A man brandished a gun and stole cash during a robbery of a store in Pentagon City over the weekend.
The name of the store was not specified, but police say the robbery happened between 6-6:30 p.m. this past Saturday, on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street — the same block as the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.
The suspects had purchased items from the store an hour prior to the incident, and were trying to return them when a dispute over the return turned into a robbery, according to police. No one was hurt and two suspects remained at large as of Monday.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ROBBERY, 2021-03200158, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 6:35 p.m. on March 20, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 5:07 p.m. the two suspects purchased items from a retail store and returned at approximately 6:00 p.m. to return the items previously purchased. A dispute ensued over the return during which Suspect One attempted unsuccessfully to reach over the counter and remove cash from the register. Suspect One then brandished a firearm and demanded cash from an employee. The suspects then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. Upon arrival, police canvased the area with negative results. No injuries were reported. Suspect One is described as a 25-30 year old Black male, light complexion, approximately 5’9″ and 200 lbs. He was wearing a black ski mask, gray hoodie and distressed blue jeans. Suspect Two is described as a 25-30 year old Black male, dark complexion, with short dreads. He was wearing a black jacket and glasses. The investigation is ongoing.
The Arlington County Police Department has quietly removed more of its radio channels from public monitoring.
Without a public announcement, ACPD started to encrypt two of its main radio channels for police communication earlier this month. A department spokesperson confirmed the move after inquiries from ARLnow, saying it’s part of a regional plan.
“As of March 1, 2021, Arlington County finalized adoption of the National Capital Region (NCR) Interoperable Encryption Plan,” said ACPD’s Ashley Savage. “In our primary radio zone, the adoption resulted in further encrypting the administrative channel, 1E, to protect the personal and confidential information of members of the public interacting with law enforcement as well [as] encrypting our last talk around channel, 1C, for tactical and operational security reasons.”
The “talk around” channel is used by officers at the scene of an incident to communicate with one another, and to relay updates to Arlington’s Emergency Communications Center. Monitoring it allowed hobbyists and news media to better understand what was happening during significant police incidents.
For the media, it also allowed more informed decisions about whether to send reporters and photographers to certain potential stories, and would sometimes help with formulating more targeted questions to ask of a police spokesperson or witnesses. Without it, reporters for broadcast stations and other outlets, including ARLnow, will be more dependent on official statements from police, which can lack key details, or accounts from witnesses, which can be hard to obtain and verify.
ACPD said that it will keep its main dispatch channel unencrypted, which will allow the public and media outlets to hear police dispatches and some initial communication between officers on scene and dispatchers. The department also highlighted the other official means by which it posts information, like a daily crime report on weekdays.
“The police department remains committed to transparency and our primary radio channel, 1A, where calls for service are dispatched, remains unencrypted,” said Savage. “The department also shares information related to criminal incidents through the Daily Crime Report, Online Crime Map, Open Data Portal and press releases. We also use Arlington Alert to provide emergency notifications in the event of a public safety threat to the community.”
ARLnow reported exclusively last summer — as a wave of protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd swept the country — that ACPD was considering encrypting more channels.
At the time, the local branch of the NAACP expressed concerns about police transparency. Since then, the department has implemented a body-worn camera system and participated in a county-run examination of police practices. The final police practices report made no mention of police radios or encryption.
Two men broke into Olive Lebanese Eatery at 1100 N. Glebe Road in Ballston early Wednesday morning and stole hundreds of dollars in cash, restaurant owner Yvonne Risheq tells ARLnow.
An Arlington County police report says that two suspects smashed their way into the restaurant and fled with stolen cash registers in a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Around the same time, a similar burglary happened on the 4700 block of Lee Highway. From the crime report:
BURGLARY, 2021-03170043, 4700 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 9:00 a.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the late report of a commercial burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 6:00 p.m. on March 16 and 9:00 a.m. on March 17, an unknown suspect(s) forced entry into the business and stole a cash register and an undisclosed amount of cash.
These are just two in a rash of burglaries targeting cash-based local businesses that have the Arlington County Police Department concerned.
On February 22, ACPD released a statement that said the department had investigated 21 commercial burglaries so far in 2021. Since then, spokesperson Ashley Savage confirms that four more business burglaries, including the two this week, have occurred — for a total of 25. Savage also noted a recent attempted theft.
Many of the burglaries follow a similar pattern: suspects arriving in the middle of the night, forcing entry by smashing a glass door or window, removing registers or safes with cash, and fleeing in a waiting vehicle.
The entire crime takes mere minutes.
This is exactly what happened at Olive Lebanese Eatery, says Risheq.
At 2:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, security cameras captured two men throwing a boulder through a glass window, entering the building, and stealing the cash registers.
“They were in and out within one minute,” she says. “They knew what they were doing and exactly what to get.”
She says that two cash registers were stolen, each holding between $250 and $350.
