A woman was sexually assaulted Monday night on a train near the Virginia Square station, according to Metro.
“At approximately 10 p.m. [Monday], Metro Transit Police responded to a report of a sexual assault aboard a train near Virginia Square Station,” a Metro spokesman tells ARLnow. “An adult female victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A male suspect was stopped by MTPD officers at Metro Center Station a short time later.”
The incident was first reported online by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.
New: @ArlingtonVaPD are with an injured woman at the Virginia Square Metro Station. Preliminary information is that she was struck and robbed by a man while on a train two or three stops west of that station. The woman says the man had a knife and attempted to sexually assault…
The suspect was identified by Metro as 18-year-old Saiquan Jackson of Northeast D.C. He’s expected to be charged with attempted rape and strangulation, the spokesman said last night.
A man of the same age, name and quadrant was reported missing by D.C. police last month. The report noted that he “may be in need of medication.” He was also reported missing as a teenager in 2018.
Pentagon City Metro Station on Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A man fleeing from officers after a theft in Pentagon City ran into a Metro tunnel, prompting service to be shut down in the area, police say.
The incident happened Monday morning, as police responded to a shoplifting call on S. Hayes Street.
After running into a Metro tunnel at the Pentagon City station, the man emerged and was arrested at the Crystal City station, police say. In addition to a theft charge, he has also been charged with trespassing and fare evasion.
More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
PETIT LARCENY (Significant), 2024-01080073, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on January 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise, allegedly left the store without payment and fled into the Pentagon City Metro. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the Metro and gave him commands, which he disregarded, and fled onto the train tracks. Metro service in the area was temporarily suspended and the suspect subsequently exited the train tracks at the Crystal City Metro station where officers took him into custody. The preliminary investigation determined the suspect did not pay a fare upon entering the Metro. No injuries were reported. [The suspect], 37, of Washington, DC was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny, Trespassing on a Railroad Track and Failure to Pay Fares.
Some of the response to the incident was captured on video.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 8 p.m.) Residents were asked to stay inside Monday evening as police searched part of the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood following reports of gunfire.
The initial call for gunshots heard along the 1700 block of Arlington Blvd came in around 5 p.m. Police verified with nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall that no firing drills were underway at the time before starting to search the area.
The U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter was called in to assist amid more reports of shots being heard, but has since left the county after not finding any suspects, according to scanner traffic.
“ACPD is investigating the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” Arlington police said around 5:45 p.m. “At this time, no injuries or property damage have been reported. A police helicopter is assisting with an aerial search of the area. Expect continued police activity.”
The search appeared to be focused on one particular building.
“Community members are asked to avoid the area as police continue to investigate the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” ACPD said around 6:20 p.m. “If you are in the area, go inside and stay inside.”
Police also closed the N. Rhodes Street bridge, near where the search was taking place, according to Arlington Alert.
Shortly before 8 p.m., the search was called off.
“A search of the building has concluded,” said ACPD. “No evidence of a shooting was located and there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community. We appreciate the community’s patience during the investigation. The avoid the area/stay indoors has been lifted.”
More, below, via social media.
CONTINUED: Community members are asked to avoid the area as police continue to investigate the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard. If you are in the area, go inside and stay inside.
LOCATION: 14th St N/ N Rhodes st INCIDENT: Police Department Activity IMPACT: Traffic has been closed in both directions on N Rhodes St starting at 14th St N and ending at Arlington Blvd. Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/HjtoXX063O
Arlington County Police: SEEK INDOOR SHELTER. ACPD is reporting shots fired near 1730 Arlington Blvd. Avoid the area. If you are in the area, go inside immediately and stay inside. Close and lock all windows and doors. Stay tuned for further updates.
Wakefield High School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
There was another possible overdose at Wakefield High School last week.
Around 1:20 p.m., medics were dispatched to Wakefield for a report of an unconscious person, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner.
“The patient was transported to Virginia Hospital Center in stable condition,” he said.
Police were then dispatched around 2:15 p.m. to VHC Health, formerly Virginia Hospital Center, for reports of a possible overdose, Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said.
“The preliminary investigation indicates a juvenile female was transported from Wakefield High School to the hospital for medical treatment,” she said. “The incident was investigated as an overdose and the juvenile suffered non-life-threatening injuries.”
ACPD did not provide more information, citing Virginia law, which requires law enforcement agencies to ensure juvenile records are not disclosed to unauthorized parties.
Wakefield staff also called ACPD following the medical incident, says school system spokesman Andrew Robinson, noting this is consistent with the memorandum of understanding between Arlington Public Schools and ACPD “when there might be a possibility of a potential overdose in our schools.”
Arlington Public Schools and ACPD began inking an MOU two years ago, after the Arlington School Board voted to remove School Resource Officers from school grounds. The MOU was last updated in September to enumerate the emergency situations that trigger a call to police, including potential overdose incidents. Example emergency situations were not previously included in a previous draft from the spring of 2022.
“The MOU with ACPD is reviewed annually and tweaks are often made to further enhance and strengthen the partnership with APS,” Robinson said.
As for how the incident was communicated to the Wakefield community, Robinson said families received the following message from APS on Thursday afternoon.
