Update at 1:00 p.m. — And just like that, it’s back open. It was a State Police police cruiser that was blocking the road, but we’re still not sure why.
It’s not clear what’s going on, but the eastbound lanes of I-66 are completely blocked at Lynn Street, just before the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Traffic is backing up at the Rosslyn tunnel.
A quick public service announcement: If you’re going to file a false police report, you might want to first make sure you left the pot at home.
FALSE POLICE REPORT-ARREST 06/16/10, 1800 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 16 at 10:45 am, a woman called police to report that she was robbed of currency. Investigation revealed that the woman actually gave the money to an acquaintance. Regena Sayles, 42, of Suitland, MD, was charged with Filing a False Police Report and Possession of Marijuana. She was held on a $3,000 bond.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County Crime Report, after the jump.
About 25 police officers and SWAT team members invaded a quiet North Arlington neighborhood Thursday night for what was thought to be a barricade situation.
It started when a man who recently split with his girlfriend posted something to Facebook that made her think he might be suicidal, police said.
The man has a law enforcement background and owns numerous guns. When police were unable to reach the man on the phone, they began preparing for a possible standoff at his home, near Marymount University and Washington Golf and Country Club.
As residents returning from work drove by slowly to see what was going on, sharpshooters and SWAT team members in camouflage tactical gear began to gather at North 25th Road and Vermont Street to go over a plan for making entry into the house. An unmarked mobile command center was also brought in for the operation.
With the road closed and all personnel in place, police finally moved in toward the house. Once inside, they discovered the man was not there.
Arlington’s new red light cameras went live this morning.
The cameras, perched at four busy intersections, will issue warnings for the next 30 days as part of an “awareness period.” Then, starting in mid-to-late July, violators will start receiving $50 fines.
If the red light camera program is deemed a success by the police department and the county board, expect to see up to 16 additional cameras — the maximum allowed by Virginia law — popping up around Arlington.
Within the next two weeks, the Arlington County Police Department is expected to announce that it is joining the Project Lifesaver program, which helps more than 1,000 public safety agencies locate adults and children who wander due to various disorders.
The program provides police departments with LoJack-like tracking equipment and training courses that allow them to find wander-prone people who have been outfitted with specialized wrist or ankle transmitters.
The program is especially geared toward those with Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia, and similar cognitive conditions.
Project Lifesaver International, the organization behind the program, says its technology helps ensure that missing people are found quickly and safely, without the need to organize large, expensive searches. The organization says it’s responsible for 2,142 rescues in the past 10 years, with a 100 percent success rate.
It’s not clear how quickly Arlington County would be able to implement the system after the announcement.
Flickr pool photo by mennyj. See more photos from Saturday’s Columbia Pike Blues Festival here.
Aftermath of Fight Outside Clarendon Grill Caught on Video — A late night fight outside Clarendon Grill left a man battered and unconscious in the middle of North Highland Street early Sunday morning. The aftermath of the fight was captured on video. Metro Transit Police, who were the first on scene, could be seen handcuffing two men as a crowd gathered around the victim. The victim eventually regained consciousness and was loaded into an ambulance.
Arlington Tops Parenting Magazine “Best Cities” List — Arlington County was named the country’s “Best City for Families” by Parenting Magazine last week. The methodology of the rankings seems dubious, but hey, we’ll take all the praise Parenting wants to send our way, right? Among the qualities the magazine found appealing: “Fabulous schools, great home values, and an attractive unemployment rate.” Plus “very few registered sex offenders.”
Delegates Ebbin and Hope to Hold Prison Reform Town Hall — Two members of Arlington’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly will be holding a town hall meeting on prison reform Thursday night. Delegates Adam Ebbin and Patrick Hope, along with Alexandria Delegate Charniele Herring, will discuss the “state of incarceration” with a panel that includes representatives from two non-profit groups and from the offices of Gov. Bob McDonnell and Sen. Jim Webb. The two-hour event will start at 7:00 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street South).
Arlington Real Estate Prices Rise — Real estate prices continue to rise in Arlington, reports local Realtor Laura Rubinchuk. In May, prices of townhouses and detached single-family homes rose 4 percent and 5 percent respectively compared to 2009. The condo market was up 1 percent.
ACPD Investigating Thefts from Government Buildings — A group of thieves is targeting secured government buildings in Northern Virginia. According to The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder, the thieves wait for people to swipe their security badges at entrances, nonchalantly follow them in, and then proceed to steal valuables from unoccupied offices. The Arlington County Police Department is conducting a joint investigation of the break-ins with the U.S. Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service.
Crystal Cup Results — Yesterday we brought you a recap of the Air Force Cycling Classic’s Clarendon Cup, which was held on Saturday, but neglected to mention the results of the second half of the Classic — the Crystal Cup, which was held in Crystal City on Sunday. Luckily, CyclingNews.com covered the race here. Among those taking the podium following the women’s race was local rider Erin Silliman.
An employee with Metro’s Track and Structures/Systems Maintenance Department was arrested by Metro Transit Police at the Pentagon City Metro station Thursday night, a Metro spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow.com this morning.
“MTPD officers on patrol at the station observed a man who appeared to be unsteady on his feet around 5:15 p.m,” Metro spokesperson Ron Holzer said in an statement. “The man began to run as the officers approached. He then struggled with the officers when they apprehended him… He was charged with being drunk in public and impeding an officer with force (assault).”
The employee was off-duty at the time of his arrest, according to Holzer. He was in his uniform but “his shift had ended many hours before his arrest.”
The man was pepper sprayed during the struggle with police. At that point Arlington paramedics were called to evaluate him. After he was evaluated, officers could be seen pulling an empty glass bottle from the employee’s back pocket.
The man, who has not been identified, has been working for Metro since December 2006, Holzer said.
He could be overheard yelling as police officers surrounded him on a public sidewalk near the Pentagon Centre shopping center.
“I’ve been arrested so many times it’s hilarious,” he said at one point.
In this week’s Arlington County Crime Report, we find two cases of young women assaulting police officers.
ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 06/02/10, 1000 block of S. Hayes Street. On June 2 at 8:30 pm, a woman was caught shoplifting at a mall. She then spit on a security guard and assaulted a police officer. Shanta Watson, 18, of Washington D.C., was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Assault and Battery, Identity Theft and Petit Larceny. She was held on a $7,500 bond.
ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 06/05/10, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 5 at 12:40 am, an officer was arresting a suspect when the suspect’s girlfriend assaulted the officer. The female assaulted a second officer as well. Stephanie Vogeley, 21, of Arlington, was charged with two counts of Assault on Law Enforcement and Drunk in Public. She was held on a $5,000 bond.
The rest of the report, after the jump.
Police had to resuscitate a man Sunday morning after passersby spotted him sitting motionless in Four Mile Run near Shirlington.
The man rolled face down into the creek after officers arrived around 8:00 a.m. As onlookers gathered on the bike path above, officers pulled the man from the water and began performing CPR.
The man was alive when he was taken to the hospital, although his condition is unknown at this time.
Police say they believe he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
Photo courtesy of Richard Burgess.
Two people were taken into custody early Monday morning during an apparent break-in at Gunston Middle School.
A police officer arrested the pair at gunpoint after responding to the school on a routine call for a tripped motion detector. The officer first spotted a broken window then encountered the suspects inside.
Initial reports suggest the suspects may have been attempting to steal laptops from the school’s library.
