robbery

DEVELOPING: $600K Smash and Grab Robbery at Mall

By ARLnow.com

A smash and grab robbery at the Tourneau store at Pentagon City mall on 3/19/13

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) A group of robbers got away with $609,000 worth of Rolex watches in a smash and grab robbery at Pentagon City mall this morning.

According to police, four men wearing ski masks and gloves entered the Tourneau watch store, near the main S. Hayes Street entrance to the mall, around 10:30 a.m. The men smashed the front of a display case with a hammer, then grabbed 23 Rolex watches valued at $609,000, police said.

The men then fled, hopped in a getaway vehicle parked in front of the mall with an accomplice in the driver’s seat, and took off. The car was described as a charcoal gray, four-door sedan.

The entire robbery took less than 30 seconds, according to police.

No customers or employees were on the “floor” of the store at the time of the robbery. One employee who was cleaning the outside of the store yelled for someone to call police during the robbery. Five employees were in the back of the store, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The crime is similar to another smash and grab robbery at the mall last month — during which 27 rings worth approximately $128,000 were stolen — but police so far have not been able to determine a definitive connection.

Surveillance video of the robbery is expected to be released at some point. Still images from the video are provided below.

Surveillance image of smash-and-grab robbery at Tourneau in Pentagon City mall (photo courtesy ACPD) Surveillance image of smash-and-grab robbery at Tourneau in Pentagon City mall (photo courtesy ACPD)

Crime Report: Man Steals Friend’s Phone

By ARLnow.com

A Maryland man was arrested Saturday night after he allegedly stole a female friend’s iPhone.

The man tried to surreptitiously smuggle the phone out of his friend’s apartment during a visit, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

While his friend was walking him to his car, her phone — which has a distinctive ringtone — started to ring, Sternbeck said. The woman tried to get the phone back, but the man got in his car and started to drive away, bumping the woman with the car in the process, according to Sternbeck.

The man was later arrested when he was pulled over for having improperly tinted windows. Police made the connection to the previous incident during the traffic stop, Sternbeck said. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 02/23/13, 1800 block of Crystal Drive. At 8 pm on February 23, a known subject stole a victim’s iPhone from her apartment. The victim chased the subject to the parking lot where she was bumped with the subject’s vehicle as he attempted to flee the scene. The subject was located during a traffic stop for improper tint approximately three hours later. Durell Adrian Hines, 20, of Capitol Heights, MD, was arrested and charged with robbery. He was held without bond.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Crime Report: Cab Driver Punched

By ARLnow.com

An intoxicated man tried to rob a cab driver, then punched him in the face, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

Police say the incident started as Arlington resident Christopher Arrington, 31, was providing turn-by-turn directions to the cab driver. The driver demanded to know a specific address, at which time the men started fighting. According to police, Arrington tried to grab cash the driver had placed in a cup holder. A struggle ensued and police say Arrington punched the driver in the face.

He was arrested at the scene, on the 3100 block of Columbia Pike, according to the crime report.

ROBBERY, 02/10/13, 3100 block of S. Columbia Pike. At 2:07 am on February 10, a subject attempted to rob a cab driver and assaulted the driver by punching him in the face. Police arrived on scene and took the subject into custody. Christopher Arrington, 31, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with robbery. He was held without bond.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Police: Box Cutter Wielding Thieves Rob Woman in Virginia Square

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County Police Department badgePolice are looking for two men who allegedly robbed a woman and held a box cutter to her throat.

On Monday (February 4) just before 8:00 p.m., police say the woman left her home and was walking in the 3800 block of N. 9th Street in Virginia Square when a man approached her. He allegedly grabbed her and held a box cutter to her throat while demanding money and a cell phone.

Police say the woman told the man she didn’t have any money, and the attacker then led her about half a block away where a second man was standing. The men then reportedly took the victim’s cell phone and fled on foot.

The first subject is described as a black male, 6’0” tall and 160 pounds. At the time of the crime, the subject was described as wearing a ski mask, grey winter jacket, light jeans and was brandishing a grey box cutter. The second subject is described as a black male, 5’10” tall and 200 pounds. He was said to have a round face and beard, and was wearing a white hat, royal blue jacket with an orange bottom, dark jeans and white shoes.

Anyone with information about the suspects or this crime is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Video: Thieves Smash Jewelry Counter at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Police Department has released surveillance footage of today’s smash-and-grab robbery at the Zales jewelry store in the Pentagon City mall.

