Police Seek ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Suspect
Arlington County Police are looking for a suspect who they describe as “armed and dangerous.”
Police say 43-year-old Charles Neal has been charged with Malicious Wounding in connection with an assault back in mid-December, but is currently at large. Neal — described as a 5’10″, 230 lbs African American male — is known to frequent Arlington’s Buckingham neighborhood, police say, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
“Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Charles Neal is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department immediately at 703-558-2222, or Detective Michael Austin at 703-228-4183,” police said in a news release. “Det. Austin can also be reached by email at mausti@arlingtonva.us.”
According to investigators, Neal was one of several suspects who assaulted a man on the 4200 block of N. 2nd Road in Buckingham, just south of Ballston, early on the morning of Dec. 17, 2011. One suspect was arrested at the scene but Neal got away, according to police.
A police spokesman was unable to provide any additional details about Neal’s alleged involvement in the assault.
Arlington Launches ‘Car-Free Diet Show’
Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) is bolstering its “Car-Free Diet” campaign with a new 4-5 minute long sketch comedy show.
Billed as the “#1 rated… sketch comedy show devoted to the Car-Free Diet in all of Arlington,” the show stars “Car-Free Matt,” the winner of last year’s second-annual Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge. Also appearing on the show are the remaining three Car-Free contestants from the past two years — Kyle, Todd and Ross — and Car-Free Matt’s girlfriend, Dana.
The show features amusing segments intended to convince skeptical commuters of the virtues of biking, walking or taking the bus instead of driving. By convincing residents to ditch their cars, ACCS (which receives most of its funding from federal and state grants) is hoping to alleviate some of the area’s traffic congestion and vehicle exhaust pollution.
Episode 1 of the Car-Free Diet Show can be seen above or on the show’s web site.
Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet Now Open
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) 
There’s no shortage of variety at Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet, a new restaurant located between Crystal City and Potomac Yard at 3600 S. Glebe Road.
Hee Been’s nearly 80-foot-long dinner buffet features some 85 different items representing three different types of cuisine: Korean, Japanese and Thai. The buffet offerings include soups and salads, a wide selection of freshly-prepared sushi and sashimi, hot and cold noodle dishes, grilled-to-order steaks, various types of seafood and Korean specialties, plus fresh fruit and desserts (tip: try the cold cinnamon tea).
The family-owned restaurant has been off to a relatively slow start since its Christmas Day soft opening, thanks in part to its inconspicuous location. Hee Been is located at the back of the off-street cluster of eateries and shops on the ground floor of the relatively new Eclipse condominium building in the far southeast corner of Arlington County. Though in close proximity to busy Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1), the restaurant’s existence is hardly noticeable to anybody who doesn’t live in the Eclipse.
Hee Been, with its modern interior and soft background music, is open for both lunch and dinner. The weekday all-you-can-eat buffet prices are $14.99 for lunch and $26.99 for dinner. Weekend prices are a couple of dollars higher. The lunch features most of the selection of the dinner buffet, we’re told, minus some of the higher end items like the crab legs and grilled-to-order steaks.
In addition to the buffet, Hee Been offers a la carte options like Bento boxes and bibimbap. The restaurant also has a full bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Among the specialties are Korean beers like Cass and OB and bottled drinks like Bek Se Ju and Chum-Churum. A happy hour menu, still in development, promises beers as low as $2, cocktails as low as $5 and half-priced wines.
New Nonstop Flights Coming to DCA
US Airways will be adding nonstop service to 11 new cities via Reagan National Airport starting on March 25.
The airline announced the new flights earlier this week. The changes are being made possible by a “slot swap” agreement with Delta Air Lines: Delta is ceding some of its slots at Reagan National in exchange for slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, plus cash.
US Airways expects to add 125 new jobs at Reagan National as a result of the new flights and the addition of a new US Airways Club at the airport.
“We are excited to expand our service to customers traveling to and from our nation’s capital as well as increase jobs at Washington National Airport,” US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said in a statement. “When our expansion is completed, US Airways will offer more than 230 daily flights and directly support more than 1,500 aviation jobs at Washington National.”
