Arlington police, firefighters and the county’s bomb squad conducted a major investigation in the Westover neighborhood today.
Law enforcement personnel, some in heavy protective gear, could be seen hauling items out of the Fisher House Apartments at 5705 Washington Blvd. Shortly before 3:45 p.m., an arrest was announced in connection to the case.
The large emergency presence on scene — which appeared to also include members of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — started earlier Friday morning and has continued through early afternoon.
An Arlington County Fire Department spokesman confirmed an investigation by the county Fire Marshal, but at the time declined to provide more details about the nature of the investigation.
“On August 30th, the Arlington County Fire Department Office of the Fire Marshal, along with our partners, executed a search warrant in the 5700 block of Washington Blvd as part of an ongoing criminal investigation,” Capt. Nathaniel Hiner told ARLnow. “The investigation remains active, and details will be shared when available. There is no ongoing danger to the public.”
Among the items seen being carried by personnel was a container labeled “frag bag.”
The investigation follows numerous reports from local residents of periodic sounds of explosions at night and in the early morning over the past month.
“Residents in Dominion Hills / Bluemont / Westover / Bon Air hear a distinct gunshot/firework type sound twice a day — once in the early morning and once at night,” one resident told ARLnow on Monday. “Typically around ~6am and ~9pm but as late as 11:30pm recently. It is reliably twice a day.”
“Seems to be in the direction of Patrick Henry/I-66 area or maybe the park, with some residents thinking the direction of the sound is inconsistent,” the resident added. “Residents started calling non-emergency lines for police and fire and have gotten mixed replies… Residents of Dominion Hills are now documenting the daily noises from our Facebook group to track time and provide that info to the Fire Marshal.”
Another tipster provided a similar description of the noise.
“I live in Dominion Hills neighborhood… It has been about a month that we had been hearing a loud boom in our neighborhood,” the resident wrote last week. “Either very early in the morning between 6 to 7 a.m. or after 10:30 p.m. The sound is hard enough to sometimes make the windows shake.”
Asked about those reports late Friday morning, Hiner declined to confirm a link.
“Additional information is forthcoming,” he said. In a subsequent press release, below, ACFD revealed that the man arrested was 77-year-old Arlington resident Charles Peters.
Peters is the same suspect who was arrested last year and charged with firing a gunshot inside a Westover apartment building. Those charges were ultimately dismissed in Arlington County General District Court. Peters was previously convicted on explosives charges in 1991 and sentenced to a net one month in jail as well as mental health treatment, according to court records.
The Arlington County Fire Department’s Office of the Fire Marshal is announcing the arrest of an Arlington man following an investigation into ongoing noise complaints in the 5700 block of Washington Blvd.
Charles Peters, 77, was arrested and charged with five counts of manufacturing, possession, use of firebombs or explosive materials or devices. Mr. Peters is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Beginning on Aug. 20, 2024, the Office of the Fire Marshal began an investigation into a series of loud noises that were reported by residents throughout Bluemont along the Custis Trail. Through the investigation, Fire Marshals identified Mr. Peters as a person of interest. In conjunction with local and federal partners, the Office of the Fire Marshal executed a search warrant on the morning of Aug. 30, 2024, leading to the arrest of Mr. Peters.
There is no ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Fire Marshal at 703-228-4644 or 571-217-5976.
Jared Serre contributed to this report
