Crime Report: Laptop Thefts
A thief or thieves stole laptop computers in three separate burglaries this week, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.
BURGLARY, 04/11/13, 4600 block of S. 34th Street. Between 7:30 pm and 8 pm on April 11, a victim went on a walk in his neighborhood. When he returned home, it was discovered that a laptop had been stolen from the kitchen. There were no signs of forced entry and there is no suspect(s) description.
BURGLARY, 04/13/13, 700 block of S. Ode Street. Between 3 and 8:30 pm on April 13, an unknown subject(s) entered a residence and stole a 13” Macbook Pro. There is no suspect(s) description.
BURGLARY, 04/16/13, 3000 block of N. Harrison Street. Between 7:45 am and 6:15 pm on April 16, an unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole a Dell laptop and US passport. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
Police Seek Colonial Village Burglary Suspect
A thief stole eight laptop computers from the Colonial Village Apartments last month, and police are hoping that the public can help catch him.
Police released surveillance photos of the suspect this afternoon. According to a press release, the suspect stole the laptops from the clubhouse, located near the Courthouse Metro station, on two separate occasions.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a burglary suspect captured on a surveillance camera.
On separate occasions, once on March 23rd and again on March 25th, the subject entered the clubhouse of the Colonial Village Apartments and stole laptop computers. A total of eight laptops were stolen from the clubhouse, which is located in the 2100 block of N. 18th Street. The suspect remains at-large.
The subject is described as a black male, slender and tall. The subject walks with a slight limp. During both incidents, he was wearing a black jacket with blue jeans, black boots and a red bandana covering his face. He is known to carry a dark colored Northface backpack.
If anyone has information on the identity and/or whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective James Stone of the Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit at 703.228.4245 or at Jstone@arlingtonva.us. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).
Crime Report: Thief Comes Clean to Victim
A woman was recently arrested for breaking and entering, according to police, after she admitted to her victim that she broke into his home and stole his stuff.
From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
BURGLARY, 03/02/13, 4400 block of S. 31st Street. Between 3 pm on March 1 and 2 am on March 2, a subject entered a residence and stole various items. Several days later the suspect admitted to the victim that she had broken into his home and taken several of his belongings. The items that the suspect stole were found in the trunk of her vehicle. Kimberly Marie Vest, 28, of Woodbridge, VA was arrested and charged with breaking and entering. She is being held on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
Video: Realtor Accused of Stealing Homeowner’s Clothes
(Updated at 10:20 p.m.) A 60-year-old male real estate agent has been accused of stealing women’s clothing from a house that’s for sale in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Va. The alleged incident was caught on the homeowner’s video surveillance system.
Stephen Brumme, of Silver Spring, Md., was arrested and charged with burglary and possession of burglarious tools after a homeowner on the 4100 block of 11th Street N. approached police with the video. The homeowner — we’ll call him William (not his real name) — spoke exclusively to ARLnow.com last month on the condition of anonymity.
According to William, the incident took place on Saturday, Feb. 9, while he and his wife were out of town, participating at an out-of-state athletic competition.
Brumme entered the house legally and signed in as a real estate agent, in advance of a client showing up to tour the home, but is seen on a surveillance camera going through what William said is his wife’s clothing, in a bedroom closet and a dresser. According to William, Brumme pocketed three of his wife’s shirts before the client showed up and Brumme is seen leaving the bedroom to answer the door.
William said he and his wife were “creeped out” by the video when they watched it.
“Our reaction was a feeling of being violated by a creep who wanted to go through our things,” he said. “I like to think that people are good, but often times they’re not.”
The video was recorded using a Dropcam, a camera that transmits and records video online via Wi-fi. William said the camera was in plain sight in the bedroom. He said the video also assisted him after he found a razor blade in his garbage disposal following some showings by other real estate agents.
Brumme was released on bail following his arrest. Police say his real estate license was “immediately suspended.” Cops are now asking other home sellers to come forward if they believe they might have been burglarized.
“His behavior leads us to believe there are additional victims,” said Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. “He went straight to the closet and the drawers. He knew exactly what he was looking for.”
