A boy attacked another boy at Yorktown High School last week, seriously injuring him, according to police.
The alleged incident happened last Wednesday morning, though it was not reported to police until Monday afternoon. It’s unclear whether it took place inside or outside the school.
“At approximately 4:16 p.m. on March 4, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault,” said the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The preliminary investigation indicates that between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on February 28, the juvenile male suspect approached the juvenile male victim from behind, picked him up and hit his head against a bench.”
“The victim sought medical treatment for injuries considered serious but non-life threatening,” the crime report continues. “The investigation is ongoing.”
A police spokeswoman declined comment on where the incident — which only lists a location of “5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard” — happened in relation to the high school. The motive for the attack is also unclear.
“The preliminary investigation did not indicate a dispute proceeded the assault, however, the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation,” said ACPD’s Ashley Savage.
The school system also declined to provide additional details, citing student privacy concerns.
Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia did note, however, that “after the school was notified of the incident, the appropriate disciplinary actions were taken per APS policy.”
A vandalism spree earlier this week in the Yorktown neighborhood is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Graffiti was discovered Monday morning on 27th Street N. and N. Jefferson Street, a few blocks from Yorktown High School. It included a swastika painted on the sidewalk and a swastika and a racial slur spray painted on a car.
“This morning I awoke to find that my car had been vandalized with racist slogans,” the owner of the Lexus said in a post on Nextdoor. “They used spray paint on my white car and tried on my wife’s black car. Instead, on hers, they chained the drivers side wheels together. Up the street, they painted a swastika in a neighbors driveway.”
The homeowner whose driveway was spray painted spoke to WUSA 9, in a report (below) that aired last night. His Ring camera captured video of three younger suspects, possibly teenagers.
“The words that they used, the symbols that they used, they are old enough to know what it meant,” Dale Smith, a retired Arlington County Fire Department battalion chief, told the TV station.
The exact motive for the vandalism is unclear. Smith is Black, while the car owner is white.
Arlington County police say they’re investigating the graffiti as a potential hate crime.
More, below, from ACPD.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2024-02190059, 5700 block of 27th Street N. At approximately 7:19 a.m. on February 19, police were dispatched to the report of graffiti. Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party located a swastika painted on the sidewalk. Responding officers canvassed the area and located two vehicles in the 2700 block of N. Jefferson Street that had been spray painted, one of which included a swastika and racial slur. The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
The owner of Arlington’s Wild Birds Unlimited is seeking to retire after 32 years in the birding business — right after he finds a successor.
Michael Zuiker wants to make it clear: the long-standing storefront in the Lee Harrison Shopping Center in Yorktown isn’t going anywhere. But after more than three decades, Zuiker is looking for someone new to fill his role of chatting with customers, keeping up with change and encouraging busy Arlingtonians to take time to enjoy the natural world.
“I have loved owning this store and getting the chance to meet all of you while sharing my love of the birds,” the business owner said in an emailed announcement last week. “But we all reach new phases in our lives and I want to get the wheels turning to start my retirement years.”
Zuiker is ready to wait as long as it takes to find a new owner. He is confident he can find someone who understands the joy of connecting customers with nature by selling birdseed, bird feeders and other outdoor equipment.
“It’s a lot more than just making a dollar selling birdseed. It really is,” he told ARLnow. “It’s having the customers come back and say, ‘Look at what I got in my backyard! I’ve never had that bird before.’”
Zuiker is asking potential buyers to contact him at [email protected].
Adapting to change
Due in part to Arlington’s shifting demographics, Zuiker still regularly finds people discovering his business for the first time, though they view birding differently than avian enthusiasts 32 years ago.
“My first customers, they were in their little $80,000 house that was paid for,” Zuiker recalled. “They had their little retirement disposable income. Now, people are moving into these $1.8 million homes with two kids, two cars and four dogs and a cat. It’s kind of a lot of expenses.”
Today’s birders are younger and busier, often fitting birdwatching into crowded schedules.
“You’ve got to kind of slow people down to just stop for a second,” Zuiker said.
Different faces are just one of many changes the store has adjusted to over the years.
