police

Police Investigating Burglary at Crystal City Pawn Shop

By ARLnow.com

Royal Pawn in Crystal City was burglarized this week by a pair of thieves who smashed their way in and stole a number of valuables.

The burglary happened early Tuesday morning. Police were dispatched to the store at 507 23rd Street S. around 4 a.m.

“Upon arrival, it was determined that two suspects forced entry to a business, causing damage, and stole numerous items of value,” according to the Arlington County Police Department.

“Suspect One is described as a male, 18-25 years old, 170-190 lbs., wearing a black mask, hoodie with the hood up, sweat pants, white sneakers, and wearing gloves,” ACPD said. “Suspect Two is described as a Black male, 18-25 years old, 160-170 lbs., wearing a white mask, a jacket with the hood up, pants, white sneakers, carrying a backpack, and wearing gloves.”

The suspects reportedly fled in a dark-colored Dodge Challenger.

Royal Pawn opened its 23rd Street location in Crystal City in 2017, replacing the former Grill Kabob restaurant. Alexander Rizer, vice president of the family-owned company — which some might recognize from its cable TV commercials that air during football games — said that he’s worried about a recent increase in crime.

“It seems more like the police department in the area has been stifled and has not been able to do their full duties,” Rizer said, adding that he has “nothing against the police department.”

“What it used to be before, we’d see Arlington PD going up and down the streets, everything was taken care of,” he explained. “Now we’re not seeing that as often anymore. Now we’re having to take measures into securing spaces much heavier.”

“We’ve made some drastic changes and it won’t be happening again, I can tell you that,” Rizer said of the burglary.

The store is currently “100% open” for business, he noted.

Jo DeVoe contributed to this report. Photo via Google Maps.

Police Asking for Help Identifying Ballston Sexual Battery Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man accused of assaulting a woman in Ballston.

The alleged crime happened Tuesday morning on the 4200 block of Wilson Blvd, the same block at Ballston Quarter mall.

Police say the victim was cleaning a bathroom when the man pushed her and slapped her buttocks in two separate incidents nearly a half hour apart. The suspect fled and remains at large.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is seeking the public’s assistance identifying an abduction with intent to defile and sexual battery suspect captured in surveillance images.

At approximately 10:32 a.m. on November 17, police were dispatched to the 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 9:47 a.m., the victim was cleaning a bathroom inside of a business when the male suspect approached her and requested to use it. As the victim attempted to move away from the stall, the suspect blocked her path, began to push her inside and slapped her buttocks. The victim resisted and attempted to call for help, at which point the suspect backed off and left the area on foot.

At approximately 10:13 a.m., the victim was at a nearby closet when she heard noise in the area of the bathroom. As the victim went to investigate, she observed the suspect in the bathroom again. The suspect blocked her path, pushed her back towards the closet, and again slapped her buttocks. He then pushed her further into the closet, grabbed her neck, and attempted to close the door to the closet behind them. The victim resisted and began to call for help, at which point the suspect fled.

Arriving officers canvased the area with negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male in his 20’s, approximately 5’10”-6’2″, and 170-190 lbs., with a full beard, wearing a white hat, blue jeans, gray winter coat, and white sneakers.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to contact Detective H. Molina of the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at [email protected] or 703-228-4208. Information may also be provided to the Arlington County Police Tip Line at [email protected], or the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Police: Would-Be Rapist Scared Off By Witness

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are searching for a man they say tried to rape a woman near Courthouse last night.

The incident happened around 10:45 p.m. in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood.

The victim was walking her dog alone when the suspect allegedly started chasing her. He fell on top of her at the corner of Fairfax Drive and N. Rolfe Street, then tried to remove her pants, but a witness started yelling at the suspect and he ran of, according to ACPD.

Officers on the ground and a police helicopter tried to find the man, but the search was unsuccessful.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating an attempted rape in the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood that took place on the evening of November 17, 2020.

At approximately 10:47 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1300 block of N. Rolfe Street for the report of an attempted rape. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was walking her dog along the N. Rhodes Street bridge over Arlington Boulevard when she noticed the male suspect begin to follow her. The victim picked up her pace to a run in an attempt to separate herself from the suspect who then began to chase after her. At the corner of Fairfax Drive and N. Rolfe Street, the victim and suspect fell to the ground. The suspect ended up on top of the victim, told her not to talk and attempted to remove her pants. A witness heard the victim yelling and called out to the suspect. The suspect froze and the victim was able to run away. Responding officers established a perimeter and canvased the area with negative results.

