threat

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Social Media Threats Against Arlington Schools — “There is an increased police presence at a middle school and high school in Arlington Friday after authorities say they were the targets of social media threats Thursday night. Arlington County Police say ‘threats of violence’ were made to Williamsburg Middle School and Yorktown High School… police have identified a person in connection with the incident.” [WJLA, Twitter]

Cannonball Found Near the Run — “A remnant of the most turbulent period in Arlington’s history was unearthed during the recent renovation of the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s warehouse space in the Four Mile Run corridor. A 24-pound spherical shell was found during the construction period.” [InsideNova]

Snow Showers Dust Area — Winter is not over yet. A brief period of snow showers left some white patches on lawns this morning. Meanwhile, a potential snowstorm looms for next week. [Twitter, Capital Weather Gang]

Police Investigating Threat at Yorktown High School

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1 p.m. — Arlington County Police have issued a statement about the investigation via Twitter.

Earlier: A threat scrawled on a bathroom wall has Yorktown High School on high alert.

In a letter to parents, Yorktown Principal Bridget Loft said that police are investigating and “community members may see a heightened police presence at Yorktown through the week,” but school is not being cancelled.

There has been a spike in school threats in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting, including in the D.C. area. One parent said that students are in “a froth of anxiety” following the shooting.

“Some have expressed concerns about threats during a walkout protest as well, because they feel less secure outside the building,” said the parent.

An Arlington Public Schools spokesman says the threat at Yorktown is being taken seriously.

“We take threats very seriously and will continue to work with ACPD if any are made,” said Frank Bellavia. “We are asking our school community that if the hear or see something to say something to and adult or the police.”

“At this time, we are not aware of any other threats made to schools,” he added.

The full letter from Loft about the Yorktown threat is below.

Dear Yorktown Families:

Earlier today, Yorktown staff was made aware of a threat that was posted on a restroom wall indicating possible harm to the school later this week. The Arlington County Police Department was immediately made aware of the threat, and they are investigating the situation. For this reason, parents and community members may see a heightened police presence at Yorktown through the week.

We know that any rumor about a potential for violence is always alarming for our community, especially in light of the recent events in Florida. However, due to the recent events here at Yorktown, we know that emotions for our students, families, and staff have been especially heightened.

For these reasons, we wanted to share that we also learned that some students may have taken photos of what was posted and then shared those images out on social media. While we want our students always to report any threats they may see or hear about, we need to remind everyone that spreading rumors among classmates or on social media that have not been verified can create unnecessary panic and stress.

Please be assured that we always take threats of this sort very seriously. Any and all concerns about possible threats should be reported to an adult, but they should not be shared among students until we can investigate, since sharing unfounded threats will only increase anxiety for everyone.

We will continue to investigate this report and will work with the ACPD as well. If we hear more information about this threat, we will share it with you as soon as possible.

I also want to thank the Yorktown community for your support and responsiveness, and if you hear or see something that concerns you, please let me or a member of our Yorktown staff know immediately.

BREAKING: Washington-Lee HS Secured as Police Investigate Threat

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) Washington-Lee High School is in “secure the building” mode as police investigate a threat.

“At approximately 12:07 p.m., police responded to the report of a telephone threat received at W-L,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The school has been secured as police investigate.”

Initial reports suggest the school received calls claiming to be from an expelled or suspended student, threatening violence. While police investigate the threat, officers and school employees are taking precautions.

“Staff are at every door to monitor people coming to the school,” said Arlington Public Schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos. “Police are investigating. Classes are going on as scheduled.”

A heavy police presence could be seen around the school around lunchtime today. The W-L pool was closed to members of the public while the school was secured.

Scammer’s ‘Kidnap Victim’ Foils Scam

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police carIt was a frightening scenario: someone calls, says they have kidnapped your dad, and if you don’t pay up they’ll kill him.

That’s what reportedly happened to one woman in Arlington yesterday afternoon.

Except the terror quickly gave way to relief when the woman’s dad called and said he was fine — while she was gathering the ransom payment. Police are now investigating the incident.

From an Arlington County Police crime report:

ATTEMPT FRAUD, 161006026, 300 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 2:58 p.m. on October 6, police were dispatched to the report of attempted fraud and telephone threats. The female victim received a phone call at approximately 12:48 p.m. from an unknown caller stating he had kidnapped and would kill her father unless she provided him with money. While attempting to retrieve funds, the victim’s father called her place of employment advising that he was not in danger. The victim then ended the call and contacted police. The investigation is ongoing.

Social Media Clown Threats Target Arlington Middle Schools

By ARLnow.com

Instagram 'clown' threat against Arlington middle schoolsArlington is the latest place to have its schools threatened by “creepy clown” social media accounts.

Hoax social media posts, often featuring images of sinister-looking clowns, have threatened schools across the country. Thus far the posts have led to numerous arrests of teens suspected of making the threats, but no reported violence.

Last night, two Instagram accounts — @virginiaclowns and @dmv_clowns — posted similar threats, warning of shootings at a number of area schools, including Kenmore, Gunston and Thomas Jefferson middle schools in Arlington.

The threats have prompted a stepped-up police presence at Arlington schools this morning.

“We are aware [of the threats] and were in contact with the Arlington Police Department staff last night when we saw the messages,” Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia told ARLnow.com. “As a precaution, ACPD has had an increased presence at our schools this morning.”

