police

Man Who Fought Thief For Bike Says He Had the Last Laugh

By ARLnow.com

An alleged bike thief takes off on the victim's pink-tired bike (courtesy photo)In publishing last week’s Arlington County crime report, we wrote that a man’s effort to recover his stolen bike “backfired” when he was punched in the face and his new bike was stolen.

The victim of that alleged crime wrote us shortly thereafter and said it was actually he who had the last laugh.

The man, who didn’t want his name published but who was able to confirm non-public details about the incident, says he successfully recovered his pricey Gary Fisher mountain bike while the thief only managed to punch him once and take off with his girlfriend’s used $100 bike with pink tires.

Here’s the victim’s side of the story:

My Gary Fisher 29er mountain bike with multiple very distinguishable and colorful upgrades was stolen Sunday [Jan. 13] in downtown DC in front of a Safeway at 3 pm in broad daylight by a guy who broke my lock.

The next Thursday I was biking to Caps practice at Kettler in Ballston on my girlfriend’s pink tired bike (which the perp is pictured with here) when I saw a bus pull up with my stolen Gary Fisher on front. I put the pink tire bike I was riding on the rack with my stolen Gary Fisher and boarded the bus. I rode for a few blocks and got ready to make my move at the Whole Foods. I went to get both bikes and the guy charged off the bus and we wrestled for the Gary Fisher. Eventually I got my lock around the frame and wheel so he couldn’t ride away as he got one good punch in. With the Gary Fisher secure, I knocked him down and he put his hand in his bag and threatened to have a gun. He probably didn’t but l was spooked and let him up and backed off.

He got up and got on the pink tired bike and rode off. I got my nice Gary Fisher back. He rode off on this pink tired bike that I bought for 100 bucks a few years ago heading toward Courthouse and Rosslyn. I assume he dumped it right after he rode out if sight because he stood out on that thing and cops never found him.

I was fine after the fight and didn’t have a mark on me.

If you see the pink tired Specialized Hardrock around Clarendon he stole it. Also by the time I got to Kettler on my Gary Fisher, practice was over. At least I got my bike back.

I’m sure the police don’t encourage confronting thieves like this and maybe that’s why they took the successful part of the report out. But the bike I got back is really valuable to me.

Police say they have not made any arrests in the case so far.

Courtesy photo

BREAKING: Police Arrest Three for Murder of 87-Year-Old Arlington Man

By ARLnow.com

(L to R) Mack Leon Wood, Jean Pierre and Sapien Edmonds

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) Arlington County police have arrested three suspects in the murder of an 87-year-old Arlington man.

Mack L. WoodOn Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, police found Mack L. Wood, 87, dead in his home on the 3700 block of N. Wakefield Street, in the Old Glebe neighborhood. Three days later, police announced that Wood’s death was “suspicious.”

Today, the Arlington County Police Department announced that three people have been arrested in connection with Wood’s death, which is now suspected to be a homicide.

Among those arrested was Mack’s 47-year-old son. Police records show he was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the Tampa area, yesterday, Jan. 28.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit has charged three suspects in connection with the suspicious death of an Arlington County resident. The investigation began when the incident was reported as an accidental death on the morning of October 13, 2012. The victim was identified as Mack L. Wood, 87, of Arlington, VA. His body was discovered inside his residence in the 3700 block of N. Wakefield Street by a family member.

After a thorough review of evidence, forensic examination, consultation with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an extensive investigation, three suspects were identified and apprehended without incident. The son of the victim, Mack Leon Wood, Jr., 47, was located by the United States Marshals Service in the Tampa, FL area and has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Jean Caleb Pierre, 32, and Sapien Edmonds, 29, both of Henrico, VA have also been charged with first degree murder. All three suspects are currently being held without bond.

Wood’s death was the fifth reported homicide in Arlington County in 2012, after homicides in Shirlington, Hall’s Hill and on Columbia Pike.

Pedestrian Struck Near Kenmore Expected to Survive

By ARLnow.com

Pedestrian accident on Carlin Springs Road near Kenmore Middle SchoolA man who was struck by a car and critically injured Wednesday night is expected to survive.

The man was apparently trying to cross Carlin Springs Road near Kenmore Middle School when he was struck by a southbound vehicle, suffering what police described as “severe head trauma.” The man is expected to survive, although severe head injuries are often debilitating.

“The victim remains in a medically induced coma at this time but is expected to survive,” Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told ARLnow.com. “His wife informed our lead detective on the case that he is in stable condition.”

The man is an Arlington Public Schools teacher. The school system declined to identify the school at which he teaches.

“Students have been told that the teacher was in an accident and to keep him in their thoughts,” said APS spokesman Frank Bellavia. “Unfortunately I can’t release his name because of privacy issues.”

Police remained on scene for hours to investigate the accident. So far there’s no word on whether any charges will be filed.

Crime Report: Effort to Recover Stolen Bike Backfires

By ARLnow.com

(Updated on 1/25/13) A cyclist’s effort to recover his stolen bike backfired last week. The man was punched in the face and had the new bike he was riding at the time stolen.

