Rosslyn

Crime report: Officers assaulted, robbery victims knocked to the ground

By ARLnow.com
File photo

It was an active weekend for Arlington County police.

A number of notable incidents were detailed in the latest ACPD crime report. Among them were a pair of assaults on police early Saturday morning.

In the first incident, an intoxicated suspect allegedly kicked an officer after ACPD was called for “vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic” on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110021, 500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 1:46 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, witnesses directed officers to a vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic. As officers approached to investigate, they came into contact with the male and female suspects. The female suspect disregarded officers commands and attempted to go back towards the vehicle. When officers attempted to detain her, she allegedly became combative and resisted before being taken into custody. As officers were detaining the female suspect, the male suspect became aggressive and attempted to interfere. Additional arriving officers detained the male suspect during which he resisted officers. During a search of the female suspect, she kicked a police officer. [Suspect 1], 29, of Washington, DC. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication. [Suspect 2], 25, of Greensboro, NC, was arrested and charged with Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication.

Another assault on police was reported later that morning along S. Four Mile Run Drive, after a victim was allegedly assaulted by a woman she knows.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110041, 4200 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 4:25 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect and female victim, who are known to each other, had a verbal dispute inside of a parked vehicle during which the suspect exited the vehicle and assaulted the victim through an open car window. Responding officers located the suspect on scene and while officers attempting to detain her, she allegedly struck a police officer. Medics responded and treated the victim of the initial assault on scene for non-life threatening injuries. [The suspect], 33, of Jacksonville, FL was arrested and charged with Assault on Police.

Later Saturday evening, police responded to the assault of two teen girls in Rosslyn by a teen boy armed with a taser, who remains at large.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY A CAUSTIC AGENT, 2023-11110171, 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 5:53 p.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an incident involving a juvenile. Upon arrival, it was determined the two juvenile female victims were walking in the area when they were approached by an unknown group of juveniles. The juvenile male suspect then knocked Victim One to the ground, produced a taser and attempted to steal her personal belongings before the victims fled into a nearby business. The suspect then followed the victims into the business and tased Victim Two. The victims exited the business and ran from the area during which the suspect caught up with them, pepper sprayed Victim Two and followed them into a residential building where he poured a drink on Victim Two before fleeing the scene on foot. Medics responded and evaluated the victims on scene.

Finally, on Sunday night, a man walking in the Barcroft neighborhood was knocked to the ground by someone who ran up on them from behind. The victim suffered serious injuries, according to ACPD.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-11120208, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 10:23 p.m. on November 12, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking in the area when the unknown male suspect approached from behind, knocked the victim to the ground, physically assaulted him and produced a possible taser or stun gun. The suspect then stole the victim’s wallet before running from the scene. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area with negative results. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

JUST IN: Security guard charged with weekend shooting in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene of the Key Bridge Marriott site after shooting (photo courtesy Edward M.)

A 53-year-old Maryland man has been charged after a shooting on the former Key Bridge Marriott site.

Police say the man was working as a security guard Sunday afternoon when he confronted a group of teen trespassers at the fenced-in property, brandished a firearm, and fired a shot that struck one of the teens.

The teen fled the scene and called police. Officers located him at the Rosslyn McDonald’s restaurant with a reported gunshot wound to the ankle.

The former hotel, slated for a since-stalled redevelopment, was condemned by the county earlier this year and cleared of a large group of squatters.

More on the arrest, below, from an Arlington County police press release.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing an arrest in a shooting that occurred in the 1400 block of Langston Boulevard at the former Key Bridge Marriott property on November 12, 2023. Ahmed Namnoom, 53, of Laurel, Md. is charged with Malicious Wounding and Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 4:24 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1800 block of N. Lynn Street and located a juvenile male in his teens suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began rendering aid. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect was operating as a security guard in the 1400 block of Langston Boulevard when a group of juvenile teens allegedly entered the fenced property and were walking towards the vacant structure. The suspect drove towards the group, exited the vehicle and confronted them while he brandished his firearm. The suspect then discharged his firearm, striking the victim and resulting in his injury. The victim ran from the scene to the 1800 block of N. Lynn Street where he called police.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Amazon-owned health clinic One Medical makes debut in Rosslyn

By James Jarvis
1/3

Amazon’s One Medical recently opened a new healthcare clinic in Rosslyn, offering more than just the usual medical services.