The suspect is described as a Black male in his 20’s, approximately 6’0″, 225-250lbs with broad shoulders. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, dark jeans and a navy-blue face mask at the time of the incident.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective J. McGrath at 703-228-4244 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided to the Arlington County Police Tip Line at [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Map via Google Maps

Police Searching for Suspect Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Officers on the ground and a helicopter overhead searched for a criminal suspect near Rosslyn this morning.

Police were investigating a “domestic incident” this morning around 9 a.m. when they spotted the suspect and he took off running. He was able to evade officers after running down the Custis Trail and then through the woods in the area of the MOM’s Organic Market on Lee Highway, according to scanner traffic.

The exact nature of the incident for which the suspect is wanted is unclear.

The man reportedly changed clothes while on the run. Numerous Arlington County Police and U.S. Park Police officers, including at least one K-9 unit, looked for the man on the ground. The U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter was also overhead, helping to search from the air.

The search was largely called off by 10:45 a.m., though police remained on scene investigating.

https://twitter.com/samerfarha/status/1329086049864224772

This morning’s suspect search follows another helicopter-assisted suspect search last night, in the Courthouse area, following an attempted sexual assault.

Police Use ‘Stop Sticks’ to Apprehend Juveniles in Stolen Car

By ARLnow.com

The aftermath of a felony traffic stop on northbound I-395 near Pentagon City last night.

The Arlington County Police Department says that officers used spikes, known as Stop Sticks, to blow out the tires on a stolen vehicle that was spotted by an automated license plate reader. Two suspects each under the age of 18 were subsequently apprehended.

“At approximately 9:43 p.m. on November 16, police received a License Plate Reader hit for a stolen vehicle,” an ACPD crime report said. “An officer located the vehicle traveling northbound on I-395 and activated his emergency equipment as an additional officer successfully deployed stop sticks.”

“The vehicle came to a stop and the two juvenile occupants were taken into custody without incident,” the crime report continues. “The driver was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. Charges for the passenger are pending.”

Arlington is in the midst of a wave of vehicle-related crime, including break-ins, thefts and even carjackings.

Last night’s police action on the highway blocked a number of northbound lanes for more than an hour, leading to backups, as seen in the video below.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A First for ACFD — “A veteran firefighter in Arlington County, Virginia, is breaking barriers as she rises through the ranks. Tiffanye Wesley is the first African American woman named deputy fire chief in all of Northern Virginia.” [NBC 4]

County Wants Feedback on Camera Policy — ” The Arlington County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Fire Marshals’ Office are seeking the public’s input and feedback on draft Digital Evidence Management System policies, regulating digital audio and video recordings captured by body worn cameras, in-car cameras, and interview room cameras.” [Arlington County]

Guilty Plea in Murder Case — “Jose Angel Rodriguez-Cruz, 54, pleaded guilty in Stafford County Circuit Court on Monday morning in the killing of 28-year-old Marta Haydee Rodriguez, who was last seen walking to a bus stop in Arlington, Virginia, in April 1989.” [WTOP, Washington Post]

Vehicle and Business Break-ins — Arlington County police are investigating a pair of business burglaries in the Rosslyn area, and series of vehicle break-ins in the Barcroft neighborhood, according to Monday’s crime report. [ACPD]

Gov. Backs Marijuana Legalization — “Governor Ralph Northam today announced that he will introduce and support legislation to legalize marijuana in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The announcement comes as the Northam Administration prepares to release a report on the impact of legalizing adult-use marijuana.” [Commonwealth of Virginia]

Amazon Order Boosts 23rd Street — “By early May, more than 400 meals a day were leaving the Freddie’s kitchen and reaching firefighters, police, hospitals, and area residents in low-income housing… Due to the size of Amazon’s order, he enlisted a dozen other nearby restaurants. This joint effort ‘breathed life, energy, and activity into the independent restaurants that make up the core of 23rd Street.'” [Amazon]

Reopening Groups Blast Teachers — “Our coalitions of over 5,300 parents, teachers and Northern Virginia residents unite today to express dismay and concern of the latest efforts by a group of Northern Virginia education associations pushing Governor Northam to remove the option for in-person school for all of Virginia’s children.” [Arlington Parents for Education]

Local Districts Pause Reopening — “As COVID-19 cases surge, Fairfax County Public Schools will delay bringing back early HeadStart, pre-K and kindergarten students, plus some students who receive special education services… [and] Falls Church City Public Schools announced Tuesday that they will temporarily ‘pause’ in-person learning for the week of Thanksgiving.” [NBC 4, InsideNova, Washington Post]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City Development Approved — “The Arlington County Board today approved JBG Smith’s plan to develop Crystal Gateway, a nine-story office building with ground-floor retail,  at 101 12th Street S. in Crystal City. Community benefits associated with the project include the developer conveying 54,500 sq. ft. of land for Gateway Park, which will connect Long Bridge Park to Crystal City.” [Arlington County]

