police

Arlington Police Seek Gym Theft Suspect

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:40 on 11/9/12) Arlington County Police are on the lookout for a man who they say has been stealing credit cards from gym lockers around north Arlington.

Robert Brockington, 37, is accused of “multiple counts of credit card larceny and credit card fraud.” He is “known to frequent area gyms, and will take wallets and credit cards from both locked and unlocked lockers,” according to police.

The police department is asking anyone with information on Brockington to contact Det. Steven Roeseler at 703-228-4182.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating an at-large larceny suspect. Robert Brockington is wanted for multiple counts of credit card larceny and credit card fraud. Brockington is known to steal credit cards from gym lockers at various gyms in North Arlington and uses the cards throughout the region.

Brockington is a 37 year old black male. He is approximately 6’0” tall and weighs 250 lbs. The suspect has a tattoo on the right side of his neck. Brockington is known to frequent area gyms, and will take wallets and credit cards from both locked and unlocked lockers.

If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Robert Brockington, please contact Detective Steven Roeseler of the Arlington County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 703.228.4182 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

The gyms the suspect allegedly targeted in Arlington include the Gold’s Gym at 3910 Wilson Blvd, the Gold’s Gym at 1220 N. Fillmore Street and the Sport and Health at 1122 N. Kirkwood Road.

In response to questions and requests he has received regarding increasing patrolling since this information was released to the public on Wednesday (November 7), ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck points out that police typically do not patrol private property.

Crime Report: Man in Wheelchair Robs CVS

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:20 p.m. on 12/23/21) Last Thursday, a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Courthouse, according to this week’s Arlington County, Va. crime report.

Police say the man attempted to shoplift an electric razor and several bottles of wine. After initially leaving the store, a CVS employee reportedly wheeled him back in and asked him to replace the stolen goods. The employee backed off and let him leave again after the man brandished a knife, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Police caught up with the suspect at the nearby Courthouse Metro station. The knife was allegedly found under the seat of his wheelchair.

ARMED ROBBERY, 11/01/12, 2100 block of N. 15th Street. On November 1 at 6:09 pm, a subject in a wheelchair entered a pharmacy, placed several items in a backpack and left the store without paying for the merchandise. An employee went outside and pushed the subject back into the store to recover the items. The subject brandished a knife and fled the scene. Police located him a short distance away at the Courthouse Metro station. The knife was recovered on the subject and the merchandise was returned. William Louis [redacted] 45, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with armed robbery. He was held without bond.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Gas Leak Shuts Down Roads in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:35 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given. Road closures are now being lifted.

Earlier: A two square block area in the Buckingham neighborhood, near the Gates of Ballston apartment complex, has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian vehicle due to a gas line rupture.

Construction workers ruptured a 2 inch gas line outside an apartment building at the corner of 4th Street N. and N. Thomas Street, according to scanner traffic. Washington Gas is on scene making repairs while firefighters stand by.

Police have shut down 4th Street between Glebe Road and George Mason Drive, and N. Thomas Street between N. Henderson Road and N. Pershing Drive.

The road closures may soon be lifted, however, as Washington Gas has reportedly shut off the gas to the ruptured line.

File photo

Man Arrested for August Stabbing Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington man has been arrested for a brutal daylight stabbing near Clarendon in August.

Police say 28-year-old Elin Daniel Reyes of Arlington stabbed a man outside the Pio Pio restaurant at 3300 Wilson Boulevard on Thursday, Aug. 9. Reyes has been charged with malicious wounding and robbery. He’s expected to be arraigned later this week.

The charges are the result of an “extensive investigation,” police say. Reyes has been held at the Arlington County Detention Facility on a probation violation since Oct. 18, according to an Arlington County Police Department press release.

As reported in August, the victim of Reyes’ alleged crime was stabbed numerous times in the hands, shoulder, front, back and arms. His injuries were described as life-threatening at the time. The brutal stabbing occurred after the victim gave chase when he saw his car being broken in to.

Photo (above) courtesy ACPD. Warning: Readers may find one of the photos below disturbing.

 

Photos: Obama Critics Offer Cheap Gas on the Pike

By ARLnow.com

For just over two hours this morning, regular unleaded gasoline was $1.84 per gallon at the Pentagon Liberty gas station at 2300 Columbia Pike.

The cheap gas was organized by the New American Energy Opportunity Foundation, a group that’s in favor of increased domestic energy production in the U.S. and critical of the Obama administration’s energy policies. Among those on hand for the promotion were former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R), who stopped by to lend support, and the “Gas Can Man” a smiling gas can mascot that has been appearing at similar events in Ohio, Virginia and elsewhere.

