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Despite Helicopter Search, Indecent Exposure Subject Gives Police the Slip

Published July 12, 2018 at 5:30PM

The Fairfax Police helicopter whirred over the Courthouse area last night in search of an indecent exposure suspect, but the man managed to make a clean getaway after performing his dirty deed.

A woman witnessed the lewd act as she was walking along Fairfax Drive, near the entrance to westbound Route 50, according to police.

TRAFFIC ALERT: GW Parkway Closed Due to Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published May 10, 2018 at 3:10PM

Both directions of the GW Parkway are closed between Spout Run and Route 123 due to a serious crash.

The crash happened this afternoon in the southbound lanes of the parkway in Arlington near Donaldson Run. One person is being evaluated for potentially serious injuries.

The U.S. Park Police helicopter, Eagle 1, was called in to transport the patient, prompting the closure of the entire parkway, according to scanner traffic. Arlington County medics are also on scene.

UPDATE: GW Parkway CLOSED in BOTH directions between Spout Run Pkwy and VA-123. Seek alternate route #vatraffic #dctraffic https://t.co/HZzySd40CU

— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) May 10, 2018

File photo from 2014, above, courtesy @CAPT258

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 19, 2018 at 7:35AM

GGW Boosts Gondola — “While [the proposed Georgetown-Rosslyn gondola] might not be the one, most important transportation project in the whole region, it’s a worthwhile way to help people reach jobs and shops and reduce single-passenger car trips.” [Greater Greater Washington]

USB E-Cig Banned at APS — “Schools in Arlington, Virginia, have specifically banned a new type of e-cigarette that has gained popularity among local teenagers: the Juul.” [WTOP]

‘Collision’ to Showcase N. Va. Tech — Arlington and Alexandria’s economic development agencies last week “announced their collaboration in showcasing the brightest and emerging startups on a national platform next month at one of the fastest growing tech conferences in the country.” [Alexandria News]

Beyer Unhappy With Military Helo Report — “A 400-page U.S. Army report on military-helicopter noise in the Washington area has failed to satisfy the member of Congress who authored legislative language requiring its compilation.” [InsideNova]

Snow Predicted for Arlington Tonight — “Expect a sloppy mix of precipitation that slowly transitions from rain to sleet to perhaps snow between early Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Registration Open for Beyer Helicopter Noise Forum in Fairlington

By Chris Teale

Published January 3, 2018 at 1:45PM

Registration is open for Rep. Don Beyer’s (D) community forum in Fairlington later this month on helicopter noise.

Beyer will host the forum on January 16 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Abingdon Elementary School (3035 S. Abingdon Street), as part of a study he added to last year’s Defense Authorization Act that passed Congress.

Anyone wishing to attend must register online.

“The provision was proposed by Rep. Beyer in response to frequent complaints from constituents about excess noise from military helicopters,” organizers wrote. “It directs DOD to study changes to the region’s helicopter flight routes, operating procedures, and types of helicopters flown in the national capital airspace to mitigate the effect of noise on the region’s neighborhoods.”

Courtesy photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 27, 2017 at 8:55AM

Beyer to Host Helicopter Noise Forum — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is hosting a forum about “excessive noise from military helicopters” at Abingdon Elementary School in the Fairlington neighborhood on Jan. 16. [Associated Press]

Arlington Buying New CNG Buses — Arlington Transit is buying 13 Xcelsior compressed natural gas (CNG) forty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses, according to a press release from Minnesota-based manufacturer New Flyer of America. [New Flyer]

Recounting Jay Fisette’s Career — “It was pure chance that led Jay Fisette to Arlington in 1983. A college friend had rented a cheap, spacious apartment in Pentagon City, and a nearby unit was available. So Fisette found a roommate among his college swimming buddies and began hoofing the ‘cow path’ — open land that would become the Pentagon City mall — and hopping the Metro to his new job downtown.” [Washington Post]

Northam Re-Appoints Two Arlington Residents — Arlingtonians Richard Holcomb and Jaime Areizaga-Soto have been re-appointed to their state posts under the incoming administration of Gov.-elect Ralph Northam. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 28, 2017 at 8:00AM

