Crime Report: Armed and Dangerous Edition
Guns were involved in two notable incidents from this week’s Arlington County crime report.
Last Wednesday, an argument in the Pentagon City mall food court turned dangerous when a man brandished a handgun at three teenagers. Police say the suspect was accompanying a pregnant woman at the time.
BRANDISHING, 07/27/11, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. On July 27 at 9:20 pm, a group of three teenage males argued with a male and female couple in the food court. The male brandished a handgun at the teenagers before leaving the area. The suspect is described as a white male with brown hair in his mid-30’s, 5’10’ and 200 lbs. He was wearing a black polo shirt and jeans. He was in the company of a pregnant white female in her early 30’s. She was wearing a long black dress.
On Monday, two suspects surprised a group of guys playing poker in a Rosslyn apartment when they burst in, displayed a handgun and took everybody’s money.
ROBBERY, 08/01/11, 1100 block of Arlington Boulevard. On August 1 at 1:50 am, numerous men were in an apartment conducting a poker tournament. Two unknown men entered the apartment, displayed a gun and demanded money and the victim’s wallets. One suspect is described as an African American male in his mid-20’s, 6’2” and skinny. He wore a red bandana over his face and a red Washington national baseball cap. The second suspect was an African American male, 5’8”, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a red bandana.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. (more…)
Arlington County Fair Program Released
The Arlington County Fair is just a week away, and now we know a bit more about the kind of food and entertainment that’s on tap.
The fair’s official program is now online, complete with lists of exhibitors, food vendors and fair hours. Also included are maps and an entertainment schedule.
Among the food vendors are A&B Soft Serve, Cherokee Cuisine (“Krispy Kreme burgers,” “turkey kielbasa tortilla wraps,” etc.), Capital Empanadas, Family Grill (kebabs, pad thai, etc.), Four Seasons Grill (gyros, turkey legs, etc.), I Love Thai, International Grill Company (cheesesteaks, falafel, etc.), MacBrand Foods (sausage, “blooming onions,” etc.), Nittaya Grill (chicken teriyaki, funnel cakes, etc.), Orient-Bowl, and Rivera’s (carne asada, pupusas, etc.).
Among the more than 125 exhibitors are the Arlington County Democratic Committee, the Arlington County Republican Committee, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Artisphere, Dominion Electric Power, Friends of the David M. Brown Planetarium, Potomac Harmony/Showtime Chorus, and dozens of merchants.
Among the scheduled outdoor events are the Civil War HistoryMobile, Star Family Circus, racing piglets, pony rides, Harlem Wizards basketball demonstration (Fri.-Sat.), outdoor movies (Fri.-Sat.), and animal rescue group exhibitions (Fri.-Sun.).
The fair takes place at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 S. 2nd Street). See the Arlington County Fair web site for more information.
Changes Coming to Champion Billiards
Champion Billiards, a Shirlington-area haven for poolsharks since the early 90s, is getting a new name, a new menu and a pair of new owners.
Misti Wise and Amy Borek were bartenders at Champion (2620 S. Shirlington Road) during the 90s. Now they’re coming back as owners, hoping to turn around Champion’s moribund business by making the place more attractive as a local food-and-drink destination.
“We want to appeal to everybody in the community, not just the staunch pool players,” said Borek. “Our hope is to be a real neighborhood destination… It will be a great story if we’re successful.”
The actual changes planned are somewhat minor. At the end of the month, Wise and Borek are planning to close Champion for a week to freshen up the place: add a new coat of paint, replace the old TVs with new flat screen TVs, spruce up the bar, etc. They will also be changing the name, from “Champion Billiards” to “Lucy’s ARL.” The pool tables and other staples will remain, although a skeeball machine may be added.
Then there are the planned changes to the menu, which Borek says will be key to attracting new customers. The tired old bar food will be replaced by “good bar food,” while prices will be kept relatively low.
“Before, food was kind of an after-thought,” Borek said. “I don’t want to alienate the existing customer base, so we don’t want to go high-end, but we want to have fun food with a bit of a twist.”
Among the signature menu items that the new owners plan to introduce are “zawiches” — sandwiches that use two slices of pizza instead of bread, like the kind Borek saw venders offering on the streets of Italy. A new, more interesting chicken tender appetizer and a pulled pork sandwich are among the other planned signature items.
Borek and Wise, who officially take over ownership on Sept. 1, will be renting the space from Champion’s existing owner. After working there for many years, then leaving, then coming back, Borek says they’re looking forward to reviving a place that “has history in the community.”
“We’re very, very excited,” she said. “You walk back in and it’s like old times. It’s a cool feeling.”
Power Outage in Pentagon City
(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) A lunchtime power outage hit parts of Pentagon City this afternoon.
