theft

Police Arrest Theft Suspect Along Glebe Road

By Katie Pyzyk

Police have arrested a man suspected of stealing from a woman on S. Glebe Road this afternoon.

The suspect reportedly stole an “unattended bag” from a woman who was shopping in the Unit block of S. Glebe Road. Although police do not release the names of businesses where crimes occur, that block is home to a Goodwill store, among others.

The suspect fled the scene and police took him into custody nearby, on the 100 block of S. Glebe Road. An ARLnow tipster who lives near the arrest scene said numerous police vehicles responded and officers urged neighbors to lock their cars and doors.

ACPD says the investigation is ongoing but there is “no threat to the public.”

Update at 10:50 a.m. — From an ACPD crime report:

GRAND LARCENY (Significant), 2017-10040137, Unit block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 11:26 a.m. on October 4, police responded to the report of a larceny that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that a female victim was shopping when her purse was stolen from inside a shopping cart. When witnesses attempted to stop the suspect, he fled the area on foot into the National Foreign Affairs Training Center where he was detained until Arlington County Police arrived on scene. James Mitchell, 53, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny. He was held on no bond.

Photo courtesy Amy Collins

Police Investigate Series of Thefts from Cars in Rosslyn

By Katie Pyzyk

Police responded to reports of vehicle break-ins this morning in Rosslyn.

Upon responding to an initial break-in call, police found that five cars on the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Colonial Terrace had been entered and items were stolen. All of the vehicles were unlocked.

The thefts prompted another reminder from Arlington County Police for residents to take measures to keep their cars and valuables secure.

From ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department is reminding citizens to remove the opportunity for crime by locking your vehicles. Here are some simple tips to help prevent larcenies from auto:

1. No matter if you park on a public street, in a driveway or garage take all valuables out of your vehicle. This includes keys, key fobs, purses, cash, credit cards and electronics. Don’t forget the valet key that comes with some vehicles.

2. Lock your doors and pull on the door handle to verify it’s locked. If a thief can get into a vehicle, they can also have access to a garage door opener and can gain access to your home. Always ensure the door between your garage and home is locked.

3. Call police if you see people looking into vehicles. The telltale sign that this has occurred in your neighborhood are open doors with the interior dome lights on. If you don’t see the perpetrator(s) but suspect some vehicles have been entered, call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222. If you see a suspect in your vehicle, DO NOT APPROACH THEM and call 911 immediately.

Police: Two Arrested After Car Break-ins, Foot Chase

By ARLnow.com

A young man and a boy were arrested in Ballston Wednesday afternoon and charged with stealing items from cars in the Cherrydale neighborhood.

Police say they were called to the intersection of N. Taylor Street and 18th Street N. in Cherrydale just after 4 p.m. for a report of a car break-in and theft that had just happened. Officers found five cars had been broken into and valuables stolen.

The suspects were then spotted fleeing towards Ballston.

“A responding officer witnessed three suspects matching the description fleeing towards the Metro and broadcast a lookout,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“Officers responded to the Metro station and observed two of the suspects. Following a brief foot pursuit, one juvenile suspect was taken into custody by officers,” the crime report continued. “A second suspect was also taken into custody by officers. Nathan Outlaw, 19, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with three counts of Credit Card Theft. Additional charges are anticipated.”

File photo

Police: Teens Shortchange Pizza Delivery Driver, Steal Bag

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are looking for three teens who forcibly took three pizzas from a delivery driver and also made off with his insulated bag.

The theft happened Sunday night in Ballston, near the under-construction Ballston Quarter mall.

Police say the teens approached the driver and actually gave him money, but not enough for all three pizzas. They then took the pizzas and the bag. ACPD would not say how much they paid.

