disruptions and transit delays in Arlington County.” [Twitter]

Arlington Loses Delegate on New Maps — “He’s been redistricted out of Arlington, but Del. Rip Sullivan said he will always consider the community a second political home.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Thursday — Today will have increasing clouds, with a high near 46. Sunrise at 7:25 a.m. and sunset at 5:09 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, with a high near 44. North wind 8 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy of Jeff Vincent/Flickr

UPDATED: Pedestrian injured in Glencarlyn crash

By Alan Henney
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 10:35 p.m.) A pedestrian was injured Saturday evening in the Glencarlyn area of Arlington after getting struck by a vehicle at S. Carlin Springs Road and 2nd Street S.

Officers arrived at the scene around 7:25 p.m.

“The pedestrian was conscious and alert when transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

County to Remove Barriers on S. Carlin Springs Road This Weekend

By Dana Munro
The right lane of S. Carlin Springs Road reopens to traffic on Saturday (photo via DES)

Temporary bollards and wheel stops along a segment of S. Carlin Springs Road are set to come down this weekend.

Since March, these barriers — closing off the northbound right travel lane from 8th Place S. to 5th Road S. — have been up to give more room to kids walking to their neighborhood schools. On Saturday (July 24), S. Carlin Springs Road will fully reopen to traffic, according to a tweet from Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services.

“APS and the Department of Environmental Services saw an opportunity to create pilot temporary walking routes not on built sidewalks but rather on space carved out from an original travel or parking lane to help students get to school,” DES spokesman Peter Golkin said.

Campbell Elementary School, Glen Forest Elementary School and Carlin Springs Elementary School are all on or near that stretch of S. Carlin Springs Road that starts in Arlington Mill and ends in Glencarlyn.

The pilot walkability route was part of the county’s five-year Vision Zero Action Plan, aimed at eliminating traffic-related deaths and severe injuries. The County Board approved the Vision Zero safety plan this May.  

“Staff collected information on facility use feedback, community experience, field observation of operation, traffic pattern, crash experience, etc.,” Golkin said. “Staff hope to use the comments and data to inform future decisions.”

DES and APS will continue studying how the road is used to decide any future changes to traffic patterns, he said. They also tested out the idea on Lorcom Lane in residential North Arlington, which has seen prior attempts to improve safety for kids walking to school.

Although the test was part of a long-range plan, the department took advantage of conditions this spring — when there were fewer cars on the road due to the pandemic and kids were starting to walk to school again — to pilot the change, Golkin noted.

He says neither the Arlington County Police Department nor APS observed a notable increase or decrease in the number of collisions during the study period. Instead, they saw “challenging and dangerous encounters, but none resulted in a collision.”

Some Closed Library Branches Could Reopen This Summer

By Jo DeVoe

More than one year after all Arlington Public Library branches were shuttered due to the coronavirus, five branches remain closed. 

This summer and fall, the library is looking to reopen four of these branches, which currently only allow people to drop books off.

“Based on the recently approved Arlington County FY22 Budget, the Library plans to expand open locations after July 1, as hiring and training of new staff allows,” said a recent announcement from the library system.

The Aurora Hills branch and the newly renovated Columbia Pike branch could open in July. Next up would be the Cherrydale and Glencarlyn branches, which the library announcement said could open “by fall 2021 and sooner if possible.”   

Three locations are currently open. Central Library allows people to pick up the books they have on hold, while the Shirlington and Westover branches are open for 30 minutes of in-person browsing with self-service checkout.

The library is also looking to expand services at these three locations. It aims to increase access to library collections, public computers and public space at all locations while keeping social distancing in mind. 

Remaining closed, for now, is the branch in the lobby of county government headquarters in Courthouse.

“The Plaza branch will remain closed in preparation for a long-planned expansion and renovation,” the announcement said. 

Arlington Public Library is planning for socially distanced outdoor programs this summer. Among these include outdoor storytimes, which will kick off Tuesday, May 18 at Central Library.

Its summer reading challenge will begin June 1, and Arlington Public Library’s mobile truck will “continue to hit the road and be visible at community events.”

One change of note for returning library patrons: during the pandemic, Arlington Public Library permanently eliminated late fees, a change intended to “make the library more accessible to all.”

Photo via Arlington Public Library

View More Stories