Like a regular primary care doctor’s office, patients can seek treatment for a range of medical issues, from common illnesses to routine health check-ups.

The membership-based service offers other benefits such as 24/7 virtual care, same-day appointments and minimal wait times, for an annual fee of $199. Last week Amazon announced that Prime members could get One Medical membership for $9/mo or $99/year.

Located at 1771 N. Pierce Street, at the base of the Cortland Apartments and a stone’s throw from the upscale market and café Foxtrot, this clinic marks One Medical’s first foray into Arlington.

It joins similar full-service clinics in the area, including in Tysons and the Mosaic District.

Amazon, which completed the first phase of its second headquarters in Pentagon City this summer, acquired One Medical in February.

This was a significant shift for the company, which unsuccessfully tried to start its own telemedicine and primary care provider.

NEW: Protests come to Arlington amid Israel-Hamas war

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Protests have been targeting the Arlington offices of military contractors amid the Israel-Hamas war.

At least the second protest in as many days was being held outside of the Lockheed Martin building at 2121 Crystal Drive today. The midday protest featured about ten demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags, holding signs and conducting a “die-in” on the public sidewalk.

They also placed child-sized coffins and baby dolls splashed with red paint on the ground around them. A contingent of Arlington County police officers stood watch over the protest and at one point directed the demonstrators off of private property.

Organizer Hazami Barmada, who was holding a sign with the words “Your Weapons Are Killing Babies,” said the group has been conducting protests around Arlington and D.C. for the past 15 days.

“We do die-ins and silent protests like this to help hopefully inspire the hearts and minds of more people to understand the plight of what’s happening to the… Palestinian population,” she said. “Today, we are in front of Lockheed Martin. We’ve actually been in front of all the weapons manufacturers in the D.C. area. And we’re going to continue to do that to put pressure on corporations that are benefiting financially from the genocide and ethnic cleansing that’s happening towards the Palestinian people right now.”

“The seventh of October, we saw a massive spike in [Lockheed Martin’s] stock and also the revenue of the support for these companies that are benefiting,” Barmada continued, referencing the day that Hamas militants crossed into Israel from Gaza and killed over 1,000 Israeli civilians. “So we’re putting our bodies out on the line right now. To say enough benefiting financially off of the murder of innocent civilians.”

Since Oct. 7, Israeli bombardments and a currently underway ground invasion have reportedly killed more than 10,000 Palestinians. Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests have broken out worldwide since the start of the war, and international pressure has ramped up for a release of the several hundred Israeli hostages being held by Hamas and for Israel to minimize civilian deaths.

“Human rights for the Palestinians does not negate human rights for someone else,” Barmada said. “We do this in from the White House, the State Department, all buildings around D.C., to remind people of the cost of inaction and the human realities behind it.”

Barmada said the group protested at the U.S. Capitol yesterday and plans to protest in front of Raytheon in Rosslyn later today.

The Rosslyn protest will be at least the second this week at the now Arlington-based company’s headquarters. Yesterday six activists were charged with trespassing by Arlington police during a protest “to confront the war profiteer on its role in producing weapons that are causing extreme suffering and death to innocent children, women, and men around the world,” according to the anti-war group Code Pink.

ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb confirmed the incident. A group of six people from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Wisconsin and New York — ranging in age from 28 to 77 — were arrested, charged and released, she said.

More, below, from ACPD.

TRESPASS, 2023-11080112, 1100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 12:12 p.m. on November 8, police were dispatched to the report of trespassing. Upon arrival, it was determined a group of individuals were protesting on private property. The property manager reportedly spoke with the group and asked them to leave which they refused. Responding officers then spoke with each member of the group regarding the request from the property manager and advised they would be subject to arrest if they remained on the property. The below listed individuals remained on the property following the announcement and were arrested and charged with trespassing and released on personal recognizance.

James Jarvis contributed to this report

UPDATED: Arlington office building housing Israeli defense firm vandalized

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Someone splashed red paint and scrawled messages in red letters on the outside of the Arlington Tower building in Rosslyn.