Middle School Bathroom Graffiti Prompts Police Response

By ARLnow.com

Williamsburg Middle SchoolArlington County Police responded to Williamsburg Middle School today and will be on hand to boost security Friday after a possibly threatening message was discovered in the boys bathroom.

Alarmed parents found out about the possible threat via two emails from Arlington Public Schools, fueling a rumor mill. However, police say they interviewed “several students” and determined there is no actual threat to the school.

“It was some graffiti that could be viewed as potentially threatening,” Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told ARLnow.com. “At this point we have determined that it was more of a prank than a threat… a joke that was not very funny.”

In an email sent Wednesday,Williamsburg principal Dr. Ann McCarty informed parents about vandalism in boys restrooms. The vandalism included “urination in the heating pipes and inappropriate writing on the walls,” including “a direct threat to the school.”

We are writing to you today to let you know of an ongoing problem of vandalism that has been happening in our boys restrooms over the past weeks. We have had problems with urination in the heating pipes and inappropriate writing on the walls. However, today marked what we are deeming to be a serious incident given the content of the defacing. Today’s message involves a direct threat to the school. We are considering this incident to be serious and will be fully investigating in conjunction with our ACPD School Resource Officer. All APS policies will be enforced appropriately. We will address this issue at school, but we also ask that you assist us in having a conversation with your children about appropriate bathroom etiquette. Your assistance will help us with keeping our school safe and maintaining an orderly environment.

This afternoon (Thursday), McCarty revealed that there will be an additional police presence at the school on Friday, even while downplaying rumors that the the threat involved something that was supposed to happen on Friday, Feb. 20.

Dear Williamsburg Families,

We would like to thank everyone who came forward in our investigation after yesterday’s email. Please understand that because this has been a police matter from the start and we are required to maintain student confidentiality, no specific details were shared. This was not intended to keep parents out of the loop; instead, it was to protect the fidelity of our investigation and to maintain confidentiality.

First, I would like to address the misinformation that is currently circulating in the community. Please know that original threat was not for Friday, February 20, and we have no reason to believe that there is a heightened risk for student safety tomorrow. However, to be proactive, we will have additional police presence at the school.

I also wanted to let you know that our investigation has provided us with the much-needed information to move forward and address the student(s) who we believe were involved. As a result of the investigation, at this time we do not believe that a threat exists to Williamsburg.

Finally, we will continue to monitor any and all safety concerns here at Williamsburg. The protection of our students and the entire Williamsburg community is always our top priority. We utilize all of our available resources, including the Arlington County Police Department, to ensure student safety.

We appreciate your patience and support as we have worked through this police investigation, and I want to thank everyone who helped us with information.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further questions.

Thank You,
Dr. McCarty

Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia declined comment.

Man Barricades Himself in Crystal City Apartment

By Katie Pyzyk

Police and sheriff's deputies respond to a barricade situation in Crystal City (photo courtesy @vtspaeth)More than a dozen police units spent part of the afternoon at an apartment building on the 300 block of S. 23rd Street in Crystal City, where a man barricaded himself inside and made threats.

A sheriff’s deputy approached the 39-year-old man’s apartment around noon in an attempt to serve an eviction notice. According to police, the man threatened the deputy, as well as himself, and then barricaded himself in the apartment.

Police evacuated the neighboring apartments and set up a command post in one of the units, where they were able to talk with the man on the phone. The man came out of his apartment more than an hour later and police took him into custody. He was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for a mental evaluation.

Once the man exited his apartment, police searched it and found the shotgun the man had referred to when threatening the sheriff’s deputy.

It is unclear if the man will be charged. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Photo courtesy @vtspaeth

Crime Report: Armed Threats

By ARLnow.com

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, a female escort is robbed by a man with a gun, and a man who threatened to get his gun is Tasered by police.

ROBBERY 12/08/10, 1200 block of N. Glebe Road. On December 8 at 12:15 pm, a man brandished a handgun and robbed a female escort in a hotel room. The suspect is described as an African American male, 5’9′ with a medium build. He was wearing a white shirt, black pants and black shoes.

ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 12/14/10, 1200 block of S. Nash Street. On December 14 at 11:30 pm, a police officer towed a vehicle. The vehicle owner threatened to get a firearm from his residence, left the scene, and returned. When he did not comply with police commands, a tazer was deployed. John Pistolas, 47, of Arlington, was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement. He was held on a $1,000 bond.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Police Investigating Threat At Marymount University

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police are investigating a threatening letter sent to an official at Marymount University.

The letter was delivered to the Arlington campus over the Easter holiday but was discovered Wednesday afternoon.

“Our campus safety staff is aware of it, and proper security policies are in place and being followed,” said Shelley Dutton, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the university. She declined to reveal what sort of threat was made or who it was sent to, citing the ongoing police investigation.

Dutton said she could not recall any previous instances of threats made against university administrators.

Washington-Lee High School Closed Due to Threat

By ARLnow.com

Update at 9:30 a.m. — The school and the aquatic center have reopened after getting the “all clear” from police.

An unspecified threat at Washington-Lee High School has prompted officials to cancel all after-school activities at the high school, including adult education classes. The W-L aquatic center has also been closed.

Administrators learned of the threat this afternoon, school officials said in an email. Police investigated and determined that there was no imminent danger to students and staff.

The building was closed at 3:00 p.m., immediately after classes ended. Police are now conducting a more thorough search of the building.

Arlington Public Schools will announce whether there will be any further cancellations early tomorrow morning. The W-L aquatics center will open at 6:30 a.m., at the earliest, the school system said.