US Airways is adding nonstop flights to the following 11 cities from DCA:
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Fayetteville, N.C.
- Islip, N.Y.
- Little Rock, Ark.
- Jacksonville, N.C.
- Pensacola, Fla.
- Tallahassee, Fla.
- Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Omaha, Neb.
- Ottawa, Ontario
In addition, US Airways will be adding daily flights to Bangor, Maine and Savannah, Ga., which are currently only served via Reagan National on weekends. Nonstop flights will also be added to Hartford, Conn.
US Airways expects to announce more routes in February. The airline was formerly headquartered in Crystal City.
Roti Mediterranean Grill to Open Friday in Rosslyn
Roti Mediterranean Grill is about 24 hours away from opening its new Rosslyn location.
The restaurant, at 1501 Wilson Boulevard, will open at some point tomorrow, according to a PR rep. The opening will be followed with a “free lunch day” on Tuesday, Jan. 17; customers who line up between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will be given a free lunch in exchange for a suggested donation to the charity Adoptions Together.
Roti, a Chicago-based chain, serves “healthy Mediterranean cuisine” in a fast casual environment.
Crime Report: Assault With Food Edition
Early Monday morning, a convenience store clerk on Columbia Pike was assaulted with “various packaged food items” by a man who wanted to use the store’s phone. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
ASSAULT AND BATTERY, 01/02/12, 4900 block of Columbia Pike. On January 2 at 3 am, an unknown man assaulted a convenience store clerk with various packaged food items when the clerk refused to let the suspect use the store phone. The suspect is described as a black Ethiopian male, in his 30’s, 5’8” and 180 lbs. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans and a white knit hat.
Also on Monday, a small store on S. Glebe Road was robbed at gunpoint by two masked men.
ROBBERY, 01/02/12, 1600 block of S. Glebe Road. On January 2 at 5 pm, two men entered a small store. They brandished a handgun and stole money from the cash register before fleeing. The first suspect wore a gray hood over his head, a dark cloth covering his face, jeans, and black shoes with white shoelaces. The second suspect was wearing a gray or green jacket, jeans, a cloth covering his face, and a hood over his head.
Early Tuesday morning, a man attempted to carjack a taxicab in Lyon Village.
ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 01/03/11, 1700 block of N. Barton Street. On January 3 at 2:20 am, an unknown man assaulted a taxi cab driver. The suspect choked him and attempted to drive off in the cab. The suspect hit another car, and then fled the area on foot. The suspect is described as a black male, late twenties to early thirties and approximately 185 lbs. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black snow cap.
The rest of the weekly crime report, after the jump.
Morning Notes
Arlington Seeks Contractor to ‘Dump Bodies’ — Updated on 1/6/12 — This article has been corrected. Earlier: Among the “just in case” categories of contracting work for which Arlington County is seeking potential applicants is corpse handling. Listed under the heading “Dump Bodies,” the job would be awarded in the event of a disaster involving mass casualties. [Washington Business Journal]
Local Dems to Require Loyalty Oath, Too — The Republican Party of Virginia has been facing some scrutiny over its plan to require voters in the upcoming Republican presidential primary to sign a “loyalty oath.” Arlington Democrats, however, are planning to require something very similar for participants in their upcoming County Board caucuses. Caucus voters will be required to sign a statement pledging their support for the eventual Democratic County Board nominee. [Ode Street Tribune]
Cap City Launches Sunday Brunch Service — Capitol City Brewing Company in Shirlington is now serving brunch on Sundays. The brunch service, which features familiar brunch fare and “free-flowing” cocktails for a fixed price of $15.95, started on Jan. 1. [Facebook]
Obama to Visit Pentagon — President Obama is scheduled to visit the Pentagon around 10:50 this morning. While there, the president is slated to deliver a speech that will guide the Defense Department’s upcoming budget decisions. The speech comes as the Pentagon faces hundreds of billions of dollars in budget cuts. [Associated Press]
