police

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New State Laws Take Effect Today — A number of laws intended to improve safety on Virginia’s roads and highways take effect today, July 1. [Press Release, Press Release]

Wardian Runs Around Beltway — “Michael Wardian has sat in traffic on the Capital Beltway and thought, ‘Wow; I wish I could just park my car here and take off and run home.’ This weekend, he ran the entire loop of the iconic highway. Wardian, of Arlington, Virginia, ran the 89.9 miles of the Beltway in 17 hours, 54 minutes and 59 seconds.” [WTOP, WUSA 9, RunWashington]

Organ Donation Info Session Today — “The Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC) and an organ donor will join us to talk about organ donation and what we, as potential donors, need to know.” [Event Calendar]

Retired ACPD K9s Pass — “With great sadness, Arlington County Police announce the passing of retired K9 Charly and K9 Koda. Both K9s loyally served the Arlington community from 2007 to 2015. We kindly ask that you keep the K9s and their handlers in your thoughts.” [Twitter]

Police Help Find Lost Dog — “While on bike patrol [Friday], Detective Adams, Detective Olson and Detective Blow encountered a citizen who had lost her dog along Four Mile Run Trail. Shortly later, Detective Adams located Lucy further up and stayed with her until she could be reunited with her owner.” [Twitter]

DePoo Makes Giant Ship on Stage — “When [Arlington’s] Signature Theatre artistic director Eric Schaeffer commissioned the world premiere musical Blackbeard, he knew he wanted to push the boundaries of the Signature’s newly flexible space… Set entirely on the titular conqueror’s ship, every aspect of Paul Tate DePoo III’s set implies mystery, daring, and grandeur.” [Playbill]

Fourth of July Celebrations to Prompt Road Closures

By Airey
1/2

Law enforcement agencies are planning several road closures for Fourth of July.

Several main roads will be closed on July 4, including Memorial Bridge and Memorial Circle, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Arlington County Police Department is encouraging people to use to use public transit as large crowds are expected during the celebrations.

ACPD announced it will be working with the Virginia State Police, U.S. Park Police, and the Virginia Dept. of Transportation to close several roads, including:

1:00 PM to 11:00 PM

  • Marshall Drive from Route 110 to N. Meade Street
  • N. Meade St. from N. 14th St. to Marshall Dr.

2:00 PM to 11:00 PM

  • Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Route 50 (access to the Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood will be from the Rhodes Street bridge)
  • Exit ramp from westbound Route 50 to N. Lynn Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Exit ramp from eastbound Route 50 to N. Meade Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Long Bridge Dr. from Boundary Channel Dr. to S. 10th

8:00 PM to 11:00 PM

  • Eastbound Route 50 at Washington Blvd. All traffic diverted from Rt. 50 on ramps to East and West Washington Blvd.
  • Eastbound N. 10th ramp to eastbound Rt. 50 will be closed, all traffic diverted to westbound Rt. 50
  • Courthouse Rd. ramp to eastbound Rt. 50 will be closed, all traffic diverted to westbound Rt. 50 or N. 10th St.
  • Pershing Dr. at Rt. 50 will only be allowed westbound
  • Eastbound N. Fairfax Drive from N. Pierce Street to N. Fort Myer Drive
  • Columbia Pike between S. Orme Street and S. Joyce St.
  • Joyce Street between Army Navy Drive and Columbia Pike
  • The exit from westbound Washington Blvd. to eastbound Columbia Pike/S. Orme St.

“These closures are designed to facilitate the safe passage of large crowds for the Independence Day events and fireworks,” Arlington police wrote in the press release.

ACPD is encouraging people to use public transportation or ride hailing services due to the large crowds, and noted that the Rosslyn and Pentagon City Metro stations are close to most of the prime firework viewing spots.

The department noted that police will cite drivers who stop or stand in traffic to view fireworks, and that those who park on Route 110 will be towed.

Additionally, ACPD is reminding people that county and federally-owned parks ban people from bringing their own alcohol, grills, and fireworks to the party, and that drones are banned by the Federal Aviation Administration in Arlington and other areas around D.C.

If the road closures, crowds and traffic were not enough, police are also warning people to prepare for the heat and humidity forecasted for the holiday.

Image 1 via Arlington County Dept. of Parks and Recreation, image 2 via ACPD

Crime Report: More Vehicle Tamperings in N. Arlington

By ARLnow.com

For at least the second time this month, there has been a series of vehicle tamperings in a North Arlington neighborhood.

