A man who tried unsuccessfully to shoplift from the Ballston area Harris Teeter later flashed a gun, prompting a large police response.
The alleged incident happened just after 11 p.m. last night (Tuesday) at the grocery store on the 600 block of N. Glebe Road.
In a crime report today, Arlington County police said the suspect — a man in his 20s or 30s — was being escorted out of the store by security when he lifted his shirt to reveal “what appeared to be the handle of a firearm.” He also allegedly made threatening statements.
The man ran off in the direction of N. Carlin Springs Road, according to scanner traffic, and remains at large.
More, below, from the ACPD crime report.
BRANDISHING, 2024-12030203, 600 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 11:11 p.m. on December 3, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise and attempted to exit the store without payment. Security personnel confronted the suspect and recovered the merchandise before escorting him off the property. The suspect then lifted his shirt to display what appeared to be the handle of a firearm and made threatening statements before fleeing the scene on foot. No injuries were reported. Responding officers established a perimeter and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 25-30 years old, 5’8”-5’10”, 160-170 pounds, wearing a black puffer coat, green hoodie, dark jeans, black gloves, and black sneakers. The investigation is ongoing.
Also in the crime report, a business in the Courthouse area — reportedly the Virginia ABC store at 1922 Wilson Blvd — was damaged early Monday morning in an attempted break-in.
Nothing was taken but a window was shattered.
ATTEMPTED BURGLARY (late), 2024-12020052, 1900 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 8:53 a.m. on December 2, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. It was determined at approximately 2:28 a.m., the male suspect attempted to force entry into the closed business by shattering a window. The suspect subsequently fled the scene and did not make entry into the business. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.