County Board Approves Affordable Housing Loan — At its meeting last night, the Arlington County Board approved a loan that will help preserve the 294-unit Park Shirlington Apartments as affordable housing. The $6 million loan from the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund will allow a pair of developers to buy the complex, rehabilitate it and preserve as much affordable housing as possible. [Arlington County]

Ten Die in Va. Thanksgiving Weekend Crashes — “With overall traffic fatalities already on the increase, the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday weekend proved to be a deadly one… on Virginia’s highways. During the holiday… traffic crashes claimed the lives of eight drivers, one passenger and a pedestrian.” [Virginia State Police]

Video Shows Helicopter Search of Crane — A video, posted by a Pentagon City resident, shows the Fairfax County Police helicopter using its spotlight to search a construction crane Sunday night, as part of a death investigation that was still ongoing as of Monday evening. [YouTube]

FCC Chair Reports Harassing Signs — FCC chairman and Arlington resident Ajit Pai is again being targeted at his home by activists who oppose changes to net neutrality and media ownership rules. This time, signs outside Pai’s home have reportedly referenced his children. The Arlington County Republican Committee called the alleged harassment “disgusting.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Education Tech Company Sets Up Clarendon Studios — “Higher education is getting the star treatment… in Clarendon. Headquartered in Lanham, Maryland, [education technology firm] 2U recently revamped the former Henninger Media space off Wilson Boulevard to create a satellite office with eight TV studios, where visiting professors can spend a whirlwind three to four days taping lectures and other multimedia course materials designed to supplement live classroom chats and streaming video.” [Arlington Magazine]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Guyton

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 21, 2017 at 8:30AM | Updated November 21, 2017 at 11:34AM

Lost Hikers Found Near Chain Bridge — Two men who had apparently been hiking along the Potomac River got lost and had to call emergency dispatchers after one of them fell and hurt himself. The call came in around 2:30 a.m. this morning. Arlington, Fairfax County, D.C. and U.S. Park Police units helped to search for the men — Fairfax used its police helicopter — and eventually they were found and transported to the hospital. [WUSA 9]

Video: ACFD Responds to FC Vehicle Fire — A minivan caught on fire in Falls Church over the weekend and a camera was rolling as Arlington County firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze. [Twitter]

Holiday Decorations Going Up — Around Clarendon yesterday — and perhaps in other parts of the county as well — lights, window paintings and other festive decorations were being put up in anticipation of the holiday season. [Instagram]

Arlington Mill Gym Floor Installed — The new gym floor has been installed and is ready to use at the Arlington Mill Community Center. The gym’s previous floor had to be removed due to water damage stemming from a March snow storm. [Twitter]

County Announces Human Rights Award Winners — Among the recipients of Arlington County’s 2017 James B. Hunter Award winners are: Signature Theatre’s Eric Schaeffer; the Building Bridges community initiative; Saint George’s Episcopal Church and its refugee advocacy; Café Sazón and its support of immigrant rights; and Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City, which is considered the only gay bar in Northern Virginia. [Arlington County]

Reporter Accused of Unwanted Advances in Local Bar — New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush has been suspended following accusations that during his time at Arlington-based Politico, he made unwanted sexual advances at young, female colleagues while drinking at a Rosslyn bar. [Vox]

DEVELOPING: Police Searching for Robbery Suspect Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published November 15, 2017 at 9:40AM

Police are searching for a strong-arm robbery suspect who fled from officers in Rosslyn this morning.

The incident started just after 9 a.m. near the intersection of N. Lynn Street and Lee Highway.

According to scanner traffic, the suspect is a panhandler who robbed another homeless man in October. He was spotted in Rosslyn this morning and led police on a brief foot chase. The suspect reportedly dodged a Taser and then outran police as he he fled into the woods along I-66.

The suspect is described as a white male with a shaved head, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Police are setting up a perimeter and bringing in a K-9 unit and the U.S. Park Police helicopter to search for the suspect.

POLICE ACTIVITY: @usparkpolicepio helicopter aiding in the search of a robbery suspect in the #Rosslyn area. Expect police presence in the area.

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) November 15, 2017

UPDATED: Man Arrested for Shooting Near Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published August 24, 2017 at 11:05AM | Updated August 24, 2017 at 2:21PM

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) Arlington County Police arrested a man last night in connection with a shooting that happened Wednesday morning and a brandishing incident Wednesday night.

