police

Work Stoppage After Construction Worker Electrocuted

By Katie Pyzyk

Construction has stopped on the new apartment building at 2201 N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park, following the electrocution death of a worker.

According to police, two individuals were doing work on an electrical panel inside a closet. One of the workers walked away to get more supplies, and then heard a strange noise. Upon returning, he found the victim being electrocuted. The co-worker ran to get a board or some other object to knock the victim away from the electrical panel, but by the time he returned, the worker was unconscious.

Emergency crews administered CPR at the scene, and the victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with critical injuries. The man, believed to be in his 20s, died shortly after. According to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the department is working to find and notify the victim’s family members, who do not live in the area.

Work has been suspended at the site and police remain on scene while OSHA performs an investigation.

Although the apartment complex started leasing earlier this year, construction has been plagued with delays. The first wave of renters was expected to move in starting in July, but so far the building is not ready for inhabitants.

Arlington Police Help Wake Up Drunk Passenger in Ocean City Taxi

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police helped to wake up an intoxicated passenger in a taxi cab that had traveled all the way from Ocean City, Md. early Labor Day morning.

Police responded to the cab, which was parked on S. Joyce Street across from Pentagon Row, around 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning. They were told that the passenger was intoxicated and, following the 150+ mile drive from Ocean City to Arlington, the driver was not able to wake him up.

Police arrived on scene and assisted in waking up the man. Within a few minutes, the cab was on its way back to Ocean City.

Lauren Satchell, a manager for the cab company, Ocean City Taxi, said long distance rides like that one are not unheard of. In fact, she said the company handles one or two such requests per week. Recent destinations, according to one driver, included College Park, Md. and New York City.

“We go anywhere, as long as there’s money for the ride,” Satchell said. According to Satchell, passengers on such rides are required to make a $400 cash deposit prior to the trip. If there’s money left over at the end, it’s refunded. Another manager said the ride to Arlington would have likely cost around $350.

As for why passengers would travel such a far distance by cab, we’re told that the reasons vary, but usually involve some sort of emergency that requires them to get somewhere as soon as possible, or a situation that leaves them without transportation home.

“Usually, when someone goes from Ocean City to far away it’s because something happened, like they got pulled over and their license was suspended, or they come down with a friend and their friends left them,” Satchell said.

Satchell said she could not confirm why police were called on Monday, but did say that the company has a policy regarding unresponsive passengers.

“Legally we are not allowed to touch them to wake them up,” she said. “So if we can’t get them up by screaming, our procedure is to call the police department.”

County Urges Caution on the Roads as Kids Head Back to School

By ARLnow.com

In response to parent concerns about the safety of students walking to school, Arlington County is beefing up the police presence around schools next week.

The County Board directed police to shift more resources to school zones for the first week of school, according to a county press release (below). Police officers, sheriff’s deputies, parking aides and crossing guards will direct traffic around schools starting on the first day of school (Tuesday, Sept. 4). Police will be monitoring 18 additional locations around the county during the first week of school, the county said.

In addition to traffic monitoring and enforcement, the county is conducting a public education campaign — with electronic signs being placed in strategic locations around the county to remind drivers and bicyclists about increased foot traffic on the first day of school.

In a press release, the county noted that between 1,000 and 1,500 additional students are expected to walk to school or catch a ride with parents this school year, in comparison to recent years. Over the summer, Arlington Public Schools implemented a controversial new busing policy that will restrict school bus service to students who live outside designated “walk zones.”

The county issued the following press release about its back-to-school pedestrian safety push.

Responding to the Arlington Public School Board’s 2012-2013 transportation decision, Arlington County government today announced new measures to raise driver awareness and help ensure the safety of students and parents walking to County schools.

“With the first day of school upon us, between 1,000 and 1,500 more kids this year will be walking or riding with a parent to school than in recent years. It’s important for each of us to take special care when we see schoolchildren walking in the mornings and afternoons, and to be patient with parents driving their kids to school,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes.

