rape

Police Seek Victims of Accused Rapist

By ARLnow.com

Joshua Franklin (photo courtesy ACPD)Arlington County Police are seeking more potential victims of a man accused of raping a prostitute in Crystal City.

Woodbridge resident Joshua Terrell Franklin, 24 was charged last week with the December 2012 rape of a prostitute in a Crystal City hotel room.

“The suspect, in response to an online advertisement, hired a woman to perform sexual acts,” police said in a press release. “Shortly after arriving at the victim’s hotel room, the suspect forced the victim to perform sexual acts at gunpoint. ”

Franklin has been charged with Rape, Robbery and Forcible Sodomy in connection with that incident. He is currently awaiting trial in Fairfax County for a similar crime, the alleged sexual assault of two women in a Springfield hotel room in January.

Police believe Franklin might have assaulted other women, and are asking for additional victims to come forward.

“Information revealed in the investigation indicates that there are potentially other victims or persons with information regarding this subject,” police said. “Anyone who has information about this suspect is asked to call Detective Angela Comer at 703.228.4243 or email [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).”

This is the third time in three years that a man has been accused of sexually assaulting prostitutes in Crystal City hotel rooms.

Photo courtesy Arlington County Police Department

Crime Report: Attempted Rape Near Police Station

By ARLnow.com

A man has been arrested and accused of attempting to rape an unconscious woman who was passed out on a sidewalk near Courthouse.

The alleged incident took place in the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 17, about two blocks away from Arlington County Police headquarters. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ATTEMPTED RAPE, 12/17/12, 1200 block of N. Troy Street. At 2 am on December 17, officers responded to a report of a woman passed out on the sidewalk and a man trying to pull her pants down. Upon arrival, officers observed a male subject standing over an unconscious female. Leonardo A. Martinez Lopez, 26, of Arlington, VA was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted rape.

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

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Tagolio Closes After Owner Accused of Rape

By ARLnow.com

Tagolio Pizzeria & Enoteca (549 23rd Street S.) in Crystal City has closed after its owner pleaded guilty to charges of assault and battery against an employee.

Tedros “Teddy” Tzehaye, a 40-year-old Springfield resident, was accused of rape by a female employee in September. The alleged incident took place at the restaurant between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. on a Thursday, according to a police report. Alcohol was involved, we’re told.

The woman was brought to the hospital for an examination and Tzehaye was arrested on Sept. 27 and charged with forcible rape. The charge was later amended to assault and battery, to which Tzehaye pleaded guilty. The plea was an Alford plea, ARLnow.com has learned, which means that Tzehaye asserted his innocence while admitting that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict.

Tzehaye’s attorneys declined to answer questions about their client’s side of the story. Prosecutors also declined to comment on the record.

Tzehaye is out on bail, awaiting a final sentencing hearing scheduled for May 7, 2013. Prosecutors have recommended one year of probation and no jail time.

A tipster says Tagolio has been closed “for several weeks.” The restaurant’s phone number has been disconnected.

Tagolio was noted for its coal-fired pizza and earned generally positive reviews on Yelp.

Police: Would-Be Rapist Stopped By Alert Officer

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:20 p.m. on 12/23/21) Arlington County Police say one of their officers stopped an attempted rape in progress near Drew Model Elementary School in Nauck last night.

The incident happened just before 11:00 yesterday (Monday) night. The officer was walking in the Nauck neighborhood when he heard a woman screaming for help. Using a flashlight, the officer located a man with his pants unbuttoned, attempting to rape a female victim in a wooded area on the 3500 block of 23rd Street S., in the area of the school and the Drew Community Center, according to police.

Dumfries, Va. resident Kenneth [redacted], 34, was arrested and charged with attempted rape. He’s being held without bond.

According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, [redacted] met the woman at a nearby bus stop, asked her for a cigarette, and started talking to her, before throwing her to the ground and attempting to rape her. The woman had a “busted lip” but did not require medical treatment, Sternbeck said.

Crime Report: Rape Reported at Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a possible rape at a restaurant in Crystal City.

A woman told police she was raped by an acquaintance early on the morning of Friday, Sept. 7. Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck would not name the establishment where the alleged rape took place, but described it as a “bar/restaurant” on the 500 block of 23rd Street S.

Sternbeck said the woman was brought to the hospital for examination after reporting the crime. No arrests have been made so far, he said.

“We’ve spoken with the alleged suspect and the victim,” said Sternbeck. “It remains under investigation.”

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

RAPE, 09/07/12, 500 block of S. 23rd Street. Between 2:30 and 3 am on September 7, a female victim was sexually assaulted and raped by a known suspect. The incident remains under investigation.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Art from 9/11 Children Displayed at Pentagon — Art created by the children of those who lost their life on Sept. 11, 2001 is now on display at the Pentagon. It’s the first large-scale exhibit of the art, which was created by more than 500 children at a summer camp for the children of 9/11 victims. [WJLA]

Long-Form Article Examines Torrez Case — The Washington Examiner’s Harry Jaffe takes a close look at the case of former Marine Jorge Torrez, who is currently serving five consecutive life sentences for the abduction of two Arlington women and the abduction and brutal rape of another in February 2010. Torrez will face a death penalty trial next year for the murder of Navy petty officer Amanda Jean Snell. [Washingtonian]

Book Dating Returns to Shirlington Library — The Shirlington Branch Library (4200 Campbell Avenue) is calling all single bookworms for a “speed book dating” event. Participants are encouraged to bring a couple books they found interesting, and will then be given 3 minutes to discuss them with each potential date. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Affordable Housing Complex Reopens — The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing has reopened the 111-unit Buchanan Gardens apartment complex on Columbia Pike following major renovations. [Washington Post]