The video shows four men entering the store, their faces covered by hoods and masks. They then use hammers to smash a glass jewelry case, quickly grab the merchandise, and flee the store. Police say the men made a clean getaway with 27 rings worth $128,000.

Anyone with information about the suspects is encouraged to contact Det. Paula Brockenborough at 703-228-4241 or via email at [email protected]. Information can also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

Jewelry Store ‘Smash and Grab’ at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

'Smash and grab' robbery at the Zales jewelry store in Pentagon City mall

Update at 5:10 p.m. — Police have released surveillance video of the robbery.

A group of men armed with hammers smashed a jewelry store display counter at the Pentagon City mall and fled with handfuls of jewelry.

The robbery took place around 11:00 a.m. at the Zales store in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

Four younger adult men — described as three black males and one white male — entered the store wearing jeans and black hoodies over their face, according to Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Two of the men smashed the glass counters with hammers and “grabbed as much as they could,” Sternbeck said.

The men then ran to a car in the nearby parking garage, where a getaway driver was waiting. The car — a red Nissan sedan — smashed through a parking gate and drove off, according to Sternbeck. Police have so far been unable to locate the vehicle or the suspects.

All told, the men stole 27 rings, worth approximately $128,000 — just in time for Valentine’s Day. Police are reviewing surveillance footage as part of their investigation.

'Smash and grab' robbery at the Zales jewelry store in Pentagon City mall 'Smash and grab' robbery at the Zales jewelry store in Pentagon City mall

Crime Report: Taxis Stolen

By ARLnow.com

Yellow taxi cab in Pentagon CityHard-driven, high-mileage taxicabs might not seem like a very attractive target for car thieves, but in the past week three have been stolen from the same block of Columbia Pike.

Arlington County auto crimes detectives are “actively engaged in” an investigation into the thefts, said ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, who couldn’t recall any other taxi thefts in Arlington in the past year. The cabs all had D.C. tags and ranged in model year from 1998 to 2004.

From the stolen vehicle portion of this week’s crime report:

01/23/13, DC 01232H, 2004 Ford Crown Victoria (Taxi), White/Yellow, 5500 block of S. Columbia Pike
01/23/13, DC H95014, 2002 Ford Crown Victoria (Taxi), Blue, 5500 block of S. Columbia Pike
01/28/13, DC H87744, 1998 Ford Crown Victoria (Taxi), Blue and Gray, 5500 block of S. Columbia Pike

Also in this week’s crime report, a woman was grabbed from behind while walking home from the Ballston Metro station. Her purse was stolen but she was otherwise physically uninjured.

ROBBERY, 01/24/13, 4400 block of N. 4th Street. At 11:53 pm on January 23, as a female victim was walking home from the Ballston Metro station alone, she was approached from behind by a male subject who placed his hand over her face and grabbed her purse. The subject fled the scene on foot and was not located. He is described as a black male, approximately 5’7” tall and 160 lbs. He was wearing a black wool coat, dark jeans, knit hat, light colored scarf and dark gloves at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

File photo

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Crime Report: Effort to Recover Stolen Bike Backfires

By ARLnow.com

(Updated on 1/25/13) A cyclist’s effort to recover his stolen bike backfired last week. The man was punched in the face and had the new bike he was riding at the time stolen.

The incident took place on a Thursday morning, near the Whole Foods store in Clarendon. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 01/17/13, 2700 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At 10:26 am on January 17, a victim identified his stolen bicycle on the front rack of a bus. The victim placed his current bike in front of his stolen one on the rack and boarded the bus. The victim rode the bus one stop, got off, and then removed both bicycles from the bus rack. While doing this, the victim was confronted by a subject. The subject punched the victim in the face and then proceeded to steal the victim’s new bicycle. The victim was able to take pictures of the suspect. The suspect is described as a 35 year old black male, 6’0″ tall and 180 lbs. At the time of the incident, the subject was wearing black pants, a dark jacket, a dark skullcap, and light Nike shoes.

Also in this week’s crime report, a victim was punched and threatened by a pair of robbers.

