A woman was robbed by two people on Columbia Pike near the Pentagon on Monday evening.
The robbery happened just before 5:30 p.m. on Veterans Day, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Joyce Street. Police say a patrol officer was flagged down by the victim, who reported being robbed by a pair of suspects, one of whom was armed with a gun.
“The victim was walking in the area when she was approached her from behind by two suspects,” according to an ACPD crime report. “The female suspect demanded her belongings and cell phone, while the male suspect brandished a firearm. The suspects fled the area with the victim’s belongings prior to police arrival and the victim ran to seek assistance. The victim was not injured.”
“Suspect One is described as a white female, with a skinny build, brown hair, wearing a pink shirt, a dark colored vest and dark pants,” the crime report continues. “Suspect Two is described as a heavy set white male, wearing a black vest, white shirt, white hat and jeans. The investigation is ongoing.”
Arlington County Police are looking for a man who allegedly stole money from a tip jar and then bit a would-be Good Samaritan who tried to stop him.
The incident happened this past Thursday at Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters in Pentagon City, according to scanner traffic at the time.
“At approximately 1:47 p.m. on November 7, police were dispatched to the report of a fight,” an ACPD crime report says. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business in the 500 block of 12th Street S. and stole money from a tip jar before fleeing the scene on foot.”
The suspect was “tackled” by a bystander after running out of the business, according to police radio traffic, but after a brief struggle was able to get free and flee the scene.
More from the crime report: “Two employees of the business began following the suspect and called for help. Two bystanders caught up to the suspect and became engaged in a struggle with him. The suspect bit one of the bystanders, broke free and fled on foot prior to police arrival. The bystander sustained minor injuries.”
Because the bite reportedly drew blood, the suspect is now wanted on a charge of malicious wounding.
“The suspect is described as a black male, 25-29 years old, with facial hair and dreadlocks, wearing a gray sweatshirt with a black hood, gray sweatpants and red headphones,” the crime report said. “The investigation is ongoing.”
A victim was robbed at gunpoint by a masked man, in the middle of the afternoon, outside of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall on Wednesday.
Police responded to the mall’s parking garage around 2:30 p.m. for a report of an armed robbery. By the time they arrived, the suspect — who was armed with a gun — had fled the scene with several stolen “items of value,” according to Arlington County Police.
Police are still investigating. So far, no arrests have been reported.
More from an ACPD crime report:
ARMED ROBBERY, 2019-11060163, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 2:36 p.m. on November 6, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. The investigation determined that the suspect approached the victim at gunpoint and stole items of value. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male wearing a black jacket and a ski mask. The investigation is ongoing.
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (map via Google Maps)
A multi-vehicle crash is currently blocking Old Dominion Drive near Marymount University.
The crash, at the intersection with 25th Street N., happened around 1 p.m. and involves 3-4 vehicles, including a Mercedes and a Jeep that were heavily damaged in a T-bone style collision. The force of the impact pushed the Jeep up onto a sidewalk.
No injuries were reported, according to an Arlington County Fire Department spokesman. Police are on scene directing traffic.
Staff photographer Jay Westcott contributed to this report. Map via Google Maps.
Police and medics were dispatched to the park at 6060 Wilson Blvd just after 11:15 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man who was shot by someone in a blue vehicle.
The man was found lying on the ground and rushed to a local hospital. He was listed last night as being in stable condition.
Thus far there’s no word of any arrests nor a motive for the shooting. Arlington County Police are investigating.
Update at 5:15 p.m. — An arrest has been made, according to ACPD.
The Arlington County Police Department is announcing the arrest of a Falls Church man for his role in last night’s shooting in the Boulevard Manor neighborhood. Jhonatan Zavaleta Cruz, 21, has been charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Attempted Malicious Wounding, Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Shooting During the Commission of a Felony. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility on no bond.
At approximately 11:15 p.m. on November 6, police were dispatched to the 6000 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a juvenile male victim suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began rendering aid. The victim was transported by medics to an area hospital with injuries that are considered non-life-threatening.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect and victim are known to one another and that a verbal dispute preceded the shooting. There is no indication of an ongoing threat to the community.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective R. Ortiz of the Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-7402 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
UPDATE: The victim is a juvenile male in his teens. His injuries are considered non-life threatening.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at Arlington Democrats election watch party in November 2019, when she was elected to office (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Sheriff Beth Arthur at Arlington Democrats watch party (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Public Defender Brad Haywood (right) during a 2019 panel on jail diversion (file photo)
The Arlington County Courthouse and Detention Center facilities are pictured in 2019 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Last night, reform candidate Parisa Dehghani-Tafti was elected the next top prosecutor for Arlington and Falls Church, leaving questions about how her campaign promises could affect the area’s political and legal landscape.
Tafti declined to discuss details about her plans for the prosecutor’s office itself, but the other agencies most affected by her reforms say her tenure could have a big impact on their work.