This message is to inform you that emergency personnel responded to Wakefield High School briefly today to assist with a medical incident involving a student. The family of the student has been notified. As some of our students observed the first responders in our building, we wanted to ensure you are aware that the incident was resolved, and everyone is safe.
Robinson says the school system has a standard medical emergency message and APS does not disclose the nature of medical emergencies for student privacy and confidentiality reasons.
Since the fatal overdose of a 14-year-old Wakefield student nearly one year ago, APS has stepped up prevention education and counseling, the Arlington School Board permitted high schoolers to carry Narcan and a private treatment facility resumed admitting teen patients.
Still, underage overdose incidents have persisted, including last fall, when two girls survived overdoses at Wakefield, after which police charged a teen and a 19-year-old man with a battery of charges.
(Separately, police were dispatched to Yorktown High School today for what was initially reported to be an overdose. It was later determined to just be a medical emergency, Savage told ARLnow.)
Last November, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 28 requiring schools to notify all parents of school-involved overdoses within 24 hours. He directed the Virginia Dept. of Education to develop guidance for schools as they implement any changes to their communications with families.
Within a month, VDOE posted interim best practices interpreting the text of the executive order. VDOE did not respond to ARLnow’s request for more information about how the state will track whether schools follow the executive order.
Arlington County police are investigating after a boy says he was robbed twice by the same group of suspects.
The first robbery happened around 7 p.m. this past Thursday in Rosslyn, while the second happened around 7 p.m. the next day in the Courthouse area, according to police.
Police say the boy knows the three male suspects, one of whom brandished a knife during the first robbery.
ROBBERY (late), 2024-01050225/2024-01060032, 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard/15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street. At approximately 3:47 a.m. on January 6, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery by force. It was determined at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 4, the juvenile male victim was in the area of the 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard when he was approached by three male suspects, who are known to him. Suspect One brandished a knife and made threatening statements while Suspect Two assaulted him and demanded his electronics. The suspects then left the scene with the stolen property and the victim did not require medical attention following the incident. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 5, the victim was in the area of 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street when he was approached by the suspects from the incident the day before and approximately seven additional subjects. Suspect Two demanded and stole the victim’s personal property and caused damage to his electronic device before the group left the area on foot. No injuries were reported from the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
Fight near Clarendon caught on camera (courtesy Dave Statter)
An early morning fight near Clarendon was caught on camera over the weekend.
The brawl happened around 2 a.m. Saturday along the parking-lined section of Fairfax Drive at the western end of Clarendon. The video shows one person being knocked to the ground and a car ramming the side of another car, amid a fight that appears to be between two groups of people.
Police arrive on scene near the end of the video.
According to public safety watcher Dave Statter, one of the people to post a photo of the fracas on social media, it’s just the latest in a series of fights over the past month or so associated with Clarendon nightlife.
In addition to fights that take place outside, “there are also multiple police calls each weekend night for fights inside the bars in the 3100 block of Wilson and Clarendon,” Statter wrote last week.
Fight #caughtoncamera: A wild scene in Clarendon at 2 a.m. today. Two people were knocked down and a car was rammed. This is the loop on Fairfax Drive at Wilson Blvd. It lasted for a while with @ArlingtonVaPD delayed getting to the scene. It's not clear when they were called and… pic.twitter.com/LbBZDhmVAT
HERE IS VIDEO of a brawl in Arlington County, with one punched out and a car getting rammed. This happened in the parking lot between Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Dr just after 2 a.m. @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/15ZoDpnCRO
An SUV crashed into a bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
The man driving the Jeep that seriously injured a pedestrian before slamming into a Pentagon City bank is likely to face charges, police say.
The driver, who has not yet been identified, “was attempting to turn from S. Hayes Street onto 12th Street S. when he exited the roadway onto the sidewalk, struck a pedestrian and crashed into a closed bank,” an Arlington County police spokesman says.
The crash, which happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday, heavily damaged the front of the Chase bank branch at 710 12th Street S., next to the Metro station.
The man struck by the Jeep was seriously injured but is expected to survive. Charges are expected to be filed soon against the driver.
“The pedestrian, an adult male, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and is currently in stable condition,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The driver of the striking vehicle, an adult male, was not injured and remained on scene. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing and charges are pending.”
The crash was witnessed by New York Times reporter Ken Vogel, who posted on social media this morning that the injured man was bleeding from the head and fading in and out of consciousness.
The pedestrian was sprawled on his back on the sidewalk, blood coming from his head.
As he faded in & out, I urged him not to try to move, told him help was coming (someone had called 911) & that he would be ok.
I hope he was.
(I took the above photo after police/EMTs arrived)
Traffic fatalities, including pedestrian deaths, are up sharply nationwide compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Times recently published an investigation (and a podcast) looking into U.S. pedestrian deaths, which are on the rise — especially in nighttime crashes.
Police cruiser rear-ended in Courthouse (photo courtesy Megan J.)
A driver ran into the back of a stopped Arlington police cruiser in Courthouse yesterday afternoon.
The crash, which happened two blocks from police headquarters — next to the construction site that was formerly a Wendy’s — happened around 2:30 p.m.
