police

ACPD Investigating More Than Two Dozen Car Break-ins

By ARLnow.com

Police cars outside of Department of Human Services (file photo)The Arlington County Police Department is investigating some two dozen car break-ins in the Williamsburg neighborhood of north Arlington, near East Falls Church.

The break-ins were reported earlier today (Tuesday).

“Approximately 25 vehicles were entered and items of value stolen,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.com. “Officers remain on scene investigating and are canvassing the area to determine if there are any additional victims.”

“This series includes unlocked vehicles so we are reminding citizens to remove the opportunity for crime by locking their vehicle doors, keeping windows up and valuables out of sight,” Savage added. “Please report suspicious activity to the Emergency Communication Center at 703-558-2222.”

Theft Suspect Tasered at Columbia Pike 7-Eleven

By ARLnow.com

7-Eleven store at 4970 Columbia Pike (photo via Google Maps)A man was tasered by police at the 7-Eleven store at 4970 Columbia Pike on Monday afternoon.

Around 1 p.m., an Arlington County police officer working a traffic detail was flagged down by a 7-Eleven employee, who said that two men in the store were concealing items with the intent of stealing them.

“When confronted by an employee, the subjects threw items at the store employees as they attempted to flee,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “One subject fled the area on foot. The officer attempted to detain the other subject in order to conduct the investigation but the subject refused to follow the officer’s lawful commands and resisted arrest.”

“The officer deployed his taser and the subject was taken into custody,” Savage continued. “The subject was evaluated by medics and transported to booking.”

The suspect’s name was not immediately available.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Window cleaners in Courthouse

Kasich, McAuliffe at GMU Today — Govs. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.) and John Kasich (R-Ohio) will help dedicate the newly-named Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Arlington this afternoon. The school is being named after Dwight C. Schar, founder of homebuilder NVR, Inc., who has pledged $10 million to GMU.

Vornado Considering Short-Term Stays — Remarkably, the 699-unit Bartlett apartment tower in Pentagon City is more than 60 percent leased only a few months after opening. To temporarily fill vacant apartments, however, owner Vornado is asking for permission to open 50 units to short-term visitors, turning those units into a kind of extended stay hotel. [Washington Business Journal]

Police Raid Near DJO — Residents in the Williamsburg neighborhood near Bishop O’Connell High School say there was a police raid at a house on the 2800 block of N. Tacoma Street on Friday. An Arlington County Police spokeswoman would only tell us that “officers were executing a search warrant pursuant to an ongoing and active criminal investigation.”

Clement Accuses Dems of Stealing Signs — Independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement says he signs are being stolen and she’s pointing the finger at Democrats. The chair of the local Democrats says some of their signs have disappeared as well and called on whoever is removing any candidate’s signs to stop. County Board John Vihstadt believes the sign stealer is someone opposed to roadside signs in general. [InsideNova]

Ann Broder Dies — Former Arlington School Board member and longtime local activist Ann Broder has died at her Arlington home. She was 87. Broder was married to the late, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Broder, who died in 2011. [Washington Post]

Sign Regulations Updated — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved changes to its comprehensive sign plan that loosens signage regulations on buildings with older sign plans. The Board voted to make its sign regulations a bit more flexible in 2012, but the changes did not apply to existing sign plans. [Arlington County]

Marriage Jubilee Mass in Arlington — Arlington’s outgoing Catholic bishop, The Most Rev. Paul Loverde, celebrated the church’s annual Marriage Jubilee Mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington on Sunday. Among those in attendance were “150 couples celebrating their 25th anniversary and 109 couples celebrating their 50th anniversary.” [Associated Press]

Va. Voter Registration Deadline — Today is the last day to register to vote in Virginia before November’s election. [NBC Washington]

Crime Report: Man Punched in the Face, Robbed

By ARLnow.com

Fairfax County police car lightsA man was talking with a woman when he was suddenly punched in the face and robbed, according to this week’s Arlington County Police crime report.

