police | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 18, 2017 at 10:00AM | Updated January 18, 2017 at 10:55AM

Arlington Sending Officers to Inauguration — Updated at 10:55 a.m. — The Arlington County Police Department is assigning “more than a hundred” officers to help with inauguration security on Friday. Like other local departments, ACPD will sending some of its officers to D.C. to assist the Metropolitan Police Department. Others will be assigned to Metro stations or areas where large crowds are expected. [WJLA]

Local Inauguration Day Event — A number of local nonprofits, from the Arlington Food Assistance Center to activist groups like Moms Demand Action, will be participating in an “alternative” Inauguration Day event at the Barcroft Community House. The event encourages attendees to “explore how you can get involved in their important causes” and “post your thoughts about how we, as citizens of Arlington, can work to further our common good as we face new tests to our society and democracy after Inauguration Day.” [ARLnow, Facebook]

Senators Hope New Administration Will Fund Bridge Repairs — Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have written a letter to two of president-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, asking them to “do all in your power to see that the rehabilitation of Memorial Bridge is fully funded.” The senators note that the weight limit imposed on the bridge has forced some changes to inauguration plans. [Scribd]

Arlington Jeopardy Contestant Keeps Winning — Arlington resident John Avila, 30, again bested his fellow contestants on last night’s episode of Jeopardy, his second appearance on the show. Avila, an attorney, will face a high school physics teacher from Indiana and a writer from Brooklyn on tonight’s episode. [Sun Chronicle]

Small Dog Owners Want Separate Area of Dog Park — A group of owners of small dogs have proposed a separate small dog zone at the Fort Ethan Allen Park community canine area. There are currently two other dog parks in Arlington with separate small dog areas. [InsideNova]

Remembering Preston King — “Our Man in Arlington” columnist Charlie Clark recounts the life and times of Preston King, for whom the Westover Post Office is named. King was killed while bailing out of his plane in the midst of a reconnaissance mission during World War II. [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by Tyler Reber

UPDATED: Car Chase Ends in Rosslyn, Police Track Down Driver

By ARLnow.com

Published January 18, 2017 at 9:00AM | Updated January 19, 2017 at 8:31AM

Update at 9:30 a.m. — The suspect has been found hiding under a car in the area of N. Quinn Street and 18th Street N. and has been taken into custody, according to scanner traffic.

Update on 1/19/17 — Virginia State Police have issued the following updated statement regarding the chase and the suspect’s apprehension.

At 8:48 a.m., Wednesday (Jan. 18), Virginia State Police Sgt. C.J. Szupinka was conducting stationary HOV enforcement when he observed a 2005 Ford Focus entering the eastbound I-66 HOV lane at the 71 mile marker. The Ford was in violation of the HOV+2 regulation, as it had only one occupant. Sgt. Szupinka motioned to the driver, John R. Johnson III, to stop. Johnson pulled over in front of the sergeant’s patrol car. But as the sergeant approached on foot, the Ford kept rolling forward and then pulled away and into the mainlines of eastbound I-66. A pursuit was initiated with the Ford reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.

The Ford Focus took Exit 73 and due to its reckless driving and speed, the sergeant discontinued the pursuit for the safety of other motorists and pedestrians. Minutes later the vehicle was located abandoned on Nash Street near Lee Highway. The keys were still in the ignition and the engine was still running when the sergeant found it. Johnson had fled on foot.

With the assistance of Arlington County Police, State Police set up a perimeter and began searching for the subject by foot and through the use of a Virginia State Police K9 team. At 9:27 a.m., Arlington County Police discovered Johnson hiding under a vehicle in a parking garage near 19th and Quinn streets. Johnson was taken into custody without further incident.

Johnson, 44, of Maryland, was charged with one felony count of eluding police, reckless driving, the HOV violation and driving on a suspended license. He is being held without bond at the Arlington County Jail.

Earlier: Police have swarmed the area around N. Nash Street and the Holiday Inn hotel in Rosslyn to search for a driver who led Virginia State Police on a morning rush hour chase.

Initial reports suggest that state police were pursuing the suspect on I-66 for an HOV violation. The suspect exited the highway at Rosslyn and bailed out near the hotel.

Police are establishing a perimeter as they try to locate the suspect, who’s described as a black male wearing jeans and a gray hoodie.

Photos by Samantha Moore

Man Robbed at Knifepoint Near Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2017 at 3:45PM

Two knife-wielding men robbed a man last night in the Shirlington area.