Public defenders may have more time with their clients
Chief Public Defender Bradley Haywood has been a vocal critic of outgoing Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos and donated to Tafti’s campaign. He told ARLnow her win will “absolutely” change the work his office can do, adding that her election was an “amazing opportunity” for judges, lawyers, and prosecutors to work together on criminal justice reform.
One reform Haywood said will majorly impact public defenders is Tafti’s promise to do away with the the requirement that defense attorneys hand copy all the prosecutor’s files about their criminal cases — a process several attorneys say is “horribly inefficient” and makes preparing large cases impossible.
“We estimated that there were about 1,000-1,500 hours we spent in that stupid room typing manually,” Haywood said of his office’s work in the past year. “It’s going to go down from 1,000 hours to zero probably in January. That will give us time to actually learn more about our clients.”
Tafti told ARLnow last night after the polls closed and her campaign declared victory that she was “absolutely” still committed to digitizing the document policy.
The Arlington County Bar Association, which includes private defense attorneys, declined to comment when asked how the new prosecutor’s policy priorities could affect members’ work.
The Sheriff’s Office may need a budget bump
Another one of the reforms Tafti focused on during her campaign was ending the practice of “cash bail,” which she said penalizes lower-income people who might instead remain jail as they await trial.
Outgoing prosecutor Theo Stamos announced last November she would stop seeking bail for people accused of low-level misdemeanors after seven state lawmakers urged her to fix the system. However, public defenders criticized the plan for still excluding too many defendants, calling it a “cynical PR move” to help her bid for re-election.
Sheriff Beth Arthur, who won her re-election last night, told ARLnow she didn’t necessarily oppose more changes to the bail system. But she did express concern about how to manage resources if judges choose to release defendants before trial with conditions — like weekly drug testing — in lieu of bail.
“I do have concerns from a staffing perspective and from an operational perspective on how how this impacts the poor people who are managing the program and who have a caseload of 60-65 people,” she said of her office’s pre-trial program that supervises such defendants. “That’s a lot.”
However, Arthur said she’s hopeful that the county will grant her office additional resources to staff pre-trial programs should they be affected by Tafti’s reforms — or the jail diversion program for people with mental illnesses.
In June, the Arlington County Board approved a $45.3 million total budget for the Sheriff’s Office in fiscal year 2020.
It’s Election Day — Voting today in Arlington will take place between 6 a.m.-7 p.m. at your local polling place. Most of the local candidates in competitive races penned essays describing why Arlington residents should vote for them. [Arlington County]
Almost A Century Since Suffrage — “Tomorrow represents 99 years of women voting in Arlington. Arlington’s celebrating with 19 events this year.” [Twitter, Arlington County]
‘Baby Trump’ Greeting Key Bridge Commuters — Arlington Democrats have inflated a 13-foot “Baby Trump” on the Virginia side of the Key Bridge as part of a get-out-the-vote message. [Twitter]
Anti-Trans Group is Based in Shirlington — “From the 12th floor of a glass office tower in the Washington suburbs, a campaign to sway the governor’s race in Kentucky on Tuesday is being waged with an alarmist claim that has little to do with the race itself: If Democrats have their way, soon boys will be able to compete against girls in school sports.” [New York Times]
Growing Season Over in D.C. Area — “As of this morning, the growing season has been declared to have ended across our entire forecast area. Frost and freeze [watches and warnings] will not be issued again until Spring 2020.” [Twitter]
Pedestrian Enforcement in Clarendon Tomorrow — “As part of the Street Smart campaign, officers will conduct high-visibility traffic enforcement… November 6th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. [on the] 2700 block of Clarendon Boulevard (Pedestrian Enforcement Detail).” [ARLnow]
Nearby: Va. Tech Unveils Plan for Potomac Yard — “Plans are starting to take shape for North Potomac Yard. Virginia Tech has submitted its first concept plan, showing what its Innovation Campus will look like just as the design of the Potomac Yard Metro station nears its final design phase.” [ALXnow]
A bus driver was sprayed with pepper spray by a woman who tried to ride the bus without paying over the weekend, police say.
The incident happened Friday night in Clarendon.
According to Arlington County Police, the woman and several other people boarded a bus without paying shortly after 7 p.m. at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Highland Street. When the driver said they would have to pay the fare or get off, the woman pepper sprayed him, police say.
The driver was treated by medics at the scene.No arrests had been reported as of Monday afternoon.
More from an ACPD crime report:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-11010270, Clarendon Boulevard at N. Highland Street. At approximately 7:12 p.m. on November 1, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect attempted to board a bus with a group of individuals without paying. When the bus driver informed them they would need to pay the fare or exit the bus, the suspect assaulted the driver and sprayed him with pepper spray. The suspect exited the bus and fled prior to police arrival. The driver was treated by medics on scene for minor injuries. The suspect is described as a black female, 18-25 years old, 5’0″-5’4″, 100-120 lbs., regular build, wearing a gray hoodie and a bandanna. The investigation is ongoing.
