police

‘Critically Missing’ Teen Found

By ARLnow.com

A teen considered “critically missing” and possibly in need of medical attention has just been found, according to police.

The 15-year-old boy was last seen around 8 p.m. tonight in the Lyon Park neighborhood before going missing, prompting a countywide alert and press release (below) from Arlington County Police. Officers canvassed the neighborhood and called in the Fairfax County Police helicopter to assist with the search.

The boy was found shortly before 9:45 p.m., according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

The Arlington County Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 15 year-old juvenile. [Redacted] was last seen at approximately 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 16 in the 2100 block of Washington Boulevard. He was wearing a charcoal gray hoodie, blue jeans and brown boots. He is known to frequent the Ballston area. Mr. [Redacted] is considered critically missing and may be in need of medical services. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call Arlington County Police at 703-558-2222.

Police Tase Man Who Fired Gun Along S. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Police chased and then used a Taser to subdue a suspect who was firing a gun along S. Glebe Road early Friday morning.

That’s according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. Police say a 27-year-old Arlington man was seen firing the gun on the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road, just north of I-395, around 2:45 a.m.

He was tased and arrested after a foot pursuit, police say. More from the crime report:

DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM, 2017-10130034, 2400 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 2:45 a.m. on October 13, police were dispatched to the report of a male suspect discharging a firearm. An arriving officer observed the suspect discard the firearm and attempt to flee the area on foot. A foot pursuit was initiated and after the suspect disregarded officer commands, a Taser was deployed and the suspect was taken into custody. No injuries were reported from the discharge of the firearm. Keith Murphy, 27, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with felon in possession of a firearm and credit card theft. The investigation is ongoing.

“The reason for the shooting remains under investigation,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.com. “It is not believed the suspect was shooting at any particular person or location. This was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat.”

Police Investigating Death Near Bike Trail

By ARLnow.com

A man was found dead Sunday morning near the Four Mile Run bike trail and the intersection of S. Glebe and W. Glebe roads.

The bike trail is heavily used by those connecting from Shirlington and the W&OD Trail to the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs along the Potomac River. Arlington County Police are investigating the death but do not currently believe it to be suspicious.

“At approximately 11:40 a.m. on October 15, police responded to the area of S. Glebe at West Glebe Road for the report of a deceased male located near the bike trail,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The police department is conducting an active death investigation and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.”

“The preliminary investigation does not lead us to consider this death suspicious,” Savage continued. “This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the community.”

https://twitter.com/NoWayProducts/status/919609339756851200

Photo: Pepsi Spill in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Hundreds of Pepsi cans spilled onto the road at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Fern Street last night.

It’s unclear what exactly happened, but an Arlington resident who drove by the spill theorized, based on the large volume of soda on the ground, that it must have fallen off of a Pepsi delivery truck.

The resident, Christopher C., says that the truck was “nowhere to be found” when he drove by the mess around 6 p.m. Sunday, nor were any emergency responders. Police, we’re told, responded moments later.

“At approximately 6:05 p.m. police responded to S. Fern Street at Army Navy Drive for traffic control,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “A truck lost its cargo, blocking multiple lanes of Army Navy Drive. Arlington [Dept. of Environmental Services] was notified.”

Juveniles Arrested for Car Window Smashing Spree

By ARLnow.com

Two juvenile suspects were arrested this past Sunday night and charged with smashing the windows of at least three cars.

Police say they responded to the 2800 block of S. Lang Street, near Gunston Middle School, around 10:40 Sunday night after a resident heard a loud sound and then went outside to find his car window smashed and two people fleeing the scene.

Police searched the area and apprehended the two juveniles, who matched the suspect description given by the victim. Officers also found two other cars with smashed windows and items rummaged through inside.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (VEHICLE) WITH APPREHENSION (series), 2017-10080238/226, 2800 block of S. Lang Street, At approximately 10:40 p.m. on October 8, police were dispatched to the report of a tampering with vehicle/destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male victim was inside his home when he heard a loud pop. The victim went outside and noticed his car window was smashed. A witness reported two suspects fleeing the scene. Police canvassed the area and located two juvenile suspects matching the witness description. Two additional vehicles were located during the canvas with smashed windows and items inside the vehicles displaced. Petitions were sought for the juvenile suspects.

Report: Man Trapped in Starbucks Bathroom

By ARLnow.com

A Starbucks patron had a grande problem inside the coffee shop’s bathroom Wednesday evening.

Police were called to the Starbucks at 901 N. Stuart Street, in Ballston, around 5 p.m., for a report of a man who had somehow gotten himself locked inside the bathroom, unable to get out.

He called police who responded to help unlock and open the door.

Crime Report: Man Struck With Bottle on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A knife-wielding man struck another man with a glass bottle, causing cuts serious enough to send him to the hospital, police say.

The incident happened early Saturday morning at a business near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive.

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

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-10070034, 4800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 1:26 a.m. on October 7, police responded to the late report of a fight. Upon arrival it was determined that following an altercation inside a business, an unknown suspect approached a male victim with a knife and struck him with a glass bottle causing lacerations. The victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center. Noe Guerrero Molina, 32, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Malicious/Unlawful Wounding. He was held on no bond.

