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Falls Church Seeks Info on Larceny Suspect

Published January 15, 2013 at 1:00PM

The City of Falls Church Police Department is seeking information about the suspect in a larceny that took place near the border with Arlington.

Falls Church police say the man in the surveillance images (left) stole more than $2,000 from a “money transfer store” on the 6000 block of Wilson Boulevard.

“At approximately 3:28 p.m. on Friday, January 4, an unknown male entered a store unnoticed and removed $2,324 cash from a locked drawer behind a counter,” police said. “He appeared to leave in a black Ford Fusion.”

Anyone with information about is asked to contact Detective J.M. Elliott at 703-248-5068 or [email protected].

Photo courtesy City of Falls Church Police Department

Three Arrested After Armed Robbery on Custis Trail

By ARLnow.com

Published January 10, 2013 at 2:05PM | Updated January 10, 2013 at 3:00PM

Three men are in custody after an armed robbery, assault and handgun brandishing on the Custis Trail, according to Arlington County Police.

A jogger was robbed by the men around 12:30 p.m. on the trail near the Glebe Road bridge over I-66, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The victim struggled and was struck in the head — possibly with a pistol.

The men took a GPS watch and sunglasses and fled down the trail, Sternbeck said. A short time later, another trail user told police that one of the men pointed a silver handgun in his direction when he passed by.

Police notified Arlington Public Schools of the robbery and three nearby schools — Washington-Lee High School, Arlington Traditional School and Glebe Elementary — were placed in a secured state. Based on that initial notification from ACPD, an email alert sent to parents erroneously reported a shooting.

This afternoon, the Arlington County Police notified us of a robbery of a jogger that occurred on a nearby bike path. The report we received said that the incident also involved a shooting. As a precaution, we have secured the school building and all students are being kept inside.

Three men were apprehended outside the Ballston Metro station around 1:30 p.m., Sternbeck said. A handgun was recovered. The men are now being questioned by police.

“It was great police work… getting these individuals off the street,” Sternbeck said.

The robbery victim is currently being evaluated for injuries at Virginia Hospital Center.

Crime Report: Husband Stabbed in Arm

By ARLnow.com

Published January 9, 2013 at 3:15PM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:31PM

For the second week in a row, a woman has been arrested and accused of stabbing her significant other.

Police say the woman, an Arlington Heights neighborhood resident, stabbed her husband with a folding knife. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 01/03/2013, 800 block of S. Ivy Street. At 7:55 pm on January 3, a married couple got into a verbal dispute. The argument escalated and the wife stabbed her husband in his arm with a folding knife. The victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for medical treatment of the stab wound. Aliyma Imaan Williams, 20, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.

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

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Key Bridge Shut Down Due to Jumper

By ARLnow.com

Published January 8, 2013 at 4:55PM | Updated January 9, 2013 at 1:18AM

Update at 7:35 p.m. — The man has been safely taken into police custody. The scene is now being cleared.

Update at 6:10 p.m. — Police are still attempting to talk and negotiate with the man. A SWAT team is now reportedly on scene.

Police are blocking either side of the Key Bridge due to a person threatening to jump.

A man is hanging on to the southeast side of the bridge and threatening to jump, according to scanner traffic and witnesses. We’re told that a helicopter and a Coast Guard boat are assisting police, who are trying to talk with the man.

D.C. and Arlington police have shut down vehicle and pedestrian traffic to the bridge. Inbound traffic from Arlington is being diverted onto Lee Highway and the George Washington Parkway.

Significant traffic backups have been reported in Rosslyn, particularly at the intersection of Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd. Earlier, police looked into reports of motorists getting out of their cars and yelling obscenities at each other as a result of the backups.

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is a phone call away. Call Crisis Link at 703-527-4077.

Hat tip to @Agent_Greg

ACPD Recruits Graduate from Police Academy

By ARLnow.com

Published January 4, 2013 at 10:25AM

Twenty-one Arlington County Police Department recruits graduated from Northern Virginia’s regional police academy late last month.

A graduation ceremony for the recruits — 17 men and 4 women — was held at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts. The recruits will now be required to participate in 12 additional weeks of field training before becoming fulling certified by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Arlington’s next police academy class is expected to be much smaller, we’re told.

#police

Police Arrest Three Teens for Shooting Car Windows with BB Guns

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 3, 2013 at 2:55PM

Police have arrested three Arlington teens in connection with a rash of car windows being shot out with BB guns.

The suspects allegedly shot out the windows on more than 250 cars in Northern Virginia over the past several months, including two marked police vehicles. Nothing was taken from the cop cars, but at least one of the other incidents involved items being stolen from a vehicle.

19-year-old Alexander Chase and 18-year-old Ricardo Reynoso Jr., both of Arlington, were arrested and charged with felony destruction of property. Chase is currently being held without bond, and Reynoso is being held on a $1,000 bond. 18-year-old William Romero of Arlington was charged with grand larceny and grand larceny with intent to distribute. Romero is currently being held without bond.

The Arlington County Police Department says the suspects were caught based on an extensive investigation that has been going on for months. They were assisted by the Fairfax County Police Department.

The crimes are still being examined, and some may span all the way to West Virginia.

Crime Report: New Year’s Day Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Published January 3, 2013 at 10:40AM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:30PM

A New Years Day dispute between a girlfriend and a boyfriend ended with the boyfriend being taken to the hospital for stab wounds, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The incident took place in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood. The girlfriend, 32-year-old Griselda Saravia, was arrested and charged with stabbing her boyfriend in the arm with a kitchen knife.

