sexual assault

Crime Report: Sexual Assault Near Rosslyn Metro

By ARLnow.com

A deaf and mute woman was sexually assaulted and robbed near the Rosslyn Metro station early Saturday morning.

The woman had walked out of the Metro station and was looking for a taxi when a man, possibly homeless, touched her inappropriately and took her money, according to police. Officers had to use written communication in order to gather details about the crime, since the woman could not hear or talk and was unable to communicate with sign language, police said.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

SEXUAL ASSAULT / ABDUCTION / ROBBERY, 09/15/12, 1700 block of N. Moore Street. At 2:05 am on September 15, a female victim states she was sexually assaulted by an unknown suspect as she was walking from the Rosslyn Metro Station to find a cab. The suspect also robbed the victim of $45 cash. The suspect is described as black male with a thin build and beard. He was wearing all grey clothing at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Would-Be Sex Assault Victim Takes a Bite Out of Crime

By ARLnow.com

A woman got the better of a man who attempted to sexually assault her in Courthouse, near Key Elementary School.

The attack happened on the 2400 block of N. Custis Road, just past 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, as the woman was walking home alone from the Courthouse Metro station. Police say a man came up from behind, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and placed his hand over the woman’s mouth while he attempted to use his other hand to sexually assault her.

Before he could do so, however, the woman bit him on the hand and screamed for help. The man ran off as three people who heard the scream ran over to assist the victim.

Police attempted to locate the suspect — described as a 5’7″, 200 lbs white male who was wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans — but ultimately were unsuccessful, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Recent Sexual Assaults Prompt Emergency Forum

By Katie Pyzyk

In response to recent incidents throughout the county, the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women is hosting an emergency community forum on sexual assault.

The forum will be held at the Fairlington Community Center (3308 S. Stafford Street) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 19.

Speakers include Theo Stamos, Commonwealth Attorney for Arlington County, who will discuss the prosecution of these crimes, as well as Jo Johnson, project coordinator for domestic abuse prevention program Project PEACE. The Arlington County Police Department will also have a Special Victims Unit representative present to speak about recent incidents, provide safety tips and take questions.

Samantha Sewell with the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women said the forum will not only provide safety information, but will examine the services currently available for sexual assault victims. Part of the program will focus on shortcomings in what’s available throughout the community and what improvements can be made.

Sewell stresses that the intent is not to blame victims, or for example, to tell people not to run in certain areas. The goals are to talk about safety and education regarding sexual assaults. Everybody is welcome to attend the forum.

“We don’t want to put this all on women,” Sewell said. “We want to educate the community as a whole, and educate our men as well.”

Organizers say although there’s been concern about the number of sexual assaults for some time, the emergency forum was initiated specifically in response to recent incidents, such as the rape on Four Mile Run trail, and a sexual assault in the Ballston Public Parking Garage.

Woman Sexually Assaulted in Ballston Parking Garage

By Katie Pyzyk

A woman was sexually assaulted in the Ballston Public Parking Garage (665 N. Glebe Road) yesterday (Wednesday).

According to police, around 2:30 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was walking to her car, which was parked on the fourth level of the garage adjacent to the Ballston mall. Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said a man approached the victim from behind when she was just feet from her vehicle. The suspect reportedly lifted up the woman’s skirt, grabbed her buttocks, and sexually assaulted her with his hand.

Police say the suspect was startled when the victim screamed, and he fled the scene. The woman then left the parking garage and called police. She did not have any other injuries requiring medical attention.

Although the victim didn’t get a good look at the suspect’s face, she was able to provide other details. Police say the suspect is described as a black male, about 6′ and 150 pounds, between the ages of 17 and 25. At the time of the assault, he was wearing dark pants, a light shirt, sneakers and a black knit hat.