“Arlington County Police, at the direction of the Board, will be out to make sure that things go smoothly — putting more crossing guards at intersections, closely monitoring driving behavior near schools, and taking steps to raise driver awareness,” Hynes said.

Police Officers, Sheriffs Deputies, Crossing Guards and Public Service Aides will be directing traffic in and around school zones across the County starting Tuesday, September 4, the first day of school, to assist with an expected increase in traffic. Community members and commuters are reminded to stay alert and to yield to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings and in school zones.

ACPD’s Special Operations Section’s Motor Unit will coordinate additional crossings and monitor major roads and highways near schools as needed. Additional police coverage will be at 18 locations across the County the first week of school, and evaluated for safety. Highway message boards will be placed at key intersections, reminding motorists that a new school year has begun.

The start of the school year coincides with the Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week (September 9th through 15th). Special emphasis will be placed during the week on public awareness and enforcement of traffic laws governing how to share the road.

Drivers are reminded to:

  • Obey speed limits, which may change during school zone times
  • Watch for students walking and riding bikes to school
  • Do not pass a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers

Walking students and all pedestrians are reminded to:

  • Cross the street at marked crosswalks and wait for the signal
  • Look before you cross and follow the direction provided by School Crossing Guards
  • Always walk on designated sidewalks or paths and never in the road when a sidewalk is present

Bicyclists are reminded to:

  • Follow the rules that apply to motor vehicles when riding on the road
  • Obey all traffic signs and traffic signals
  • Yield to pedestrians

Serious Motorcycle Accident on Washington Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating a serious accident involving a motorcycle on Washington Boulevard in Lyon Park.

The call for an accident involving a motorcycle and a vehicle near the intersection of Washington Blvd and Pershing Drive came in around 8:25 a.m. Washington Boulevard has been shut down for at least an hour while police took photos and investigated the accident. Those lane closures are expected to be lifted shortly.

No word yet on the condition of any of the victims.

Photo courtesy @jghazi

Video: Botched Armed Robbery of a 7-Eleven

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police have released surveillance video from the botched armed robbery of the 7-Eleven store near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive.

The robbery attempt happened at about 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19.

The video shows an approximately 5’8″ tall white male enter the store wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a bandana over his face, while pointing a handgun at the store clerk. A second suspect, a 5’7″ tall black male in a white v-neck t-shirt, then enters the store behind the first suspect and appears to throw some sort of firecracker.

The fireworks made a loud bang and startled the suspects, the clerk later told police, and the two men ran from the scene empty-handed. Arlington police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects.

“Anyone with information on the identities of these individuals is asked to contact Detective John Donaggio at 703.228.4167 or [email protected],” a police press release said. “To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).”

Police Situation Blocks Lanes on 14th Street Bridge

By Katie Pyzyk

Two lanes of the inbound 14th Street Bridge are blocked due to a police situation.

A man who had parked mid-span and was sitting on the ledge was taken into police custody just before 4:00 this afternoon. D.C. and Arlington police, along with a police boat, were all said to be on the scene.

D.C. police have jurisdiction over the incident and are reportedly in the process of clearing the scene.

Two Arrests in Suspected Meth Lab Bust

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 1:40 p.m. on 12/23/21) Two men have been arrested in connection with last night’s bust of a suspected meth lab in Virginia Square.

Arlington resident William [redacted], 31, and Leonard [redacted], 44, have been arrested and charged with Attempted Manufacturing of Methamphetamine.

Police were called to an apartment building at 801 N. Monroe Street around 9:30 p.m. on Monday for a dispute. When they got inside, officers noticed items consistent with the manufacturing of meth.

Due to the volatile nature of methamphetamine production, residents on three floors of the 225-unit building were evacuated as a safety precaution. Hazmat and bomb squad teams assisted police in their investigation of the suspicious materials.

Once the scene was deemed safe, members of the ACPD Vice Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant, and arrested [redacted] and [redacted].

The police investigation is ongoing.