Amy homeowner who believes they might also have been a burglary victim is encouraged to contact ACPD at (703) 558-2222, or Det. Timothy Parsons at (703) 228-4172 or tparsons@arlingtonva.us.
Video and mugshot courtesy ACPD. Note: Sound might not be synced with video.
Police: Chicken Stolen from Crock Pot
Arlington County Police responded to a bizarre reported burglary on Tuesday afternoon.
A resident on the 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road told officers that someone stole a chicken from her crock pot as it was cooking. It happened sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., while the resident was away from the apartment.
“She returned to find the chicken had been taken, and there were only vegetables remaining in the crock pot,” said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
How the chicken was taken remains a bit of a mystery. There was no sign of forced entry and Sternbeck noted that there was no pet in the apartment that might have stolen the chicken for a meal.
“We suspect fowl play,” Sternbeck quipped.
Photo via Crock-Pot.com
Garage Burglary Suspects Arrested
Four people were arrested last night after they allegedly tried to steal items from cars in an apartment parking garage.
Three males, including a 17-year-old juvenile, entered an apartment building in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood by following a resident through the front door, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. As they entered they put on masks and gloves and went down to the garage, Sternbeck said.
A resident called police around 11:25 p.m. after observing suspicious individuals looking into cars. Police arrived at the building, on the 800 block of S. Greenbrier Street, and arrested the three suspects inside the garage, Sternbeck said.
A woman, who police say was the getaway driver, was later arrested in a van outside the apartment. She apparently didn’t notice the commotion inside the garage because she was talking on her cell phone when the arrests were made, Sternbeck said.
The two adult men — Charles Messiah of Annandale and Kareem Taylor, both 19 — were charged burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. One was also charged with resisting arrest.
The female suspect, 19-year-old Ciarra Rice of Lorton, was charged conspiracy to commit burglary.
Sternbeck recommended that residents be mindful of individuals trying to gain access to apartment buildings and secured parking garages. He also commended the resident who alerted police to this incident.
Photos courtesy ACPD
Crime Report: Bungling Burglars Strike Out
Last week a trio of burglars went to a Columbia Pike apartment building looking for big score. They did not find what they were looking for.
On the night of Thursday, Jan. 31, the burglars broke into an apartment only to encounter two residents in the bedroom. They ordered the residents into a bathroom, looked around the apartment, but ended up leaving without taking anything. One of the suspects falsely identified himself as a police officer, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.
IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER, 02/01/13, 4300 block of S. Columbia Pike. At 11:20 pm on January 31, three unknown suspects forced entry into an apartment using a crowbar. Two victims were inside a bedroom within the apartment when the subjects entered the home. One of the suspects threatened the victims with the crowbar and ordered them to go into a bathroom. The suspects searched one of the bedrooms, and at one point a suspect identified himself as a police officer. The suspects eventually left, appearing not to take anything with them. Suspect one is described as a 6’2” tall, 210 lb black male. At the time of the crime he was wearing a gray hoodie, black vest, green pants and black Nike boots. Suspect two is described as a black male between 5’7” and 5’10” tall. At the time of the incident he was wearing all black snow gear, and had a mustache and goatee. Suspect three is described as a black male, 5’7”-5’10” tall, and wearing all black snow gear.
Police believe the burglars were trying to target a specific apartment, but instead broke into the wrong apartment.
Two days later, police say the same burglars came back to the same apartment building, but broke into a different apartment — the apartment they were trying to target in the first place.
“They were looking for a big score based upon the resident’s occupation,” said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, who declined to reveal additional details. “But they didn’t get it.”
Instead of finding a large sum of cash, or some other item of significant value, the burglars came up almost empty handed. Possibly out of frustration, police say, the thieves took a couple items of negligible value.
As the crime report notes, they also rudely left the door open after they exited the apartment.
BURGLARY, 02/03/13, 4300 block of Columbia Pike. Between 8:30 pm on February 2 and 3:37 am on February 3, an unknown subject(s) forced entry into an apartment and stole several items. The subject(s) also ransacked the apartment and left the door ajar as they exited. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
Crime Report: Burglaries Galore
There were numerous burglaries, robberies and stolen vehicles in this week’s Arlington County crime report. Among them were two separate reports of golf clubs stolen from storage units in Courthouse.
