police

Metro Conducting Train Explosion Drill This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Expect to see lots of police officers, firefighters and emergency vehicles if you use the Rosslyn Metro station Saturday night. Don’t worry, though, it’s only a drill.

Originally scheduled for Feb. 13 but postponed due to snow, the drill will simulate an explosion on a Metrorail train in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom stations. Arlington police and firefighters — along with emergency personnel from Metro and other jurisdictions — will test out new Mobile Emergency Response Vehicles (left), the first motorized rescue carts used by a U.S. transit organization.

The exercise will begin at 1:00 a.m. Sunday, but first responders and volunteer “victims” should arrive at the Rosslyn station around 11:00 p.m. Saturday. The exercise is expected to run until 5:00 a.m.

The Rosslyn station will remain open until the normal closing time, but after 11:00 p.m. Blue Line trains will share one track between Foggy Bottom and Arlington Cemetery and Orange Line trains will share one track between Foggy Bottom and Courthouse.

Police Issue W&OD Trail Warning

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Police Department has issued a warning to women who use the W&OD trail. A man has exposed himself at least 11 times on the trail since mid-January, police said today.

The latest incident happened on Monday night around 6:30. A woman was on the trail near North Quincy Street when a man exposed himself, police said. The man is described as a white male wearing dark-colored clothing with a black ski mask over his face.

Police say women should avoid walking or running on the trail alone and should avoid wearing headphones.

Anyone who uses the W & OD Bike trail and observes any suspicious activity is asked to contact police. Police have significantly increased patrols on the bike paths. They also urge people who frequently spend time on bike trails and other secluded areas to be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Women should avoid walking or running alone, and they are encouraged not to use devices such as headphones that prevent hearing someone approach. Police recommend that bike trail users carry cell phones so that they can call police as soon as incidents occur. People should report anyone observed acting in a manner not consistent with other bike trail users, such as loitering in the wooded areas, as suspicious behavior.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact Detective Comer at (703) 228-4243 or Detective Austin at (703) 228-4241.

DEVELOPING: Two People Stabbed on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:10 p.m. Monday — Police now say they know who the suspect is.

Two cousins, a man and a woman, were stabbed around 8:00 Sunday night at the Dorchester Apartments on Columbia Pike.

The victims were stabbed following a verbal altercation with an unknown male suspect, according to police spokesperson Lt. William Griffith.

The victims’ wounds were not life-threatening, Griffith said.

Police Investigate Indecent Exposure Near Middle School

By ARLnow.com

The details are still a bit sketchy, but Arlington police are investigating an indecent exposure incident that occurred this morning next to Williamsburg Middle School in north Arlington.

Sometime before 7:30 a.m., a man apparently jumped out of the bushes at 36rd Street and North Harrison Street as two female students walked by. We’re told he made “inappropriate gestures” and then ran off.

The incident was reported by a school resource officer. Police officers and a K-9 unit searched the area but couldn’t find the suspect. He’s described as white or Hispanic man with scruffy facial hair and a black cap.

Police do not believe this latest incident is related to the recent series of indecent exposure incidents on the W&OD trail.

Arlington Police Make St. Paddy’s Day DUI Arrests

By ARLnow.com

Arlington bars, including Ireland’s Four Courts, McGinty’s and RiRa, were packed last night. Arlington police, meanwhile, were well-prepared for the inevitable few revelers who decided to drink and drive.

After deploying extra patrols and a DUI checkpoint, Arlington police say they made at least seven DUI arrests yesterday. Four of the arrests were made at the checkpoint, according to police.

Crime Report: Stealing Money From Church

By ARLnow.com

Of all the places to steal from, someone apparently decided to break into the Arlington Forest United Methodist church last Thursday to swipe some cash. From the latest Arlington Police Department crime report:

BURGLARY 03/11/10, 4700 block of Arlington Boulevard. On March 11 between 3 pm and 6:30 pm, an unknown person forcibly entered a church and stole currency. There are no known suspects.

That’s just one of the brazen acts contained in the this week’s report, which also mentions the arrest in the Lyon Park homicide case and the remarkably long list of larcenies from auto.

The full report, after the jump.

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Car Break-Ins a Regular Occurrence in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A common theme has emerged from the Arlington Police Department’s daily crime reports. Thieves have been targeting parked cars in Arlington, breaking into multiple vehicles on the same block with surprising regularity.

The location of the crimes has varied, as has the type of items taken from the vehicles. Wheels, GPS navigation units, even coins have been reported stolen.

Yesterday alone the police department reported a total of eight auto break-ins.

At least 23 “larcenies from auto” have been reported since the first of the month, according to public figures. The police department only reports instances in which multiple cars were broken into by the same suspect or suspects, leaving the possibility that the actual number of auto break-ins is significantly higher.

However, police tell us the rate of break-ins is “pretty normal.”

It’s worth noting that 12 cars and motorcycles were reported stolen during the same period.

Arlington Man Charged With Murder in Pershing Drive Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Arlington resident Anner Rouben Hernandez-Estrada, 20, has been arrested and charged with a murder that occurred late Sunday in the Lyon Park neighborhood, police said Monday night.

Police have identified the victim as 20-year-old Cain Guevara-Estrada of Arlington. Investigators say Guevara-Estrada was found on a sidewalk in the 2800 block of North Pershing Drive, suffering from wounds to his upper body. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

A source tells ARLnow.com that Guevara-Estrada was stabbed to death. Police say they do not believe there is a connection between this crime and the stabbing death of Carl Diener on Dec. 29.

Hernandez-Estrada is currently being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Center.

“This is another great example of our detectives pulling together info and locating a suspect of a seriously violent crime within one day,” Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal said, referring to the quick arrest of an abduction suspect earlier this month.

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department.

G-40 Artists Arrested Before Show

By ARLnow.com

Two artists invited to showcase their work at the G-40: The Summit exhibition in Crystal City were arrested last month after allegedly defacing the roof of the building where the show is now being held.

Maura Judkis of the Washington City Paper reports that two street artists known as Scotch and Jik spent four days in the Arlington County lockup. Police said they caused more than $1,000 in damage to the Plaza Five building at 223 S. 23rd Street.

More from the Washington City Paper.

Crime Report: Stabbing and Armed Robbery

By ARLnow.com

A man was stabbed and a gas station was held up over the weekend in Arlington, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. An arrest was made in the stabbing, but the armed robbery suspect is still at large.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 03/06/10, 4300 block of N. Henderson Road. On March 6 at 2 am, one man stabbed another man on the arm inside their apartment. Police apprehended the suspect. Roderico Sanchez-Mendez, 22, of Arlington, was charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.

ROBBERY 03/07/10, 5600 block of Lee Highway. On March 7 at 11 pm, an unknown man entered a gas station displaying a handgun. He demanded money and received it before fleeing the store. The suspect was an African American male in his mid-20’s, 5’8″ to 5″10″ and 190 lbs. He was wearing all black clothing and was unshaven.

Also included in this week’s report is the series of indecent exposure incidents on the W&OD trail that we’ve been reporting.

The rest of the report, after the jump.

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Police Ramping Up DUI Patrols for St. Paddy’s Day

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Police Department says it will have extra DUI patrols on hand for St. Patrick’s Day next week. The department also announced that it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint at an as-yet undisclosed location in the county.

According to federal statistics, as many as 37 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes on St. Patrick’s Day had a blood alcohol content of at least .08, above the legal limit.

“For many Americans, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out to celebrate with friends and family,” Arlington police said in a statement. “Unfortunately, due to the large number of drunk drivers, the night out has also become very dangerous.”

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