The latest series of incidents happened in the Donaldson Run neighborhood, after the previous series of vehicle break-ins in Dominion Hills.

Police say a car was stolen and at least two other vehicles were rummaged through between Sunday night and Monday morning, along the 3000 block of N. Stuart Street.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING (series), 2019-06240073, 3000 block of N. Stuart Street. At approximately 8:30 a.m. on June 24, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. While investigating the stolen vehicle, it was determined that between 10:00 p.m. on June 23 and 8:30 a.m. on June 24, approximately two additional unlocked vehicles were entered and items items tampered with. Nothing of value was reported stolen. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Police say residents should keep their cars locked and remove valuables after parking.

Below are the rest of the highlights from this week’s crime report, including some we’ve already reported.

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UPDATED: Woman Killed by Falling Tree Limb Along Walter Reed Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 5:35 p.m. on June 30) A woman was killed by a falling tree limb on the 2600 block of S. Walter Reed Drive this afternoon.

The incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. Initial reports suggest a portion of a tree fell and landed on an older adult woman, who was knocked unconscious and trapped underneath.

Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Ben O’Bryant tells ARLnow a large tree limb fell and struck the woman on the bike path that runs along the street. First responders freed the woman and rushed her to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, O’Bryant said, but she later died at the hospital.

Arlington County Police are asking anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed what happened to call 703-558-2222.

Thursday evening, Arlington County released a statement about the incident, which happened on county-owned parkland, offering condolences to the woman and her family.

Arlington County is heartbroken that a community member was struck by a falling tree limb in a park this afternoon.  Our condolences and thoughts are with the family.

The incident occurred around 1:45 p.m. when a woman was walking along a path in Lucky Run Park. Apparently, a tree limb fell from an 80-foot oak and struck her. Firefighters responded to the scene and transported her to a local hospital with serious injuries. She was later pronounced deceased.

Safety is our number one priority. The County is investigating further to determine as many details of what happened as possible.

A resident tells ARLnow the woman lived nearby and had recently retired.

Map via Google Maps

Four Arrested at Bob and Edith’s on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Four people, all in their 20s, were arrested after a wild incident early Sunday morning at Bob and Edith’s Diner on Columbia Pike.

According to Arlington County Police, police were called to the business around 3:30 a.m. and found one of the diners “yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff.” While escorting the suspect out of the business, three of his dining companions allegedly attempted to interfere with the responding officer and a scuffle ensued, ending in backup arriving and helping to arrest the group.

All four suspects are charged with Drunk in Public, while two are also facing other charges.

The ACPD crime report (below) says the incident happened on the 2300 block of Columbia Pike; the only business on that block that open at the time would have been Bob and Edith’s.

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-06230071, 2300 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 3:38 a.m. on June 23, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject inside of a business. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff. As an officer attempted to escort the suspect out of the business, three additional suspects began following behind, while yelling verbal profanities at the officer. While exiting, the Suspect One allegedly stopped in the doorway and ignored lawful commands, refusing to exit. He became combative and swung at the officer. Suspect Two allegedly attempted to interfere with the officer’s interaction with Suspect One, at which point, the first suspect pushed the officer. Suspect Three then allegedly grabbed the officer’s outer carrier vest and became verbally irate and physically aggressive towards the officer. Suspect Four allegedly attempted to physically obstruct the officer’s efforts to control Suspect Three. The officer was then able to move the four suspects out of the staircase area and to the exterior of the business. While the officer attempted to place Suspect One in handcuffs, he actively resisted and then grabbed the officer’s arm. With the assistance of additional units arriving on scene, Suspect One was taken into custody, however, Suspects Two, Three and Four continued to act disorderly, ignoring lawful commands from officers to disperse and were subsequently taken into custody. The officer suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment during the incident. Rudy Barrera, 25, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement, Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond. Gabriel Gonzalez, 25, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. Yancy Aguilar, 22, of Fairfax, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public. Cinthia Escobar-Gomez, 24, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Helicopter Complaints Continue  — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), one of the lawmakers who requested the study, said that helicopter noise is ‘our number one constituent complaint’ and that the number of complaints has risen steadily since he took office in 2015.” [Washington Post]

