Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)
An early morning dispute over parking led to a gun being brandished and a car being stolen.
That’s according to today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
The incident happened on the 6100 block of Wilson Blvd, in the Dominion Hills area, a bit after midnight. From ACPD:
BRANDISHING, 2023-04060006, 6100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 12:24 a.m. on April 6, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was in his vehicle when the suspect vehicle prevented him from pulling into a parking spot. The driver and passenger of the suspect vehicle exited the vehicle and became involved in a verbal dispute with the victim, during which the driver made threatening statements towards the victim and the passenger brandished a firearm. The victim exited his vehicle and left the area on foot. No injuries were reported. Upon returning, the victim discovered his vehicle, containing his wallet and undisclosed amount of cash, was stolen. Officers canvassed the area and recovered the stolen vehicle nearby.
The Arlington County Police Department has charged a suspect for his involvement in a bank robbery in the 3400 block of Columbia Pike. Jaquan Deandre Malik Royal, 27, of Prince George’s County, Md., was taken into custody in Fairfax County. Charges in Arlington County are for Bank Robbery and Armed Robbery.
At approximately 10:29 a.m. on April 4, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery in the 3400 block of Columbia Pike. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect entered the bank and allegedly passed a note to the teller demanding money and implying he had a weapon. He then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. No weapon was seen or displayed, and no injuries were reported.
This incident remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS.
Royal has a past arrest record in Arlington and Fairfax counties.
In the summer of 2022 he was arrested and charged with robbing a Wells Fargo Bank on Richmond Highway. The ultimate disposition of that case is not immediately clear, as ARLnow does not subscribe to Fairfax County’s paid circuit court records service.
In 2020, Royal was arrested and later convicted of petty larceny in Fairfax County, according to Fairfax County General District Court records.
Royal was arrested twice in Arlington last year and accused of a Nov. 26, 2020 armed carjacking in Crystal City and a Dec. 23, 2022 shooting. In both instances, charges were later dropped.
In February of this year he was arrested on grand larceny and other charges in Fairfax County, stemming from a December incident. He was released on his own recognizance in early March 2023, ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for May.
Three armed men attempted — unsuccessfully — to carjack someone in Pentagon City late last night.
That’s according to the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
The attempted carjacking happened just before midnight Sunday on the 700 block of 12th Street S., near the Pentagon Centre shopping center and the Pentagon City Metro station entrance.
“At approximately 11:56 p.m. on April 2, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person,” said ACPD. “Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was in his parked vehicle when the suspect vehicle approached, and three suspects exited. The suspects approached the victim’s vehicle and brandished firearms and the victim fled the area.”
“No injuries were reported,” the crime report continues. “Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results… The investigation is ongoing.”
Arlington police have reported at least nine completed carjackings so far this year.
Damage to a car during a crash at N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (via David Hartogs/Twitter)
Police on scene of a crash at N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (via David Hartogs/Twitter)
Cars cross the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive (staff photo)
A car passes the variable 25 mph sign near the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive (staff photo)
A runner uses a rapid flashing beacon to cross N. Park Drive (staff photo)
Cars parked near the Lubber Run Community Center on N. Park Drive, where there is a variable speed limit of 20 mph (staff photo)
(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A troubled intersection near Lubber Run Community Center clocked another vehicle crash last week.
The collision at N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive last Tuesday happened as neighbors await the installation of street markings and, eventually, signage, alerting drivers to a lower speed limit of 20 mph in the area.
“A Porsche SUV gunned it through a busy intersection and collided with another SUV,” said Phillip Berenbroick, who saw the crash. “[It] happened right as kids and parents are rushing over to Barrett Elementary [School] for 9 a.m. school start.”
And that wasn’t all. While first responders were still on scene, an Audi SUV headed from the Arlington Forest neighborhood toward Ballston on Park Drive sped through the intersection and was pulled over by police, Berenbroick said. He noted that Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons stopping traffic and allowing pedestrians to cross N. Park Drive were flashing.
“It’s super dangerous for pedestrians when cars traveling eastbound on Park Drive out of Arlington Forest try to cross through the intersection and turn northbound on George Mason,” he said. “ACPD pulled the car over and let the driver off with a warning. It was a little surprising since the accident that police and EMTs were responding to was a result of the same type of dangerous driving.”
