police

Police: Credit Card Thieves Caught on Camera at Arlington Grocery Store

By ARLnow.com
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Fairfax County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects in a credit card theft case with an Arlington connection.

FCPD says credit cards were stolen from a vehicle in the Kingstowne community south of the Beltway — home to the “Alexandria” Top Golf and the Kingstowne Towne Center shopping center — but were then used to buy prepaid gift cards at a Harris Teeter store in Arlington.

The suspects were caught on surveillance cameras at the grocery store. More from a police press release:

Several credit cards were stolen from a vehicle in the Kingstowne area. This happened last week on Tuesday, October 9. The suspects used the stolen credit cards to purchase prepaid gift cards at a Harris Teeter store in Arlington County. If you recognize the suspects, or have information about this crime, please contact Detective R. Burke at 703-922-0894.

Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or calling 1-866-411-TIPS. They can also be sent in via text by texting “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES (274637). Text STOP to 274637 to cancel, or HELP to 274637 for help. Message and data rates may apply. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1000 if their information leads to an arrest.

BREAKING: Arlington Man Arrested After Sexual Assault, Homicide in Douglas Park

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) An Arlington man has been arrested and now faces accusations of a litany of crimes from sexual assault to murder to robbery after a night of violence in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

The reported crime spree started shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday in the area of Doctor’s Run Park, south of Columbia Pike.

Police say 27-year-old Michael Nash was sexually assaulting a woman along the 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive when a witness, 54-year-old Arlington resident Patricio Salazar, tried to intervene. The suspect then allegedly struck Salazar, who was knocked unconscious and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Nash fled the scene and robbed a woman of her cell phone as he fled, according to police. Officers and a police helicopter searched the area and eventually apprehended Nash near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive.

Nash is now facing multiple charges, with additional charges pending. This was the second reported homicide in Arlington so far this year.

More from ACPD:

Arlington County Police announce the arrest of an Arlington man following an overnight homicide investigation. Michael Nash, 27, was arrested and charged with Abduction with the Intent to Defile, Forcible Sodomy and Animate Object Sexual Penetration. Additional charges are forthcoming. Mr. Nash is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 9:21 p.m. on October 18, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive following the report of multiple 9-1-1 calls. The preliminary investigation determined that the suspect was walking in the area with a known female victim when he began to physically and sexually assault her. A male witness observed the assault and attempted to render assistance to the victim. The suspect physically assaulted the witness leaving him unconscious. The witness, Patricio Salazar, 54, of Arlington, VA was transported to George Washington University Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Following the assaults, the suspect fled the scene on foot. The suspect came into contact with two additional victims whom he tried to rob of a cell phone. The victims fought back and the suspect again fled the scene on foot. The suspect then successfully robbed a female victim of her cell phone.

During the course of the investigation, detectives from the Department’s Homicide/Robbery and Special Victims’ Units developed a possible suspect description. Members of the Tactical Unit located the suspect and took him into custody without incident in the area of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive.

The investigation into this homicide remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident 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).

Map via Google Maps

Crime Report: Man Drunkenly Breaks into Clarendon Home, Assaults Occupants and Neighbors

By Alex Koma

A Falls Church man is now facing a series of charges after police say he drunkenly forced his way into an apartment and assaulted its occupants.

Police received a call around 3 a.m. after a woman living along the 1200 block of N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon was woken up by a visibly intoxicated man “speaking incoherently” at her front door. He was subsequently identified as 25-year-old Daniel Fay.

The woman told police that she “closed the door and [Fay] left momentarily, but returned, and forced his way past the victim into her residence.”

“A neighbor arriving on scene to assist, as well as the victim and an additional occupant of the residence, were allegedly assaulted while attempting to control the suspect until police arrival,” police said.

Fay was then arrested and charged with drunk in public, unlawful entry, and three counts of assault and battery. He’s being held without bond at the county jail, and is set for a hearing on those charges on Friday (Oct. 19).

Full details from a county crime report:

UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2018-10140059, 1200 block of N. Fillmore Street. At approximately 2:51 a.m. on October 14, police were dispatched to a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was awoken to noise and upon investigating, located an intoxicated unknown male subject at her door speaking incoherently. She closed the door and the subject left momentarily, but returned, and forced his way past the victim into her residence. A neighbor arriving on scene to assist, as well as the victim and an additional occupant of the residence, were allegedly assaulted while attempting to control the suspect until police arrival. Daniel Fay, 25, of Falls Church, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public, Assault & Battery (x3) and Unlawful Entry. He was held on no bond.

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

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Police: Bluemont Traffic Stop Leads to Brief Scuffle Between Officer, Driver

By Alex Koma

An Arlington man is now facing a series of charges after he allegedly got into a scuffle with police following a heated argument during a traffic stop.