Anyone who can provide information about the assault or the suspect should call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

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: Fighting Back Edition

By ARLnow.com

A woman was sexually assaulted last night as she walked into her apartment building in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The victim managed to fight back, however, and the suspect left some incriminating evidence at the scene as he fled.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 05/15/12, 2900 block of S. 13th Street. At 9:33 pm on May 15, a victim was walking into her apartment building when a subject ran up from behind and sexually assaulted her. The victim began throwing punches and was able to take the subject to the ground. As the suspect fled the scene, he dropped his cell phone and car keys. Police have knowledge of the suspect’s identity, but have been unable to locate him at this time.

Police say the incident was not related to a series of sexual assaults Friday night.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Attacks on Two Women Prompt Warning from Police

By Katie Pyzyk

Attacks on two women on the same night, believed to be by the same suspect, have Arlington County Police cautioning walkers, particularly women. Both incidents took place late last Friday, May 11.

The first occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the 3300 block of Washington Blvd, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. A 26-year-old female walked home alone after having spent a night out with friends. After she typed in the security code to open her garage door and walked inside the garage, she noticed the suspect standing at the bottom of her driveway. She became frightened and tried to close the automated garage door, but the man allegedly rushed toward her and stuck his hand over a sensor, causing the door to re-open. She made it inside the house, locked the door and called police while the suspect fled the scene.

According to Sternbeck, the victim described the suspect as a black man with a dark complexion and short hair, about 5’11”, 200 pounds and around 30 years of age. At the time, he had been wearing khaki pants and a red and white checkered shirt. The victim noted that she saw the suspect wearing black gloves when he put his hand over the garage sensor.

About an hour later, an individual matching the same description is believed to have attacked a woman in the 2100 block of Lee Highway. The 24-year-old female was walking home alone when the suspect allegedly grabbed and sexually assaulted her. The woman struggled and managed to punch the suspect in the stomach. He then reportedly threw her in some bushes and fled.

This victim told police that the suspect had covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and was wearing black gloves.

“Based on their descriptions and the similiarities in the incidents, we believe it’s the same individual,” Sternbeck said.

Police are reminding people to be aware of their surroundings, not to walk alone and to carry a cell phone for emergencies. Walkers are warned not to put themselves in vulnerable situations, or to have the “that can’t happen to me” mentality.

“We want people to be educated if they’re going to be out late at night,” Sternbeck said. “These are things you need to be aware of.”

Anybody with information about the suspect that may lead to his arrest is asked to call the police non-emergency number, at 703-558-2222.

Woman Wakes Up to Find Neighbor Having Sex with Her

By ARLnow.com

A woman says woke up after a day of drinking to find a neighbor having sex with her as her boyfriend slept on a couch nearby.

The alleged incident happened early Sunday morning on the 300 block of N. Oxford Street in Ashton Heights. Police say the female victim and her boyfriend had been drinking earlier in the day at a cookout attended by some residents of their apartment complex. The pair later returned to their apartment and fell asleep on the couch.

According to police, the woman reported that she woke up in the middle of the night to find herself lying on the floor with someone having sexual intercourse with her. In the dark, the woman initially thought the individual was her boyfriend, but then discovered that it was the resident of a neighboring apartment who was on top of her, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The woman and the neighbor were acquainted and had met at the cookout earlier in the day, Sternbeck said. The woman’s boyfriend was reportedly sleeping on the couch next to her and only woke up after the alleged incident.

Arlington resident Federico Alfonso Umana Barrera, 35, was arrested and charged with sexual assault and forgery of a public document.

Update at 9:20 on 5/15/12 — Barrera has now been charged with rape, according to Sternbeck.

UPDATED: Woman Sexually Assaulted Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A man was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a woman near Ballston last night.

The alleged incident happened around 9:00 p.m., in front of a church on the 600 block of N. Vermont Street, in the Bluemont neighborhood near Ballston. Police say a woman noticed a man following her while she was out walking her dog. She tried to alter her route and at one point shouted “stop following me,” but the man then grabbed her from behind, fondled her, and tried to pull down her pants, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

During the attack the woman managed to knee or kick the suspect in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. She ran away and sought help, while the suspect was seen by a witness fleeing in the direction of Ballston Common Mall, according to Sternbeck.