Organizers say they planned to provide the cheap gas for about 150 motorists between 7:00 and 9:00 this morning. They said drivers started lining up a half hour before the event in order to take advantage of the offer. Some of the drivers, organizers said, asked whether they could still fill up even though they were Obama supporters (yes, they could).

Two Arlington police officers helped direct traffic during the event, preventing drivers on busy Columbia Pike from queuing up for the promotion. Still, traffic on eastbound Columbia Pike was slow as drivers stopped to ask the officers why they weren’t allowed to block the Pike’s right-hand lane in order to wait for one of the pumps to open up.

Signs placed around the station during the event blamed President Obama for higher gas prices.

“No CHANGE to fill my gas tank!” said one.

“Can Obama,” said another.

The $1.84 per gallon price of gas reflects the price just before President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, in the midst of the country’s economic crisis. Organizers said the president’s energy policies have led to an increase in gas prices since he took office.

The price of gas at the Citgo station down the street from the event today was $3.55 per gallon. By comparison, in June 2008 under President George W. Bush, the average price of gas in the U.S. was $4.10 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

Photos by ARLnow.com and courtesy of Scot Crockett, as labeled

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Halloween Crime Report: Pools of Blood Found Near Ray’s Hell Burger

By ARLnow.com

Halloween in Arlington was relatively quiet, but it was not without a few notable crimes.

The first incident started out as a mystery right out of a horror movie: several pools of blood were found this morning within a one block radius of Ray’s Hell Burger in the Rosslyn area.

One was found on the sidewalk along Wilson Boulevard, between N. Rhodes Street and N. Quinn Street.

Then, two more were reportedly found in the parking lot and elevator of an apartment building on the 1800 block of N. Quinn Street. Also at the scene: a bloody CVS bag with shampoo and cat food in it, according to a witness.

At first, police were baffled by the blood — no one had called the night before to report any nefarious acts in the area. One nearby resident even told police he had been up all night with the window open and hadn’t heard a thing. Eventually, though, investigators located the source of the gore: a man who lived in the apartment building in which the blood was found.

The man — who’s in his late 20s, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck — had a broken nose and a pair of black eyes. He didn’t remember much from the night before, but confirmed that he had been out drinking at nearby Red Hot and Blue, then left the restaurant and took a Lunesta sleeping pill. It was at that point that his memory got fuzzy. Police believe he got into some sort of altercation, but robbery was likely not the motive — he still had all his money and credit cards with him.

Police photographed and collected samples at the blood pools and then called the fire department to hose them down. Because the man couldn’t remember what happened, police don’t have much to go on in terms of finding a suspect.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Sternbeck said.

In Ballston, meanwhile, Halloween revelry took a dark turn when an intoxicated man hopped behind the bar of a restaurant on the 600 block of N. Glebe Road (in Ballston Common Mall) around 11:30 last night.

A female bartender confronted the man, at which time he grabbed a bottle of Amaretto and swung it at her, according to police. The bartender sustained a cut to her leg and was taken to Virginia Hospital Center. The man, identified as 30-year-old Jorge Zunagua of Alexandria, was detained by security, arrested and charged with malicious wounding.

Elsewhere in Arlington, a couple of instances of mischief were reported. One house was egged and one of its windows was somehow broken as a result, according to Sternbeck. He was unable to say where in Arlington the house was located.

In Virginia Square, pranksters rearranged the numbers on a gas station sign to suggest that regular unleaded gasoline was $7.43 per gallon. A passerby informed the manager of the station (Japanese Auto Service) of the prank.

Photo (bottom) courtesy James Webster

Crime Report: Ballston Buttocks Grabber

By ARLnow.com

A man grabbed the behind of a woman as she was walking home from the Ballston Metro station early Saturday morning, according to police.

It’s at least the third instance of a woman having her posterior touched inappropriately in Ballston over the past five months.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

SEXUAL ASSAULT, 10/27/12, 1100 block of N. Stafford Street. At 1:38 am on October 27, a female walking home from the Ballston Metro station was approached from behind by a Hispanic male on a bike when he grabbed her butt. The suspect fled the scene on his bike. He is described as approximately 25 years of age, about 5’6″ tall with a medium build. He had slicked back black hair and was wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve blue and white stripe polo shirt at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Woman Dies After Jumping from Bridge Over Four Mile Run

By ARLnow.com

A woman died this morning after jumping from the Columbia Pike bridge over Four Mile Run.