School Shuffle Blowback Starts — “Alicia Rich, president of Key’s PTA, said she has been fielding texts and messages over WhatsApp from parents and staff members worried about the prospect of moving. ‘This issue is so huge for us,’ Rich said.
School system officials said they ‘urgently need’ the Key building as a neighborhood school because of the lack of space for students.” [Washington Post]
Arlington Office Market Improving — Arlington County landing Amazon HQ2, a selection announced one year ago this month, has helped move its office market in the right direction after years of struggles. The office vacancy rate in National Landing, the newly branded area comprising the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods, dropped from 19.6% in Q3 2018 to 16% as of Sept. 30, the lowest level since 2012, according to JLL.” [Bisnow]
Chamber Supports Keeping Dillon Rule — “Facing a possible Democratic majority in the General Assembly, @ArlVAChamber is standing firm in its support of the Dillon Rule. Why? A Dem majority could allow localities like Arlington to raise the minimum wage.” [Twitter, InsideNova]
Storms Don’t Deter Trick or Treaters — From a family that tracks the number of trick or treaters visiting their Arlington home: “Despite threatening weather and a tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service… 2019 was our second best year ever with 161 visitors, 13 goblins behind the all-time high of 174 visitors in 2016.” [Facebook]
ACPD Helps With Snakes, Too — “Sgt. Morrison proves he’s a jack of all trades! Yesterday he responded to a citizen assist call and helped safely relocate this snake.” [Twitter]
Opera Fans Plan Outreach Effort — “Reports of the demise of a certain musical genre are not just premature. They are just plain wrong, supporters say. ‘Clearly, opera is not a dying art – the music is still transcendent,’ said Paul Dolinsky, a board member of Opera Nova, which on Oct. 27 held its annual fund-raising brunch at Washington Golf & Country Club.” [InsideNova]
Local Teen Is Runner Up in Entrepreneurship Competition — “Ela Gokcigdem has good news to share about her ePearl noise-cancelling wireless earbuds. They were a big hit in the Big Apple… The 17-year-old senior at Wakefield High School in Arlington participated in the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. More than two dozen competitors from around the country pitched their products to a panel of judges.” [WJLA]
Nearby: Road Closure Planned in Seven Corners — “The Wilson Boulevard (Route 613) bridge over Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) will be closed from 9 p.m. Monday night, Nov. 4 to 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, Nov. 5 for bridge deck work, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Eastbound Wilson Boulevard traffic will be detoured via Route 7, Patrick Henry Drive, Route 50 and the westbound Route 50 service road back to Wilson Boulevard.” [VDOT]
A man suspected of tampering with and damaging eight cars was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Pentagon City.
Police were first called to a parking garage on the 600 block of 15th Street N., near the Costco, around 1:15 p.m. for a report of a series of vehicle break-ins. While investigating the break-ins, officers identified a suspect, who then allegedly tried to flee the scene.
“Following a foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody by responding officers,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The suspect was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.”
The man was combative with arresting officers, according to scanner traffic and a tipster.
“It took at least 6 officers to subdue the man and strap him down to a gurney,” the tipster told ARLnow. “He yelling and fighting… Police did a great job and stayed very professional.”
More from an ACPD crime report:
GRAND LARCENY (Significant), 2019-10290147, 600 block of 15th Street S. At approximately 1:18 p.m. on October 29, police were dispatched to the report of a suspect tampering with vehicles. Upon arrival, it was determined that security guards contacted police after locating several vehicles with damaged windows inside a parking garage and observing the suspect flee the scene on foot. Responding officers located the suspect with assistance from the security guards and following a brief foot pursuit, the combative suspect was placed under arrest. A subsequent search of the area located eight vehicles with damaged windows and items of value stolen from two of the vehicles. Duane Woolfolk, 20, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny, Petit Larceny, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Possession of a Schedule II Drug, Destruction of Property, Failure to ID and Obstruction of Justice. He was held without bond.
SUV crashes into 7-Eleven store on Four Mile Run Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
SUV crashes into 7-Eleven store on Four Mile Run Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
SUV crashes into 7-Eleven store on Four Mile Run Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene of SUV vs. building crash on Four Mile Run Drive
The driver of an SUV rammed the front of a 7-Eleven store head-on this morning on Four Mile Run Drive.
The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. at 4154 Four Mile Run Drive, near the Dept. of Motor Vehicles office.
The driver of an Infiniti SUV drove straight into a bollard and a brick column at the front of the store, shattering a large window in the process. It’s unclear how exactly the crash happened, but there was no initial indication that it was intentional.
No injuries were reported. Police are on scene and a building inspector has been requested to check out the structure.
