theft

Crime Report: Airbags Stolen in Fairlington

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Thieves stole the airbags from a number of cars parked in Fairlington early Tuesday morning.

Victims told NBC 4 that they woke up to find their car hoods open and their airbags missing. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

GRAND LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 140408013, 3000 block of S. Columbus Street. On April 8 at 5:46am, it was reported that multiple vehicles in the Fairlington area were broken into by an unknown subject(s) and airbags were stolen. There is no suspect(s) description and the investigation is ongoing.

Also on Tuesday, a cab driver was allegedly robbed at gunpoint in the Rosslyn area.

ROBBERY, 140408063, 1800 block of N. Clarendon Boulevard. On April 8 at 7:06pm, a taxi cab driver reported he was robbed at gunpoint by a passenger. The suspect later identified as Sami Troy Traboulsi, 28, of Alexandria, VA was taken into custody and charged with robbery.

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

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Crime Report: Clarendon Apple Store Robbed, Perp Flees in BMW

By ARLnow.com
File photo

On Monday afternoon, an alleged thief stole two items from the Clarendon Apple Store and fled the scene in a customized BMW coupe.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 140324046, 2700 block of N. Clarendon Boulevard. On March 24 at 4:10pm, an unknown suspect fled the Apple Store with two items without paying. He fled the scene in a early nineties model dark blue BMW coupe, with a slightly faded bumper and lower body kit. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 35 years old, and was wearing blue jeans, a light grey hooded sweatshirt with a black jacket on top and tan Timberland boots at the time of the incident.

Early Saturday morning, two men at Darna Lounge (946 N. Jackson Street), near Clarendon, allegedly flashed badges and claimed to be police officers.

IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER, 140322003, 900 block of N. Jackson Street. On March 22 at 12:43am, police responded to a report of two bar patrons displaying badges and claiming to be officers. Samuel Wesley Aples, 40, of Alexandria, VA was charged with impersonating a police officer and private security violations. He was held on a $5000 bond. Austin James Jones III, 30, of Woodbridge, VA was charged with private security violations and was released. Both were banned from the establishment.

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

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Rash of Thefts Hit Soccer Practices at Gunston

By Ethan Rothstein

Soccer ballThe Arlington Soccer Association’s club practices at the turf by Gunston Middle School (2700 S. Lang Street) have been targeted by thieves last week.

The ASA sent an email to soccer parents Sunday night alerting them that thieves had stolen items, including smartphones, from the fields while the teams were practicing. The first incidents of theft happened on Tuesday, according to the email, with soccer balls, phones and several travel bags taken.

“In response to the first incidents on Tuesday, ASA issued guidelines for personal property management to our travel team coaches and team managers that included specific suggestions to mitigate potential issues at Gunston and Virginia Highlands [Park],” the email states. “Despite this, issues continued several times during the week.”

One witness to a theft Tuesday night said it was perpetrated by a 15 year-old.

“A 15 year old youth grabbed two soccer backpacks and started running,” said the witness, who declined to be identified. “Fortunately, bystanders chased and caught the thief and held him until the police arrived. Since each backpack contained a smartphone, the police told us that he would be charged with attempted grand larceny.”

ASA said the Arlington County Police Department has agreed to station more officers, both on foot and in vehicles, at the fields during practice. The ASA has also issued guidelines to its players that include the best place to leave bags during practice at Gunston — behind the goal closest to the school — and a request for each team to provide two volunteers to help supervise practice.

Crime Report: Man Slapped, Has Bluetooth Headset Stolen

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Last weekend a drunk and disorderly man entered a pizza shop on Columbia Pike and allegedly slapped a man and stole his Bluetooth earpiece.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 140126003, 3200 block of S. Columbia Pike. On January 26 at approximately 12:19am, police responded to a report of a disorderly subject at a pizza shop. The suspect allegedly slapped a victim in the face and grabbed the victim’s Bluetooth earpiece out of his ear and fled the scene. The suspect is described as a white male in his early to mid thirties. He is approximately 6’0″ in height and around 200 pounds with a brown buzz cut. At the time of the incident the suspect was wearing a blue sweater and blue jeans. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All named suspected are considered innocent until proven guilty.

