robbery

Crime Report: Grocery Store Robbery Foiled

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA 19-year-old McLean man was arrested Tuesday after a daytime robbery attempt at a grocery store.

The incident happened just after noon, at the Safeway on the 3700 block of Lee Highway. Police say a man implied that he had a weapon and demanded cash. The store’s manager was able to subdue the suspect and hold him until police arrived.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 150217009, 3700 block of Lee Highway. On February 17 at 12:03 pm, a male suspect entered the Safeway and attempted to rob the store demanding money and assaulting the store manager and implied he had a weapon. The manager was able to detain the suspect until police arrived. Enkhamar Tserenorj, 19, of McLean, VA, was arrested and charged with robbery and assault & battery. He was held without bond.

Last Friday, just before Valentine’s Day, a man allegedly used a master key and bolt cutters to break into his ex-wife’s apartment in the Columbia Heights West community.

Once inside, police say the man assaulted the woman and her boyfriend.

BURGLARY/ASSAULT, 150214003, 700 block of S. Florida Street. At 11:53 pm on February 13, a male subject gained entry to his ex-wife’s apartment by using a master key and bolt cutters. The suspect forced his way into the bedroom and physically assaulted the 44 year-old female victim and her boyfriend. The suspect fled and was located by police at a relative’s house. Gonzalo Cruz, 45, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with burglary, possession of burglarious tools, destruction of property and assault. He was held without bond.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All named suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

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Crime Report: Woman Bound, Robbed in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police carA woman was bound and robbed after leaving her apartment in Buckingham last week, according to the latest weekly Arlington County crime report.

Police say the woman had just left her N. George Mason Drive apartment Thursday afternoon when a masked man forced her back into the apartment, bound her hands and stole her money and cell phone. After the man fled the scene, the woman managed to escape, hail a cab and go to a friend’s house, from which she called police.

From the crime report:

ROBBERY BY FORCE, 150129025, 100 block of N. George Mason Drive. At 2:17 pm on January 29, as a female victim was exiting her apartment she was allegedly confronted by a masked subject. The subject directed back into the apartment, bound her hands together and robbed her of cash and cell phone. Once the suspect fled, the victim ran outside and sought assistance from a cab driver. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’5″ – 5’7″ tall and 190 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket and mask.

Also last week, someone smashed the windows of at least 17 cars in a Rosslyn parking garage, stealing “numerous items” from inside.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 150201014, 1900 block of N. Lynn Street. Between 11 pm on January 31 and 8:30 am on February 1, an unknown subject(s) entered a parking garage and broke into and/or damaged at least seventeen vehicles by smashing a window. Numerous items of value were stolen. There is no suspect(s) description.

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

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Police: Man Tried to Kiss Uber Driver, Then Stole Her Phone

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:50 p.m. on 12/23/21) A drunk Arlington resident tried to kiss the driver of his Uber ride then stole her phone when his unwanted advances were rebuffed, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened just after 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening, on the 2200 block of S. Garfield Street in Nauck. Police say 31-year-old Richard [Redacted], who was intoxicated, became belligerent after trying to kiss the Uber driver.

“When she resisted the subject assaulted her and prevented her from calling police,” according to a crime report. “The subject stole her phone and left it on the front steps of his residence.”

The woman’s phone was “recovered by a witness.” Police arrested [Redacted] at his home shortly thereafter. While being hauled off to jail he allegedly tried to kick out the rear window of the police cruiser.

[Redacted] has been charged with robbery, preventing a 911 call and attempted destruction of property. He was held without bond.

Update at 11:15 a.m. — An Uber spokeswoman has issued the following statement about the incident to ARLnow.com:

“This is an appalling and serious crime. We are in contact with our valued driver partner and will continue to provide support. Upon learning of the incident we immediately and permanently removed the rider from our platform, and stand ready to assist authorities.”

Crime Report: Tween Brandishes Knife in 7-Eleven Slurpee Robbery

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA middle school-aged perp brandished a knife while stealing a Slurpee from a Crystal City 7-Eleven store, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The incident happened this past Friday, just after 7:00 p.m. Police say a group of five boys ages 11 to 13 entered the 7-Eleven and stole Slurpees.