Teacher Groups Banding Together — “Representatives from teacher associations in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington and Manassas Park will host a news conference Monday urging a return to virtual-only learning. In a statement Sunday evening, the Fairfax Education Association said it ‘stands with our colleagues from the Northern Virginia region to ask the Governor to return the Commonwealth to a full Phase II of the reopening plan and to recommend that our schools return to a fully virtual method of instruction.'” [InsideNova]

Feedback Sought for Police Chief Search — “The County Manager has launched a search for a new leader of the Arlington County Police Department. During the first phase of the search, the County is interested in hearing from the community. ‘We value the perspective of every resident and business,’ said County Manager Mark Schwartz… You can offer feedback through December 11.” [Arlington County]

Joint Chiefs Chair’s Wife Saves the Day — “When a bystander collapsed at the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Wednesday, a nurse was nearby and rushed to his aid. She happened to be the wife of the nation’s top military officer, Gen. Mark Milley.” [NBC News]

‘Click It or Ticket’ Starts Today — ” The Thanksgiving celebration is traditionally one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. As the holiday approaches, the Arlington County Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a high visibility Click It or Ticket campaign.” [Arlington County]

State Sen. Pushing Pot Legalization — “We’re continuing to build a bipartisan coalition to #legalize responsible adult use of #marijuana in Virginia. I am working hard to ensure that ending the war on drugs is a top priority.” [@AdamEbbin/Twitter, Virginia Mercury]

N. Va. Delivered State for Biden — “Updated counts from the Virginia Department of Elections show that President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, defeated Trump by over 520,000 votes in Northern Virginia, defined as the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park… Across the rest of Virginia, Trump, a Republican, defeated Biden by about 70,000 votes, winning 50.2% to Biden’s 47.9%.” [InsideNova]

ACPD Investigating Another Note-Passing Robbery Attempt

By ARLnow.com

Perhaps the pen is not mightier than the sword, after all.

A man who tried to rob a local store by passing a note to a clerk yesterday left empty-handed, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened shortly after 1 p.m. on the 2100 block of 15th Street N., in Courthouse. That’s the same block as the CVS Pharmacy adjacent to the Metro station entrance.

Police say a man passed a threatening note to a store clerk, demanding cash, but “the employee declined.” The man then snatched the note back and ran off, according to a crime report.

ACPD is investigating whether the crime may be connected to three similar note-passing robberies and robbery attempts in September and October.

“Based on similarities with the other reported incidents, detectives from the Homicide/Robbery Unit are investigating this as a possible additional case in the series,” police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.

More from the crime report:

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2020-11110082, 2100 block of 15th Street N. At approximately 1:19 p.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an attempted robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 1:09 p.m., the suspect approached an employee at the counter and passed them a note demanding cash and threatening them. The employee declined to provide cash and the suspect took the note and fled prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a middle aged Black male, approximately 5’10”-6’0″, with a slim build, wearing a yellow jacket with the hood up, a dark colored baseball cap, a dark colored shirt, dark blue jeans, tan shoes and a tan backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s Veterans Day — Today is Veterans Day, and as a result of the holiday government offices are closed and metered parking is not being enforced. Per the county, Arlington is currently home to about 13,000 veterans. [Arlington County]

Trump Scheduled for Cemetery Visit –“To mark Veterans Day… President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit Arlington National Cemetery. The President will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown [Soldier],” according to CBS News producer Sara Cook. [Twitter, Washington Examiner]

Man Exposes Himself a Block from Police HQ — “At approximately 12:05 p.m. on November 9, police were dispatched to the late report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that approximately an hour prior, the female victim was inside her parked vehicle when she observed the suspect expose himself. Arriving officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident.” [ACPD]

From Record Warmth to Heavy Rain — Tuesday “set new daily record highs at the three major climate-observing locations in the Washington-Baltimore region. Washington reached 76 degrees, tying a record set in 1999.” Meanwhile, heavy rain is expected later today. [Capital Weather Gang]

County Updating Natural Resources Plan — “Arlington County is updating its Forestry and Natural Resources Plan to conserve, plant, and maintain wildlife there. Over the next year, the project team will be collecting comments from the public about the county’s conservation and maintenance. The county hosted its first public comment session on Tuesday.” [WDVM]

About Today — ARLnow will be publishing on a limited schedule today due to the holiday.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