ROBBERY, 01/20/13, 4200 block of N. 2nd Street. At 12:08 am on January 20, a victim was sitting in an area between two apartment buildings when two unknown subjects began to walk towards him. As the subjects walked by the victim, suspect one punched the victim in the face. The victim fell to the ground, but got back up to his feet. Suspect two then grabbed the victim and took him to the ground. Both subjects continued to punch and kick the victim. One of the subjects then pulled out a folding knife and threatened to kill the victim if he did not give them money. The victim stated that his belongings were in his backpack that had fallen to the ground. As the subjects walked over to the victim’s backpack, the victim fled the scene. The subjects took the victim’s backpack and fled southwest by foot. Suspect one is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’10” tall and 160 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket and black pants during the incident. Subject two is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’7″ and 170 lbs. He was wearing a light colored jacket and dark pants. Both subjects are described as being in their early to mid 20’s.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Crime Report: Grabbed from Behind

By ARLnow.com

Two women were followed by men and grabbed from behind while walking home this past week, according to police.

Early Sunday morning, a woman was returning home in North Rosslyn when two men followed her, grabbed her, and possibly took some money before she was able to break free. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 01/13/13, 1800 block of N. Quinn Street. At 3:17 am on January 13, a victim was returning home when she noticed two male subjects behind her. One male subject followed the victim into her apartment complex and grabbed her from behind. The victim struggled to break free and scream, but the subject held onto the victim and put his hand over her mouth. Eventually, the victim was able to break free and the suspect fled by foot. Some cash belonging to the victim seemed to be missing, but it is unclear if the suspect took the money. The subjects are described as two Hispanic males. One of the subjects stood on the outside of the apartment complex, while the other assaulted the victim. The subject that assaulted the victim is described as approximately 5’5″, heavy set and wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and pants.

Early Monday morning, a man approached a woman from behind as she was walking home from work in the Buckingham area, near Ballston. The man grabbed the victim by the head, pushed her to the ground and stole her purse, according to the crime report.

ROBBERY, 01/14/13, 4100 block of N. 4th Street. At 12:10 am on January 14, a victim was walking home from work when the subject approached her from behind. The subject grabbed the victim by her head with both hands and pushed her to the ground. The subject then took the victim’s purse and fled the scene by foot. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 20’s, approximately 5’8″ and 150 lbs. Additionally, the subject has brown eyes and black hair, but no facial hair. The suspect was last seen wearing a red long-sleeve shirt, black pants and a black hat.

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

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Crime Report: Armed Robbery Fail

By ARLnow.com

The would-be victim of an armed robbery in Ballston managed to get away thanks to some dirt.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30. A 6’2″ tall, 250 lbs man with a .45 caliber handgun tried to rob a victim at gunpoint, according to police, but his robbery was foiled when the victim threw dirt in the suspect’s face.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 11/30/12, 1100 block of N. Taylor Street. At 9:30 pm on November 30, a suspect allegedly attempted to rob a victim at gunpoint. The victim was able to throw dirt at the suspect and run away. The subject fled the scene in the opposite direction. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 30’s, approximately 6’2″ tall and 250 lbs. He had a full beard and was wearing a shiny black shirt and black pants. The weapon was described as a black .45 caliber handgun.

Also in the crime report, a man wearing a black leather jacket, white hat and white gloves allegedly punched a woman in the face and took her cell phone in Crystal City.

ROBBERY, 12/01/12, 2100 block of S. Jefferson Davis Highway. On December 1 at 7:35 pm, a victim was allegedly punched and then robbed of her cell phone by an unknown subject. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 30 years old. The subject was wearing a black leather jacket, a white hat, and white gloves during the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Hotel Worker Robbed at Gunpoint

By Katie Pyzyk

Police say a man with a gun robbed a worker at the Days Inn on the 2200 block of Arlington Blvd last night.

According to police, a man walked into the hotel lobby around 6:30 p.m. and pointed a gun at the desk worker while demanding she get on the ground. The suspect then went behind the desk and took an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

While the suspect was in the lobby, a customer entered the area and the suspect turned the gun on him, ordering him to the ground. The suspect then fled through a back door. Nobody sustained any physical injuries in the incident.

The suspect is described as a white man, around 5’10” with a medium build. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing khaki pants, a dark jacket, a dark winter hat and a dark scarf that covered part of his face. The witnesses said he appeared to be in his 40s.

There are no pictures of the suspect because the hotel’s surveillance camera was not working at the time of the robbery. Besides the two victims, there were other people near the hotel lobby at the time of the incident, but they claim to have not heard or seen anything. According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, those people were visiting from another country and had been drinking.

Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is asked to call the non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.

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