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Man Stabbed During Street Fight Near Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) A man nearly died after being stabbed multiple times with a broken beer bottle early this morning.

The incident happened around 1:00 a.m. on the 1200 block of S. Scott Street, in front of the Wellington apartments, near Columbia Pike. Police say seven men had been drinking when a fight broke out between two of them in the middle of the street.

During the fight, one of the men was stabbed multiple times with a broken beer bottle. The man suffered stab wounds to his groin, leg and throat, and an arterial cut to his arm. The latter wound gushed blood, and police say all seven men were covered in blood by the time officers arrived on scene.

Officers arrived, secured the scene, and quickly applied a tourniquet to the wounded man, likely saving his life, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The victim was transported to George Washington University Hospital in critical but stabilized condition. Three other men were treated and released from Virginia Hospital Center. Among them, one man required stitches above the eye and staples to the head to close lacerations caused by a beer bottle.

Two men have been charged with assault by mob, Sternbeck said. Another man, 27-year-old Onon Turmandakh of Arlington, was charged with malicious wounding and assault by mob.

UPDATED: Man Attacked By Pit Bulls in Nauck

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:15 p.m.) A man is in the hospital tonight after being attacked by two pit bulls in the Nauck neighborhood — an attack the man’s two juvenile sons witnessed.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. The approximately 40-year-old man was getting out of his truck outside his home, near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and S. Oakland Street, when police say two pit bulls started attacking him without provocation. The dogs grabbed onto his arms as the man struggled, and as one of his sons watched from the truck.

“Someone call 911, the dogs are attacking my dad!” the boy screamed out of the truck’s window, according to police.

Another of the man’s sons ran out of the house and used a shoe in an attempt to fend off the dogs, according to an interview with the boy that aired on NBC 4. A neighbor called police, but the dogs let go and returned to their home before officers arrived. As the man was treated by paramedics, police located the dogs at a nearby townhouse. According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, one of the dogs charged an officer and was shot dead. The other was captured without incident is being held by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Neighbors have previously called police to report aggressive behavior by the dogs involved in today’s attack, Sternbeck told ARLnow.com. Investigators are still trying to get in contact with the dogs’ owner, he said. No word yet on whether any charges will be filed.

The victim was transported to George Washington University hospital for numerous puncture and bite wounds. Although the man lost a large quantity of blood, his injuries are thought to be non-life threatening, Sternbeck said.

A fire engine was called to the scene to wash the blood off of S. Oakland Street after the attack.

Two Dead After Eden Center Shooting

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:40 a.m.) Falls Church police are investigating a shooting at the Eden Center.

We’re told the shooting happened around 10:00 p.m. According to Falls Church police spokeswoman Susan Finarelli, one male was shot and was pronounced dead on the scene. Another male died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Eden Center is located at 6751 Wilson Boulevard.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash Brings Down Utility Pole on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Glebe Road was blocked in both directions in the area of 8th Street S., just north of Columbia Pike, due to an single-vehicle accident around 3:45 this afternoon.

A green Honda sedan collided with a utility pole, knocking the pole and numerous utility lines to the ground. As of 4:15, police had reopened one northbound and one southbound lane of Glebe, but authorities are advising drivers to avoid the area “for the next few hours.”

Metro says buses that use that stretch of Glebe Road may be delayed up to 20 minutes.

Police and Dominion crews remain on the scene. No word on any injuries.

 

Crime Report: Strike Three Edition

By ARLnow.com

In the latest Arlington County crime report, a routine traffic stop turned into something more serious when the driver reportedly claimed to be a police officer. According to police, the man was in fact not an officer, and the “bullet proof vest” he was wearing was anything but.

IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER, 07/06/12, 1700 block of S. Arlington Boulevard. At 2:15 am on July 6, a subject was stopped for a traffic infraction and indicated he was a police officer and was wearing a bullet proof vest. Upon investigation, it was learned he was not an officer and was wearing a baseball catchers vest under his clothing. Stephen Clark Robinson, 37, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, possession of a altered driver’s license, no operator’s license, and failure to ID.

Also from this week’s crime report — which includes items from the past two week, due to the July 4 holiday — a woman was robbed at gunpoint, on the Fourth of July, in the normally safe Pentagon City area.