When Zuiker assumed ownership of the county’s Wild Birds Unlimited in 1991, his employees made $3.25 per hour. Most birdhouses were made of wood, and staff wrote down orders using a pen and paper.
These days, the wage is at least $15 per hour, employees record orders digitally and much birding equipment is made of recycled plastics.
“If you’re not willing to be flexible and constantly change, and rethink your store and redesign your store, and make it attractive to customers… people do lose interest from time to time,” Zuiker said.
For the birdseed salesman, part of the job’s allure is the personal responsibility he feels for his business’s success or failure.
“There’s only one person I can look at who’s been there 32 years, and that’s me,” he said.
Eager for the future
Despite Zuiker’s ongoing love for his feathered friends, he is ready to move on from the job of running a business.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I really am, because there’s so much I want to see and want to do.”
The birder has no shortage of ideas. He wants to go to music festivals. He wants to learn the accordion. He wants to visit Europe, tour national parks and write a book.
More than anything, Zuiker said, “I want to see new stuff. I want to find new lakes; I want to find new birds.”
Zuiker doesn’t intend to rush anything. He still has high standards for what the new owner will be like — someone as passionate about birds and business as he is.
“We won’t sell it to anybody, and the franchise won’t let me, unless it’s a very good person dedicated to backyard bird feeding,” he said. “That’s the key.”
Zuiker declined to speculate on how long that will take, but after 32 years, he says it is time to spread his wings and leave the proverbial nest.
“I’ve done it for so long,” he said. “I think it’s really time to say, ‘You did it. You did it really well.'”
A rare albino squirrel may be living near Yorktown High School.
A local teen sent ARLnow photos of the squirrel, above, taken in the Yorktown neighborhood. The critter has noticeably red eyes, a characteristic of albino squirrels.
Another photo of the squirrel, taken in Greenbrier Park near the high school, was posted earlier this month to the Capital Naturalist Facebook group.
The last white squirrel spotted in Arlington and reported on by ARLnow was back in 2016 near Columbia Pike.
Albino squirrels in particular are exceptionally rare — about 1 in every 100,000 gray squirrel births, according to a post on the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources website.
“There are two basic types of white squirrels: albino and leucistic. Albinos have pink or blue eyes and no dark pigments anywhere on their bodies,” the post notes. “Squirrels that have white coats and dark eyes are called leucistic.”
“The scarcity of albino squirrels is thought to be at least partially linked to the animal’s lack of any dark eye pigment: This leaves them more susceptible to the harmful effects of sun rays, which can permanently damage their eyes,” the post adds. “In turn, their poor eyesight makes them more likely to suffer injury and death by falling out of trees.”
Alonso Abugattas, Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County and the administrator of the Capital Naturalist group, said there have also been reports of white squirrels in neighboring jurisdictions like McLean and D.C. — on the National Mall — over the past few months.
“Most of these are white squirrels, but not albinos,” Abugattas told ARLnow. “Albinos due to a lack of pigment have pink eyes [and] are indeed very rare as this affects their sight.”
Get ready to dust off those old running shoes.
The ninth annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K race and festival is set for Saturday in the Yorktown neighborhood.
The event commemorates Jennifer Bush-Lawson, an Arlington resident who was struck and killed in 2014 by a dump truck while placing her child into a minivan near Nottingham Elementary. More pedestrian fatalities have since occurred on the same stretch of Little Falls Road, though new safety measures were installed earlier this year.
The race, first held in 2015, kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road). Those who want to support the cause without running in the cold can participate in a “Family Fun Day” festival, featuring a beer garden, a children’s fun run, moon bounces, laser tag, a rock wall, balloon animals, face painting and live performances.
The registration fee for the race is $40, which includes a T-shirt, or $35 for those opting out of the shirt. Participants can also choose to donate without participating in the race.
Festival-only tickets are priced at $25, granting access to all activities excluding the 5K. A combined ticket for both the race and festival is available for $50.
Proceeds support the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, founded in 2015 by Jennifer’s husband, Neal Lawson, to provide women in need and their babies with maternal and infant care.