The incident happened on the 300 block of N. Glebe Road, just south of Ballston. It was reported Monday afternoon, well after the crime was committed.

Police say both the woman who did the talking and the guy who did the punching are suspects in the robbery.

LATE ROBBERY, 161010018, 300 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 2:53 p.m. on October 10, officers responded to the report of a late robbery. The victim advised that while speaking to an unknown female, a male subject approached him and struck him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Both suspects then fled the scene with his personal belongings. The first suspect is described as a white female in her teens, approximately 5’5″ tall and 130 lbs. She was wearing black sweatshirt and black sweatpants. The second suspect is described as a black male in his teens, with black hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt, khaki pant, and black shoes.

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

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Armed Robbery at Arlington Forest Shopping Center

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)Three masked men with guns robbed a business in the Arlington Forest Shopping Center last night.

The robbery happened around 11:40 p.m. The men fled on foot with cash from the business’ cash register.

Police would not reveal which store was robbed, but the only business in the shopping center that is open past 10 p.m. is the Brick’s Pizza shop.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 161010039, 4800 block of N. 1st Street. At approximately 11:39 p.m. on October 10, three unknown black males entered a business armed with handguns wearing black ski masks. The suspects stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the register and fled the area on foot. Investigation is ongoing.

Two Women Charged Following Assault on Police Officer at Mall

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police carTwo theft suspects have been charged in connection with the assault of an Arlington County police officer at the Pentagon City mall over the weekend.

Police say the women, both from the District, “became combative” when an officer attempted to detain them following a theft from a store in the mall Saturday night.

They’re now facing a combination of assault on law enforcement, obstruction of justice, theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor charges.

From an ACPD crime report:

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 161008041, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 9:20 p.m. on October 8, an officer working the mall detail received a call from a store employee advising that a larceny had just occurred in their store. The officer located individuals matching the description made by the mall employee and attempted to detain the subjects to conduct the investigation. The subjects became combative and struggled with the officer. Backup officers arrived on scene and the two subjects were taken into custody. Ebony Cloyd, 36, of Washington DC, was arrested and charged with assault on law enforcement, obstruction of justice, petit larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (x3). She was held on no bond. Prana Bell, 41, of  Washington DC was charged with obstruction of justice and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (x3). She was held on a $5000 secure bond.

Plate-Throwing Tween Prompts Big Police Response in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

An 11-year-old throwing plates out of a high-rise apartment prompted a large police response in Ballston over the weekend.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. Saturday at the Randolph Towers apartment building along N. Quincy Street. No injuries were reported.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 161008040, 4000 block of N. 9th Street. At approximately 9:00 p.m. on October 8, police were dispatched to the report of an unknown subject throwing dishware from a high level balcony. The investigation revealed that an 11-year-old male juvenile in a mental health crisis was responsible. His family was referred to government services.

A number of nearby residents were tweeting about the incident as the sound of shattering plates could be heard echoing around the area.

https://twitter.com/PlateLsOrdinary/status/784932775761616896

https://twitter.com/PlateLsOrdinary/status/784932376333778944

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Airplane watching at Gravelly Point (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

County Offices Open for Columbus Day — Arlington County offices are open today during the Columbus Day holiday, but parking meters will not be enforced, according to the county’s holiday schedule. Courts, DMV locations and schools will be closed, while ART buses will run on a modified holiday schedule. [Arlington County]

Cyclist Cited for Eluding — There was a brief police pursuit of sorts Friday afternoon, involving a cyclist in the Courthouse neighborhood. “An officer activated his lights and sirens after witnessing the cyclist run a red light,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. ‘When the cyclist refused to stop, the officer rode beside him and attempted to make verbal contact with the cyclist. The cyclist eventually stopped and was released on two citations, one for the red light violation and one for eluding.”