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Crime Report: Christmas and New Year’s Eve

By ARLnow.com
File photo

The Arlington County Police Department has issued its crime report for the two weeks ending Dec. 31.

A few days before Christmas, some Grinch stole a fruit basket (and a gift card) from a Virginia Square apartment mail room.

BURGLARY, 131219008, 3500 block of N. Washington Boulevard. At 7:30 am on December 19, a victim noticed several packages of his had been opened in an apartment mail room. A fruit basket and Amazon gift card were stolen. There is no suspect(s) description.

The day after Christmas, with returns and post-holiday shopping in full swing, a man allegedly used his cell phone to film a woman in a dressing room.

PEEPING TOM, 131226018, unit block of S. Glebe Road. At 1:24 pm on December 26, a 24 year-old female victim reported a suspect attempted to film her with his phone as she was changing in the dressing room. The suspect fled the scene when the victim notified a store employee. The suspect is described as a Middle Eastern male in his 30’s, approximately 5’10” tall and 190 lbs with a goatee. He was wearing a dark and light blue sweater, jeans and brown shoes at the time of the incident.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All names suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

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Two Arrested for Bicycle Theft at Va. Square Metro

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carA young man and a boy were arrested for allegedly stealing a bicycle from the Virginia Square Metro station last night.

Police say 20-year-old D.C. resident John Wiley and an unnamed juvenile male were arrested around 9:40 p.m. after they stole a bike from the station. One of the suspects had a set of wire cutters in a backpack, police said. Together, the suspects were charged with Grand Larceny and Possession of Burglarious Tools.

Arlington County Police have been cracking down on bike thefts recently, after declaring over the summer that such thefts were at an all-time high. Last week, the police department announced that a 42-year-old repeat offender named Michael Cullen had received a whopping 12-year jail sentence for a series of bike thefts.

Bicycle Theft Crackdown Leads to Thief’s Lengthy Sentence

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County police logoA 42-year-old man convicted of involvement in multiple bicycle thefts around Arlington has received what police call a “lengthy” jail sentence.

Michael Cullen, of no fixed address, received a 12-year jail sentence for the thefts. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of grand larceny with the intent to sell, and one count of possession of burglarious tools. Cullen has the ability to suspend four years of his sentence if full restitution is paid to his victims.

“In Arlington, we have the ability to prosecute all types of cases,” said Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos. “Protecting the property of residents is of the utmost importance and thieves such as Michael Cullen will be prosecuted to the fullest.”

Because recent data compiled by the police department indicated bike thefts are at an all-time high, the Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit spearheaded a regional police cooperation to reduce the amount of bicycle thefts and to identify suspects. An increase in patrols and surveillance, along with hours of police detective work, led to a number of arrests.

Police say the following individuals have been arrested, in addition to Michael Cullen, as part of the regional bike theft crackdown:

  • “Aldrick Johnson was observed on video attempting to break into an apartment building. Security called police and Mr. Johnson was apprehended. He pled guilty to possession of burglarious tools and burglary and received a sentence of four years with three years suspended.”
  • “Ositafimma Emegbuism was Aldrick Johnson’s co-defendant. Mr. Emegbuism pled guilty to unlawful entry and received 6 months.”
  • “John Sears was apprehended after a citizen observed him tampering with a bicycle inside of a parking garage. Police located Sears with a stolen bicycle in his possession not far from the incident. The bicycle had a cut cable lock and the rear tire was partially removed. Warrants for possession of burglarious tools, possession of drug paraphernalia, providing false ID to law enforcement, attempted grand larceny, destruction of property, and credit card theft were obtained.”
  • “Irvin Coleman was identified as a suspect in multiple bike larcenies in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria after pawning multiple bikes on separate occasions. Warrants were obtained for Coleman for his involvement in the theft/pawning of bicycles from Ballston Mall. Coleman avoided apprehension for some time but was eventually arrested. Coleman is currently held in Fairfax on no bond. His preliminary hearing for his Arlington charge, grand larceny with intent to sell, is currently set for October 24, 2013.”
  • “Howard Montgomery was stopped after an officer observed him riding one bike while rolling a second beside him. He admitted that the bikes did not belong to him. After further investigation, it was determined that these bikes were stolen from a secured bike cage in an apartment building. Montgomery is to be indicted on charges of possession of burglarious tools, grand larceny and grand larceny with intent to sell.”
  • “Five juveniles involved with bike thefts from Thomas Jefferson Middle School have been identified and adjudicated. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered for all suspects. Four of the defendants were sentenced. One juvenile is still pending.”