ARMED ROBBERY, 07/04/12, 1300 block of S. Eads Street. At 5:25 am on July 4, a female victim was robbed at gunpoint for the tote bag she was carrying that had cash, credit cards and a phone. The suspect fled the scene in a beige minivan. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’0″ tall and 150 lbs. He was wearing dark clothing and had a black bandana around his face at the time of the incident.

Finally, police are looking for a man who stood on a toilet in the ladies’ room of the Ballston-area Harris Teeter, watching the ladies do their business.

PEEPING TOM, 07/07/12, 600 block of N. Glebe Road. Between 5:35 and 6:32 pm on July 7, an unknown male subject entered the female restroom in a grocery store and was seen standing on the toilet watching females use the restroom. The suspect fled the scene after being confronted by the store manager. The suspect is described as a white male, 30s, 5’7″-8″ tall and 200 lbs. He had long curly brown hair and was wearing a long sleeve green t-shirt and jeans at the time of the incident.

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

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‘Bait Car’ Video Shows Arrests of Would-Be Thieves

By Katie Pyzyk

The Arlington County Police Department has released video showing would-be thieves getting arrested after getting into a police bait car.

According to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, Arlington was the first jurisdiction in the D.C. metro to start using bait cars, back in 2002. Since its inception, the bait car program has helped police levy 200 criminal charges, with a 100 percent conviction rate.

When a potential thief enters the car, it triggers an alarm that signals police, and the hidden camera starts recording. Sternbeck said most of the individuals are startled when approached by an arresting officer, and are usually compliant.

Police target certain parts of the county based on crime rates, and use vehicles popular with car thieves. The program is fully funded through insurance companies.

The youngest individual police have picked up in Arlington for allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle was 10-years-old. The youngest caught allegedly attempting to steal items from inside the vehicle was 7-years-old.

Retired ACPD K-9 Passes Away

By Katie Pyzyk

The Arlington County Police Department has announced the passing away of one of its recently retired K-9 members.

Lobo worked for the ACPD beginning in 2004, and retired this past spring. Lobo had worked as a patrol dog and as an Explosive Ordinance Detection K-9, with his partner Corporal Tom Binckley. He successfully certified with the United States Police Canine Association in those two disciplines, and had been used as a tracker on numerous occasions.

During his seven years of service, Lobo also worked to keep Arlington residents safe at special events, such as the Arlington County Fair (pictured above). He was described as a social dog who enjoyed putting on demonstrations for civic and youth groups.

We’re told all of the ACPD members who had worked with Lobo were saddened to hear of his passing on Friday night.

ACPD: Woman Raped on Four Mile Run Trail

By ARLnow.com

(Update at 2:25 p.m.) A woman was raped on the side of one of the bike trails along Four Mile Run last night (Tuesday), according to police.

Investigators say the incident happened along the trail while it was still light outside — between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. The woman, 23, was jogging by trail mile marker 44, near Glencarlyn park, when a man, whom she had seen along the trail earlier, stopped her. He took out a 6-inch kitchen knife, dragged her into some tall vegetation, and took off her clothes and underwear, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

At one point the woman tried to run away but the attacker restrained her and threatened her with the knife, Sternbeck said. After the man was done sexually assaulting the victim, she ran home and drove herself to the hospital. Hospital staff called police at 8:49 p.m. In addition to the injuries from the sexual assault, the woman also sustained scratches to her wrists, Sternbeck said.

The man is described as a clean-shaven Hispanic male, between 5’5″ and 5’6″, 140 pounds, about 30 years of age. He had short black hair and brown eyes. The victim said he had a small head, a high-pitched voice, spoke limited English, and was wearing a green shirt that might have said George Mason University on it.

The victim has been an Arlington resident for 6 months, Sternbeck said.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the crime is encouraged to contact Detective Greg Sloan at 703-228-4198 or [email protected].

ACFD Reminding Residents About Fireworks Safety

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Fire Department is reminding residents to be careful when using fireworks at their homes on the Fourth of July.

Capt. Gregg Karl says the first step to fireworks safety is to make sure you’re using fireworks that are legal in Arlington County. Any fireworks purchased from an authorized fireworks stand in the county should comply with county regulations, Karl said. Those regulations specify that the fireworks emit a flame or spark less than 12 feet in the air.

Any fireworks that  are “projectiles, explode, emit flames or sparks to a distance greater than twelve (12) feet are prohibited by Arlington County,” according to the county’s fireworks safety web page. The fire department also has a 42 page long list of fireworks approved for use in Arlington.