Early Morning Apartment Fire — “Units were called to 2400 blk 27th Ct S for fire in 4 story garden apt. On arrival crews found balcony #fire on floors 1 & 2 being controlled by #firesprinklers. Fire extinguished, no extension inside. No injuries.” [Twitter]

New Election Chief Sworn In — “When Gretchen Reinemeyer was sworn in as Arlington County’s general registrar, she became only the fifth person to hold the position since it was created in 1947. Reinemeyer is succeeding long-time registrar Linda Lindberg who is retiring at the end of the month after serving more than 25 years in the Arlington Voting and Elections Office–16 of them as general registrar. [Arlington County]

YHS Student Helps Improve Pedestrian Safety — “Pedestrians in Arlington, Virginia, may notice flashing yellow lights when crossing the street, thanks to one high schooler who’s working to make streets safer… Jake Smith, who graduated Yorktown High School on Thursday, interned with the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services to help them plan their beacon project and keep cars accountable.” [NBC 4, Arlington County]

Zoning Keeps Parts of Arlington Exclusive — “Arlington does have a decent amount of area zoned for multi-family housing, but it’s concentrated in the more southern parts of the county. This makes North Arlington completely inaccessible to many and is the source of the county’s geographical inequality.” [Blue Virginia]

Dozen New Arlington Police Officers — “The Arlington County Police Department welcomed 12 new officers this week, as Session 140 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy (NVCJA) and took their oath to serve and protect the residents and visitors of Arlington County.” [Arlington County]

Local Businessman Sentenced — “A prominent Northern Virginia businessman has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for multiple fraud schemes that cheated investors out of roughly $20 million. Todd Hitt, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Alexandria to soliciting investments in building projects as part of what amounted to a Ponzi scheme.” [Associated Press, Press Release]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Crime Report: Businesses Robbed, Trashed in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A man was arrested early Sunday and charged in a pair of robberies in the Crystal City area.

Police say 41-year-old Christopher Uglialoro first robbed a business at knifepoint on the 1800 block of Jefferson Davis Highway, around 1:45 a.m. He then robbed another nearby business, on the 400 block of 23rd Street S., around 2:15 a.m., according to police.

In each incident, police say Uglialoro acted disorderly, damaging items and throwing merchandise. He was located and arrested “without incident” shortly after the robberies, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The 400 block of 23rd Street S. is home to a 7-Eleven store. Police typically do not identify the victims of crimes and in this case did not say which businesses were robbed.

More from ACPD:

ROBBERY, 2019-06160036, 1800 block of Jefferson Davis Highway. At approximately 1:46 a.m. on June 16, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered the business and began acting disorderly and tampering with items. When an employee approached him, he produced a knife, and demanded cash. The suspect then stole an undisclosed amount of cash and continued to tamper with and damage items inside the business before fleeing prior to police arrival. Officers canvased the area and located the suspect based upon the description provided in a lookout. The suspect was positively identified and taken into custody without incident. Christopher Uglialoro, 41, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Robbery.

ROBBERY, 2019-06160046, 400 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 2:15 a.m. on June 16, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject inside a business. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered a business, went behind the counter and began throwing merchandise. When confronted by an employee, the suspect became irate and threatened the employee, before grabbing merchandise and fleeing the scene prior to police arrival. Officers were already in the area canvasing to locate a suspect in a separate robbery case (2019-6160036), when a lookout was broadcast. The suspect in the prior robbery case was subsequently determined to be involved in this case. Christopher Uglialoro, 41, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Robbery.

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

(more…)

TRAFFIC ALERT: Snapped Utility Pole Blocks Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) All lanes of Lee Highway appear to be blocked after a utility pole reportedly snapped and caused wires to fall across the street.

The incident happened around 9 a.m, just east of the East Falls Church neighborhood. The broken pole was not believed to have been caused by a crash, Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Ben O’Bryant told ARLnow.

A detour is in place between N. Ohio Street and N. Quantico Street, though minor delays should be expected. The detour is expected to remain in place for an extended period of time as utility crews work to repair the pole and downed lines.

Arlington County officials said only the westbound lanes were closed, though photos show the road closed in both directions.