The collision reignited one neighbor’s push for a traffic signal there, particularly given the presence of Barrett Elementary one block away. Drivers tend to go fast on the four-lane expanse of N. George Mason Drive, leaving few windows for people on N. Park Drive trying to cross or turn left, including those going to and coming from the popular Lubber Run Community Center.
Arlington has a county-wide policy setting a permanent 20 mph speed limit on neighborhood streets within 600 feet of a school. Arlington County expects markings alerting drivers will cost $150,000 and will be added over the next 2-3 years.
Another crash and N. Park and N. George Mason, this morning, this time witnessed by kids walking to school and a child was in the car that was struck. Still debating a light @ArlingtonVA or waiting for kids to get injured? @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/LKc4fn6BzX
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, which give pedestrians are more “protected” window to cross the road, were installed at the N. Park Drive intersection in late 2020 as part of a transportation study related to the community center project.
Currently, the speed limit on N. George Mason Drive in the area is 30 mph, reduced to 25 mph when a light near the community center is flashing. Later this spring, speeds on the road will drop another 5 mph — to 20 mph — when lights are flashing, in response to a new county-wide policy.
As part of the updated school zone policy, the speed limit on parts of Park Drive near Barrett will be reduced to 20 mph at all times.
Also this spring, the intersection is expected to get new “SLOW SCHOOL XING” markings after it is repaved, according to Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors.
“The Water Sewer Streets crew is putting together the schedule for what streets are getting repaved this season, so the timing of when the N. George Mason Drive and Park Drive [intersection gets] paved will depend on them,” said Pors.
The intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive will be repaved this paving season (via Arlington County)
In all, there have been 23 crashes at George Mason sand Park since 2017, of which nine occurred in the two years the Lubber Run Community Center has been open, according to data from Arlington County Police Department. Last week’s crash does not register because it does not reporting criteria outlined in state code.
(Updated at 2 p.m.) A 40-year-old Arlington man has been arrested and charged with murder.
James Ray Williams is accused of fatally shooting a man at an apartment on the 100 block of N. Thomas Street in the Buckingham neighborhood earlier this week.
Police say Williams was arrested Friday evening on the 4200 block of Henderson Road, also in the Buckingham neighborhood and just a few blocks from the crime scene. In addition to murder, he is facing several gun and drug charges.
More from an Arlington County police press release, sent this afternoon.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect for his involvement in a fatal shooting in the Buckingham neighborhood.
During the course of the investigation, detectives developed a possible suspect description based on evidence located at the scene and witness interviews. Arrest warrants were obtained, and the suspect was taken into custody in the 4200 block of Henderson Road on the evening of March 31. James Ray Williams, 40, of Arlington, Va. has been charged with Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Schedule I/II Narcotics. The suspect is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Detectives continue to investigate the events that preceded the homicide. This incident remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
On Friday, ACPD identified the victim as a 28-year-old man.
The deceased has been identified as Sean Bowman, 28, of No Fixed Address. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Court records show that Williams has at least twice been sentenced to prison for crimes in Arlington. That includes a net two-year sentence in 2010 for drug, gun and wounding charges, and a net eight-year sentence in 2013, with five years of probation after, for drug distribution and a probation violation.
Additional court records suggest that a man named James Williams, with the same birthday as James Ray Williams, was arrested for petty larceny in Arlington recently, on Feb. 5, but was released on a summons. He failed to appear at an arraignment on March 1 in the larceny case and was declared a fugitive, according to the records.
One law enforcement source tells ARLnow that the petty larceny suspect is not the same James Williams as the murder suspect. Contacted by ARLnow, an ACPD spokesperson declined to provide any clarification.
“An individual’s criminal history is protected under Virginia Code §19.2-389 and we cannot speak to any other possible criminal incidents involving the suspect,” said ACPD’s Alli Shorb.
Police are investigating the first reported homicide of the year in Arlington.
According to Arlington County police, a man was found dead in an apartment on the 100 block of N. Thomas Street yesterday (Tuesday) morning. He was suffering from “upper body trauma,” police said.
More from an ACPD press release:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a homicide in the Buckingham neighborhood.