When the cashier confronted the suspects, one allegedly brandished a knife and made threats, before fleeing the scene on foot.

From the crime report:

ROBBERY, 150102041, 400 block of S. 23rd Street. At 7:14 pm on January 2, a group of five juveniles entered a 7-11 and stole slurpees. When the cashier confronted the subjects, one of them brandished a knife and made threatening remarks. The suspects fled the scene on foot. The five suspects were described as black males between 11-13 years old and were wearing dark clothing.

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

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Crime Report: Bomb Threat at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A bomb threat was phoned into the Pentagon City mall on Christmas Eve, according to the latest Arlington County weekly crime report.

The bomb threat was called in around 1:00 p.m., just before a “black lives matter” protest at the mall. It’s unclear if the threat was in any way connected to or in response to the protest.

BOMB THREAT, 141224021, 1100 block of S Hayes St. On 12/24/14 at 1304 hours, unknown suspect called in a bomb threat to the Pentagon City Mall. Nothing suspicious found in garage area and mall did not evacuate.

PROTEST, 141224033, 1100 block of S Hayes St. On 12/24/14 at 1432 hours, approximately 15 individuals protested at Pentagon City Mall. No arrests made.

Also in the crime report, an armed robbery occurred in the Rosslyn / Courthouse area. The incident happened early last Monday morning.

ROBBERY,141229005, 1800 block of N Wilson BL. On 12/29/14 at 0330 hours, an unknown suspect displayed a handgun while demanding cigarettes and cash. Suspect description is black male, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

The rest of the weekly crime report, after the jump.

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Police: Robbery Suspect Hit Gift Shop Three Times

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Last week, we reported on a gift shop in Ballston that had been robbed not once but twice by the same armed robber.

It turns out, the same guy has actually robbed the store three times in the past month or so.

Police say the man, pictured above, robbed the City News and Gift Shop inside 950 N. Stafford Street on Nov. 8, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4. The first time, he displayed a handgun and demanded money. The second time, he displayed a “large kitchen knife” and demanded money and Newport cigarettes. The third time, he again flashed a gun and demanded money.

Arlington County Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the man. The police department’s press release, below.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying an armed robbery suspect who has robbed a Ballston convenience store on three occasions and has been captured on surveillance video.

On November 8, 2014, the suspect entered the City News and Gift Shop located inside 950 N. Stafford Street at approximately 3:10 PM. The suspect was wearing black pants and was layered in a Washington Nationals jacket over a red and white striped polo shirt which was over a black hoodie. The suspect displayed a handgun tucked into his front waistband and demanded money. After the robbery, the suspect fled towards Fairfax Drive.

On December 3, 2014, it is believed that the same suspect entered the City News and Gift Shop at approximately 2:55 pm. This time the suspect was wearing black pants and a black jacket layered over a tan hoodie. The suspect displayed a large kitchen knife, demanded money and Newport brand cigarettes before fleeing towards the Ballston Metrorail station.

On December 4, 2014, the same suspect entered the City News and Gift Shop at approximately 8:20 pm. The suspect appeared to be wearing the same clothing as the day before with blue jeans. During this robbery, the suspect again displayed a handgun before demanding money. It is believed that the suspect fled again towards the Ballston Metrorail station after the robbery.

The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s-30s, approximately 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, with a medium build. In all three robberies, he appears to be wearing black and white soled tennis shoes, similar to Converse All-Stars, and a black beanie-style winter cap.

There were no reported injuries during any of these armed robberies

If anyone has information on the identity and/or whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective P. Mulvaney of the Arlington County Homicide/Robbery Unit at (703) 228-4239 or [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be provided through the Arlington County Crime Solvers Hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Meat Robbery Reported in Bluemont

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA man allegedly stole $500 worth of meat from the Safeway in Bluemont (5101 Wilson Blvd) last week.

The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. Police say the man gathered up the meat and then left the store without paying.

An employee tried to stop him, but the suspect punched the employee in the arm, yelled at him and took off westbound on Wilson, according to a crime report.

“The subject is described as a clean shaven black male, in his 40’s, 5’09”, 220 lbs, wearing a black knit cap, black leather jacket, grey sweatshirt, black jeans, and white/black sneakers,” the crime report states. “The store employee was not injured.”