In some of the cases, the bicycles were recovered and returned to their rightful owners. Police continue to ask people to register their bikes for this very reason.

“We encourage people to register their bikes because if there is a bike recovered, then it’s not a long process to figure out who it belongs to,” said police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Cyclists can register bikes online, and will receive a registration decal to place on the bike. Owners should also take a photo of their bicycle and record the serial number and any distinguishing features it may have.

Anyone who has had a bicycle stolen or who notices suspicious behavior around bike racks should call the Arlington County Police Department non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bicycle commuter on the W&OD Trail (Flickr pool photo by ddimick)

Metro Keys Stolen from Arlington Fire Truck — Two men wearing masks and black clothing stole keys to secure areas of the Metro system from an unattended Arlington County fire truck last week. The theft happened during a medical call in Crystal City, and the thieves also stole a forcible entry tool called a Hydra Ram. [NBC Washington]

New Wakefield Aquatics Center Debuts — A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the new aquatics center at Wakefield High School on Sunday. The center is expected to draw a larger crowd than the aging, existing Wakefield aquatics facility it replaces. The cost of entry is up to $5.50 per day for Arlington residents. [Sun Gazette]

Ft. Myer Heights Playground Opening Imminent — A new playground in Ft. Myer Heights, with slides made to look like hollowed-out logs, is set to open as soon as Wednesday. The playground also features a sand pit and picnic benches. [Ode Street Tribune]

New Poll Shows McAuliffe With Lead in Gov. Race — Democrat Terry McAuliffe is leading Republican Ken Cuccinelli 47-39 among likely votes in the Virginia governor’s race, according to a new Washington Post poll. Cuccinelli had a 10 point lead in a poll conducted this spring. [Washington Post]

Lt. Gov. Debate in Arlington Tonight — The candidates for Virginia lieutenant governor — Republican E.W. Jackson and Democrat Ralph Northam — will face off in a live debate in Arlington tonight. The 90-minute debate will take place at 7:00 p.m. at George Mason University’s Founders Hall Auditorium in Virginia Square. [George Mason University]

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Police Arrest Man for Crystal City Bike Thefts

By Ethan Rothstein

Arlington County police logoPolice arrested a man last week for stealing bicycles in Crystal City.

Howard Montgomery, 47, of no fixed address, was spotted just before 3:00 a.m. last Thursday riding a bicycle and carrying another alongside him, Arlington County Police said. When an officer questioned Montgomery, he tried to flee but was taken into custody “after a brief struggle,” according to the police report.

Montgomery, who was also in possession of “a power grinder with numerous blades,” admitted to stealing the Cannondale and Drossinger bikes, police said. He was arrested and charged with grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell, possession of burglarious tools and obstruction of justice.

The arrest comes after ACPD announced that bike thefts in Arlington had hit an all-time high.

The two bikes stolen were not registered with the the police department, making it more difficult to return them to their owners, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Sternbeck said the area where Montgomery was arrested, around the 1600 block of S. Eads Street, is one of the “hot spots” for bicycle thefts around the county. Bicycle thefts tend to happen more frequently at commuter locations with lots of bike racks, he said.