The incident took place on a Thursday morning, near the Whole Foods store in Clarendon. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 01/17/13, 2700 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At 10:26 am on January 17, a victim identified his stolen bicycle on the front rack of a bus. The victim placed his current bike in front of his stolen one on the rack and boarded the bus. The victim rode the bus one stop, got off, and then removed both bicycles from the bus rack. While doing this, the victim was confronted by a subject. The subject punched the victim in the face and then proceeded to steal the victim’s new bicycle. The victim was able to take pictures of the suspect. The suspect is described as a 35 year old black male, 6’0″ tall and 180 lbs. At the time of the incident, the subject was wearing black pants, a dark jacket, a dark skullcap, and light Nike shoes.

Also in this week’s crime report, a victim was punched and threatened by a pair of robbers.

ROBBERY, 01/20/13, 4200 block of N. 2nd Street. At 12:08 am on January 20, a victim was sitting in an area between two apartment buildings when two unknown subjects began to walk towards him. As the subjects walked by the victim, suspect one punched the victim in the face. The victim fell to the ground, but got back up to his feet. Suspect two then grabbed the victim and took him to the ground. Both subjects continued to punch and kick the victim. One of the subjects then pulled out a folding knife and threatened to kill the victim if he did not give them money. The victim stated that his belongings were in his backpack that had fallen to the ground. As the subjects walked over to the victim’s backpack, the victim fled the scene. The subjects took the victim’s backpack and fled southwest by foot. Suspect one is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’10” tall and 160 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket and black pants during the incident. Subject two is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’7″ and 170 lbs. He was wearing a light colored jacket and dark pants. Both subjects are described as being in their early to mid 20’s.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Critical Pedestrian Accident Near Kenmore Middle School

By ARLnow.com

Pedestrian accident on Carlin Springs Road near Kenmore Middle School Pedestrian accident on Carlin Springs Road near Kenmore Middle School

(Updated at 10:15 p.m.) Arlington County police are investigating a serious pedestrian accident on Carlin Springs Road, in front of Kenmore Middle School.

Around 7:00 p.m., a man in his 30s was struck by a car on Carlin Springs Road just south of Route 50, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The man suffered “severe head trauma” and was transported in critical condition to Inova Fairfax Hospital.

The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene, Sternbeck said. The driver was eventually transported to a local hospital for minor injuries caused by broken glass.

Carlin Springs Road was closed to traffic between Route 50 and 2nd Street while police investigated the accident. The ramp from eastbound Route 50 to Carlin Springs Road was also closed.

Firefighters were called to the scene to wash down a pool of blood where the man came to rest on the roadway.

Police Respond to Huffing Disturbance

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County police carA disturbance at the Phoenix House on the 500 block of N. Quincy Street prompted a call to police late Monday night, when a resident allegedly became out of control while huffing a chemical.

According to police, two roommates at the Ballston-based substance abuse treatment center alerted a resident adviser that their roommate had been acting erratically and their room was in disarray. When the resident adviser arrived in the room, the subject was wearing only a t-shirt and had a sheet over his head while allegedly huffing disinfectant spray. The resident adviser called police because the subject was reportedly hissing, speaking in tongues, shaking uncontrollably, trying to eat coins and had attempted to set his mattress on fire.

Police say when they arrived and tried to speak with the 18-year-old man, he was naked and still attempting to eat coins. Officers tried taking the man into custody but he didn’t cooperate. The officers gave him a warning but he continued to stay on all fours and growl at them, so they successfully tased him and handcuffed him, according to a police spokesman. The man then attempted to eat the Taser cords, we’re told.

Police say once they managed to handcuff the man, the naked subject bent over with his hands still behind his back, and according to the police report “spreads his anus open and proclaims, ‘Who wants some?'”

The subject appeared to have some type of seizure or shaking fit and fell to the floor, where he somehow managed to get his cuffed hands in front of his body, according to police. Cops say the man then spat at them and tried to grab them.

The man has voluntarily committed himself for psychiatric evaluation and nobody was hurt in the incident.

No charges have been filed against the man; police say they are more concerned with getting him proper mental assistance.

Driver Arrested After Car Crashes Next to Cemetery Metro Entrance

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) A man was arrested early this morning after allegedly fleeing from police and crashing his car next to the Arlington National Cemetery Metro entrance.

Around 12:20 a.m., a car took off when an Arlington County police officer attempted a traffic stop on Route 110, near the Pentagon. Following protocol, the officer did not attempt to chase the car. A short time later, however, another officer reported via radio that a car had run off Memorial Drive and crashed through some bushes next to the Arlington National Cemetery Metro station. The car, a Saturn sedan, was later confirmed to be the same one that did not stop for the first officer.

The alleged driver of the car was found about an hour later during a search of the surrounding area, parts of which are heavily wooded. The search involved police dogs, and the U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter. In addition to Arlington County and U.S. Park police, Metro Transit police assisted at the scene.