“This event carries on the legacy of Jenn Lawson, a dedicated mom and runner who was passionate about making available to all mothers the same level of care she received for her own complicated pregnancies,” the event page says.
In line with previous years, the Arlington County Police Department has announced several road closures for the duration of the event.
The following roadways will be closed from approximately 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the event:
- Yorktown Boulevard, from Little Falls Road/N. Greenbrier Street to N. Kensington Street
- Little Falls Road, from N. Edison Street to Yorktown Boulevard and from Yorktown Boulevard/N. Kensington Street to N. Ohio Street
- N. Lexington Street, from Yorktown Boulevard to 27th Street N.
- 27th Road N., from the dead end to N. Lexington Street
- 27th Street N., from N. Lexington Street to N. Ohio Street
- John Marshall Drive at 27th Street N.
- N. Ohio Street, from 27th Street N. to Little Falls Road
When safe to do so, residents of the affected areas will be escorted through the road closures, as necessary, to minimize the impact on the community. All roadways are expected to reopen at 10:30 a.m. Community members are asked to park vehicles in driveways to reduce the congestion on the course and to allow for standard traffic conditions to return as quickly as possible.
Photo via Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation/Facebook
(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Several blocks of N. Harrison Street are blocked in the Yorktown neighborhood due to an unusual crash.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV ended up on top of an Acura TL sedan as the result of a crash in front of Chestnut Hills Park, a popular popular children’s playground.
No injuries have been reported and everyone was able to get out of the vehicles before police and firefighters arrived, according to scanner traffic.
A passenger in the car told ARLnow that the crash happened as the SUV driver was making a U-turn and ended up colliding with the Acura, which was occupied by several members of Yorktown High School’s golf team. The driver’s side of the Jeep came to rest on top of the Acura’s hood.
As of 5:15 p.m. the roadway was back open.
LOCATION: 2800-blk N. Harrison St
INCIDENT: Traffic Collision
IMPACT: Due to police and fire activity, please avoid the area and seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/h8O5BE5TTY— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) August 1, 2023
Jay Westcott contributed to this report
(Updated at 1/2/24) The new Crumbl Cookies coming to Lee Harrison Shopping Center hopes to be fully baked by Spring 2024.
The franchised cookie bakery is moving into the former Starbucks space at 2441 N. Harrison Street, next to the Wild Birds Unlimited store. The coffee shop closed in 2019.
The cookie shop is scheduled to open sometime between February and March of this year, Crumbl’s PR team told ARLnow.
It was first reported in June 2022 that Crumbl was making its way to Arlington, joining a cadre of cookie shops across Northern Virginia owned by Paukstys and his team. That includes bakeries in Falls Church, Reston, and Vienna.
But this location stands out because several of the owners grew up within a few minutes walk of where the new Crumbl is going.
“We are primarily a women-owned company. My wife grew up in Arlington and her aunt’s house, who also is a [co-owner], lived just down the street,” Paukstys said.
The Arlington territory initially was claimed by a different franchisee, but Paukstys picked it up to be part of their group of stores in large part due to the local connection.
Crumbl Cookies is known for its elaborate designs and flavors. It has a rotating weekly menu of options like S’more, Buttermilk Pancake, Orange Creamsicle, and Snickerdoodle Cupcake.
The cookie menu in Arlington is expected to be the same as the other regional locations.
Paukstys says he is still looking to hire as the store ramps up to open in a few months. There is also a possibility, he said, of more bakeries opening in Arlington.
The Lee Harrison Shopping Center, in the Yorktown neighborhood, has seen some changes in recent months. A Loyal Companion store, which closed after the pet store chain filed for bankruptcy, has been converted to a Wag N’ Wash. A new Thai restaurant, meanwhile, opened in the former Ghin Na Ree Thai space, after the family that owned the eatery decided to retire.
(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) A driver was pulled from their overturned vehicle after reportedly running into a gas pump.
The unusual incident happened shortly before 11 a.m. at the Sunoco station at 5501 Langston Blvd, across from the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. Employees hit the emergency gas shut off after the crash, per scanner traffic.