Power went out at Pentagon City mall and at the Pentagon Centre shopping plaza, which houses Costco and a number of other retailers. The traffic lights at Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street, S. Hayes Street and 12th Street and S. Fern Street and 12th Street were also dark. Traffic is moving slowly through the area.
As of 12:50 p.m., power was restored to the Pentagon City mall. As of 1:10 p.m., power had been restored to the traffic lights. It remains out at Pentagon Centre.
BREAKING NEWS — Bank Robbery in Clarendon
A robbery has been reported at the Wachovia Bank at 3140 Washington Boulevard in Clarendon.
Initial reports suggest a suspect implied he had a weapon, then made off with cash. Police are looking for the suspect, who fled on foot. He’s described as an older white male with scruffy facial hair.
This is the fifth bank robbery in Arlington since the beginning of June. There have also been two bank robberies in the neighboring Falls Church area during that time.
Update at 4:10 p.m. — In a press release (which includes surveillance photos), Arlington Police say that the suspect in today’s robbery appears to be the same man responsible for the robbery of two BB&T banks in June.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Robbery Unit is investigating a bank robbery that occurred this morning in the Clarendon area of Arlington County.
On Wednesday, August 3, 2011, at approximately 11:10 am, police responded to the 3100 block of Washington Boulevard for a bank robbery that just occurred. An unknown male entered a Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank and demanded money from a teller while implying that he was armed with a weapon. The suspect fled the area after receiving cash.
The suspect is described as a white male with facial hair, in his late 50’s, 6’ tall with a medium build. At the time of the robbery he wore a white short-sleeve polo shirt with horizontal stripes, light colored pants and a dark colored baseball cap. This man appears to be the same suspect who robbed two BB&T Banks in Arlington during June 2011.
Anyone who has information about this robbery or the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703 228-4242, or Detective Donald Fortunato at (703) 228-4197. Det. Fortunato can also be reached by email at dfortunato@arlingtonva.us.
State Senate Mudslinging Heads to Twitter
Democratic state Senate opponents Barbara Favola and Jaime Areizaga-Soto both have dueling negative “truth” web sites — The Truth About Barbara Favola and The Truth About Jaime Areizaga-Soto — so it’s only natural that corresponding Twitter accounts would be launched for each.
Yesterday, within hours of one another, “ComeCleanJaime” and “Pay2PlayBabs” began Tweeting out dirt about the candidates.
“My vote is up for sale to the highest bidder,” proclaims the Pay2PlayBabs account. “Special deals for Republicans and Developers!”
“Jaime said he was ‘lead attorney’ on ‘oil and gas pipelines’ projects. Now he says he did ‘no pipeline work.’ REALLY?” asked the ComeCleanJaime account.
ComeCleanJaime says it’s paid for by the Favola campaign, although we’ve yet to confirm its authenticity. The Areizaga-Soto campaign, meanwhile, denied that it’s behind Pay2PlayBabs.
“Our campaign does not condone the account @Pay2PlayBabs,” the campaign said on its official Twitter account. “We’ve got 20 days, let’s keep it focused on the issues.”
Morning Poll: New Clarendon Businesses
By the end of the week, at least 10 new eateries will have opened in Clarendon since February.
Pinkberry will open its doors on Friday, joining other new food destinations including Burapa Thai, Circa, South Block Smoothie & Burrito, Rabbit, Pete’s Apizza, Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream, BGR: The Burger Joint, Cava and Mad Rose Tavern.
We’ve remarked on Twitter that the new restaurants seem to be doing boffo business at night, especially the businesses in the new Clarendon Center buildings. We’re wondering if they’re merely taking business from older restaurants in the area, or if they’re driving business by making people more likely to go out in Clarendon.
Morning Notes
Rush Hour Accident on the Pike – A two-car accident on Columbia Pike, between S. Scott Street and S. Rolfe Street, caused some minor delays during last night’s rush hour. One woman, whose car was rear-ended, was brought to the hospital for reported back pain.
Old Guard Horses Used For Soldier Therapy — Fort Myer’s Caisson Platoon, the horses that bring the caskets of fallen heroes to their final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery, are also being used to rehabilitate soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. [Examiner.com]
Arlington Defends Streetcar Project — In response to a Washington Post editorial that suggested the Columbia Pike/Crystal City streetcar project should be delayed, Arlington County has sent reporters a link to an explanation of why it’s planning to build the more than $140 million streetcar line. The county has also pushed back on the Post’s suggestion that streetcar funds could be redirected to add capacity to public schools — insisting that the funds come from a tax that can only be used for transportation projects. [Arlington County]
Centenarian Recalls Old Arlington — Martha Ann Miller, who turns 100 on Aug. 6, recounts the changes that have taken place in Arlington over the 74 years she has lived her. [Sun Gazette]