To prevent your fireworks from lighting anything on fire, Karl recommends placing them away from structures and watering down any nearby grass or brush.

“If you’re going to do any [legal fireworks], make sure you’re away from buildings and combustibles,” he said. “If you’re on grass, make sure you wet the ground around it. Please use extreme caution due to the dry conditions.”

Karl noted that fireworks should not be lit on county streets or sidewalks.

Other personal fireworks safety tips from the county include:

  • Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Sparklers, considered by many the ideal “safe” firework for the young, burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing. Children cannot understand the danger involved and cannot act appropriately in case of emergency.
  • Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
  • Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks. Never shoot a firework at or near another person.
  • Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
  • Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned. Douse and soak them with water and throw them away.
  • Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a malfunction or fire.
  • Never ignite fireworks in a container, especially a glass or metal container.
  • Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas.
  • Store fireworks in a dry, cool place. Check instructions for special storage directions.
  • Observe local laws.
  • Never have any portion of your body directly over a firework while lighting.
  • Don’t experiment with homemade fireworks.

Arlington fire marshals will be patrolling the county and responding to resident complaints about fireworks tomorrow, Karl said. Any illegal fireworks will be confiscated and a warning will be issued. Repeat offenders may be issued a summons to appear in court.

Police will also be on the lookout for illegal fireworks, but will be more focused on traffic control efforts connected to the fireworks display on the National Mall. The fireworks are scheduled to run between 9:10 and 9:30 p.m. Viewing areas in and around Arlington include the Iwo Jima memorial, the Air Force Memorial, Gravelly Point, Rosslyn Gateway Park and Long Bridge Park.

“Our Special Operations Section is going to be out there directing and monitoring all traffic,” said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Man Impaled on Apartment Pool Fence

By ARLnow.com

A man had his lower leg impaled on the fence surrounding an apartment complex’s pool late last night (Sunday).

The incident happened between 11:30 p.m. and midnight at the Wellington apartment complex, at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Scott Street. The 29-year-old Arlington resident was was at the pool after hours and was under the influence of alcohol when he attempted to climb back over the fence, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The man slipped, fell, and was impaled on the fence through the left calf area.

Two people — a man and a woman — were with the man at the time and attempted to help him. The male friend of the victim helped to lift him and keep him from dangling upside down.

Police and firefighters arrived on scene with heavy technical rescue gear. Firefighters cut off sections of the fence and eventually were able to lower the victim down to a stretcher, with a piece of fence still attached to his leg. The victim was transported to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax hospital.

Sternbeck said no trespassing charges were filed because police were unable to get in touch with the apartment’s management company.

 

Police Warn of Replica Weapon Dangers

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Police chiefs and sheriffs from a dozen Northern Virginia law enforcement agencies gathered for a press conference today to warn about the dangers of “look-alike or replica guns used by children and young adults.”

Arlington County Police Chief M. Douglas Scott, who participated in the news conference, said replica weapons — including realistic-looking Airsoft and BB guns — are being used by kids for play and by criminals for robberies. In all cases where replica guns are used in public, Chief Scott said, they put the person holding the weapon at great personal danger.

“The message today was really to parents and kids about the dangers of using this kind of weapon in a public place,” Scott said. “People see the weapons and they believe them to be real, and they call police.”

“Police officers have to make a split second-decision,” Scott continued. “If someone turns and brandishes a weapon… it could be tragic for everybody and we want to avoid that if at all possible.”

Scott said those brandishing replica guns in public might also be confronted by armed citizens, especially in Northern Virginia where concealed weapons permits are fairly common.

“They may be confronted [by armed citizens] in a way they did not expect,” Scott said. “There’s great danger in that… even though they did not intend to harm anybody.”

Scott said replica weapons, which are cheaper than real guns, are also increasingly being used by criminals for robberies.

“We’ve had a number of robberies this year alone where later we determined… the weapon used by the robber looks like a replica weapon,” Scott said. According to the department, there have been at least four confirmed incidents involving a BB or Airsoft gun in Arlington so far this year.

Arlington County Police say they’re planning to launch a public education campaign about replica weapons. The campaign is expected to include outreach to students by school resource officers, as well as outreach to local civic associations.

This article has been updated to remove an erroneous reference to legal differences between the use of a real gun and a fake gun in the commission of a crime.

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