The shooting happened on the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street, near Columbia Pike. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and the suspect fled the scene.

Last night, around 10:30 p.m., residents who live in the area of the Pike and S. Glebe Road reported a helicopter continuously circling the neighborhood.

On Thursday morning, police confirmed to ARLnow.com that the helicopter was in the air for reasons “related to the shooting.”

Update at 2:15 p.m. — A 24-year-old Arlington resident has been arrested and charged in the shooting, ACPD announced Thursday afternoon. The man was arrested near the Pentagon City Metro station after he brandished a gun at a woman on Columbia Pike last night, police say.

More from a police press release:

An Arlington man has been arrested and charged for his involvement in a shooting in the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street. Nicholas Nichols, 24, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Possession of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility on no bond.

At approximately 7:04 a.m. on August 23, Arlington County Police officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street for the report of a shooting. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The 26-year-old victim was transported by Fairfax County Medics to George Washington University Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The investigation determined that the shooting occurred following an altercation between known acquaintances. The suspect fled the area prior to police arrival. A perimeter was established and a canvas of the area returned with negative results.

At approximately 9:37 p.m. on August 23, police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Columbia Pike for the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined a male suspect brandished a firearm during a dispute with a known female victim. The suspect fled the area on foot prior to police arrival. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect in the brandishing was the suspect in the earlier shooting in the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street.

A perimeter was established and the Fairfax County Police Helicopter Unit responded to aid in the search. Officers from the Arlington County Police TAC Unit located the suspect in the area of S. Hayes Street and 12th Street S. and took him into custody without incident as he attempted to board a bus.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective J. Trainer of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4185 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 31, 2017 at 9:00AM

Texas Murder Suspect Arrested in Arlington — A suspected MS-13 gang member, wanted for two Houston-area homicides, was arrested in Arlington on Saturday. Twenty-year-old Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez, also known as “Terror,” was taken into custody while walking near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive. [Fox 5, WTOP]

Family of Murder Victim Donates Reward Funds — The family of an Iraq war vet shot to death in front of the Pentagon Row shopping center in 2006 has donated $5,000 in unclaimed reward money to Arlington Crime Solvers. “Despite an intensive investigation, a suspect and motive have not been identified,” said Arlington County Police. “This case remains an active cold case investigation.” [NBC Washington, WJLA, Twitter]

Some Arlingtonians Pay to Attend D.C. Public Schools — A handful of Arlington residents pay tuition for their children to attend D.C. public schools. Most are paying for enrollment in the renowned Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest Washington. Arlington, which is still facing a school capacity crunch, does not allow nonresident students as does D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County. [Washington Post]

APS May Buy Home Next to Glebe Elementary — The Arlington School Board is considering buying a home next to Glebe Elementary School for $525,000 to provide emergency vehicles another point of access to the school. The home was recently sold to an investment firm for just over $400,000 this past January. [InsideNova]

Explanation for Low-Flying Helicopter — If you spotted a helicopter making low passes over Arlington this past weekend, it might have for a survey by the National Nuclear Security Administration “to measure naturally occurring background radiation.” [Twitter, National Nuclear Security Administration]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Police: Armed Robbery in Cherrydale Prompts K-9, Helicopter Search

By Katie Pyzyk

Published December 29, 2016 at 10:15AM

Police are investigating a reported armed robbery that prompted a lot of law enforcement activity in the Cherrydale neighborhood early Wednesday morning.

Arlington County police officers responded to the 1500 block of N. Quincy Street around 12:30 a.m. after two male suspects reportedly approached three victims who had been walking in the area.

One of the suspects brandished a gun and demanded the victims’ belongings, according to police.

Police say the suspects took off on foot so they brought in an ACPD K-9 unit to track them. Fairfax County Police assisted with the search by sending a helicopter.

The suspects were not apprehended and the investigation is ongoing. From an ACPD crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 1500 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 12:25 a.m. on December 28, officers responded to the report of an armed robbery. Three victims were walking in the area when they were approached from behind by two male suspects. One of the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded the victims’ belongings. The suspects then fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction. A K9 track and an aerial observation assisted by Fairfax County Police helicopter were negative. The first suspect is described as a black male approximately 6’0″ tall, wearing all black with a black bandana over his face. The second suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″ tall, with a slim build. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. The investigation is ongoing.