The robbery was reported just after 11:30 p.m. Monday on the 4400 block of 31st Street S., which is about halfway up the hill from Shirlington to Fairlington.

A police dog was brought in but was unable to track down the suspect.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 2017-01160301, 4400 block of S. 31st Street. At approximately 11:37 p.m. on January 16, officers responded to the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that two male suspects approached a male victim near his vehicle, both displayed knives, and told the victim to put his hands up. The suspects then rifled through the victim’s pockets and stole his belongings. The suspects then fled the scene. A K9 search was conducted with negative results. The suspects are described as approximately 5’9″ tall with a bulky build. They were dressed in all black, with black gloves, and black ski masks at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Police: Teen Tried to Take Officer’s Gun

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2017 at 11:45AM

A teen tried to take an Arlington County police officer’s gun during an incident in a north Arlington neighborhood Friday night, according to ACPD.

Police were called to the 3700 block of 36th Road N., in the Rivercrest community, around 9:30 p.m. for a cab fare dispute.

“Upon the officer’s arrival, he made verbal contact with the suspect,” police said in a crime report. “The suspect then lunged forward at the officer, grabbed his weapon and attempted to remove it from the holster. A struggle ensued and once additional police units arrived on scene, the suspect was taken into custody.”

Several officers were hurt during the fracas.

“Three Arlington County police officers received medical treatment at Virginia Hospital Center for non-life threatening injuries,” said the crime report. “The subject was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for evaluation.”

The suspect, a 16-year-old boy from Arlington, is now facing a number of charges, including a drug charge. He has been charged with “attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer (x2), resisting arrest and possession of a schedule 1 controlled substance.”

Crime Report: Man Smashes Coffee Mug on Victim’s Head

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2017 at 11:05AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:44PM

A man struck another man in the head with a coffee mug on Columbia Pike Friday night.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on the 2000 block of the Pike, east of Penrose Square the “town center” row of businesses.

The altercation involved two men who knew each other, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. The victim was taken to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries.

From the ACPD report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-01060359, 2000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 9:37 p.m. on January 6, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury that had just occurred. Following a verbal altercation between known individuals, the male subject allegedly struck the male victim in the head with a coffee mug. The male subject fled the scene prior to police arrival. The male victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

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

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2017 at 9:15AM | Updated January 11, 2017 at 3:05PM

Coffee With a Cop Today — The Arlington County Police Department’s district teams are holding “Coffee With a Cop” events today. The event “has no agenda or speeches” and “is a chance to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the officers and neighbors in your district.” [Arlington County]

Washington Blvd Closure Tonight — Expect lane closures and a 30-minute full closure of Washington Blvd (Route 27) over Route 110 overnight tonight. VDOT is replacing an aging bridge over Route 110; the project is expected to wrap up in 2018. [Twitter]

Boulevard Woodgrill Staff to Marble and Rye — Marble and Rye on Columbia Pike has hired “the entire executive staff” from the former Boulevard Woodgrill in Clarendon, a restaurant rep says. The hires include longtime Boulevard executive chef Paul Murad and longtime general manager Kent Lawson. The hires, we’re told, “will provide a significant upgrade in service and menu options” and will help Marble and Rye “compete with other popular destinations in Clarendon, Ballston and Shirlington.”

Neighborhood College Applications Being Accepted — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and effect change through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program, which will meet on eight consecutive Thursday evenings beginning March 16, 2017.” [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Neighbors Turn Hate Graffiti into Hearts and Peace Signs

By Tim Regan

Published January 9, 2017 at 11:35AM

Someone spray painted “heil Trump,” “KKK” and two poorly drawn swastikas on a dumpster in north Arlington over the weekend, but neighbors quickly painted over the graffiti and turned it into symbols of love and peace.

Neighbors first spotted the graffiti on a dumpster in front of a house under renovation on the 5300 block of Little Falls Road Sunday morning, a couple of blocks from Yorktown High School.

“It’s very shocking,” said Daphne Lathouras, who lives near where the vandals struck. “That’s the gut reaction that one has when this kind of thing happens.”

Lathouras said the owners of the property are currently not residing in the home but posted about the hateful graffiti on Facebook.

“There seems to be a boys-will-be-boys kind of consensus among people about this, which is very alarming,” Lathouras added. “But boys should behave better. ”

Neighbors used orange paint to paint over the messages Sunday afternoon, according to Lathouras. Late last night, someone once again tagged the dumpster with spray paint — this time, though, with hearts, a peace symbol and the word “love.”