Public Art Initiative Coming to Courthouse — On Saturday, Oct. 15, the “Reimagine Civic” public art initiative will bring “C_vic,” an interactive sculpture, to Courthouse Square near the county government headquarters. The sculpture has a space between the first “C” and “V” where members of the community can stand, in place of the “I,” and take a photo. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Scammer’s ‘Kidnap Victim’ Foils Scam

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police carIt was a frightening scenario: someone calls, says they have kidnapped your dad, and if you don’t pay up they’ll kill him.

That’s what reportedly happened to one woman in Arlington yesterday afternoon.

Except the terror quickly gave way to relief when the woman’s dad called and said he was fine — while she was gathering the ransom payment. Police are now investigating the incident.

From an Arlington County Police crime report:

ATTEMPT FRAUD, 161006026, 300 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 2:58 p.m. on October 6, police were dispatched to the report of attempted fraud and telephone threats. The female victim received a phone call at approximately 12:48 p.m. from an unknown caller stating he had kidnapped and would kill her father unless she provided him with money. While attempting to retrieve funds, the victim’s father called her place of employment advising that he was not in danger. The victim then ended the call and contacted police. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Potomac River (Flickr pool photo by Yakfur)

ACPD Officer Played in NFL — Arlington County Police officer Dorian Brooks was formerly an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 6’3″ and 280 lbs, Brooks has lost some weight from his playing days — which included a 2011 Super Bowl appearance — but remains an imposing figure on the beat. [WUSA]

Write-in Candidate: Congressman Stole My Porn — Write-in congressional candidate Mike Webb continued his press release barrage early this morning with a curious one: an evidence-free accusation that Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) broke into his home and stole cell phone chargers, digital cameras and an external hard drive containing his porn stash. The subject line of the email: “VIP Beyer Steals External ‘Sex Drive’ and Impotent Webb Wants Good Porn Bac [sic].” Webb inadvertently made headlines earlier this year by releasing an image showing tabs for porn websites on his computer, later claiming that he was just testing said sites for viruses. [PDF]

Flights Canceled Due to Matthew — Hurricane Matthew’s jaunt up the Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina coast is leading to numerous flight cancellations at Reagan National Airport. [WJLA]

New Bishop Is an Eagles Fan — The Diocese of Arlington’s incoming bishop, Michael Burbidge, is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Redskins’ NFC East foe. He received the call telling him the pope had appointed him to replace Bishop Paul Loverde in Arlington during the recent Eagles-Steelers game — though he unknowingly let the call go to voicemail. [News & Observer]

Columbia Pike Fall Wine and Craft Beer Fest — Sponsored — Sample Columbia Pike’s unique wines and rare craft beers at this family-friendly, ticketed event. It’s taking place Saturday, Oct. 8 from 3-8 p.m. on Adams Street at Columbia Pike. Food and beverages from Pike restaurants will be available for purchase, and a children’s area and musical performances will keep all visitors entertained. [CPRO]

Flickr pool photo by Yakfur

Creepy Clown Sighting Reported in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

"Creepy clown" Instagram accountAmid “creepy clown” threats locally and across the country, comes a potential sighting of a clown in an Arlington neighborhood this morning.

According to scanner traffic, a caller told police that her child saw a clown emerge from some woods in the Arlington Mill neighborhood around 11 a.m. today (Thursday).

“Police were dispatched to the 800 block of S. Frederick Street at approximately 11:36 for a possible clown sighting,” Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed to ARLnow.com.

“There was a half an hour delay in reporting to police,” Savage continued. “Police arrived on scene and canvassed the area with negative results. An officer will remain in the area conducting extra checks. If citizens see anything suspicious, we encourage them to report information to dispatch immediately at 703.558.2222.”

On Monday ACPD stepped up its presence at schools in response to threatening messages on social media. Despite being exposed as youthful hoaxes in many parts of the country, numerous social media accounts — including the one pictured above — still purport to belong to local “clown gangs.”

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