N. Arlington Moms Alarmed by Leering Man in White Car
An email listserv for Arlington mothers is abuzz with multiple reports of a “creepy” man seen staring at children.
Emails sent to the MONA (Mothers of North Arlington) listserv describe an older man who has been spotted leering at young children while slowly driving by in a white sedan.
“I was walking with my two children in the Lyon Village area… when a man in an older, what I believe to be a late 90s, white sedan (Nissan Sentra I think) drove by very slowly at approximately 1-2 miles per hour,” said one email, sent last night. “As he drove by, the driver stared at us out of his open window. He was an older man (60s) with white hair and looking to be a bit overweight from what I could tell. He drove past us for a block and then did a U-turn and drove very slowly past us again staring at us in a very creepy way.”
At least three other sightings were reported recently.
“A 10 year-old boy and his 10 year-old friend were playing basketball in their driveway… when a man fitting the description of the man in the email drove down North Nottingham Street into Arlington and slowed way down and stared at us in a weird, creepy way,” said another email. “The man drove off. He was older, had whitish gray hair and a whitish gray beard. He was driving a white sedan.”
A third email describes a man fitting the description looking at children at a Falls Church park through binoculars. A fourth said the man was spotted on Key Boulevard in Lyon Village, driving a white car with a Florida license plate.
Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said police know who the man is, have spoken to him, and have notified other police departments about the situation. They have not, however, been able to link the man to any crime.
“Our detectives have reached out to neighboring jurisdictions to see if he has committed a crime in those areas,” Sternbeck said. He encouraged residents to immediately notify police of any suspicious activity.
“If someone’s acting suspicious, please contact police first,” Sternbeck said. ”It’s good that they share this [via email] and have awareness of a potential person of interest, but failing to notify police of a suspicious person is an action we want to see corrected. Never assume your neighbor is going to call.”
Arlington to Contribute $7 Million to New Police Shooting Range
The Arlington County Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to build a new firearms training facility for Arlington law enforcement officers.
The facility will be built on the grounds of Dulles International Airport as a joint venture with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Arlington County will contribute $7 million to the project. MWAA will contribute about $5 million and the land, valued at $6 million.
The new facility is necessary, county officials said, because the Dulles-area range where Arlington officers currently train does not have running water and permanent restrooms. It also has no covered firing points and minimal classroom space.
Other federal and local law enforcement ranges were considered but rejected. An Alexandria shooting range, historically used by Arlington officers, is now only available on an “emergency” basis, and a Loudoun County range is “antiquated,” according to a staff report. The yearly expense of using private ranges, meanwhile, was deemed to be too high.
Building the range in Arlington was considered but rejected due to the fact that it would have to be indoors and would not provide a full range of training options.
“The lack of a permanent home for Arlington’s public safety personnel has hampered training, and increased costs for the County,” county staff reported. “This Agreement guarantees that Arlington will have a secure and up-to-date facility for 25 years in order to meet training needs for Arlington County Police and Arlington County Sheriff uniformed personnel for firearms proficiency training, qualification, and tactical training needs.”
“The training facility will include two 25-lane, 50-yard open firing ranges, along with a 300-yard rifle deck,” the county said in a press release. “The joint facility also will offer a 7,200 square foot modular training building, several classrooms and a secure storage area.”
Plans for the facility were reported by ARLnow.com in April. The plans faced criticism from repeat Green Party candidate for local office Audrey Clement, who questioned the $7 million cost.
“The NRA has a state-of-the-art shooting range just off the I-66, Route 50 exit that offers training for law enforcement personnel,” Clement said. “If this range works for the NRA, and they are highly successful, why won’t it work for Arlington police?”
County officials called a partnership with the NRA “impractical” due to various factors. The joint venture with MWAA, officials said, will allow Arlington and Airports Authority officers to get the firearms training they need for modern law enforcement.
“We are fortunate to have this chance to partner with MWAA in building this much-needed training facility for our law enforcement departments,” said County Board Chair Walter Tejada, in a statement. “This facility will help ensure that our police and sheriff’s deputies, for years to come, will get the training they need to continue to protect and serve our community.”
The new Dulles range is expected to take about a year to build.
Teen Charged in Skateboarding Accident Death
(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Police have charged a teen involved in a skateboarding accident leading to the death of 18-year-old Washington-Lee High School student John Malvar earlier this month.
Police did not release the name of the 17-year-old Washington-Lee High School student, but said he was charged with reckless driving. Police say he was driving a truck while Malvar rode his skateboard and held on to the driver’s side window frame.
The accident happened on the 300 block of S. Highland Street. Malvar died from injuries he sustained after he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on the pavement.