Risheq believes it was pre-planned due to their precision and the fact that, when looking back at the surveillance video from earlier in the day, there was a man who had come into the restaurant and looked around for five minutes before exiting.
“He didn’t order anything, didn’t pick anything up. He was inside… just really looking at how things flowed,” she says. “To me, that’s very suspicious.”
In the end, the damages caused by the break-in will probably cost more than the $500 to $700 stolen, she says. They have to fix the glass window, the door, repair their sign, change all the keys and locks, and replace a few other items in the restaurant.
“No one was here and nobody got hurt,” says Risheq. “That’s the most important thing.”
The restaurant closed on Wednesday for repairs and re-opened on Thursday.
Olive Express Mediterranean Café opened in Ballston in October 2019, joining locations in Reston and Herndon. Later, the restaurant changed its name to Olive Lebanese Eatery.
Risheq says that they initially suffered a 90% drop in sales due to the pandemic, but catering has picked back up somewhat in recent weeks. The hope is that when people begin to return to the office — potentially this summer — business will slowly return to normal.
As for dishes she recommends to new customers, Risheq says the Lebanese kabobs or the falafel are the way to go.
“We make our falafel from scratch,” she says. “We’ve won awards for our falafel and humus.”
Due to their location in an office-heavy portion of Ballston, near a busy road, they’ve always felt safe. With the break-in, that illusion of safety is now shattered — but it won’t deter her from continuing to do business in Arlington.
“I was really surprised by the outpouring of support yesterday from residents and the community,” Risheq says. “I’m glad we made the move [to Arlington]. We do love it here.”
Alleged Carjacking Crew Busted in Arlington — “The audacious spree, police officials said Thursday, accounted for five of 21 armed robberies and armed carjackings in the D.C. region linked to the same four-person crew in January and February… Two were arrested Feb. 5 and Feb. 19. The other two were apprehended a week later after a SWAT team converged on them in a hotel in Arlington.” [Washington Post]
Va. Expands Eligibility for Retail Vaccinations — “The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced today that Federal Retail Pharmacy partners will expand within Phase 1b to offer vaccines to individuals who are 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions, as well as frontline essential workers.” [Virginia Dept. of Health]
Still a Thing: Homes with Septic Tanks — From Chris Slatt on Twitter: “I was today years old when I learned that there are 38 residences in Arlington County with septic tanks.” [Twitter, Arlington County]
Maintenance Worker Exposes Himself — “5300 block of N. Carlin Springs Road. On March 16, police received a message on the Telephone Reporting Unit phone line regarding an indecent exposure. The victim stated that at approximately 3:30 p.m. on March 15, while having maintenance completed inside her residence, the suspect exposed his genitals to her.” [ACPD]
Rosslyn-Based Rosetta Stone Acquired — “IXL Learning, developer of personalized learning products used by more than 12 million students, announced that it has acquired Rosetta Stone, the leader in technology-based language education.” [PRNewswire]
Origin Coffee Lab Profiled — “For the coffee, Mekonnen relies on a 5-kilo-capacity Probat P5-2 roaster to turn out fresh roasts. The machine also serves as an industrial centerpiece and natural focal point, one the company plans to highlight more through educational events and tastings as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.” [Daily Coffee News]
A month ago, Arlington County police announced stepped-up patrols in and around Crystal City, following a string of carjackings.
Since then no new carjackings have been reported, and ACPD says it has taken five guns off the streets via proactive enforcement.
More from a press release:
In February, the Arlington County Police Department launched a criminal patrol detail to address recent violent crime trends in Crystal City and the surrounding neighborhoods. The detail takes a two-pronged approach to reducing criminal activity in the area: education and enforcement. Officers conduct high-visibility enforcement patrols while engaging community members and business stakeholders about important crime and safety information.
As a result of the proactive investigative efforts of officers working the detail, 6 weapons have been recovered including 5 firearms and 1 pair of brass knuckles. Additionally, there have been zero carjackings or thefts of idling vehicles in the Crystal City area since the detail began. Officers are committed to maintaining public safety through dedicated crime prevention strategies and initiatives. Our efforts to prevent and reduce crime in Arlington County are enhanced by the active involvement of the community and members of the public are encouraged to continue following these safety tips for preventing motor vehicle thefts.
There have been 18 carjackings in Arlington since the start of 2020, including 13 along the Route 1 corridor. By contrast, there were three carjackings from 2018-2019.
The police department provided the following list of arrests and incidents that have occurred since the high-visibility patrols started.
(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) A Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman was arrested in Arlington over the weekend.
Broderick Washington, a second-year player on the Ravens, allegedly damaged five vehicles with a metal object at the Dolley Madison Towers apartment complex (2300 24th Road S.) early Sunday morning. He’s also accused of damaging an apartment door and window.