BREAKING NEWS — Police Investigate Possible Meth Lab in Va. Square

By ARLnow.com

Update on 8/28/12 at 1:00 p.m. — Police confirm they have arrested two men in connection with the suspected meth lab.

Update at 1:05 a.m. — Residents of the second and fourth floors are being allowed back in the building. The bomb squad is packing up its gear, but police and the hazmat teams are remaining on the scene, according to Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

An apartment building just a block away from the Virginia Square Metro station has been partially evacuated as police and firefighters investigate a possible meth lab discovered in an apartment.

The area around the Virginia Square Apartments, a 225-unit high rise at 801 N. Monroe Street, has been cordoned off by authorities. Police, firefighters, the bomb squad and a hazmat team are all on the scene, and a decontamination area has been set up. Numerous evacuated residents have gathered outside the Metro station.

So far police are not officially confirming that they’re investigating a meth lab, only officially confirming that they found a “hazmat situation” while responding to a domestic incident on the third floor of the building. Police and the fire department chose to evacuate the second, third and fourth floors of the building, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Lt. Michael Watson.

The homemade production of methamphetamine is dangerous and meth lab explosions happen on a regular basis across the country.

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ACPD Wins Award for Traffic Safety Program

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Police Department has been honored for its traffic safety program.

The department was recognized as having the best traffic safety program in Virginia, for municipal police departments with 301 to 450 sworn officers. The award was announced during the recent Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police conference.

ACPD said it accomplished its traffic safety goals through “education, enforcement and engineering,” and through a number of initiatives, including:

  • Traffic Accident Reduction Program (TARP)
  • Response to citizen complaints utilizing a traffic complaint database
  • Selective enforcement in areas designated as problem locations
  • Safe Routes to School program
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian safety
  • Participation in Virginia’s Street Smart campaigns
  • Participation in the Click or Ticket occupant safety programs

“Providing over 70 years of professional police services to the citizens and guests of Arlington County, ACPD continues a long commitment to the enforcement of all traffic laws,” the department said in a press release. “The primary goal of the department traffic safety program is to facilitate the safe and efficient flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”

Crime Report: Accusations Lead to Roommate Fight

By ARLnow.com

 

A man is in jail after allegedly beating up his roommate over money.

The incident happened yesterday (Tuesday) evening in the Nauck neighborhood. Police say a knife-wielding man beat up his roommate after accusing the victim of stealing several hundred dollars. Police responded and swarmed the area when a neighbor called police to report seeing the victim bleeding and hunched over outside the house, with the suspect standing by him with a knife in hand.

The victim — who wasn’t actually stabbed, according to police — was treated and released for minor injuries.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 08/21/12, 3600 block of S. Kemper Road. On August 21 at 4:35 pm, two roommates got into a dispute over money and a physical altercation ensued. One of the roommates pulled a knife and beat up the victim roommate, who had to be transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Jose Alejandro Mendez Cruz, 19, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding. He was held without bond.

On Sunday morning, meanwhile, a suspect cut a hole in the metal security gate of a Pentagon City store and stole $28 in loose change. Police say the suspect could have gotten away with much more — $700 in cash was sitting next to one of the registers.

BURGLARY, 08/20/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. Between 9:40 pm on August 19 and 9:40 am on August 20, an unknown subject(s) cut a hole in a metal security gate and entered a business, opting to steal approximately $28 in loose change instead of the $700 in cash next to the register. There is no suspect(s) description.

The rest of this weeks’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.

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Helicopter Called In To Track Robbery Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police called in the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter last night to assist in the search for a robbery suspect.

Around 9:45 p.m., a suspect threw hot coffee on the front desk attendant at the Best Western hotel on the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road. The suspect then hopped the counter, stole $450 in cash and a cell phone, and fled the scene in a white sedan, according to police.

A K9 unit and the helicopter were called in, but police were ultimately unable to locate the suspect.

“The suspect is described as a black male, 6’0” tall and 170 lbs,” according to the police report. “He was wearing a black hat, reading glasses, black athletic jacket, white athletic shorts and white shoes at the time of the robbery.”

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