Dominion’s power outage map reports 7 customers without power in the area.

https://twitter.com/tweedyBard/status/1141737325451448320

https://twitter.com/mgnchny/status/1141712712260640773

Photos courtesy @mgnchny/Twitter, map via Google Maps

Driver Hospitalized After Running Off N. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The driver of a car ran off the side of N. Glebe Road, struck a tree, and then allegedly tried to drive off when police arrived.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. on the 3400 block of N. Glebe Road, near the Country Club Hills neighborhood. It’s unclear how the single-vehicle crash happened, nor is it clear whether the driver was heading northbound or southbound at the time of the crash, but it damaged a tree and bushes in the front yard of a home along Glebe Road.

The vehicle suffered front-end damage on the driver’s side, but the driver allegedly started to drive off when police arrived, according to scanner traffic. Muddy tire tracks could be seen in the roadway.

The driver stopped a short distance away and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for unspecified injuries.

Police could be seen examining an open plastic bottle near the vehicle shortly after the ambulance departed the scene.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Last Week of School — The 2018-2019 school year is concluding this week for Arlington Public Schools. Today is the last day of school for high schools, while Friday is the last day of school for middle and elementary schools. [Arlington Public Schools]

Park Service Advances Boathouse Plan — “Plans to establish a community boathouse on the Potomac River in Arlington just passed a major milestone. The National Park Service completed its Environmental Assessment (EA) with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), which sets up the project to move forward.” [Arlington County, Twitter]

State of the County Address — “Christian Dorsey began his State of the County address by thanking the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Arlington business community for their partnership ‘on specific issues from the transient occupancy tax, to dedicated funding for the Metro, to helping us put our best foot forward in the competition for  Amazon’s HQ2.'” [Press Release]

Arlington Public Safety Awards — “Following the State of the County address, awards were presented to honor Arlington County’s public safety personnel…  Stories of their heroic actions include two firefighters rescuing a person trapped inside a vehicle that was fully submerged in water, a detective dismantling a large, local cocaine trafficking organization with limited investigative leads, and a police officer saving two unresponsive passengers in an overturned, burning vehicle on the roadway.” [Press Release]

Fraud Alert from Arlington Police — “The Arlington County Police Department and Sheriff’s Office are warning the public about a telephone scam that uses the threat of arrest to extort money from potential victims.” [Arlington County]

Metro Studying Second Rosslyn Metro Station — “After decades of discussion, Metro kicked off a study this week of a new, second station at Rosslyn and other changes that could overhaul the way trains on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines run throughout the system.” [WTOP]

ACPD: No Plans for ‘Mass Deportation’ — “The Arlington County Police Department called the plan ‘political’ and said they have no intention on working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fulfill [President] Trump’s mass deportation plan. The Fairfax County Police Department said it doesn’t participate with ICE on civil enforcement either.” [Fox 5]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick

Reminder: Don’t Drive Through Flooded Streets

By ARLnow.com

The video (below) was jarring: cars driving through muddy flood waters that nearly reached the tops of tires.

Even more jarring: this was happening along busy Columbia Pike, a route not noted for being flood-prone, during the evening rush hour.

The scene yesterday evening was captured on video by a passerby, showing floodwaters inundating a low-lying section of the Pike near S. Greenbrier Street. As commenters pointed out this morning, driving through flooded roads is a bad idea, but despite repeated reminders to “turn around, don’t drown,” drivers continue willfully operating their vehicles as if they were hovercraft.

(A spokesman with Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services tells ARLnow the department is still investigating the flooding and “looking into whether there were any construction-related obstructions in the storm sewer inlets.”)

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage this morning offered the following tips for driving during heavy rain and potential flooding situations.

Residents are reminded to:

  • Sign up for Arlington Alert to receive emergency notifications including severe weather alerts.
  • Whenever possible, limit travel during times of severe weather.
  • Avoid areas already flooded, especially if the water is flowing fast.
  • It is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters. If you see a flooded roadway, seek an alternative route.
  • According to the National Weather Service, 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car, while 2 feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles. Play it safe, Turn Around Don’t Drown.
  • If you see a hazard, report to the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Those tips may come in handy tonight. A Flash Flood Watch is set to take effect at 2 p.m. From the National Weather Service:

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING… * THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WATCH AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND LINGER INTO THE EVENING. LOCALIZED RAINFALL TOTALS OF SEVERAL INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. THIS COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING, ESPECIALLY IN THE URBAN AREAS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. &&

The video from last night’s flooding is below.

Photo via Becky Haberacker/Twitter

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