County police say officers pulled over 20-year-old Charles Contreras along the 900 block of N. Burlington Street in Bluemont around 2 p.m. Friday (Oct. 12).

They say they noticed him driving with a cracked windshield, then he committed a “traffic offense” of some kind.

Once police pulled him over, Contreras and other occupant of the car, 19-year-old Lamar Contreras, “quickly exited the vehicle and allegedly advanced toward the officer, while yelling expletives,” police said. The officer ordered both men to return to the car, and they eventually agreed.

When more police arrived at the scene of the incident, officers noticed a child in the back seat of the car “in an improperly secured car seat,” and both men “continued to yell and exhibit disorderly behavior inside the vehicle” as police evaluated what happened.

Officers eventually asked Charles Contreras to leave the car, and he “became physically combative and pushed an officer.” Police were eventually able to arrest him after the brief scuffle.

He’s now facing charges of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, traffic lane violation, defective equipment, and child restraint violation. Contreras is set for a Wednesday (Oct. 17) hearing on those charges in Arlington General District.

Full details from a county crime report:

ASSAULT AND BATTERY ON POLICE, 2018-10120161, 900 block of N. Burlington Street. At approximately 1:55 p.m. on October 12, an officer on routine patrol observed a vehicle with a cracked windshield commit a traffic offense. The officer initiated a traffic stop, and upon the vehicle stopping, two occupants quickly exited the vehicle and allegedly advanced toward the officer, while yelling expletives. The officer issued lawful commands for the occupants to return to the vehicle, which they obeyed. The officer then observed a child in the backseat of the vehicle in an improperly secured car seat. The suspects continued to yell and exhibit disorderly behavior inside the vehicle. After additional officers arrived on scene, the driver was asked to exit the vehicle, however, upon exiting, became physically combative and pushed an officer. With the assistance of additional officers on scene, the driver was taken into custody. The child was not harmed during the incident. Charles Contreras, 20, of Arlington Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement, Traffic Lane Violation, Defective Equipment, and Child Restraint Violation. The passenger, Lamar Contreras, 19, of Arlington, Va., was issued a summons for Obstruction of Justice.

Police: Man Runs Naked Through East Falls Church, Breaks into Several Homes

By Alex Koma

Arlington police arrested a man last week after he allegedly ran naked through an East Falls Church neighborhood, breaking into several homes and damaging property along the way.

Police say Kahlil Martin, 25, was spotted running nude along the 6700 block of 19th Road N. around 5:30 a.m. last Wednesday (Oct. 10).

Officers received reports that Martin tried to break into several homes in the area, and was successful in some cases, and damaged some property. When police tracked Martin down along the 2100 block of N. Westmoreland Street, he then ran into a home “where he locked himself inside a bathroom with a male victim,” police said.

The man inside the bathroom was able to unlock the door, allowing officers to arrest Martin, who was then transported to the Virginia Hospital Center for a medical evaluation. Police charged him with two counts of burglary and destruction of property, and one count each of attempted burglary and abduction.

The incident was not connected to another instance of a naked man running near Claremont Immersion School earlier that same day, according to police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Martin is set for a Nov. 15 hearing in Arlington General District Court on those charges.

Full details from a county crime report:

BURGLARY, 2018-10100050, 6700 block of 19TH Road N. At approximately 5:35 a.m. on October 10, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim heard noise originating from the backyard and upon investigating, located damaged property. As officers canvased the neighborhood, they began receiving reports of a naked man observed in the area. Officers located the suspect in the 2100 block of N. Westmoreland Street and commanded him to stop. The suspect fled on foot into a residence where he locked himself inside a bathroom with a male victim. The male victim was unharmed and able to unlock the door at which time officers took the suspect into custody without further incident. As the investigation continued, officers located additional victims and determined the suspect had allegedly attempted or successfully gained entry into residence as well as locations where property was damaged. The suspect was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for medical evaluation. With the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the suspect was identified as Kahlil Martin, 25, of No Fixed Address. He was charged with Burglary (x2), Attempted Burglary, Abduction and Destruction of Property (x2).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Big Tree Fall on Car — A large tree fell across 8th Street S. late last week, crushing a parked car and causing a widespread power outage. [Twitter]

Local NAACP Reflects on Progress — “The Arlington NAACP’s 71st-anniversary Freedom Fund Banquet was a chance to look back on progress, but also to press for vigilance so it doesn’t slip away… The banquet on Oct. 13 drew a large crowd to the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel.” [InsideNova]

Rosslyn LED Art Unveiled — “Cliff Garten Studio is pleased to announce, ‘Gravity and Grace,’ a site-specific large-scale LED public artwork integrated into the architecture of JBG SMITH’s Central Place Plaza in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington.” [LiveDesign]

Yorktown Tied for First — “With an important homecoming victory over the visiting Langley Saxons in Oct. 12 football action, the Yorktown Patriots (4-3, 2-0) upped their winning streak to three to remain tied for first place in the Liberty District.” [InsideNova]