After calling in a K-9 unit and establishing a perimeter, police found a man matching the suspect’s description trying to change his clothes in an alley outside Ballston Common Mall. The man was arrested and was positively identified by the victim, according to Sternbeck. Police also determined that the suspect had stolen the clothes he was trying to change into.

Nathanael Lovett, of no fixed address, has been charged with abduction with intent to defile, grand larceny and trespassing. Lovett, who’s in his late 20s, was also arrested in March after a police officer saw him allegedly masturbating outside the 7-Eleven store at 3510 Wilson Boulevard in Virginia Square.

Man Found Guilty of Raping Arlington Woman While She Slept

By ARLnow.com

A man is facing a possible 93-year prison sentence after being found guilty of raping an Arlington woman while she slept.

D.C. resident Ronald P. Berton, 37, was accused of crimes against two young Arlington women in 2008 and 2010. On Sept. 26, 2010, prosecutors say Berton entered unlocked first-floor apartment on the 2500 block of 20th Street N., where he found a woman sleeping. Berton raped the woman then stole items from the apartment and fled the scene. The woman, who had been drinking that night, did not wake up during the rape, but later woke up and found a condom next to her.

Arlington County Police used DNA to link Berton to a previous crime. According to prosecutors, Berton entered a Colonial Village apartment on the morning of Sept. 10, 2008. He took a meat cleaver from the kitchen, then went to the bedroom where a woman was sleeping. Berton forced the woman to remain in the bed while he exposed himself and masturbated, prosecutors said. He then stole items from the apartment and fled.

Police were able to link Berton to the 2008 crime via DNA left on the knife.

Yesterday a jury found Berton guilty on charges of rape, forcible sodomy, burglary and abduction with the intent to defile. Today the jury recommended a sentence of 93 years. His formal sentencing before an Arlington County Circuit Court judge is scheduled for April 6.

“We believe this was a dangerous predator who came to Arlington to prey on the young women of our community,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Clarke, who prosecuted the case along with fellow Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Cari Steel. “The police did a great job of linking these two cases, so we were successful in getting these convictions.”

Crystal City Man Convicted of Prostitute Attacks

By ARLnow.com

A man accused of forcing prostitutes to perform sex acts at gunpoint in Crystal City is facing a lengthy jail sentence after pleading guilty or being found guilty on an assortment of charges.

Last month, a pair of Arlington County Circuit Court juries found McKinley C. Joyner guilty on two counts of forcible sodomy, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count of abduction with the intent to defile. He also entered an Alford plea on charges of rape, forcible sodomy and abduction.

Prosecutors say Joyner victimized three female escorts in two separate incidents between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2010. The women, who Joyner found via the web site Backpage.com, were each forced to engage in sexual activity at gunpoint at Joyner’s Crystal City apartment, according to prosecutors.

Joyner is facing up to 51 years in prison as a result of the convictions and the plea. His final sentencing dates are set for late next month.

Joyner’s legal troubles don’t end with there, however. He’s also facing a charge of possession with intent to distribute for the drug  N-Benzylpiperazine, also known as BZP or Legal X. A trial on that charge and an accompanying firearms charge is scheduled for March 27.

Prior to these alleged crimes, Joyner had a relatively clean record. Prosecutors say they were only aware of one past conviction — on a 1999 charge for possession of marijuana in Montgomery County, Md.

Even though the Joyner’s victims were prostitutes, prosecutors say that doesn’t diminish the serious nature of the crimes.

“These are difficult cases for a lot of reasons,” Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Lisa Bergman told ARLnow.com. “When you’re dealing with victims that are prostitutes, it obviously was our contention that they were worthy of the protection our system. And the jury came back and echoed that sentiment.”

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