Today the 17-year-old appeared before a judge in Arlington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, where the charges were formally brought against him. He was released into the custody of a parent and will go to trial on August 8.
Shot Fired During Armed Robbery in Crystal City
A gunshot was fired during an armed robbery in Crystal City early this morning.
The robbery happened on the 2400 block of S. Eads Street around 12:30 a.m. Police say two Arlington men, ages 32 and 33, were walking to their car from a nearby restaurant when a man crossed the street and engaged them in conversation. The man then pulled out a gun and demanded cash.
The victims emptied their pockets and then ran away. For an unknown reason, the suspect then fired a single gunshot, striking the side of the CVS Pharmacy building. No one was hurt.
A K-9 unit and the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter responded to help in the ensuing search for the suspect. The suspect was not found, but the shirt he was wearing at the time of the robbery and the victims’ phones and keys were recovered a short distance away.
In all, the suspect made off with about $20 to $30, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
The suspect is described as a 45-50 year-old black male, approximately 5’4″ and 140 lbs. He was wearing a black and red horizontal-striped shirt and brown shorts.
Crime Report: Peeping Tom at Ballston Common Mall
Police are on the lookout for a man seen peeking under a women’s bathroom stall at Ballston Common Mall.
The incident happened just before 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The crime and the suspect description is strikingly similar to that of another peeping tom incident at the Clarendon Barnes and Noble bookstore on May 24.
From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
PEEPING TOM, 06/10/13, 4200 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At 5:50 pm on June 10, a male subject was caught looking at a female under the bathroom stall in the women’s restroom. The suspect fled the scene and is described as a white male in his early forties, approximately 5’7” tall with a medium build. He had shaggy brown hair and was wearing a brown t-shirt and khaki pants.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
UPDATED: Two Attempted Bank Robberies in Arlington
(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating two separate attempted bank robberies inside supermarket this morning.
A man entered the SunTrust bank at 3713 Lee Highway around 11:10 a.m. and passed a note to a teller demanding money. A weapon was implied but not seen, and the man reportedly fled before receiving any cash.
The bank is located within a Safeway supermarket in the Cherrydale neighborhood.
The suspect is described as a black male wearing a red Nationals hat, a navy blue raincoat, jeans and New Balance sneakers. The man was between 5′ 9″ and 5′ 10″, in his late 40s or early 50s, with a black and gray beard.
Some 20 minutes later, police were called for another attempted bank robbery at the PNC Bank at 2901 S. Glebe Road, inside a Giant supermarket.
The suspect passed a note demanding money and implying a weapon, but appeared nervous and again fled before receiving cash. The suspect description is similar to that of the first attempted robbery, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
From a police press release:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit, along with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a bank robbery suspect captured in surveillance footage at separate locations.
The initial robbery attempt occurred at 11:08 a.m. on June 10, 2013 in the 3700 block of Lee Highway at the Suntrust Bank inside of Safeway. Twenty minutes later, the suspect attempted to rob the PNC Bank located inside the Giant Food Store in the 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. On both occasions, the subject entered the bank and approached a teller with a handwritten note demanding money and implying he had a weapon. The suspect fled the scene on foot each time without receiving money.
He is described as black male in his late forties or early fifties with a medium build. He was wearing a striped polo shirt underneath a dark-colored jacket, with blue jeans and a Washington Nationals baseball hat.
Anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of this individual is asked to contact Detective Gary Skeens at 703.228.4166 or Detective Richard Conigliaro at 703.228.4193 with the Arlington County Police Department or investigations@arlingtonva.us. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).
Arlington Man Arrested for Tysons Credit Card Theft
(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) An Arlington man was arrested in Cherrydale yesterday for an alleged credit card theft.
The suspect, 58-year-old Ibrahim Abdullah, was arrested by Fairfax County police at a house on the 1700 block of N. Quebec Street. The arrest happened around 1:40 p.m. on Thursday and prompted some curious neighbors to question why police from another jurisdiction were carrying out an arrest an Arlington home.
According to Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell, Abdullah is accused of swiping a credit card from a victim’s purse or wallet. The alleged theft happened at a Panera Bread restaurant in the Tysons Corner area on Monday, May 27.
Police say Abdullah then used the credit card to make purchases at several Tysons Corner stores. He has been charged with credit card theft and credit card fraud, Caldwell said.
Smash and Grab Robbery Arrest
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the March 19 smash and grab robbery at Pentagon City mall.
As seen in the above surveillance video released by the Arlington County Police Department, four suspects entered the Torneau store and broke the jewelry case with Rolex watches. The FBI has since taken over the case, and said the suspects got away with 22 watches worth more than $500,000 before fleeing to a getaway car with a fifth suspect.