“As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not releasing the amount of money provided by the suspects,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

More from a crime report:

GRAND LARCENY, 2017-08060236, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 8:28 p.m. on August 6, police responded to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival it was determined that when an individual delivering pizzas arrived to make the delivery, he was approached by three unknown subjects. One subject provided the victim with cash while another forcibly grabbed the pizza. The three subjects then fled the scene on foot. The cash provided to the victim was less than the cost of the order. All three subjects are described as black males approximately 17-18 years old, slim builds, with medium complexion. One of the subjects had black, curly hair that stuck straight up. The other two suspects had short, black hair. The investigation is ongoing.

Police: Bike Thieves Busted

By ARLnow.com

Two men have been arrested and charged with trying to steal bikes from a front porch and a parking garage.

The pair were allegedly spotted in Maywood and near Lyon Village attempting to steal bikes Friday morning. Police were called, searched the area and arrested the men, both in their mid-20s.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

GRAND LARCENY, 2017-08040083, 3200 block of 23rd Street N. At approximately 9:43 a.m. on August 4, police were dispatched to the report of two suspicious males attempting to steal a bicycle from the front porch of a residence. Shortly after, a similar call was received reporting two subjects were attempting to steal a bicycle from a parking garage in the 1900 block of N. Daniel Street. Responding officers canvassed the area and located two subjects matching the descriptions provided by the witnesses. Philip Taylor, 25, of Capitol Hills, MD, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny (x2) and Grand Larceny with Intent to Sell. Raheem Freeman, 24, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Grand Larceny and Identity Theft. Both were held on no bond.

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaPD/status/894633418612461568

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Opts to Acquire Hospital Site — Arlington County Board members on Tuesday voted to formally seek a large tract of land along S. Carlin Springs Road in a land swap with Virginia Hospital Center. In exchange, the county is offering to VHC county-owned land next to the hospital, which would allow it to expand. [Arlington County, InsideNova]

Bike Thefts Up in Arlington — Bike thefts were up for the first 6 months of 2017, compared to a year prior. No one seems to be safe from the prolific bike thieves, who often target high-end bikes parked in garages and bike lockers; among those reporting recent thefts were Henry Dunbar, the director of BikeArlington and Capital Bikeshare in Arlington, and an ABC 7 employee. [WJLA]

Gondola Project Not Dead — Though Arlington County has moved on from it, D.C. is still budgeting money to advance the proposed Rosslyn-to-Georgetown gondola project, including $250,000 for an environmental review of a potential gondola site near the C&O canal. One other intriguing factor: should the gondola run north of the Key Bridge, as shown in renderings, it may reach Arlington at the Key Bridge Marriott property, which is in the early stages of a potentially large-scale, mixed-use redevelopment. [Bisnow]

County Buys Office Building — As expected, the Arlington County Board has voted to purchase a low-slung office building at 2920 S. Glebe Road, to house Arlington’s head start program. The program is currently housed in the Edison Center next to Virginia Hospital Center, which is slated to be transferred to VHC in a land swap (see above). Arlington is paying $3.885 million for the Glebe Road property, nearly $1.5 million above its assessed value. [Arlington County]

JBG Has Big Plans for Crystal City — JBG Smith, the newly-formed combination of JBG and the Washington properties of Vornado, says repositioning and enhancing its 7 million square foot portfolio in Crystal City is a “top priority.” Among the changes in the works for the Bethesda-based firm: expanding the vacant office building at 1750 Crystal Drive, converting it to residential, and adding an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and a grocery store. [Washington Business Journal]

Crime Report: Man Tries, Fails to Snatch Purse

By ARLnow.com

A would-be thief failed to steal a purse Monday evening in Rosslyn

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. on the 1500 block of Clarendon Blvd, the same block as District Taco and a Starbucks.

More from this week’s Arlington County weekly crime report:

ATTEMPTED PURSE SNATCHING, 2017-05220224, 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 5:31 p.m. on May 22, officers responded to the report of an attempted purse snatching that just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined an unknown male suspect approached a female victim from behind and attempted to steal the victim’s purse. Following a brief struggle, the suspect fled the scene without the victim’s purse. The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-twenties, approximately 5’5″ tall with a slight build. He was wearing a blue hoodie, jeans, and dark baseball cap. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

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Crime Report: Airbags Stolen from Cars in Fairlington

By ARLnow.com

A number of vehicles were broken into in the Fairlington neighborhood earlier this week, according to the weekly Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The suspect — or suspects — stole airbags from the “at least five” vehicles, which, according to a police spokeswoman, were all Hondas and Acuras.