BURGLARY, 11/15/12, 1400 block of N. Taft Street. Between October 15 and November 15 at 7:30 pm, an unknown subject(s) broke into a storage unit. The victim reported her golf clubs were missing. There is no suspect(s) description.
BURGLARY, 11/19/12, 1400 block of N. Taft Street. Between August 15 and November 19 at 6:30 pm, an unknown subject(s) cut the Master lock of a storage unit and stole golf clubs. There is no suspect(s) description.
On Monday, a man dressed in a Spandex bicycle suit stole cartons of Newport cigarettes from the CVS Pharmacy in Rosslyn.
COMMERCIAL BURGLARY, 11/27/12, 1100 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At 3:50 am on November 26, a suspect broke the glass of the front entrance door of the CVS pharmacy. Once inside, he stole numerous cartons of Newport cigarettes. The suspect is a black male, approximately in his mid 20’s to mid 30’s in age, 6’0” tall and 180 lbs. He was wearing a spandex bicycle suit, yellow safety vest, brown beanie and white sneakers at the time of the incident.
Last week, someone ruined Christmas by stealing presents from an apartment closet in Ballston.
BURGLARY, 11/26/12, 900 block of N. Stafford Street. Between 5 pm on November 19 and 11 am on November 26, an unknown suspect(s) entered an apartment and stole two shopping bags of assorted Christmas gifts from a closet. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
Crime Report: Accusations Lead to Roommate Fight
A man is in jail after allegedly beating up his roommate over money.
The incident happened yesterday (Tuesday) evening in the Nauck neighborhood. Police say a knife-wielding man beat up his roommate after accusing the victim of stealing several hundred dollars. Police responded and swarmed the area when a neighbor called police to report seeing the victim bleeding and hunched over outside the house, with the suspect standing by him with a knife in hand.
The victim — who wasn’t actually stabbed, according to police — was treated and released for minor injuries.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 08/21/12, 3600 block of S. Kemper Road. On August 21 at 4:35 pm, two roommates got into a dispute over money and a physical altercation ensued. One of the roommates pulled a knife and beat up the victim roommate, who had to be transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Jose Alejandro Mendez Cruz, 19, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding. He was held without bond.
On Sunday morning, meanwhile, a suspect cut a hole in the metal security gate of a Pentagon City store and stole $28 in loose change. Police say the suspect could have gotten away with much more — $700 in cash was sitting next to one of the registers.
BURGLARY, 08/20/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. Between 9:40 pm on August 19 and 9:40 am on August 20, an unknown subject(s) cut a hole in a metal security gate and entered a business, opting to steal approximately $28 in loose change instead of the $700 in cash next to the register. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of this weeks’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
Crime Report: ‘I See What You Did There’ Edition
A burglar broke into a store in the Courthouse area this past weekend and made off with a pair of laptops. But it’s the other item that he or she took that seems to suggest a level of trickiness beyond the capabilities of your run-of-the-mill criminal.
BURGLARY (COMMERCIAL), 08/12/12, 2400 block of Wilson Boulevard. Between 2 and 9:30 am on August 12, an unknown subject(s) kicked in the front door of a business and stole two laptops and the store surveillance equipment. There is no suspect(s) description.
Elsewhere, someone broke into a medical office and swiped several items, including blank prescription pads. The office is located on the same block as Virginia Hospital Center.
BURGLARY, 08/09/12, 1600 block of N. George Mason Drive. Between 7:15 pm on August 8 and 7:51 am on August 9, an unknown subject(s) entered a locked office and stole various items to include cash, laptops, blank prescription pads and sample prescription packs. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
Crime Report: With Friends Like These Edition
In this week’s Arlington County crime report, items were stolen from a house in the Ballston area after a juvenile house sitter invited friends over.