Last week, Walter A. Douglas was arrested in connection with the robbery, claiming he “did knowingly and unlawfully, conspire, confederate, and agree to delay and affect commerce and the movement of articles and commodities in such commerce, by robbery.” According to the FBI affidavit, Douglas has a history of robbery, grand theft and grand larceny in the D.C. metro area. The document connects him to seven other high profile robberies in the region between December 3, 2012, and April 30, 2013, for which he has also been charged.
The affidavit states that an informant contacted the ACPD on April 10 and claimed Douglas was responsible for the Pentagon City robbery, and possibly for others. The informant reported hearing Douglas speaking with another man, the recently arrested Floyd Davis, about high end watches and rings.
Davis was reportedly arrested early last month, but the list of alleged crimes in his affidavit did not directly name the Pentagon City incident. Davis was, however, mentioned in the Douglas affidavit for having been in the immediate area and in contact with Douglas around the time of the Torneau robbery.
Evidence against the men includes cell phone records showing Douglas and Davis in frequent contact with each other on or around the days of the robberies. Cell phone records also place one or both men near the locations of several of the robberies at the times they occurred.
Additionally, the FBI matched cars spotted at a couple of the robberies with those Douglas apparently rented around the time of each incident. Records show he rented a grey Dodge Charger — like the one investigators saw in the Pentagon City surveillance video — four days before the robbery. The vehicle was returned the day of the robbery.
An FBI spokesperson would not comment on the possibility of other arrests in the case because the investigation is still active.
Crime Report: Man with Knives Threatens Coworker
A man wielding two knives was arrested on Thursday for allegedly threatening to hurt a coworker in Shirlington.
The suspect then took off, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 05/30/13, 2900 block of S. Quincy Street. At 8:36 pm on May 30, a subject threatened to harm a coworker with two knives. The subject fled the scene on foot and taken into custody outside his residence. Tevin Brown Phillips, 21, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding. He was held on a secured bond.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. (more…)
UPDATED: Teen Killed in Skateboarding Accident
(Updated at 7:55 p.m.) John Malvar, an 18-year-old Arlington high school student, died after a skateboarding accident in Arlington Heights this afternoon.
The accident happened on the 300 block of S. Highland Street around 12:30 p.m. According to police, Malvar was skateboarding down the street while hanging on to the side of a pickup truck, driven by a 17-year-old male student at an unknown rate of speed.
Malvar somehow lost his balance and fell to the ground, hitting his head. He was not wearing a helmet. The fall caused “significant head trauma” and left a large pool of blood on the ground.
The teen was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived on scene, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Medics performed CPR, Malvar regained a pulse, and he was rushed to George Washington University in critical condition, Sternbeck said. He was later pronounced dead.
Charges — reckless driving, most likely — are pending against the 17-year-old driver, according to Sternbeck. Malvar and the driver attend both Washington-Lee High School and the Arlington Career Center, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia.
Malvar attended his senior prom last week, posting photos of himself and his date on Instagram (right). Washington-Lee High School’s graduation is set for June 20.
The 300 block of S. Highland Street was closed for several hours while crime scene investigators took photos and measurements of the accident scene. Detectives also interviewed witnesses and canvassed the street to see if any video surveillance systems might have recorded the moments prior to the accident.
Via Twitter, Washington-Lee Principal Gregg Robertson called Malvar “an awesome kid” who was proud of his perfect attendance this year. Robertson sent the following email to parents late this afternoon.
Dear Washington-Lee Community,
Regrettably, I must inform you that the injured student I mentioned in my earlier email has died. This is a difficult time for the Washington-Lee staff, students, and parents. The student involved was an incredible young man who contributed positively in many ways to our school and lives. The upcoming days will be difficult ones as we will be missing him and providing support to our Washington-Lee family. Please let us know of any students who may need individualized support. We have counselors available this evening until 6:00 pm and in the days to come. As I mentioned earlier, our thoughts remain with the families involved.
Sincerely,
Gregg
New Details: ‘Brazen’ Knife Attack on Trail
A woman was stabbed three times in the neck during a “brazen” broad-daylight attack on the Four Mile Run trail on Saturday.
The attack happened around 11:00 a.m. According to new details released by police, a woman was walking down the trail in the area of Glencarlyn Park when a man approached her from behind. He motioned for the woman to get off the trail and walk into the woods, police said, but she refused and screamed for help.
The man then used a knife to stab the victim three times in the neck, said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Other trail users heard the woman’s screams but the man fled the scene on foot before help arrived.
The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries. She remained alert and was able to talk to officers before being transported to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Sternbeck said.