The driver, an elderly woman, was extricated from the Chrysler coupe by firefighters after they stabilized the vehicle. She and a second vehicle occupant were transported to a local hospital via ambulance with unspecified injuries.
“At approx. 10:54am the Arlington County Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a single vehicle crash in the 5500 block of Langston Blvd,” Capt. Nate Hiner told ARLnow. “Crews arrived on scene and found a single vehicle crash with 1 occupant trapped inside. The vehicle was stabilized and the individual was extricated. Two adults were transported from the scene with non-life threatening injuries.”
There were no reports of the crash sparking a fire nor causing a significant fuel spill.
A vehicle overturned in the garage of a single-family home in the Yorktown neighborhood this afternoon.
The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and 29th Street N., across from Washington Golf and Country Club.
It’s unclear how exactly the vehicle overturned. A large contingent of firefighters worked to stabilize the vehicle and rescue a woman who was reported to be trapped inside.
The victim was transported via ambulance to a local hospital with unspecified injuries.
A new Thai restaurant has opened in the space formerly occupied by Ghin Na Ree Thai at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center.
Khun Yai Thai opened last week at 2509 N. Harrison Street, next to Duck Donuts. It’s taking the place of Ghin Na Ree Thai, which announced last month it was closing after more than two decades and being sold to another family.
“Arlington is a special place with a great community, we knew we wanted to be part of,” a Khun Yai Thai rep wrote ARLnow in an email. “After meeting the family of Ghin Na Ree, they were very open and accommodating. It felt right, as they wanted to transition into retirement.”
The changeover from one restaurant to the next took less than a month.
The owners of Khun Yai Thai are local veterans in the restaurant business, having previously owned eateries in Tysons, Rehoboth Beach, and Falls Church.
Khun Yai Thai means “Thai grandma,” per the owners. The restaurant is owned by three sisters, including at least two who are grandmothers.
“[The name] signifies the journey of the family that immigrated to the US over 40 years ago, achieved the American dream of opening a business, and now continuing to pursue the American dream generations later,” the restaurant rep wrote. “Thai grandma is someone who wants to share their story and heart through their recipes. At Khun Yai Thai, we want to achieve a sense of comfort, like dining with family.”
The menu is traditional Thai, with dishes like panang curry, kao pad, pad gra pow, tom kha gai soup, and pad thai. All are family recipes, we’re told.
The new restaurant owners have some big shoes to fill given that Ghin Na Ree Thai was generally well reviewed during its more than two decades in business.
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) It happened again.
More Arlington residents woke up this morning to find their car windows shattered by an unknown vandal or group of vandals who had previously damaged nearly three dozen vehicles in a week-long smashing spree.
ARLnow has received reports of freshly smashed car windows in the Westover and Yorktown neighborhoods and in Ballston, near Washington-Liberty High School. That follows reports of damaged cars yesterday in parts of Clarendon, Lyon Village, Virginia Square, Courthouse and Glencarlyn.
We are awaiting additional details from Arlington County police, but a crime report just posted online says 54 vehicles were damaged by a BB gun between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.
From ACPD:
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (Series), Between the evening of October 25 and early morning of October 27, an unknown suspect damaged the windows of approximately 54 vehicles with a bb gun. Detectives are investigating this as a series with the previously reported destruction of property series. Community members in these areas are asked to review their home surveillance for any footage that may assist the investigation. Information can be reported to the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. The investigation is ongoing.
The vast majority of the damaged vehicles listed by police were parked in various parts of northern Arlington.
Yesterday police confirmed 10 damaged vehicles; the latest report adds 44 vehicles to the two-day total. Combined with the vandalism spree late last week, ACPD has received reports of more than 80 cars with shattered windows over the past seven days.
“Since October 21, there have been 81 vehicles reported to have damaged windows,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “It’s important to note that since some of these reports are filed online and the reporting party does not always note if the damage appears to be from a BB gun, some of these reports may ultimately be determined not to be part of the series.”
Update on 10/28/22 — A suspect has been arrested in the case.
https://twitter.com/Lucifersmith420/status/1585622657747255298