The extensive graffiti was discovered this morning on the front of the office building at 1300 17th Street N., which notably housed then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection headquarters.

Workers could be seen covering up and trying to clean the red paint from the building’s front walkway, facade and glass doors throughout the day today.

Despite the building’s political campaign history, the apparent target of the graffiti was the Washington office of Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems. Photos sent to ARLnow show the words “Shut Elbit Down” uncovered while workers attempt to remove the paint.

A number of European funds have publicly divested of Elbit stock in the past due to the company’s role in constructing the Israeli West Bank barrier and manufacturing cluster munitions.

Arlington County police said an online report about the office building vandalism was filed Monday.

“Police received an online report for vandalism alleging that between 2:15 a.m. and 2:35 a.m. on November 6, unknown suspects threw paint on a commercial building and wrote comments regarding Palestine and the company occupying the property,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The investigation is ongoing.”

In a company statement, Elbit says it’s working to ensure employee safety.

Elbit America employs thousands of Americans who are dedicated to the mission of creating innovative solutions that protect and save lives, While we support the rights of protesters to peacefully express their views, we take the safety and well-being of our employees extremely seriously and we will continue to work closely with local officials to ensure safety for all.

Red paint, meanwhile, was also used to vandalize the front gates of the White House with red handprints over the weekend amid pro-Palestinian protests. The latest round of Middle East violence started with a surprise Hamas attack on Israeli civilians, leading to the bombardment, blockade and ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli armed forces.

The chair of the Arlington County Board last month said the county “unequivocally… condemn[s] all of the violence that has been targeted at non-combatants” during the Hamas-Israel war.

In addition to Elbit Systems, the Arlington Tower building houses the Washington office of a major engineering firm, an outpost of a Boston-based university, and the headquarters of a publicly traded conglomerate noted for its media and education holdings. While Trump’s 2024 campaign headquarters is said to be in Florida, the campaign’s FEC filings maintain an Arlington post office box.

Longtime Arlingtonian, housing advocate and local leader Cecilia Cassidy dies at 75

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

Longtime Arlingtonian and local leader Cecilia Cassidy passed away yesterday in Frederick, Maryland, at the age of 75.

In Arlington, she was best known for her housing advocacy and her leadership of two local organizations: the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, now the Columbia Pike Partnership.

“Cecilia was a connector and leaves many friends, old and new,” her obituary says. “She will be missed.”

Cassidy was born in Brooklyn, New York on Aug. 20, 1948, and grew up on Long Island. Cassidy got her start in journalism, reporting for the Susquehanna Sentinel in Oneonta, New York, and went on to have articles published in The Washington Post, USA Today and Newsday, among other newspapers and literary journals.

She lived in Arlington for 45 years. She kicked off her housing career tenant organizing in Arlington Village, where she lived along Columbia Pike, during a condo conversion in the 1980s, according to her obituary. Together with Arlington County, she helped establish the first limited-equity housing co-op in Virginia and she later went on to head up community relations for the affordable housing developer AHC, Inc.

Cassidy was also instrumental in standing up the Rosslyn BID — Arlington’s first such organization — and serving as its executive director for more than a decade.

“It was her work that really made the BIDs work here in the county,” County Manager Barbara Donnellan said when Cassidy retired from this post in 2013.

Cassidy then served for three years as the interim leader of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization after the sudden resignation of former executive director Takis Karantonis, now an Arlington County Board member. She retired from CPRO in 2018, after overseeing the organization’s largest period of financial growth in 30 years and the adoption of a strategic plan, per a press release at the time.

“CPRO is grateful for Cecilia’s leadership and her contributions to the organization but even more grateful for the spirit, enthusiasm, and friendship Cecilia has shared with us,” then-board president John Snyder said at the time.

Cassidy was a member of the Leadership Arlington Class of 2000 and was named to the board of directors of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, or APAH.

But her other great love was to travel, according to her obituary.

