police

Airport Altercation at Reagan National

By ARLnow.com

Two women were involved in an unusual altercation in Terminal A of Reagan National Airport this morning.

The alleged scuffle started around 8:40 a.m. when one of the women inadvertently struck the other with a suitcase, according to airport spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis. The woman who was holding the suitcase later told airport police that the woman she struck then stood up and hit her several times.

While airport police were escorting the suitcase holder to the Arlington County Magistrate’s Office to swear a warrant against the other woman, the alleged attacker claimed that she was injured, Mickalonis said. Arlington County paramedics were called to treat her.

No word yet on whether any charges will be filed in connection to the altercation.

File photo

Crime Report: Teen Girl Touched Inappropriately

By ARLnow.com

A 13-year-old girl was touched inappropriately while walking home from school on Tuesday. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 06/21/11, 5500 block of Columbia Pike. On June 21 at 2:50 pm, a 13 year-old girl was walking home from school when an unknown male jogged toward her and touched her chest. The victim yelled and ran home. The suspect is described as a white Hispanic male in his 40’s of average height and build. He had a shaved head and was wearing a loose fitting blue t-shirt with white writing on the front and khaki shorts.

The rest of the crime report, including a man accused of setting his roommate’s car on fire, after the jump.

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More on Monday’s Courthouse Bank Robbery

By ARLnow.com

Police have released more information about yesterday afternoon’s armed robbery of the Wachovia Bank in Courthouse.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Robbery Unit is seeking the public’s help to identify a man who robbed an Arlington bank yesterday afternoon.

The suspect entered the Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank in the 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011. He displayed handgun and demanded money. After receiving cash, the suspect fled on foot.

The suspect is described as an African American male in his late 20’s, 5’10” and 160 lbs. At the time of the robbery he wore a black hooded sweatshirt with silver writing on the front, black pants, and a mask over most of his face. The suspect was also carrying a dark colored bag.

Anyone who has information about this robbery or the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703 228-4242, or Detective Donald Fortunato at (703) 228-4197. Det. Fortunato can also be reached by emailat [email protected].

The crime was the third bank robbery in Arlington so far this month. The first two occurred at BB&T Bank branches in Clarendon and on Lee Highway. The suspect in those robberies was described by police as a white male in his 50s.

BREAKING NEWS — Roads Closed Near Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:55 a.m. — News outlets have identified the man who was taken into custody as Yonathan Melaku of Alexandria. Melaku is a Marine Corps reservist, according to Fox News.

Update at 11:00 a.m. — The scene has been cleared and all roads around the Pentagon have reopened.

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) A man has been taken into custody after he fled from police who observed him in Arlington National Cemetery around 1:30 a.m., the FBI said this morning.

The man, who is in his 20s, had a backpack containing materials that police found suspicious, according to Brenda Heck of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Those materials were found in bags within the backpack, but have since been determined to be non-explosive. Heck says authorities are still performing tests on the materials.

A police interview of the man led officers to a suspicious vehicle near the Pentagon. A search by the Arlington County bomb squad revealed nothing suspicious in the vehicle (pictured above, being towed from the scene), Heck said. She added that no suspicious ‘devices’ have been found.

Authorities are now saying that they believe the man “acted alone,” despite earlier reports that one or two people were being sought by police. Police are still not confirming details about the suspect — reported to be a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ethiopia — except to say that he was uncooperative with investigators.

Washington Boulevard is still closed between Columbia Pike and Route 110. Route 110, which was closed earlier this morning, has reopened. Arlington National Cemetery was closed this morning while law enforcement agencies conducted their investigation but has also since reopened.

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Bank Robbery on Lee Highway Prompts School Lockdowns

By ARLnow.com

The BB&T Bank at 5515 Lee Highway was robbed around lunchtime today.

The suspect fled the bank on foot, prompting authorities to lock down at least two schools in the area. Parents of Nottingham Elementary and Williamsburg Middle School students received the following message from administrators today.

Today at approximately 12:20 p.m. we were alerted by the Arlington Police about a bank robbery nearby at Lee Highway and Harrison Street. The suspect reportedly left the bank on foot.

As a precaution, the schools “secured the building,” which means all students came indoors from recess, PE or other outside activities. At the same time, we made plans for students to either remain securely in the relocatables or to move into the main building. All exterior doors were locked and classes continued inside. Approximately 30 minutes later, the Police called again to give us the “all clear” and we resumed normal operations.

This is the third reported robbery of a BB&T Bank so far this year. BB&T branches in Rosslyn and Clarendon have been robbed over of the course of the past six months.

Update at 3:55 p.m. — Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia says that the response to the incident did not meet the school system’s definition of a “lock-down,” in which classrooms are locked. Rather, the APS student handbook defines the actions taken today as a “secure the building” response.