ACPD Again Holding Take-Back Day — “On Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 16th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.” [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

ACPD Expands Push to Make County Bar Scene Safer — County police are making their “Arlington Restaurant Initiative” permanent after piloting the program earlier this year. The initiative involves working directly with local bars to promote responsible alcohol service and reduce crime. [Arlington County]

Prepare for Years-Long Memorial Bridge Lane Closures — As part of extensive renovation work that’s involved complete shutdowns of the bridge, federal officials say they need to shut down three of the bridge’s six lanes, and a sidewalk, from now through 2021. [NBC4]

Sun Gazette Endorses John Vihstadt for County Board — Arlington’s weekly paper supports the independent incumbent for the lone Board seat on the ballot this fall, arguing that Democrat Matt de Ferranti deserves consideration but has not “made much of an attempt at telling the electorate what, specifically, the incumbent has done wrong in the past four years.” [InsideNova]

Metro Leaders Show Little Interest in Service Increases — With debate heating up over Metro’s strategy to lure back riders, a WMATA Board meeting turned contentious today. One member charged that “it would be crazy for this authority to simply run more trains in off-peak times chasing additional passengers.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo via wolfkann

Crime Report: Man Walks Into Rosslyn Business, Sits Down and Exposes Himself

By ARLnow.com

Police are looking for a man who walked into a Rosslyn business, sat down and exposed himself.

The incident happened last Wednesday around 8 p.m. Police say the man “touched himself inappropriately” before fleeing the scene on a bike.

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

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2018-10030258, 1800 block of N. Oak Street. At approximately 8:14 p.m. on October 3, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 7:40 p.m., an unknown suspect entered a business and sat down in a chair. The suspect then exposed himself and touched himself inappropriately. The suspect fled on his bike after the employee informed the suspect she was calling police. The suspect is described as a black male, 35-40 years old, approximately 5’10”, 215 lbs., with black and blonde dreadlocks falling below shoulder length, some facial hair, wearing a dark t-shirt and blue jeans. The bike is described as a gray and black mountain bike. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, are below.

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Man Shot by Arlington Police Appears to Have Struck a Plea Deal

By Alex Koma

An Arlington man shot by police after he allegedly tried to ram officers with his van appears to have struck a deal with county prosecutors to avoid a trial.

Court records show that Steven Best now has a Nov. 5 plea hearing set for Arlington County Circuit Court. He’s facing a single charge of the attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, after a grand jury agreed there was enough evidence to indict him on Sept. 24.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos, the county’s top prosecutor, declined to comment on the contents of Best’s plea deal, other than to confirm that there is indeed a hearing scheduled for next month. Best’s family did also not reply to a request for comment, and neither the prosecution nor the defense has filed any paperwork involving the plea as of yet.

Police claimed that Best tried to flee the scene of a May 3 traffic stop just off Columbia Pike, near the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Edgewood Street, nearly striking Officer Ryan Reese in the process. Police then opened fire on Best, and his lawyers say he was shot half a dozen times as he drove away.

Yet Best has steadfastly maintained his innocence since the incident, arguing in court filings and an online fundraiser organized by his family that he was trying to surrender when police began shooting at him.

He claimed that he only drove away out of confusion and fear for his life, and didn’t mean to attack the officers involved. Police originally charged with two counts of trying to assault the officers, subsequently reduced to one after a review by prosecutors.

Best’s attorneys claimed in court documents that surveillance video from nearby businesses would provide “exculpatory evidence” to bolster his claims of innocence, and they demanded access to video footage to help prove his case.

Court filings don’t make it clear whether they were able to successfully secure that footage, or what it showed.

Photo via GoFundMe

Cops Nab Naked Man Running Near Elementary School

By ARLnow.com

A man who was running around naked near Claremont Immersion School was taken into police custody this morning.

Police responded to S. Buchanan Street around 11:15 a.m. for a report of a man who was possibly suffering a mental health emergency in the neighborhood around the elementary school. Officers reportedly observed the man running down the middle of the street without clothes on and jumping atop at least one vehicle.

The man was “safely taken into police custody” after a few minutes, according to the Arlington County Police Department. There were no reports of any violent or threatening behavior during the incident.

Map via Google Maps

Death Investigation in Alexandria Near Arlington Border

By ARLnow.com

A death investigation is being conducted in Alexandria just across the Arlington border.

Police say skeletal human remains were found yesterday in a wooded area behind a shopping center on the 4700 block of King Street, near the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria campus and several blocks from Wakefield High School.

More from an Alexandria police press release:

The Alexandria Police Department is conducting a death investigation in the 4700 block of King Street on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

Shortly before 5 p.m, police were dispatched for skeletal remains of a human found in a wooded area behind a business. The remains were located and will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Loren King at 703.746.6689.

Photo via Google Maps

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