“At approximately 4:20 a.m. on March 14, police were dispatched to multiple reports of a male suspect breaking into vehicles with a metal object,” Arlington County police said in a crime report Monday. “Upon arrival, officers located a suspect matching the description provided by the reporting parties and took him into custody without incident.”
“The investigation determined the suspect allegedly damaged five vehicles and destroyed the entry door and window to a residential building,” the crime report continues. “Broderick Washington, 24, of Baltimore, MD, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor Destruction of Property (x5), felony Destruction of Property, and Tampering with a Vehicle.”
An ACPD spokeswoman declined to provide more information on the incident.
“To ensure the integrity of the prosecution, there are no additional details to release at this time beyond what is included in the daily crime report,” ACPD’s Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
Washington was released on bail and is set for a court hearing on Wednesday, March 31, according to court records.
The 24-year-old defensive tackle was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, after a standout college career at Texas Tech. Washington was not a major presence on Ravens’ defensive line last year, but is being mentioned as a breakout candidate for the 2021 season.
The team issued a brief statement about the arrest around noon today: “We are aware of the matter involving Broderick Washington. We have spoken with Broderick about this matter and will continue to monitor the situation.”
A thief stole a man’s motorcycle while the rider was suffering a medical emergency, according to Arlington County police.
The incident happened just after noon this past Friday, on the 200 block of N. Glebe Road in Buckingham. Police say a man rode his motorcycle to a pharmacy, then suffered “a minor medical emergency” while inside.
Medics arrived and started to treat the rider on scene.
“After being checked by medics, he realized his motorcycle was missing and reported the theft,” according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
A witness also “reported observing the suspect allegedly approach the motorcycle and begin to tamper with it,” police said. The suspect’s description was broadcast on police radio, and the stolen motorcycle — which had a distinctive color pattern — was soon spotted.
“A Virginia State Trooper located the suspect in the area of I-66 at exit 73 pushing the motorcycle,” per ACPD. A 21-year-old man from Falls Church “was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny: Motor Vehicle. He was held on a secured bond.”
Separately, two other auto crimes of note were included in the most recent ACPD crime report.
First, nine Hondas were broken into and stripped of airbags overnight Friday into Saturday, near the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Glebe Road.
LARCENY FROM AUTO (Series), 2021-03130069, 4700 block of 20th Road N. At approximately 7:14 a.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined an unknown suspect(s) forced entry into nine Honda vehicles and stole the airbags. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.
Second, a suspect broke into five vehicles “with a metal object” at an apartment complex near the I-395 and S. Glebe Road interchange. The suspect, a 24-year-old Baltimore man, was arrested on scene.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (Significant), 2021-03140038, 2300 block of S. 24th Road. At approximately 4:20 a.m. on March 14, police were dispatched to multiple reports of a male suspect breaking into vehicles with a metal object. Upon arrival, officers located a suspect matching the description provided by the reporting parties and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the suspect allegedly damaged five vehicles and destroyed the entry door and window to a residential building. [The suspect] was arrested and charged with misdemeanor Destruction of Property (x5), felony Destruction of Property, and Tampering with a Vehicle.
Blown Transformer Knocks Out Power — A power transformer blew Friday night near the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. George Mason Drive, knocking out power to the surrounding neighborhood and parts of Ballston and Virginia Square, and prompting a road closure due to the fire department response. [Twitter, Twitter]
Catholic Schools Walk COVID Tightrope — “No one — not students, parents or staff, public or private, liberal or conservative — prefers learning while locked down during a pandemic. But area Catholics are using the crisis forced on us all to innovate boldly. They feel blessed.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Crowds May Flock to Arlington for St. Paddy’s — “Bar owner Mike Bramson, who operates the Clarendon PopUp Bar… says he’s expecting a full house in VA — something he might not see in DC. ‘I do believe people are traveling to Virginia spaces. It’s frustrating to have one location being overbooked [Clarendon Pop-Up] and another location losing business [Rebel Taco DC],’ says Bramson. He says the main deterrent in DC right now is the six-person table limit and 10 PM alcohol curfew.” [Washingtonian]
Beyer Supports Moon Mission — “There is support in Congress. ‘I clearly want to keep building on what we’ve done already,’ Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), the new chair of the House Science subcommittee on space and aeronautics, said in an interview. ‘The 2024 goal may have been a reach, so let’s see what we can do to get our moon landing back on track.'” [Washington Post]
Arlington Police K-9 Retires — “Please join ACPD in wishing a happy retirement to K9 Jax as he finishes his final tour of duty today! We are grateful for his years of dedicated service to the Arlington Community through patrol and narcotics detection.” [Twitter]
Senior Sees Son For First Time in a Year — “97-year-old Mary Cavanaugh has finally seen her son Mike Cavanaugh and daughter-in-law Marie Cavanaugh after more than a year. They’re all fully vaccinated, and with strong hugs and kisses, they were able to reunite as a family at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads.” [NBC 4]
A walk to bring attention to racial injustice, the first of its kind since last summer, is taking place on Saturday and with it will come a series of road closures.