Update at 6:55 p.m. — Arlington County Police have issued a press release about the robbery, after the jump. Photos of the suspect are available here.

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EXCLUSIVE: Authorities Investigate Flag Burnings

By ARLnow.com

Police and the Arlington Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a series of flag burnings in the Williamsburg and East Falls Church neighborhoods of North Arlington.

A total of 27 decorative flags were burned overnight on a quiet couple of blocks between Quantico Street and Sycamore Street, near Bishop O’Connell High School and Tuckahoe Elementary, according to fire department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. Neighbors say the plastic flags were recently placed in yards by the Boy Scouts, an annual Flag Day tradition.

Investigators believe whoever burned the flags did so just before 5:30 a.m. The fires caused the plastic flags to melt onto plants, yards and walkways. No word on a motive, but one neighbor on 27th Street theorized that the vandal or vandals were trying to send a message.

“There are some people who object to the flags for political reasons,” she said. “There are ways to protest if you don’t believe in something, but destructive protests like this do not accomplish goals. It does not accomplish anything.”

The resident acknowledged, however, that the flag burnings could also be a random act of “pure vandalism,” adding that said she could not remember anything like this happening in the 11 years she has lived in the neighborhood.

“It’s dangerous,” she said. “It could have caused a real fire.”

Anyone with information about the burnings is asked to call Deputy Fire Marshal Paul Frank at 703-228-4644. More photos, after the jump.

Hat tip to Colleen Creighton

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Arlington Schools Giving First-Time Substance Offenders a ‘Second Chance’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County launched a new initiative today to address youth substance abuse. Officials say the two-year pilot program, the first of its kind, may eventually become a model for other communities nationwide.

The so-called “Second Chance” program will allow middle and high school students caught with alcohol or marijuana to avoid school suspensions and criminal prosecution. To enter the program, students must be first-time offenders and must have the active participation of their parents or guardians.

Students referred to Second Chance by schools, police, courts or parents will attend an educational, three-day “early intervention” program, as well as a subsequent “booster session.” The time in the program will be considered an excused absence from school. Supporters say that the “second chance” allows students to avoid the negative impacts of school suspensions and other traditional forms of punishment.

“To suspend a student for five or ten days, to have them sitting at home and missing school — maybe their parents are there or maybe they’re not — is not an effective way to deal with someone who’s just getting involved in drugs and alcohol,” said Arlington School Board member Abby Raphael. “We need to intervene, we need education, we need to get the parents involved, and we need to [prevent students from] falling further behind in school.”

The mandatory parental component of the program, Raphael said, is crucial to the program’s success.

“We know that to really be successful in preventing kids from using drugs and alcohol… parents have to be involved,” she said.

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Crime Report: Girl Touched Inappropriately

By ARLnow.com

Two teenage girls were the victim of perverted behavior on the streets of Arlington over the past week. Last Tuesday, according to the Arlington County crime report, a 14-year-old girl was touched by a man while she was walking home from school.

SEXUAL BATTERY, 06/07/11, 2600 block of John Marshall Drive. On June 7 at 2:30 pm, a 14 year-old female was walking home from school. An unknown male walking in front of her abruptly turned around and touched her chest. The suspect is described as a white male in his late 20’s, 5’7″ and of an average build. He had dark hair and was wearing a white t-shirt, gray mesh shorts, a white baseball cap and black sneakers.

Then, on Monday, a man exposed himself to a 16-year-old girl in Virginia Square.

EXPOSURE, 06/13/11, 3800 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 13 at 9 pm, a 16 year-old female was walking home from work when an unknown man exposed himself in front of her. A taxi driver heard her yell and ran to assist. The suspect fled and the cab driver drove the girl to the police department. The suspect is described as a Middle Eastern or Indian male in his late 20’s, 5’8″ and 180 lbs. He was wearing a light colored shirt, khaki pants, and “Crocs”.

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

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Arrests Are a Relief For Friends of Carl Diener

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) Carl Diener was a fitness nut — a big, strong man who, having retired from the federal government, decided to apply his love of exercise by working part-time at two local fitness facilities.

When employees at one of those facilities — the YMCA Arlington Tennis & Squash Center at 3400 N. 13th Street — first heard yesterday that two men had finally been arrested for Carl’s 2009 murder, at least one woman burst into tears.

“We’ve all been sort of waiting around and hoping [police] find who did it,” said Audrey Giberman, who works at the Tennis Center and who formed a close bond with Carl through the years. “He’s always been on our mind. It was a horrible, horrible tragedy.”

Giberman recounted vivid memories of the morning when Carl, a Lyon Village resident, did not show up to work as usual.