The thefts were centered around 29th Street S., between S. Buchanan and Columbus Streets, and were reported to police Tuesday morning.

More from the crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO(Series), 2017-05170092, 4800 block of S. 29th Street. At approximately 9:06 a.m. on May 16, officers responded to the report of a series of larcenies from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined at least five vehicles were entered and airbags were stolen. There is no subject(s) description.

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

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Police Investigating Another Series of Car Break-ins

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating yet another series of vehicle break-ins that occurred overnight.

The break-ins were reported in various locations, but were centered around the Arlington Heights and Lyon Park neighborhoods and Route 50.

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said nearly two dozen cars were broken into, with items stolen from many.

More via Savage:

Arlington County Police are investigating a series of larcenies from auto overnight originating in the unit block of S. Highland Street. Approximately 20 mostly unlocked vehicles were entered, rummaged through and various items of value were reported stolen. Police remain in the area investigating. Citizens are reminded to remove valuables, lock vehicle doors and keep windows up whenever their vehicle is not in use. If you see something suspicious in your neighborhood, report to the emergency communication center at 703-558-2222.

Teens Apprehended for Car Break-Ins

By Katie Pyzyk

Police picked up two teens accused of breaking into cars early Saturday morning.

Around 12:45 a.m. on Saturday, police received a call from a citizen who reported seeing people tampering with vehicles along the 4100 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. Officers responded to the area, established a perimeter and located the two suspects matching the descriptions the witness provided.

Investigators determined that eight vehicles had been broken into and rummaged through, and several had items of value stolen. Most of the vehicles had not been locked.

The 16- and 17-year-old suspects both face charges in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Police have not linked them to other recent car break-in cases throughout the county, but the investigation is ongoing.

More Than 200 Vehicle Break-Ins So Far This Year in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10 a.m.) Despite some recent arrests, more than 200 vehicles have been broken into so far this year in Arlington, and the criminals do not appear to be slowing down.

According to Arlington police, there were 209 “larceny from auto” reports taken from Jan. 1 to April 3. Most of those crimes were likely preventable, requiring only that the owner of the vehicle lock their doors.

“The majority of our thefts from vehicles are from unlocked cars,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Our investigations and witness accounts reveal that in the majority of cases, suspect(s) are seen walking up a street and trying door handles. They enter a vehicle that opens and bypass a vehicle that does not.”

“Locking your vehicle’s doors and removing valuables increases the likelihood that the suspect(s) will move on,” Savage added.

The latest series of car break-ins was reported in Fairlington yesterday morning. Officers located eight vehicles that had been entered and rummaged through.

“At approximately 8:05 a.m., police responded to the 4700 block of 30th Street S. for the report of items thrown about the ground,” Savage said. “The initial investigation suggests that the vehicles were unlocked. The investigation is ongoing.”

In addition to the public service announcement flyer above, ACPD has also issued the following tips for residents.

1. No matter if you park on a public street, in a driveway or garage take all valuables out of your vehicle. This includes keys, key fobs, purses, cash, credit cards and electronics. Don’t forget the valet key that comes with some vehicles.

2. Lock your doors and pull on the door handle to verify it’s locked. If a thief can get into a vehicle, they can also have access to a garage door opener and can gain access to your home. Always ensure the door between your garage and home is locked.

3. Call police if you see people looking into vehicles. The telltale sign that this has occurred in your neighborhood are open doors with the interior dome lights on. If you don’t see the perpetrator(s) but suspect some vehicles have been entered, call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222. If you see a suspect in your vehicle, DO NOT APPROACH THEM and call 911 immediately.

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