A row of bushes between the escalators and elevator to the Metro station suffered noticeable damage as a result of the wreck. The car came to rest about 10 yards away from fencing around the station. We’re told it would have been visible from the station platforms.

It’s unclear whether there were any passengers in the car, but as of 2:30 a.m. no other arrests had been made.

The driver is being held on a $6,000 bond, and was charged with misdemeanor hit and run, felony eluding and driving while revoked, according to police.

BREAKING: Man Charged in Fatal Christmas Eve Accident

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters work to extricate the driver of a vehicle involved in a critical accident on Glebe Road (photo courtesy "Dixie")

A 21-year-old Alexandria man has been charged in the Christmas Eve death of a pedestrian in Ballston.

Farhan Khan (photo courtesy ACPD)The victim, 30-year-old Shabnam Motahhar-Tehrani of Nokesville, Va., was standing on a sidewalk around 4:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve when the suspect ran a red light, according to police, causing a crash.

Motahhar-Tehrani was struck by the suspect’s vehicle as a result of the crash. She was transported to a local trauma center where she was pronounced dead at 8:00 p.m.

The suspect, Farhan Mohammad Khan, was charged with involuntary manslaughter after an investigation by the Arlington County Police Department. He’s being held without bond and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department has taken a 21 year old Alexandria man into custody on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from a Christmas Eve fatal pedestrian accident. Farhan Mohammad Khan, 21, of Alexandria, VA is currently being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

Khan was traveling northbound on N. Glebe Road at 4:30 p.m. on December 24, 2012 when he ran a red light and struck a vehicle in the intersection of N. Randolph Street. The accident caused his vehicle to spin out of control, striking 30 year old Shabnam Motahhar-Tehrani of Nokesville, VA as she was standing on the sidewalk. She was pronounced dead at INOVA Fairfax Hospital at 8:00 p.m. that evening.

The involuntary manslaughter charge is a Class 5 felony and carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years.

Photo (top) courtesy “Dixie.” Photo (middle right) courtesy ACPD.

Crime Report: Grabbed from Behind

By ARLnow.com

Two women were followed by men and grabbed from behind while walking home this past week, according to police.

Early Sunday morning, a woman was returning home in North Rosslyn when two men followed her, grabbed her, and possibly took some money before she was able to break free. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 01/13/13, 1800 block of N. Quinn Street. At 3:17 am on January 13, a victim was returning home when she noticed two male subjects behind her. One male subject followed the victim into her apartment complex and grabbed her from behind. The victim struggled to break free and scream, but the subject held onto the victim and put his hand over her mouth. Eventually, the victim was able to break free and the suspect fled by foot. Some cash belonging to the victim seemed to be missing, but it is unclear if the suspect took the money. The subjects are described as two Hispanic males. One of the subjects stood on the outside of the apartment complex, while the other assaulted the victim. The subject that assaulted the victim is described as approximately 5’5″, heavy set and wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and pants.

Early Monday morning, a man approached a woman from behind as she was walking home from work in the Buckingham area, near Ballston. The man grabbed the victim by the head, pushed her to the ground and stole her purse, according to the crime report.

ROBBERY, 01/14/13, 4100 block of N. 4th Street. At 12:10 am on January 14, a victim was walking home from work when the subject approached her from behind. The subject grabbed the victim by her head with both hands and pushed her to the ground. The subject then took the victim’s purse and fled the scene by foot. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 20’s, approximately 5’8″ and 150 lbs. Additionally, the subject has brown eyes and black hair, but no facial hair. The suspect was last seen wearing a red long-sleeve shirt, black pants and a black hat.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Police Impersonator Tries, Fails to ‘Confiscate’ Watches at Mall

By ARLnow.com

Surveillance footage of an alleged police impersonator at Pentagon City mall (Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department)The Arlington County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying an alleged police impersonator.

On Thursday, Jan. 3, a man posing as a police detective entered two stores in the Pentagon City mall, flashed a badge and said he needed to seize a number of wristwatches as “evidence in a case,” according to ACPD. Store employees weren’t fooled, and they asked the man to leave the store. Then, they called the real police.

“The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’8” tall and 170 lbs,” according to an ACPD press release. “At the time of the incident he was wearing dark colored jeans, a gray jacket and a red and black plaid hat.”

“If anyone has information on the whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective James Stone of the Arlington County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 703.228.4245 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).”

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department

Overturned Vehicle on Spout Run Parkway

By ARLnow.com

gw-pkwy-wreck-stormpins(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) A crash involving an overturned vehicle on the Spout Run Parkway is causing rush hour traffic impacts.

The accident happened near Lorcom Lane, possibly at the turn-around between Lorcom Lane and the GW Parkway.

Two vehicles were reportedly involved in the wreck and one vehicle flipped on its roof. An individual was stuck in the overturned vehicle but seemed to to be okay, according to scanner traffic.

Drivers should expect significant traffic impacts in the area. It’s currently unclear whether the Parkway is blocked or if there are only lane closures in place.

Photo courtesy @StormPins

View More Stories