At approximately 11:25 a.m. on March 28, police and fire were dispatched to the 100 block of N. Thomas Street for the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined a maintenance worker entered the apartment and located the unresponsive adult male inside. Arlington County Fire Department medics pronounced the male deceased on scene.
The preliminary investigation indicates the victim suffered upper body trauma. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death. The identity of the decedent is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
The apartment building is located on the same block at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, as well as the Catholic church’s PreK-8 school.
The last reported homicide in Arlington happened in February 2022 on Columbia Pike.
Update on 4/1/23 — ACPD has identified the victim in this case.
The deceased has been identified as Sean Bowman, 28, of No Fixed Address. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Police arrested a man after a somewhat unusual burglary in Ballston yesterday evening.
The burglary happened shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, on the 900 block of N. Stuart Street, which corresponds with the Meridian at Ballston Commons apartment building.
Police say a sleeping resident woke up to find someone rummaging through his bedroom.
“The victim yelled at the suspect [who then] fled the scene on foot with the victim’s backpack and alcohol,” said today’s Arlington County police crime report. “Responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody without incident. During a search of the suspect’s person incident to arrest, credit cards and other personal belongings of the victim were located.”
A 19-year-old D.C. man was arrested and charged with burglary and four counts of credit card theft, police said.
Police are investigating the death of a man found in a vehicle on a quiet residential street near Marymount University.
Police say the man’s death “does not appear to be suspicious” but they’re still looking into the circumstances.
“At approximately 6:56 a.m. on March 27, police and fire were dispatched to the 2700 block of N. Wakefield Street for the report of a cardiac arrest,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Alli Shorb tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, the unresponsive adult male was located inside a vehicle. Medics pronounced him deceased on scene and ACPD is conducting a death investigation.”
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the death does not appear suspicious and there is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident,” Shorb continued. “The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death. The investigation is ongoing.”
The man was in his 30s, Shorb said.
A local tipster told ARLnow that the man had crashed into a parked car in the early morning hours but was not discovered deceased until later in the morning. The tipster added that the man was not a resident of the immediate neighborhood.
Police have so far declined to confirm those additional details.
A man walking along Columbia Pike at 8 p.m. on Friday was punched and robbed by a trio of suspects, two of whom were armed.
That’s according to the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
The incident happened on the 5000 block of Columbia Pike, just west of the Arlington Mill Community Center. It was reported to police about 50 minutes after it happened, according to ACPD.
“The victim was walking in the area when he was approached by the three unknown male suspects,” the police department said. “Two of the suspects displayed firearms in their waistbands while one of the suspects struck the victim with his fist, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated by medics.”
Crime scene tape at shooting in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Is crime on the rise in Arlington? It depends on which Arlington County official you ask.
Police Chief Andy Penn told the County Board last Thursday that crime rates rose in 2022, driven by upticks in theft — of cars and from cars — and assaults, largely in Arlington’s most populated neighborhoods. He noted that ACPD is seeing more crimes where a weapon is used.
Arlington started 2023 with a rise in carjackings and student overdoses, and this early data indicates that it ended 2022 with a nearly 23% increase in property crimes over 2021 with, specifically, a 27.4% increase in larcenies. In addition, there has been a nearly 32% increase in vehicle thefts and a 14% increase in thefts from vehicles, especially with unlocked cars or those with keys left inside.
There has also been a 16% increase in crimes against people, such as assault, and a 21.5% decrease in crimes against society, such as drug violations.
Penn noted officers are seeing “more guns than what’s normal,” as officers seized 147 firearms in 2022 — an increase from 126 in 2021 and 104 in 2020. Of the seizures in 2022, 15 were ghost guns.
Data on ‘Group A’ offenses, including crimes against people, property and society from 2018-2022 (via Arlington County)
ACPD does not typically report arrest numbers — as opposed to offense numbers, which are released annually — for the most common group of offenses, which span everything from burglary to murder. A department spokeswoman told ARLnow that that would have to be requested through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The department noted its 2021 annual report, released last summer, that people officers have arrested for these “Group A” crimes are “frequently responsible for multiple cases within Arlington or regionally.”
The question of whether crime is rising in Arlington has implications for the race to determine the upcoming Commonwealth’s Attorney race. Josh Katcher, who used to work for the incumbent top prosecutor, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, has made his campaign about acknowledging that crime is rising and criticizing his opponent for, he says, not admitting this.