“The suspect is described as a white Hispanic male in his 20’s, approximately 4’8” tall and 130 lbs,” according to the police report. “He was wearing a yellow Polo shirt and dark pants.”
Police plan to talk to the victim today in an effort to get a fuller description of the suspect, possibly for the creation of a composite sketch. Sternbeck said the incident “was a very brazen attack on a Saturday morning,” and a reminder that trail users should always remain alert.
“First and foremost, be aware of your surroundings,” he said. “If you are going to go on the trail, invite a friend to go with you. It’s very rare that we see an attack on the trail where the victim is with a companion or a group. The majority of times they’re attacking a woman who’s alone.”
Earlier this year the Arlington County Police Department produced a video that details a number of safety tips for users of local trails.
Arlington Man Accused of Rape in Pennsylvania
A 38-year-old Penrose resident has been arrested and accused of raping a girl in Pennsylvania.
Roger Valdez, of the 800 block of S. Adams Street, was arrested by Arlington police on Thursday, according to PennLive.com. Police in Palmyra, Pa. say Valdez took a 12-year-old girl he met on the internet from her home there to a motel and had sex with her multiple times. Palmyra is a town of about 7,000 people between Harrisburg and Lebanon, Pa.
Valdez has been charged with “three counts of involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault of a child under the age of 13, indecent assault of a child under the age of 13 and corruption of minors,” according to TV station WHTM.
Valdez will be extradited from Arlington to Pennsylvania.
Van Slams into Pike Popeyes
Police are investigating a hit-and-run involving a minivan that crashed into the front of the Popeyes at 5007 Columbia Pike this afternoon.
The incident happened around lunchtime at the Columbia Pike Plaza strip mall. After running into the front of the restaurant, the van backed into an SUV and then sped away, according to police and witnesses.
The collision caused minor damage to the Popeyes, including scrape marks on a brick column and a broken front window pane. The restaurant was briefly evacuated, according to scanner traffic, but then reopened and continued to serve lunch patrons. Nobody was hurt.
The SUV driver told ARLnow.com that the van backed into his vehicle as he was trying to leave the parking lot. The collision dented the front of the SUV but did not cause any injuries or significant damage. The SUV driver said the striking vehicle was a gray minivan, and the driver — who he caught a glimpse of as the van fled the scene — was a Hispanic male. He said it was his first crash in his 46 years of driving.
“I just hope they catch the bastard,” he said as he surveyed the damage to the SUV. “They better find him before I do.”
As of 1:00 p.m. police were still looking for the van and its driver. This was at least the third time a vehicle has crashed into the front of a business at the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center since May 2011.
Morning Notes
Woman Attacked on Four Mile Run Trail — A man with a knife attacked a woman who was walking alone on the Four Mile Run Trail on Saturday morning. The woman suffered “minor, non-life threatening” injures. The suspect is still at large. [WJLA, NBC Washington]
Yorktown Falls in Soccer Championship — The Yorktown High School girls’ soccer team lost 2-1 to Chantilly in the Northern Region championship game on Friday. The team, which finished regional play with a 20-2 record, will still continue to the state tournament. The first round game will take place on Tuesday at Battlefield High School. [Sun Gazette]
ACPD Officers Honored for Fighting Car Theft — Three Arlington County Police officers have received state Law Enforcement Officer Awards for their work in helping to fight car theft. “LEO Award winners are selected by judges from the insurance industry, partnering law enforcement agencies and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for their exemplary actions related to Intelligence, Prevention, Enforcement and Recoveries in fighting the crime of vehicle theft,” police said in a press release. [Arlington County]
Examiner Skewers Board for Signature Bailout — The Arlington County Board “blindsided” taxpayers by approving a $250,000 bailout for Signature Theatre during a closed session, according to a Washington Examiner editorial. “Other financially struggling artistic venues have to scale back productions, sublease space or launch pledge drives when money gets tight,” the Examiner editorial board wrote. ”But Signature Theatre has friends in high places who apparently believe it’s too fabulous to fail, county taxpayers be damned.” [Washington Examiner]
Photo by MJordanRomero
Crime Report: Masturbating Man Seen at Country Club
A 16-year-old girl told police that she saw a man masturbating behind a window at an Arlington country club last week.
The alleged incident happened around 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday at the tennis courts of the Washington Golf and Country Club (3017 N. Glebe Road). According to a police spokesman, the man was spotted in an area of the club that was under construction.
From this week’s Arlington County crime report.
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 05/23/13, 3000 block of N. Glebe Road. At 5:30 pm on May 21, a 16 year-old female victim witnessed a subject masturbating behind a glass window overlooking a tennis court. The suspect is described as a white male with scraggly hair and was wearing a white hat.
The rest of the report, after the jump.