No, That Wasn’t ‘The Bachelor’ in Ballston — “Today, the world paused to consider what would have been the biggest news story of the past 72 hours: Wait — was the Bachelor filming in freaking Ballston? Well, that was at least the question posed by a whistleblower this afternoon, who tweeted out a photograph of a couple dining outdoors surrounded by a camera crew.” [Washingtonian, Twitter]

Pranksters Dialing Rosslyn-Based Trump Hotline — “Trump campaign staffers have been huddled on a noisy floor in the campaign’s Arlington, Virginia, headquarters fielding hundreds of calls a day on a hotline the campaign set up as they try to find instances of voter fraud, multiple sources told ABC News. But the hotline has… been bombarded with prank calls from people laughing or mocking them over Biden’s win before hanging up.” [ABC News, Washington Post]

Editor Rails Against Sports Decision, Media Gloom — “As for canceling the winter sports season… the coaches should have been part of the decision-making loop so they had a heads-up. Then again, maybe the pending arrival of our semi-comatose next president will lead the national media (which helped to haul him across the finish line) to stop the breathless 24/7 doom and gloom it relied on to eliminate Donald Trump, and we can start making decisions about the future like adults rather than weak-kneed scaredy-cats.” [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Couple Weds on GW Campus — “Law school graduate Ian Bryant-Smith and 2018 undergraduate alumna Sarah Breault gathered with a few friends at a high-top table in Kogan Plaza Thursday to sign their marriage papers and officially tie the knot. The couple, who had been dating since high school, said they decided to wed on campus because it was convenient, and their friends could easily access WiFi to project the ceremony to friends and family over Zoom.” [GW Hatchet]

ACPD Hails Four Retirees — “Last week we celebrated the distinguished careers of Captain Chris Hennigh, MPO Corporal Beth Lennon, Corporal Mike Lennon and Corporal Leo Garcia. Combined, they had over 100 years of service to the Arlington community and made significant impacts both within the agency and with those they served. We wish them all the best of luck in retirement and future endeavors!” [Facebook]

Holiday Closures Tomorrow — “Arlington County Government offices, courts, libraries & facilities will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. Trash and recycling services will operate on a normal schedule. Metered parking will not be enforced.” [Arlington County]

Biker in Black Burglarizes Ballston Booze Business

By ARLnow.com

A motorcycle-riding burglar, dressed in all black, smashed the glass front door of the Virginia ABC store in Ballston early this morning.

The burglary happened around 3:30 a.m. Monday, on the 800 block of N. Quincy Street. Arlington County police say the man “stole items of value” from the liquor store before fleeing on a motorcycle.

More from the Arlington County Police Department:

BURGLARY, 2020-11090026, 800 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 3:38 a.m. on November 9, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the unknown suspect forced entry to a business by shattering part of the glass door. The suspect stole items of value before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle. The suspect is described as a male, wearing a black jacket, black pants, a black ski mask, black gloves and carrying a backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

A resident photographed the aftermath of the glass-shattering crime:

Also in Monday’s ACPD crime report are a pair of violent incidents from over the weekend.

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City, police say an 18-year-old man brandished a knife at the employee of a business and swung a glass bottle at security personnel.

More from the crime report, with the suspect’s name omitted:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2020-11070179, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 7:03 p.m. on November 7, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect approached a kiosk and began picking up items. When the employee engaged the suspect in conversation, the suspect pulled a folded knife from their pocket and put it back multiple times while continuing to walk around the kiosk. Security then escorted the suspect out of the area. The suspect returned shortly after, allegedly brandished the open knife and began to chase the employee. Security intervened and the suspect picked up a glass bottle and attempted to strike the security personnel who was able to knock the bottle from the suspect’s hand. The suspect left the scene on foot prior to police arrival but was located by responding officers with the assistance of security. [The 18-year-old suspect], of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Assault and Disorderly Conduct and was held without bond.

Early Sunday morning, in Clarendon, a man was attacked by a group of 7-8 people after two groups got into a fight. From ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY MOB, 2020-11080031, 3100 block of 10th Street N. At approximately 2:03 a.m. on November 8, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, officers located the male victim on the ground in need of medical attention. He was transported to an area hospital with injuries that are considered non-life threatening. The investigation determined that two groups had gotten into a fight in the 3200 block of 10th Street N. The groups separated and left in different directions. The victim was walking alone in the area of  N. Hudson Street and 10th Street when approximately 7 – 8 individuals, believed to be involved in the earlier fight, exited a vehicle and began to chase after him. The suspects knocked the victim to the ground before assaulting him. The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival. The investigation is ongoing.

File photo

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