It’s unclear what led to the crash. Video posted by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter shows a car approaching the cruiser, which was stopped at a light, and simply plowing into it. The cruiser is pushed into the intersection before the driver apparently stops accelerating.
Watch: Wilson Boulevard is getting to be a hazardous place for @ArlingtonVaPD. Just after 2:30 p.m., someone rear-ended a police SUV stopped at the light at Wilson and N. Courthouse. No injuries were reported but it appears the airbag went off on the passenger side of the car.… pic.twitter.com/5u3Fg7a9ln
Immediately after, the driver and other occupants of the vehicle get out and talk to the officer. The cruiser’s rear bumper and window were both damaged in the crash.
Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow that the driver received a traffic citation for “Failure to Pay Full Time and Attention.”
This is at least the second ACPD cruiser damaged in a crash in the past week. On Friday, Dec. 29 a driver in Clarendon allegedly pulled in front of an officer speeding toward an incident, resulting in a wreck that nearly sent the civilian vehicle into a nearby storefront.
That driver was cited for “Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way,” Savage said.
Road construction on Columbia Pike near the Foxcroft Heights neighborhood
A New York State man is in jail after police say he pepper sprayed two construction workers yesterday morning.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on Columbia Pike and S. Oak Street, near the Columbia Pike realignment and Arlington National Cemetery expansion project that is currently under construction.
Police were vague about the circumstances leading to the pepper spray being used, saying only that the 37-year-old suspect “allegedly initiated a verbal dispute with the two victims.”
The suspect fled on foot but was tracked down by officers and is now facing two counts of Malicious Wounding.
More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2024-01020089, Columbia Pike at S. Oak Street. At approximately 11:32 a.m. on January 2, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect approached a construction site and allegedly initiated a verbal dispute with the two victims before deploying pepper spray. The suspect then fled the scene on foot and was located and taken into custody by responding officers. The victims were treated on scene for exposure to the pepper spray. [The suspect], 37, of Clarence, NY was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding (x2).
A 26-year-old Virginia man is facing several charges after a dispute over a parking space over the weekend.
The incident happened Saturday afternoon, in the area of Penrose Square. Police say the man flashed a gun during the altercation.
More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
BRANDISHING, 2023-12300122, 2400 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 2:46 p.m. on December 30, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and male suspect became involved in a verbal dispute over a parking space which escalated into a physical altercation during which the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle and was located by responding officers. A firearm was recovered. [The suspect], 26, of Stafford, VA was arrested and charged with Brandishing, Assault & Battery and Concealed Weapon Violation.
In other notable incident, which took place one day prior on Friday afternoon, a 31-year-old Virginia man is accused of kicking a police officer and trying to grab the gun of another.
From ACPD:
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-12290134, Fairfax Drive at N. George Mason Drive. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on December 29, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person with a knife. The preliminary investigation determined the victim was stopped in her vehicle when the male suspect allegedly ran towards her driver’s side door while displaying a knife. The victim drove away and called police. Responding officers located the suspect in the 4800 block of Fairfax Drive and attempted to take him into custody. The suspect refused to comply with the officers’ commands and actively resisted arrest. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was taken into custody during which he kicked an officer in the chest. The suspect provided officers with false identifying information but was subsequently positively identified. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect grabbed the holster of an officer’s firearm. Knives were recovered on the suspect. [The suspect], 31, of Manassas, VA was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery, Assault on Police, Attempt to Disarm Law Enforcement Officer of their Firearm, Identity Theft and Obstruction of Justice.
The evening of New Year’s Day, meanwhile, a man’s Canada Goose jacket and wallet was reportedly stolen by a teen boy at the Pentagon City mall. The teen was later apprehended near the Metro station, according to police.
GRAND LARCENY, 2024-01010144, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:58 p.m. on January 1, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was sitting with his jacket on the back of his chair when the juvenile male suspect ran by, grabbed his jacket and continued running out of the building. Responding officers canvassed the area and observed the suspect in the metro. The suspect then ran from the officers and, following a foot pursuit, he was taken into custody in the 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. The victim’s jacket, which contained his wallet and cash, was recovered. Petitions were obtained for the juvenile suspect for Grand Larceny and Obstruction of Justice.
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
(Updated at 7 p.m.) A two-vehicle crash in Clarendon damaged an Arlington County police cruiser this afternoon.
The crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Danville Street. The second vehicle involved, a red hatchback, came to rest on the sidewalk, steps away from the entrance to the Beyond/Hello cannabis dispensary.
Officers were responding to an incident in the Ballston area at the time of the crash.
“At approximately 2:45 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person with a knife in the area of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard,” said ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb. “An officer responding to the scene was travelling westbound on Wilson Boulevard when a vehicle travelling northbound on N. Danville Street collided with them. The driver of the vehicle was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”
“The preliminary investigation into the suspicious person determined the victim was stopped in her vehicle on Fairfax Drive when the male suspect approached and displayed a knife,” Shorb said late Friday afternoon, of the Ballston incident. “The victim fled the area in her vehicle and called police. Responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody. Charges are pending for the suspect and officers remain on scene investigating.”