Arlington Foundation Raises Millions — The Arlington Community Foudnation has so far raised $4 million on its way to a goal of raising $15 million. The foundation “raises capital for grants and scholarships to address community needs now and in the future.” [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Jeff Gamble

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Four Mile Run Rapist Still on the Loose — Arlington County police are still looking for a man who raped a woman on the Four Mile Run Trail two weeks ago. Police are issuing warnings to women who use the trail, in English and in Spanish. Officers are also patrolling the trail on bike and motorcycles. [WJLA]

Marymount, O’Connell Teaming Up for Baseball Field — Marymount University will be adding a varsity baseball team to its athletic program after striking a deal with Bishop O’Connell High School to use the school’s baseball field. Marymount will fund the renovation of the O’Connell’s field to NCAA standards, in exchange for partial use of the field. Marymount hopes to have the baseball team ready for its first season by Spring 2014. [Sun Gazette]

N. Va. Critical to Obama Re-Election — The road to the White House runs through Northern Virginia, according to some political watchers. Experts say President Obama must score a big victory in Northern Virginia in order to capture the Commonwealth, one of three crucial, hotly-contested swing states. As a result, residents can expect a bombardment of political ads this fall. [WUSA 9]

Flickr pool photo by Damiec

ACPD: Woman Raped on Four Mile Run Trail

By ARLnow.com

(Update at 2:25 p.m.) A woman was raped on the side of one of the bike trails along Four Mile Run last night (Tuesday), according to police.

Investigators say the incident happened along the trail while it was still light outside — between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. The woman, 23, was jogging by trail mile marker 44, near Glencarlyn park, when a man, whom she had seen along the trail earlier, stopped her. He took out a 6-inch kitchen knife, dragged her into some tall vegetation, and took off her clothes and underwear, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

At one point the woman tried to run away but the attacker restrained her and threatened her with the knife, Sternbeck said. After the man was done sexually assaulting the victim, she ran home and drove herself to the hospital. Hospital staff called police at 8:49 p.m. In addition to the injuries from the sexual assault, the woman also sustained scratches to her wrists, Sternbeck said.

The man is described as a clean-shaven Hispanic male, between 5’5″ and 5’6″, 140 pounds, about 30 years of age. He had short black hair and brown eyes. The victim said he had a small head, a high-pitched voice, spoke limited English, and was wearing a green shirt that might have said George Mason University on it.

The victim has been an Arlington resident for 6 months, Sternbeck said.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the crime is encouraged to contact Detective Greg Sloan at 703-228-4198 or [email protected].

Crime Report: Manhandled by Masseur

By ARLnow.com

A woman was receiving a massage at a Columbia Pike salon on Saturday when the masseur apparently took things too far. From this week’s Arlington County crime report.

SEXUAL BATTERY, 06/24/12, 3000 block of S. Columbia Pike. Between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm on June 23, a victim was sexually assaulted while getting a massage at a salon. The subject is described as a Hispanic male, in his late 20s to early 30s, approximately 6’4″ and 200 lbs. He had black curly hair in a pony tail and stated his name was Juan.

On Sunday morning, a woman in the Radnor – Fort Myer Heights neighborhood reportedly woke up to find a man having sex with her, after she had gone to sleep drunk and alone.

RAPE, 06/26/12, 1400 block of N. Scott Street. A female victim woke up naked the morning of June 24 with a known male subject beside her in bed that admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse. The victim had gone to bed alone intoxicated the night before. The victim does not wish to press charges at this time.

On Monday, a man exposed himself to a female rider on the VRE train, then ran off when the train stopped in Crystal City.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 06/25/12, VRE Train approaching Crystal City. Between 8:15 and 8:30 am on June 25, an unknown subject exposed himself to a female rider. The subject fled the scene as the train stopped in Crystal City. The suspect is described as a white male, 30’s, 5’8″ tall, 130 lbs., with short black hair. He was wearing a black suit at the time of the incident.

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

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Crime Report: Woman Raped in Tara-Leeway Heights

By ARLnow.com

A woman was raped while visiting her sister in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood last Thursday, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The crime happened while the victim was visiting her sister’s apartment, in the basement of a home shared by several tenants, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. A man who lives in one of the rooms forced himself upon her while in one of the basement’s common areas, according to Sternbeck.

RAPE, 04/26/12, 2100 block of N. Patrick Henry Drive. At 3:30 pm on April 26, a victim was raped by a known subject at a multi-family residence. Carlos Montalban Pineda, 45, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with animate object sexual penetration.

On Saturday a man was arrested after police say he brandished a BB gun during a parking dispute at Gunston Middle School.

BRANDISHING A FIREARM, 04/28/12, 2700 block of S. Lang Street. On April 28 at 9:37 pm, a subject displayed a black handgun after arguing with the victim over a parking space. Officers located the suspect a short time later at a soccer field and learned the firearm was a BB gun. Mohamed Sesay, 30, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm on school property. He was held on no bond.

On Sunday, police responded to the Comfort Inn in Ballston for a report of two women who were advertising prostitution services on Backpage.com while using the hotel’s lobby computer. No arrests were made.

PROSTITUTION, 04/29/12, 1200 block of N. Glebe Road. At 8 pm on April 29, officers were alerted of two subjects engaged in prostitution at an area hotel. Upon arrival, it was learned that the subjects were placing online solicitations ads from the hotel lobby computer.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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