“Her junior year abroad had her hitchhiking all over Europe,” it says. “She did her first of many cross-country trips at the age of 21 in a refurbished telephone truck with Tara’s playpen in the back and her sister Carol sharing the wheel. Over the years she visited friends in Poland, Russia and Puerto Rico, and after an extensive genealogy search, found long lost relatives in Ireland.”

Cassidy moved to Frederick in 2019 to be close to her daughter, Tara. Cassidy is survived by three siblings, her daughter Tara and a grandson and four nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, people can make a donation in Cassidy’s name to APAH, AHC, the Writer’s Center in Bethesda or the Wroxton College of Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she studied abroad.

There will be a public viewing on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Rollins Life Celebration Center in Frederick. A service will be held the following day, Sunday, from 12-1 p.m. followed by a repass in the hall. The service will also be livestreamed.

A memorial Mass and inurement will be scheduled sometime next spring or summer at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Arlington.

Violent collision on Custis Trail sends two to hospital

By ARLnow.com
Moments before a collision between a cyclist and a person on a scooter or skateboard on the Custis Trail (via Dave Statter/Twitter)

Medics treated two people after a violent collision on a local trail Friday evening.

The crash on the Custis Trail, at the intersection of eastbound Langston Blvd and Ft. Myer Drive in Rosslyn, was caught on camera.

In the video, posted by local public safety watcher Dave Statter, a cyclist can be seen crossing Ft. Myer Drive at the intersection. The cyclist then collides with a person on a motorized scooter or skateboard who turned in front of them.

Both people remained nearly motionless on the ground as a pair of cyclists pulled up and started providing aid. Firefighters can then be seen arriving on scene, ahead of the arrival of two ambulances.

The incident happened around 5:15 p.m. Friday, according to scanner traffic. The extent of the injuries are unclear and an Arlington County police spokeswoman had no further information about the incident.

JUST IN: Police investigating apartment break-in and rape in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man broke into a woman’s apartment in Rosslyn early this morning and raped her, Arlington County police say.

The incident happened around midnight on the 1500 block of Clarendon Blvd.

More, below, from an ACPD press release.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a rape which occurred in the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood during the early morning hours of October 29.

At approximately 12:19 a.m., police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard for the report of a rape. The preliminary investigation indicates the unknown male suspect gained entry to the victim’s residence, entered her bedroom and threatened her. The suspect then raped the victim before fleeing the residence on foot.

The suspect is described as a tall, Black male with a skinny build and shorter, curly hair.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Detective McGuire at 703-228-4173 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

This incident follows an apartment break-in and sexual assault in the Virginia Square neighborhood in April.

Video: Car seen driving down bike path near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Tesla driving down bike path in the Rosslyn area (photo via @rsaydlowski/Twitter)

A driver in a Tesla was caught on camera driving down the Custis Trail bike and pedestrian path in the Rosslyn area.

The incident happened yesterday (Thursday) evening, according to a user of X, formerly known as Twitter. The red Tesla can be seen driving down the middle of the trail and past a concerned pedestrian before exiting the trail and getting on the adjacent Langston Blvd.

No further information about the incident was immediately available.

It’s unclear whether this was a case of driver error or an issue with Tesla’s scrutinized “autopilot” mode.

Last week ARLnow reported on a Tesla driver who drove down a hill and smashed into a playground while “attempting to park,” according to police. The exact cause of that crash is also unclear.

Marine Corps Marathon to bring runners and road closures to Arlington this weekend

By James Jarvis
2018 Marine Corps Marathon (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

This weekend Arlington will host one of the world’s largest marathons, drawing around 30,000 runners.

But the influx of athletes also means residents should prepare for road closures, whether they are driving, biking or scooting.

Next Sunday, Oct. 29 participants in the 48th annual Marine Corps Marathon will gather along Route 110 between Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. The MCM 50K race starts at 7:15 a.m., followed by the wheelchair/hand cycle division at 7:50 a.m. and the marathon at 7:55 a.m.

Runners will “tour the nation’s most recognizable landmarks while being supported by the men and women of the United States Marine Corps,” the race website says.

Road closures will affect parts of Arlington, including I-395 between Rosslyn and Crystal City, from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to an ACPD press release.

Course map for the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon (via Marine Corps Marathon)

Viewing locations for spectators locally include the starting line in Arlington, the first mile in Rosslyn, Crystal Drive in Crystal City and the finish line near the Marine Corps War Memorial.