Several witnesses saw the woman jump, around 10:30 a.m. She landed on a paved section of the Four Mile Run Trail and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Arlington County Police are investigating the incident as a suicide. The woman was in her 30s and was known to have mental health problems, said police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

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

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ACPD, Red Top to Unveil Anti-Drunk Driving Vehicle

By ARLnow.com

Update on 10/29/12 — The press event has been postponed until after Election Day (Nov. 6) due to Hurricane Sandy.

Arlington County Police, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Red Top Cab are preparing to reveal a secret weapon in the fight against drunk driving.

The weapon: a Ford Crown Victoria that’s half ACPD police car and half taxi. The vehicle — pictured here on the county property yard several weeks ago, in an unfinished state — will be parked strategically throughout the county and used to remind party-goers of two options for getting back home after a night of drinking: in the back of a taxi or, if they try to drive drunk, in the back of a police car.

The vehicle, which is still being retrofitted and decorated, will be officially unveiled just before noon outside Arlington police headquarters on Wednesday (Halloween). The unveiling will coincide with WRAP’s SoberRide program, which will offer anyone 21 and over in the greater D.C. area a free taxi ride home from 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 to 6:00 a.m. the next day. The SoberRide phone number is 1-800-200-TAXI.

SoberRide operates on high-risk holidays: Halloween, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and Independence Day. Halloween is a particularly dangerous time to drive: 40 percent of all U.S. traffic deaths during Halloween are caused by drunk drivers, according to WRAP.

While the Halloween holiday isn’t until Wednesday, the anti-drunk driving message also applies this weekend, which is prime time for Halloween parties and bar crawls.

 

UPDATED: Criminal Investigation Launched into Moran Video

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 7:25 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department has opened a criminal investigation into a video of Patrick Moran, son of Rep. Jim Moran (D) and former field director of his reelection campaign.

The video, released yesterday by conservative activist James O’Keefe, allegedly shows Moran offering advice on how to cast fraudulent ballots. The advice was given to an undercover reporter who approached Moran with a scheme to fraudulently vote on behalf of 100 people.

Moran has since resigned from the campaign.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the Arlington County Police Department have been made aware of a video released yesterday allegedly depicting Patrick Moran, former Director of Field Operations for the Jim Moran for Congress campaign organization, assisting another to vote illegally.

The Arlington County Police Department has initiated a criminal investigation of this matter.

Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck promised a “thorough investigation” into the “election offense allegations.”

“All parties will be involved in the investigation,” he said, adding that “it would be irresponsible” to not investigate the video. Police will turn over the results of the investigation to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, which will then decide whether or not to prosecute.

Patrick Moran, in a statement issued following his resignation from the campaign, denied any wrongdoing.

“At no point have I, or will I ever endorse any sort of illegal or unethical behavior, he said. “At no point did I take this person seriously. He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him. In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior: joking or not.”

Arlington GOP Chairman Charles Hokanson, meanwhile, called for Rep. Moran to resign over the video during an interview that was scheduled to air this afternoon NPR, according to an Arlington County Republican Committee press release.

Update at 10:10 p.m. — Rep. Jim Moran issued the following statement tonight.

I don’t condone the actions of the right wing organization in question, but I recognize that this incident is teaching Patrick a tough lesson early in life. I know that my son’s intention was to deflect the line of questioning by this trained political operative bent on goading him into a specific response.

But the fact remains that the conversation drifted into discussions that reflected a serious error in judgment that Patrick wishes he could take back.

In life, if we learn from our mistakes, we move forward stronger, wiser, and committed to ensuring they are not repeated. I know Patrick will come out of this tough situation a better man for it.

The Moran campaign also issued a statement.

Our campaign welcomes a thorough investigation and we will fully cooperate. The incident involving Patrick was an unfortunate situation. While clearly lacking good judgment, Patrick’s unsolicited interaction with a right wing political operative seeking to trap him in a damaging conversation did not constitute an unlawful action. We are confident this unwelcome chapter in the campaign will be quickly and favorably closed.

Photo via YouTube/Project Veritas

Delays on I-395 Following Accident in HOV Lanes

By ARLnow.com

Drivers should expect significant delays on southbound I-395 following an accident in the HOV lanes.

Initial reports suggest the accident involved an off-duty police officer in his or her personal vehicle. The HOV lanes are partially blocked near Glebe Road as a result of the accident. HOV traffic is getting by on the shoulder.

At least one mainline southbound and northbound lane of I-395 is also blocked. Southbound traffic is currently slowing near the Pentagon.

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