UNLAWFUL WOUNDING, 01/01/13, 800 block of S. Frederick Street. At 4:40pm on January 1, a victim and his girlfriend got into a verbal altercation. The argument quickly escalated and the suspect stabbed her boyfriend in the arm with a kitchen knife. The victim was able to break free and call the police. He was later transported to Virginia Hospital Center for medical treatment of the stab wound. Griselda Y. Saravia, 32, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with unlawful wounding. She was released on recognizance with a $7,500 unsecured bond.

Early Sunday morning, according to police, a Herndon man “repeatedly punched” someone inside a Rosslyn store “for no apparent reason.” The victim suffered significant head and facial injuries, police said.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 12/30/12, 1600 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. On December 30 at 3:45 am, an intoxicated subject attacked another subject inside of a store for no apparent reason. The subject repeatedly punched the victim in the head, then proceeded to drag the victim to the back of the store and continued to punch him. Following the altercation, the victim was found unconscious with facial swelling and was transported to GW hospital. [Redacted due to charges being dropped], 30, of Herndon, VA, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding. He was held without bond.

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

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Man Barricades Himself in Crystal City Apartment

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 2, 2013 at 3:45PM

More than a dozen police units spent part of the afternoon at an apartment building on the 300 block of S. 23rd Street in Crystal City, where a man barricaded himself inside and made threats.

A sheriff’s deputy approached the 39-year-old man’s apartment around noon in an attempt to serve an eviction notice. According to police, the man threatened the deputy, as well as himself, and then barricaded himself in the apartment.

Police evacuated the neighboring apartments and set up a command post in one of the units, where they were able to talk with the man on the phone. The man came out of his apartment more than an hour later and police took him into custody. He was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for a mental evaluation.

Once the man exited his apartment, police searched it and found the shotgun the man had referred to when threatening the sheriff’s deputy.

It is unclear if the man will be charged. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Photo courtesy @vtspaeth

Crime Report: Armed Robbery at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

Published December 27, 2012 at 3:05PM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:30PM

A man robbed the Currency Exchange store at the Pentagon City mall on Chrismas Eve by implying that he had a weapon, according to police.

No weapon was seen, but the man was able to flee the scene after obtaining cash. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 12/24/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At 2:42 pm on December 24, an unknown suspect robbed the Currency Exchange at Pentagon City Mall. The subject fled the scene on foot in the direction of the Metro. The subject is described as a black male, approximately 50 years old, 150 lbs, with a short beard. He was wearing a jean jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt and a black Nike hat at the time of the incident.

Also this week, a man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after has was caught masturbating at the L.A. Fitness health club in Crystal City, according to police.

A gym patron walked into the sauna and witnessed the man mid-act, police said. According to Arlington County spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the suspect began to “tussle” with the witness after he said he was going to alert the manager; no charges were filed as a result of the scuffle.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 12/21/12, 3500 block of S. Clark Street. On December 21 at 9:21 am, a subject was seen masturbating inside the sauna of a gym. Morris Umansky, 63, of Arlington, VA, was charged with indecent exposure and released on a summons.

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

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UPDATED: Pedestrian Dies After Christmas Eve Accident

By ARLnow.com

Published December 24, 2012 at 6:15PM | Updated December 26, 2012 at 1:49AM

(Updated at 9:25 p.m.) A 30-year-old woman has died after she was struck by an out-of-control car in Ballston this evening, according to police.

The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, near the Harris Teeter on Glebe Road in Ballston. According to police, a two vehicle accident occurred on Glebe Road in the area of N. Randolph Street. One of the cars ran off the road and struck the woman, who was walking on the sidewalk. The car then struck and partially wrapped around a street tree.

The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. She was pronounced dead around 8:00 p.m., Sternbeck said.

Fire department technical rescue personnel had to remove the roof of the striking vehicle, a Toyota sedan, in order to extricate the driver. The male driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was also transported to Fairfax hospital.

No information was immediately available about the other vehicle involved in the accident.

The Arlington County Police Department’s critical accident team will investigate the incident. Charges may be filed following the investigation, Sternbeck said. No word on whether the rainy weather might have played a role in the collision.

Photos courtesy @CAPT258 (bottom left) and “Dixie” (top, bottom right)

Four Arrested After Armed Bank Robbery in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published December 23, 2012 at 6:35PM | Updated December 24, 2012 at 9:32PM

A crew of heavily armed men robbed the Navy Federal Credit Union at 875 N. Randolph Street in Ballston Saturday morning, in a heist reminiscent of a Hollywood movie.

Three men who were wearing ski masks and pointing guns entered the credit union, located a block from Ballston Common Mall, just before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

They shouted threats and forced the 13 customers in the business to lie on the ground. The men made off with several bags full of cash — an undisclosed but substantial sum of money — and were whisked from the scene of the crime by a getaway driver who was waiting outside, Sternbeck told ARLnow.com.

The suspects threw the bags (minus the cash) out of the car window as they made their escape to D.C. via I-66, Sternbeck said, but they were apparently unaware that the cash contained a GPS transceiver. Metropolitan Police used the GPS signal to track the cash to a residence in Southeast D.C., where all four men were arrested.

The FBI is investigating and the men may face federal charges, Sternbeck said.