While Montgomery confessed to stealing the two bikes, he did not admit to any prior crimes, said Sternbeck.

Wheel Thieves Targeting Hondas in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) There have been 41 reported thefts of vehicle tires and rims in Arlington so far this year. Of those, 24 have been stolen from just two models: the Honda Fit and Civic.

In keeping with what seems to be a national trend, the Fit is the most-targeted of the two, accounting for 16 — nearly two fifths — of the 41 thefts, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Tara-Leeway Heights resident Tom Olsen says he recently was the victim of the wheel thieves.

“My wife and I woke… to find that all 8 wheels had been stolen from our cars — a Honda Fit and a Honda Civic,” he told ARLnow.com. “The cars were in the driveway of our house. Both cars were locked… and near enough to a streetlight that the thieves would have been seen by a passerby. Also, the Civic had locking lug nuts on the wheels, but the thieves didn’t have any problem removing them. The officer said a pro can get them off easily, it just takes them slightly longer.”

“According to the police, [the] tow operator and rental car agent, Honda Fits (and to a lesser extent, Civics) have been targeted recently in and around Arlington as well as in Maryland and D.C.,” he continued. “In fact, when we told the rental car guy that our wheels had been stolen, he immediately asked ‘Do you have a Fit?'”

Honda Fit and Civic wheel thefts are also an issue in nearby Annandale. A local blog reported on a string of thefts earlier this summer. According to the blog, Annandale VA:

The Honda Fit Sport model is in demand because its 15-inch allow wheels fit low-riding cars customized for street racing. They also fetch high prices on the illegal car parts market.

The thefts usually happen between midnight and 5 a.m., [Fairfax County police officer Brendan] Murphy said. The thieves usually break into the car first to remove the jack so they can get the wheels off. The whole operation only takes a few minutes.

He advises Honda owners to install motion sensor lights. Car alarms with tilt sensors would be good, too. And if you happen to get up in the middle of the night, check on your car.

A separate string of wheel thefts targeting various vehicle models was reported in Arlington last fall.

Photos courtesy Tom Olsen

ACPD: Bike Theft At an All-Time High

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police logo(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Bicycle thefts in Arlington are at an all-time high, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

A total of 67 bikes were stolen in July, but police say they’ve been working “aggressively” to reduce the number of thefts. At least six suspects were recently arrested in connection with bicycle thefts, and one pleaded guilty to nine felony counts.

According to police department statistics, from June 1 to Aug. 5, a total of 126 bikes were stolen for a total property loss of nearly $100,000.

The most common time for bike thefts was between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Wednesday through Friday. Trek was the most commonly-stolen bike brand, while the Clarendon area was the “hottest area for stolen bikes.”

Police are asking residents to take steps to make sure their bike is safe. From an ACPD press release:

Recent data shows that bicycle thefts are at an all-time high in Arlington County and the Police Department is asking the public to join in the efforts to reduce this trend.

Sixty-seven bicycles were reported stolen in July 2013 and police have been aggressively working to reduce the number of incidents. Residents can do their part too by following a few simple steps:

  • Register your bicycle with the Arlington County Police Department at http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/police/citizens/forms/bicycle_registration.asp. You will receive a decal that may be a visible deterrent to theft. Your bicycle information will also be on file should become a victim
  • Take a photo of your bike and record the serial number. Also, list distinguishing features and save the file to your computer or email account
  • Always lock your bike’s frame and wheels with a high quality modern U-Lock
  • Remove all detachable items such as lights and bags
  • If you are a victim of bicycle theft, post the theft as stolen online in an attempt to locate it
  • Always file a police report with ACPD

Citizens should be reminded to call the non-emergency line [703-558-2222] if they observe suspicious behavior around bike racks. A police officer will respond to the area and determine if a crime is being committed.

ACPD has recently been able to identify and arrest at least six subjects in connection to bicycle thefts across the County. One of the subjects, Michael Cullen, 42, of no fixed address, pled guilty this past week to nine felony counts related to bicycle thefts.

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