On the Yorktown Civic Association Facebook page, neighbors debated whether the intent of the original graffiti was hate — or a youthful prank.

“Some kids from Yorktown HS or Williamsburg MS trying to get a rise out of you,” said one resident. “Chill! Don’t give the kids the satisfaction they are looking for.”

“I’m sorry, but hate speech is never ever ever something to ‘chill’ about,” responded another, “No matter the origin or presumed intent.”

Lathouras said on Facebook that she was told by police, “this is happening all over Arlington” and “it’s anti-Trump kids trying to get a rise out of people.” Arlington County Police, meanwhile, released the following crime report about the incident.

GRAFFITI, 2017-01080091, 5300 block of Little Falls Road. At approximately 11:43 a.m. on January 8, police were dispatched to the report of graffiti. Upon arrival, officers located a rented construction dumpster with ‘KKK,’ ‘Heil Trump’ and a swastika spray painted on it. There are no suspect(s) descriptions and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department at 703-558-2222. Tips can also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Peeper Peeps on Private Property, Police Pursue But Perimeter Penetrated

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2017 at 10:15AM

An alleged peeping tom led police on a foot chase in the Old Glebe neighborhood Wednesday night.

The chase started after officers responded to the 3900 block of N. Abingdon Street around 6:30 p.m. for a “report of a man hiding in the bushes” near a house.

From an Arlington County Police crime report:

Upon arrival, an officer observed the suspect on the property. The suspect saw the officer and fled the scene on foot. A brief foot pursuit was initiated but the officer lost sight of the suspect. A perimeter was established and a K9 track was conducted with negative results. The suspect is described as a black male in his early thirties, approximately 5’8″-6’0″ tall with a black beard. He was wearing a black hoodie and blue running pants with a white stripe at the time of the incident.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2017 at 9:15AM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:24PM

Police Warn of Jury Duty Scam — The Arlington County Police Department is again warning about a jury duty telephone scam targeting Arlington residents. The fraud involves a caller claiming to be a law enforcement officer and claiming that the call recipient failed to appear for jury duty. The scammer then demands the payment of a fine over the phone. [Arlington County]

Plow Plows Into Bus — Updated at 2 p.m. — One lane of Lee Highway was blocked for a period of time during last night’s evening rush hour after a minor accident involving an VDOT snow plow and an ART bus. [Twitter]

Vihstadt Speaks Out Against Gondola — County Board member John Vihstadt is not a fan of the potential gondola from Rosslyn to Georgetown. “Now is not the time to spend upwards of $90 million on a Disney-like gondola to Georgetown while current modes of public transit need significant new investment,” Vihstadt said earlier this week. [InsideNova]

Crystal House Renovated — Crystal House is a big apartment complex in Crystal City that has been around for a long time. Chances are, someone you know has lived there at one point or another. The 825-unit complex recently completed the first phase of a major renovation project and is showing it off via video and press release. [PR Newswire, YouTube]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Police Investigating Reported Gunpoint Robbery on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published January 3, 2017 at 11:00AM

A man told police he was robbed at gunpoint in a building along Columbia Pike Monday morning.

The incident happened just after 11 a.m. on the 3200 block of Columbia Pike, just east of the S. Glebe Road intersection.

The victim was robbed of his cash but no injuries were reported. Police tried to track the suspect but were unable to find him.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ROBBERY, 2017-01020060, 3200 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 11:13 a.m., an officer on routine patrol was flagged down by the victim who reported they had just been robbed at gunpoint. The victim advised he was in the stairwell of a business when the unknown suspect produced a handgun and robbed him of an undisclosed amount of cash. A K9 track of the area returned negative results. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with an average build wearing a red and black hoodies and blue jeans.

Woman Stabbed in Chest By Boyfriend During Argument

By ARLnow.com

Published January 2, 2017 at 10:00AM | Updated January 2, 2017 at 4:46PM

A 35-year-old man has been arrested and charged with stabbing a woman early on the morning of New Year’s Eve.

The stabbing happened around 5 a.m. Saturday, on the 5700 block of 11th Road N. in the Westover area.

We’re told that the victim was stabbed multiple times in the chest by her boyfriend during some sort of dispute. The woman was rushed to George Washington University Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

“Jose Vasquez Cuadra, 35, of no fixed address was arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Stabbing in the Commission of a Felony,” Arlington County Police said in a press release.