Friends and family can track runners in real-time via text, email or social media.

After crossing the finish line, runners and spectators can head to the Finish Festival in Rosslyn at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn Street. The festival will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature beer, food, live music and giveaways.

The Runner’s Village is located in the Pentagon North Parking Lot C, accessible via the Pentagon and Pentagon City Metro stations, which open at 5 a.m., ACPD says.

A shuttle service will operate between the Runner’s Village and the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. There will be free parking in the underground lot at 23rd Street S. and Crystal Drive, according the race website.

Runners and spectators can expect security screenings for prohibited items, including pets, drones and alcohol, at the start and finish areas.

Registration is still open for the 10K and 50K races, as well as the mile-long kids run on Saturday, Oct. 28. The kids run, open to children ages 5-12, is set to take place at the North Pentagon Parking Lot from 9:20-11:40 a.m.

Below is the list of planned road closures, per an ACPD press release.

(more…)

How two startup founders overcame setbacks with help from Arlington’s business network

By James Jarvis

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

Fear nearly prevented Scott Love from starting his data analytics firm, Arlington-based Lovelytics.

“I always wanted to start a company… There was always an excuse not to do it, like, ‘Oh, I don’t have enough money. I don’t know how to do that,” he shared during a panel hosted by Rosslyn-based tech accelerator Unstuck Labs in August.

While Love admitted these were real challenges, he said navigating them became easier after tapping into Arlington’s business community.

“From the time I was one person… Arlington made me feel like I was going to be a 6,000-person company,” he said.

Anything Love needed, whether it was advice or introductions to investors, he said people made themselves available to help.

Natalia Micheletti, who co-founded Pryze, an app that encourages employees to minimize phone use at work, agrees.

“It just felt like we had a million opportunities,” Micheletti, the CEO of the Arlington-based startup, said during the panel.

Despite starting companies in different fields, both founders faced similar obstacles, including fundraising and managing employees effectively. They said talking through their struggles with startup founders who had been there before helped them persevere.

Unstuck Labs CEO Wa’il Ashshowwaf (left) speaks to local startup founders Natalia Micheletti and Scott Love during a panel discussion in Rosslyn (staff photo by James Jarvis)

For instance, Love and Micheletti noted securing investors was a “draining” process. Micheletti said she heard “No” from 100 people before finally getting that “Yes.”

“And being able to take feedback from all these people who are in the industry, or you think no more than you, without losing your essence, without losing, like what’s making you special and what made you like be crazy in the first place to start this one thing… is hard,” she said.

But Micheletti said she and co-founder Tim Hylton were able to push through that wall with support from their peers in the start world and Unstuck Labs, which gives founders like Micheletti mentorship, office space and investment.

“I think what’s keeping us here, other than Unstuck Labs… I think it is the roots that we’re planning in the community as well,” she said.

Love said pitching to investors was hard work but another challenged he faced, as his company grew, was refining his leadership skills.

“I think one of the weirdest things for me when I started, it was like, you change your title, and all of a sudden people care a little bit more about what you say and trust you… It’s a completely uncomfortable position,” he said.

Love, who oversees a team of 82, said talking with other Arlington founders made him realize the difference between delegating and leading.

“And I thought I was delegating. But in reality, I was just having them do all the work and come back to me and ask for approval. And that gets me nowhere,” Love said.

Instead, Love said he needed to learn to step back and trust his employees to handle tasks independently.

The mentorship the two founders received from Arlington’s business community appears to be paying off.

Pryze hired its third employee and plans to expand its services after raising nearly $1 million in venture capital, Micheletti previously told ARLnow.

Meanwhile, venture capital firms Databricks Venture and Interlock Equity made “strategic investments” in Lovelytics this June. These investments, for undisclosed amounts, will help the company deepen its expertise healthcare, media, financial services, retail, and manufacturing, Love said in a blog post.

“This investment will accelerate the growth of Lovelytics’ team and expand its technical offerings related to enterprise data environment creation, AI and [language learning models], business intelligence, data science, and cloud infrastructure,” a press release said.

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