Man Arrested After Fighting With Prostitute Over Stolen Goods

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police carWhat was thought to be a possible case of domestic violence in Pentagon City turned out to be a case of a man fighting with a prostitute over stolen goods, according to Arlington County Police.

Around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, in the area of the Pentagon City mall, a witness told police that he saw a physical altercation between a man and a woman. Police searched the area and found the people in question, who turned out to be a prostitute and her john.

According to a crime report, the pair had “brief sexual encounter” at another location, then traveled to Pentagon City and “stole items from several area businesses.” The witness, police say, had actually seen the aftermath of a fight between the man and the woman over one of the stolen items.

“When the male subject demanded one of the stolen items, a verbal argument ensued which escalated into a physical confrontation with the male subject pushing the female to the ground then unsuccessfully attempting to take her purse, where some of the stolen items were hidden,” said police.

Both suspects were arrested. The woman was wanted on an out-of-state warrant. while the man was charged with attempted robbery. Other charges may be pending.

$23 Million Arlington Mansion Target of Possible Home Invasion Robbery

By Ethan Rothstein
1/7

The $23 million mansion at 201 Chain Bridge Road in Arlington was the scene of a possible home invasion robbery this morning.

The robbery is at least the second time the 23,000-square-foot, Mediterranean house overlooking the Potomac River has been broken into in the past seven months. This time, police were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a burglary in progress, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Police arrived with a large response; more than two dozen vehicles were at the scene, blocking off one lane of Chain Bridge Road and occupying the entirety of the hilly driveway. Sternbeck said police took two subjects into custody and had multiple K-9 units sweeping the massive house to ensure no one else was on the property.

“This is a known residence to police,” Sternbeck said, referencing previous calls for “a variety of incidents,” including when valuable art was stolen from the home.

The mansion near the border with McLean belongs to Rodney P. Hunt, the former CEO of RS Information Systems who sold the I.T. company for $1.2 billion, he told ARLnow.com in April. The April incident was also allegedly perpetrated by two individuals, who made off with some crystal ware, Hunt said.

Sternbeck could not confirm if anything was taken from the house before police arrived. Hunt and another person were inside the home when the break-in occurred, Sternbeck said.

Man Robbed of Watch in Lyon Village

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA 19-year-old man reportedly was robbed at gunpoint in Lyon Village early Saturday morning.

The man was in the 3300 block of 13th Street N. around 2:05 a.m. on Saturday when he was apparently approached by three strangers. The three men robbed the victim of his watch while showing a gun, according to the police crime report.

Several bystanders allegedly intervened, but they didn’t stay at the scene until police arrived.

Police describe the three suspects as black males, between 5’9″ and 5’11”, with medium builds. One suspect was wearing a red hoodie at the time of the incident and the other two were wearing black hoodies.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rainy fall day in Bluemont Park (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Civ Fed Votes Against Tall Buildings — The Arlington County Civic Federation has voted to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to adopt stricter rules regarding skyscrapers around airports. Such a rule, intended as a safety measure in the event a plane suffers an engine failure on takeoff, could impose a moratorium on future tall buildings in Crystal City and Rosslyn. [InsideNova]

Walk and Bike to School Day — Arlington Public Schools participated in International Walk and Bike to School Day this morning. Students and parents across the county ditched their cars and made their way to school on foot. [Arlington Public Schools]

Man Steals Skinny Jeans from Mall — A 33-year-old D.C. man has been charged with stealing numerous pairs of skinny jeans from the Hollister store in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. The alleged crime happened Tuesday afternoon. [NBC Washington]

Slow Start for Gay Marriage in Arlington — Only five same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Arlington in the 24 hours following the Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Virginia and a number of other states. Among Virginia jurisdictions, Arlington grants the third-most marriage licenses per year. [InsideNova]

Fairfax Approves Streetcar Design Funds — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved its $4.2 million share of design and program costs for the Columbia Pike streetcar on Tuesday. The Board voted 7-2. Arlington County already approved its share of design funds. The Pike streetcar will run from Pentagon City to Bailey’s Crossroads in Fairfax County. [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

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