The 5K walk will start in the rear parking lot of Dorothy Hamm Middle School at 4100 Vacation Lane in Cherrydale and will follow a path winding path around the neighborhood. Masks are required at the event. Organizers say participation in the walk and yoga event is limited to women and girls, but men are welcome to volunteer to help out.
The Arlington County Police Department has announced a series of “rolling road closures” associated with the walk, which will be put in place over the course of about two hours.
START: 4100 Vacation Lane (Hamm Middle School, rear parking lot)
RIGHT onto Vacation Lane
RIGHT onto Military Road
CROSS Old Dominion Road onto N. Quincy Road
RIGHT onto Lee Highway
LEFT onto N. Taylor Street
RIGHT onto N. 17th Street
CROSS N. Glebe Road
CONTINUE on N. 17th Street
RIGHT onto N. Culpeper Street
RIGHT onto Lee Highway
LEFT onto Lorcom Lane
RIGHT onto Vacation Lane
FINISH: 4100 Vacation Lane (Hamm Middle School, rear parking lot)
“We come together to stand in solidarity, one year since the murder of Breonna Taylor, to call attention to the racial injustice and violence committed against ALL Black and Brown women,” says the event website. “Together we’ll honor and celebrate the resilience of Black and Brown women during this collective healing event.”
“The event proceeds will go to support the continued advocacy of Arlington For Justice and Black Parents of Arlington, Black women-led organizations, with a portion being donated to the Breonna Taylor Foundation,” the website notes.
While there were plenty of protests in Arlington over the summer, this event may be the first of its kind since then. It is also the first organized, in-person public event in Arlington to prompt an ACPD traffic advisory press release since Mayor Pete came to town prior to the pandemic lockdown.
Future of Fairlington Fire Station — “A community process to determine the future of Fairlington’s 1940s-era, one-bay fire station has been on hold during the COVID crisis, but may be tackled later in the year, a top community leader says. The Arlington government in late 2018 closed Fire Station #7 over concerns about the structural integrity of its flooring.” [Sun Gazette]
Arlington’s Affordable Housing Effort — “Some jurisdictions are building more homes than others. Of 10 localities analyzed by HAND’s Housing Indicator Tool, D.C. and Arlington County are closest to meeting some affordable housing targets recommended by the Urban Institute… For its part, Arlington County has excelled at adding more homes for low-middle-income households, but has built virtually none for the most vulnerable households in the last two years.” [DCist]
Women in Stolen Car Arrested Near Crystal City — “An officer observed the vehicle enter Arlington County on I-395 NB. With the assistance of additional units, a traffic stop was initiated. The occupants of the vehicle were initially noncompliant and were observed reaching around the vehicle and storing items on their persons, but were detained without incident. During the course of the investigation, the vehicle was confirmed as stolen; distribution quantities of marijuana were located and determined to be associated with the driver of the vehicle.” [ACPD]
Cicada Swarm Coming Soon — “They’ve been buried — alive — for 17 years. And now, Brood X, one of the world’s largest swarms of giant fly-like bugs called cicadas, is ready to rise. When the ground warms to 64 degrees, they’ll stop gnawing on tree roots and start scratching toward the surface by the hundreds of billions.” [Washington Post]
Changes for Patent Offices in Shirlington? — “The Alexandria-based gatekeeper for U.S. patents and trademarks is working with the General Services Administration on a plan to shed excess space in Northern Virginia previously occupied by employees now working from home under ‘maximum telework’ imposed by the federal government to slow the spread of Covid-19, according to sources familiar with the situation. That could include relinquishing as much as a combined 1 million square feet in Arlington’s Shirlington area as well as its main headquarters in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood.” [Washington Business Journal]
Sun Gazette Revamps Website — “The Sun Gazette over the past decade or so has not had its own full-service Website. But if you’re reading this, you can see that has changed, as we threw the switch over the weekend on a site that, hopefully, will become the one-stop shop for the communities we serve.” [Sun Gazette]
Police Looking for Missing Teen — From Arlington County Police Department, as of Monday evening: “ACPD is seeking the public’s assistance locating 16-year-old Michael… Last seen ~3PM in the 2600 block of S. Kent Street. Described as a W/M, 5’8″ tall, 138 lbs, with blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing a blue jacket, jeans and an orange backpack. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Michael is asked to contact the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.” [Twitter]
More Students Heading Back to School — Updated at 8:45 a.m. — Additional @APSVirginia students will be commuting to the classroom as part of a phased return to hybrid, in-person learning. Our students depend on all of us to keep them safe. Slow down, remain alert & watch for students walking and biking.” [Twitter]