“The morning he didn’t show up, Sport and Health (Diener’s other fitness center employer) called me and said… ‘Carl’s not here.’ My front desk started calling all the hospitals. A Sport and Health member actually went to Carl’s apartment,” Giberman remembered. “When it was officially announced by police… it was very hard. Actually some of the staff went for counseling, it was such a shock.”

Now, Giberman and others are hoping that the arrests will help shed light on those lingering, unanswered questions surrounding the murder.

“You hear all these things, and you just want to know why,” she said. “You just want closure.”

Police have identified the two suspects arrested for Carl’s murder as Roger K. Clark III (top), 20, of Severn, Maryland, and Javon Martin (bottom), 24, of Washington D.C. Both men are now being held in the Arlington County Detention Center. So far, authorities have not revealed a motive in the case.

Police Investigate Suspicious Package Near Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:25 p.m. — Charges have been filed against a North Carolina man.

Willie Amaz Braddy, 41, of Rocky Mount, N.C., was taken into state police custody and charged with reckless driving and for concealing a weapon without a valid permit. The incident remains under investigation.

Update at 6:30 a.m. — Virginia State Police have issued the following statement about last night’s incident.

At 8:30 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper observed a vehicle backing up the southbound I-395 ramp to Route 27 in Arlington County Monday (June 12, 2011). The trooper stopped the vehicle on the ramp. During the course of the traffic stop, a handgun was discovered inside the vehicle, as well as a suspicious-looking package on the front passenger seat.

Virginia State Police bomb technicians along with the Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to investigate the suspicious package Shortly before midnight, it was determined that the vehicle contained no explosive or suspicious device.

The driver has been taken into state police custody and charges are pending at this time. The investigation continues. The I-395 ramp will be re-opened shortly.

Update at 11:50 p.m. — The scene has been cleared and the road is being reopened.

Earlier: Authorities are investigating a suspicious package in a vehicle on Washington Boulevard, near the Pentagon.

Police have shut down both directions of Washington Boulevard between Route 110 and the far eastern end of Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest a pickup truck had a suspicious item inside on the front seat.

“Virginia State Police are currently investigating a suspicious package discovered inside a vehicle stopped on the ramp from I-395 south to Route 27 in Arlington County,” Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement just before 11:00 p.m. “The investigation resulted from a traffic stop made by a Trooper at approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday.”

At one point a traffic camera showed what appeared to be a bomb squad robot operating at the scene.

H/t to John Antonelli

 

At 8:30 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper observed a vehicle backing up the southbound I-395 ramp to Route 27 in Arlington County Monday (June 12, 2011). The trooper stopped the vehicle on the ramp. During the course of the traffic stop, a handgun was discovered inside the vehicle, as well as a suspicous-looking package on the front passenger seat.
Virginia State Police bomb technicians along with the Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to investigate the suspicious package Shortly before midnight, it was determined that the vehicle contained no explosive or suspicious device.
The driver has been taken into state police custody and charges are pending at this time. The investigation continues. The I-395 ramp will be re-opened shortly.

 

 

 

Police Gear Up for ‘HOV Awareness Day’

By ARLnow.com

HOV violators are due for an unpleasant commute tomorrow.

The Arlington County Police Department is partnering with Virginia State Police and other local law enforcement agencies to conduct a “Capitol Region HOV Awareness Day.” Officers will be conducting “saturation patrols” during the morning and evening rush hours in an effort to boost enforcement of High Occupancy Vehicle laws on I-395, I-66 and other local highways.

Two HOV Awareness Day operations last year resulted in police issuing more than 2,300 summonses and arresting two fugitives.

Authorities released the following press release about the operation this evening.

Virginia and Maryland law enforcement agencies are partnering June 14, 2011, to conduct another “Capitol Region HOV Awareness Day.”

The comprehensive traffic-safety enforcement operation will involve High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) saturation patrols by Maryland State Police, Virginia State Police, Alexandria Police, Arlington County Police,
Fairfax County Police and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police (MWAA PD).

Virginia law enforcement will be targeting HOV violators on Interstates 66, 95, 395, and the Dulles Toll Road. Maryland State Police will be conducting its HOV enforcement efforts on Interstate 270 and Route 50.

During both morning and evening rush hours, law enforcement will be utilizing moving and stationary enforcement methods to detect and deter HOV violators. Police will be adjusting their enforcement methods throughout the operation in order to prevent traffic backups and added congestion.

With the increased presence of troopers and officers on the highways, motorists are reminded of Virginia’s “Move Over” law. The “Move Over” law requires motorists to change to another travel lane or, when not able to, to cautiously passing emergency personnel stopped out on the road.

Two multi-state HOV enforcement operations were conducted in May and July of 2010 and yielded a combined total of 1,669 HOV violations. The one-day initiatives also resulted in more than 2,300 summonses and arrests for other violations and offenses, to include the arrests of two fugitives.

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