“We can’t begin to address these issues until we are willing to acknowledge and face them head on,” he said in a statement to ARLnow. “Arlington County deserves a Commonwealth’s Attorney who is transparent with those that they are elected to serve. My opponent has repeatedly and publicly stated that crime has not been rising, starting in November of last year.”
Dehghani-Tafti, who won in 2019 on a platform of criminal justice reform, has maintained her position despite crime concerns from some residents and members of ACPD. In a statement to ARLnow in response, Dehghani-Tafti called Katcher’s rhetoric fear-mongering.
“Real leaders don’t engage in right wing fear mongering propaganda, particularly when Arlington remains one of the safest communities in the country,” she said. “Real leaders also don’t use right wing attack lines that prosecutors are responsible for temporary rise or decline in crime. While some categories of assaults have been on the rise since 2018, serious crimes such as homicides have declined in Arlington at the same time as jurisdictions nationwide have seen an increase.”
She noted that Arlington had zero homicides for nearly 18 months — one in February 2022 and none since then.
“Our job is to build on that success to continue to keep our community safe. That’s what I intend to do,” Dehghani-Tafti said.
Drone seen flying near former Key Bridge Marriott this morning (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Public safety in Arlington County is poised to be increasingly automated and unmanned, with more traffic enforcement cameras and drones potentially coming soon.
The updates came during a work session on County Manager Mark Schwartz’s proposed budget, attended by County Board members and heads of public safety departments yesterday (Thursday).
Installing new speed cameras and adding more red-light cameras are part of the county’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes, as well as a recommended way to reduce potentially adverse interactions between officers and civilians during traffic stops.
Cameras and drones could also help the Arlington County Police Department work more efficiently with fewer officers, as ACPD has had to scale back services amid ongoing challenges with recruiting and retaining officers.
More than a year ago, the County Board approved the installation of speed cameras in school and work areas to reduce speed-related crashes in these areas as part of the Vision Zero campaign to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries. Now, according to Police Chief Andy Penn, a contract with a speed camera vendor could be ready this spring.
Last fall, the county told ARLnow that there would be more signs of progress, including camera installation and community messaging, once a contract is finalized this spring. Penn told the County Board yesterday that a request for proposal for both speed cameras and more red-light cameras will close next week.
“My hope is that we’ll have a contract for both of those in the next couple of months,” Penn said.
Meanwhile, the police department is working with the Virginia Dept. of Transportation to expand locations with red-light cameras, according to Penn.
“We’re almost at the finish line with VDOT on the PhotoRED expansions, there’s a couple intersections… we should be there soon,” he said.
There are nine intersections that currently use PhotoRED cameras, according to the county’s website. These intersections are located along major corridors including Columbia Pike, Route 1, Glebe Road and Langston Blvd.
A map of intersections with red-light cameras (via Arlington County)
Arlington is also considering deploying drones, which could be a safety tool for both police and fire departments. Penn and Fire Chief Dave Povlitz told the Board they are focused on improving employee safety and wellbeing, which could bolster staffing levels.
“While we’re on equipment, drones? Are we thinking about drones?” asked Board Vice-Chair Libby Garvey. “It’d be a lot safer to send a drone in than a person into a burning building.”
After working with other jurisdictions in the region and conducting a survey, a comprehensive proposal on drones could be ready for Board review in “the next couple of months,” according to County Manager Mark Schwartz.
“They are fantastic additions to any fleet,” he said. “We absolutely would, in many cases, prefer — not just for fire but police and also for our building inspections — to have the ability to have drones.”
Police may already be using drones locally in some cases. One could be seen flying near the former Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn this morning as part of a large public safety agency presence at the aging building, which the county condemned amid the continued presence of squatters.
Two hurdles to greater drone use could be privacy and flight regulations governing drones in the region, Schwartz said.
“We want to make sure we address the privacy concerns, which I think have been successfully handled in other jurisdictions,” he said.
Unmanned aircraft flights, including drones, are heavily restricted within a 30-mile radius of Reagan National Airport, according to rules the Federal Aviation Administration put in place after 9/11. Drones need FAA authorization and have to operate under certain restrictions.