BURGLARY, 07/22/12, 4100 block of N. 11th Place. On July 22 at 8:54 pm, a male juvenile reported several items missing from the place he was house-sitting. The juvenile had invited friends over and realized once they left that a laptop, camera and money had been taken. Police are investigating.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
Police Arrest Two Men During Alleged Burglary
Police activity had residents in Lyon Village on alert this morning. As it turns out, two men were nabbed on suspicion of burglary — while the alleged act was taking place.
Just before 9:00 a.m., police responded to a house near the intersection of Key Boulevard and N. Highland Street for a report of a burglary in progress. Officers and a K-9 unit surrounded the house while the suspects were still inside. Police were able to safely enter the home and take both men into custody a short time later.
Police temporarily blocked off traffic in the area during the incident. One of the suspects was later taken to the hospital for some sort of a facial injury.
Both suspects will be charged with burglary, according to Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Right now, it’s unclear if they may have been targeting a specific item inside the home.
Crime Report: Police Impersonation Edition
A man impersonating a police officer stole cash from a man’s wallet last week after asking to see his identification and vehicle registration. From the latest Arlington County crime report:
IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER, 02/25/12, 3700 block of N Lee Highway. Just prior to noon on February 24, an unknown subject impersonated a police officer and stole $160 cash from a man’s wallet after asking to see identification and vehicle registration. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 45 years old, 5’9” tall, with an average build. The suspect was reportedly driving a black convertible Ford Mustang.
Also last week, a burglar entered a residence and stole gear belong to a U.S. Park Police officer.
BURGLARY, 02/25/12, 2100 block of S. 26th Street. Between 10 pm on February 24, and 4 am on February 25, an unknown subject entered a residence and stole various items. Stolen items included a laptop, iPad and U.S. Park Police issued duty gear. There is no suspect description.
The rest of this week’s crime report, along with a previously-reported police impersonation home invasion, after the jump.
Man Found Guilty of Raping Arlington Woman While She Slept
A man is facing a possible 93-year prison sentence after being found guilty of raping an Arlington woman while she slept.
D.C. resident Ronald P. Berton, 37, was accused of crimes against two young Arlington women in 2008 and 2010. On Sept. 26, 2010, prosecutors say Berton entered unlocked first-floor apartment on the 2500 block of 20th Street N., where he found a woman sleeping. Berton raped the woman then stole items from the apartment and fled the scene. The woman, who had been drinking that night, did not wake up during the rape, but later woke up and found a condom next to her.
Arlington County Police used DNA to link Berton to a previous crime. According to prosecutors, Berton entered a Colonial Village apartment on the morning of Sept. 10, 2008. He took a meat cleaver from the kitchen, then went to the bedroom where a woman was sleeping. Berton forced the woman to remain in the bed while he exposed himself and masturbated, prosecutors said. He then stole items from the apartment and fled.
Police were able to link Berton to the 2008 crime via DNA left on the knife.
Yesterday a jury found Berton guilty on charges of rape, forcible sodomy, burglary and abduction with the intent to defile. Today the jury recommended a sentence of 93 years. His formal sentencing before an Arlington County Circuit Court judge is scheduled for April 6.
“We believe this was a dangerous predator who came to Arlington to prey on the young women of our community,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Clarke, who prosecuted the case along with fellow Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Cari Steel. “The police did a great job of linking these two cases, so we were successful in getting these convictions.”
Crime Report: Church Burglary Edition
Someone had the nerve to break into the Greenbrier Baptist Church and steal a laptop last week, according to the latest Arlington County crime report.
BURGLARY, 01/05/12, 5400 block of S. 7th Road. Between 7:30 pm on January 4, and 6:20 am on January 5, an unknown subject entered through a basement window of a local church. A laptop computer was stolen. There is no suspect description.
Also last week, someone was bold enough to break into at least five vehicles in the Pentagon City mall parking garage in the middle of the day.
LARCENY FROM AUTO (SERIES), 01/04/11, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. On January 4 between 9 am and 1:30 pm, an unknown subject broke into at least five vehicles in a mall parking garage. Various items were stolen. There is no suspect description.
The rest of this week’s shorter-than-usual crime report, after the jump.