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

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Groups Seek Budget Influence As More Funding Goes to Schools, Metro

By Chris Teale

Funding for schools, Metro and public safety officials weigh heavily as Arlington County’s initial budget conversations continue.

In an infographic released yesterday (Tuesday) ahead of more public roundtables to discuss the FY 2019 budget, county staff highlighted how the county spends its money and the challenges ahead.

According to the data, the biggest expense in the county’s operating budget is Arlington Public Schools, which is allocated $490.2 million by the county, or 39 percent of its budget. Human services and public safety are second and third, around $140 million each, or 11 percent.

Among the challenges ahead, staff said APS enrollment has grown by 850 students a year for the last five years, and it takes up almost all of the $510 million raised from real estate taxes on homes, condos and apartments.

And with Metro needing more money and an office vacancy rate of 17.8 percent, which keeps commercial real estate revenue down, county leaders are expecting some tight fiscal times and hard budgetary decisions.

A number of groups will be looking to influence county leaders’ thinking during the budget discussion. Among them is IAFF Local 2800, the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association.

In a tweet Tuesday, the group said firefighters, paramedics and police officers need a market adjustment to their salaries — a pay rise to keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living — to “remain competitive.” The last adjustment was in 2013.

According to figures provided to ARLnow.com by IAFF Local 2800, starting pay for county firefighters is 20 percent below the regional average and only $2 more per hour than the county’s minimum wage.

Since the last “market adjustment,” the group said, inflation in the region is up almost 5 percent, the cost of family HMO health insurance for county employees has increased over 45 percent, and the cost for HMO coverage for retirees and their spouses has increased over 55 percent.

Local 2800 added that new firefighters will earn 12 percent less per hour over a 20-year career compared to their peers in Fairfax, Prince William, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, the City of Alexandria and D.C.

“Arlington invests a tremendous amount of money in hiring, training and developing its firefighters,” said Brian Lynch, President of Local 2800. “Every time a firefighter leaves the department for another opportunity or does not complete their probationary period, we consider this a loss of an investment in human capital. If the department’s physical capital, vehicles, tools etc. were being lost the way we are losing our people, it would be considered common sense to try to stop the losses. There is not only a moral imperative to fairly compensate those who risk their lives to protect the community, there is also a fiscal imperative.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Two Arrested After Fleeing from ACPD — Two men who fled from a traffic stop in Arlington were later arrested in Northwest D.C. Arlington police tried to stop the vehicle near Washington Blvd and N. Kirkwood Road, in the Virginia Square area, but the car took off and police did not pursue, per department rules. U.S. Park Police then tried to stop the men in D.C. and they fled again but were eventually taken into custody after crashing their car along Connecticut Avenue. [Fox 5]

WSJ Highlights W-L’s 178 Valedictorians — Washington-Lee High School in Arlington had 178 valedictorians this past school year. Having multiple valedictorians is a national trend among high schools. W-L considers any student with a 4.0 GPA or above to be a valedictorian. [Wall Street Journal, Falls Church News-Press]

Arts + Startups = Millennials? — “Arts groups should work to make common cause with high-tech firms and Millennials in an effort to bring benefits to all, one panelist said at an arts forum sponsored by Opera Nova and held Oct. 8 at Washington Golf & Country Club.” [InsideNova]

Distil Hires New CEO — Distil Networks, the cybersecurity firm with offices in Arlington and San Francisco, was just trying to hire a new Chief Operating Officer but ended up with a new CEO. Tiffany Olson Jones will lead the company, with $20 million in revenue and 65 percent annual revenue growth, from Arlington. [San Francisco Business Times]

HUNGRY Adds New Chefs — Rosslyn-based food delivery startup HUNGRY has added a number of notable chefs to its platform, including Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT and Lunchbox. [PRNewswire]

‘Speedy’ Tolliver Dies — “Roy ‘Speedy’ Tolliver, an Arlington-based bluegrass fiddler who performed at local folk festivals for 65 years and was an inaugural recipient of the Virginia Heritage Award in 2009, died Sept. 18 at an assisted living center in Arlington, Va. He was 99.” [Washington Post]

Photo courtesy Michael Thomas

BREAKING: Washington-Lee HS Secured as Police Investigate Threat

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) Washington-Lee High School is in “secure the building” mode as police investigate a threat.

“At approximately 12:07 p.m., police responded to the report of a telephone threat received at W-L,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The school has been secured as police investigate.”

Initial reports suggest the school received calls claiming to be from an expelled or suspended student, threatening violence. While police investigate the threat, officers and school employees are taking precautions.

“Staff are at every door to monitor people coming to the school,” said Arlington Public Schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos. “Police are investigating. Classes are going on as scheduled.”

A heavy police presence could be seen around the school around lunchtime today. The W-L pool was closed to members of the public while the school was secured.

Man Robbed Along 23rd Street in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was robbed at knifepoint along the row of restaurants and shops on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.

The robbery was reported early Monday morning, after the restaurants had closed.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ROBBERY, 2017-10090029, 500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 2:43 a.m. on October 9, police responded to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male victim was walking in the area when he was approached by a suspect with a knife. The suspect stole the victim’s personal belongings and fled on foot. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’2, 225 pounds, clean shaven, wearing a blue and white striped shirt and white shorts. The investigation is ongoing.

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