(Updated at 11 a.m.) An alleged shooting threat briefly sent students practicing on a school field indoors tonight.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. outside of Washington-Liberty High School. A police dispatch said the man was “yelling that there was going to be a shooting at the stadium.” He was being held down by several people until officers arrived, the dispatch said.

Numerous students were on the field at the time and were reportedly rushed inside the building.

“An individual threatened the field hockey players at a practice during a marching band rehearsal,” a tipster said. “I am a W-L student and I can confirm that the students were quickly brought in.”

An email sent to band families around 7:30 p.m., shared with ARLnow, said the man was arrested.

Good evening,

This evening there was an incident at the stadium entrance with a individual claiming to have a weapon. The police were called and the students were immediately sent inside. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody, and we have resumed rehearsal at this point now that the all clear from APD has been given. We will end at 9:00 as scheduled.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.

Thanks,
Dr. Sedatole

Arlington County police said in a subsequent crime report on Thursday that they arrested a 35-year-old Arlington resident. He is currently being held in jail on several threat-related charges.

“The adult male suspect entered the stadium and allegedly made threats of harm to other individuals.,” the crime report said. “The male suspect was detained by bystanders and taken into custody by responding officers. No weapon was seen or located.”

The suspect “was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and Threats on School Grounds (x2).,” the crime report continues. “He was held on no bond.”

(Updated at 2 p.m.) An Arlington teen of the same name as an 18-year-old convicted in a recent high-profile case has been arrested after allegedly fleeing from police.

Arlington County police say Kenan Owens, 18, was arrested Wednesday in Chesterfield County — near Richmond — on warrants for reckless driving and eluding.

The charges stem from an incident early Tuesday morning in which, according to police, an officer tried to pull over a vehicle seen driving well over the speed limit near the Columbia Pike and Washington Blvd ramps.

The driver allegedly fled the traffic stop and abandoned the car a few blocks away, in the Arlington View neighborhood.

More from ACPD:

RECKLESS DRIVING, 2023-09190035, Washington Boulevard at Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:10 a.m. on September 19, an officer initiated a traffic stop for reckless driving after observing the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed over the posted speed limit. The driver disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled the area. The officer last observed the vehicle turning from Columbia Pike and subsequently located the abandoned vehicle in the 1400 block of S. Rolfe Street. After further investigation, officers determined the identity of the driver and obtained warrants for Kenan Owens, 18, of Arlington, VA for Reckless Driving and Eluding. He was located and taken into custody in Chesterfield County, VA on September 20.

Earlier this year, an 18-year-old Arlington resident named Kenan Owens was arrested by a SWAT team after triggering a lockdown at Wakefield High School. Police said at the time that he “was known to carry a firearm” and “had an ongoing dispute with” a student at the school.

Owens was charged with trespassing, stalking, having a loaded gun around children, altering a gun’s serial number and conspiring to distribute marijuana.

All but the trespassing and one of four gun charges was dropped. In June he was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months on both charges, with the entire sentence suspended on the gun charge and all but two months suspended on the trespassing charge, according to court records.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage was unable to confirm to ARLnow whether the 18-year-old Kenan Owens arrested this week was the same Kenan Owens — who will turn 19 in December — charged in the high-profile Wakefield incident. State law prevents the department from revealing details of a suspect’s prior criminal history in that manner, Savage said.

The charges from this week are not yet visible in the state court records system and Owens is not expected to be booked into Arlington’s jail, Savage said, after being released on a court summons in Chesterfield County.

An arrest has been made following a July crash in Lyon Village in which the driver allegedly fled the scene with two small children.

The crash happened around 10 p.m. on N. Bryan Street, in the aftermath of severe storms.

“Around 10:05 pm, a black Porsche SUV went screeching down N. Bryan St. in Lyon Village at a high speed,” a resident told ARLnow at the time. “[It] crashed into a light pole and took the entire pole down across N. Bryan, hit a stop sign which got attached to the undercarriage of the Porsche, then did a sharp left turn into 16th Street where the car came to a stop.”

“Then I heard a little girl screaming ‘Daddy, Daddy!’ It was heartstopping,” she continued. “I ran outside at the sound of the collision and heard the girl screaming. When I got there, the car was still running, all the doors were open, but no one was in it. Neighbors were pouring out of their houses to see what had happened.”

“At least three witnesses reported that the man got out of the Porsche and told his children (apparently 2 young children) ‘Run with me,’ she said. “Then they took off running down 16th Street towards Courthouse.”

Among the destinations that could be seen on the wrecked Porsche’s navigation system were Le Diplomate restaurant in D.C. and a home in Vienna, Virginia. Yesterday, ARLnow’s sister site FFXnow reported that a 42-year-old Arlington man is facing charges here and in Vienna for the crash and for allegedly making false statements to police.

From FFXnow:

The Vienna Police Department got a report on July 30 from a supposed resident who said his vehicle had been stolen out of his garage on Battle Street SE sometime between midnight on July 29 and 9 a.m. on July 30.

“A resident left his vehicle unsecured in the garage with the keys inside overnight,” police said in a summary from its recap of the week of Aug. 4. “Due to a storm and power outage, the garage door was unable to close. The following day, the resident discovered the vehicle was stolen.”

The VPD noted at the time that the vehicle was later located in another jurisdiction.

A subsequent investigation, however, linked the vehicle to a crash in Arlington County where the driver fled the scene with two children, according to an update in the VPD’s latest recap, which covers the week of Sept. 8-14.

“Investigation revealed the driver was the owner of the vehicle who made the stolen vehicle report the following morning,” Vienna police said.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed to FFXnow that the suspect is also facing charges here.

“As a result of the investigation into the circumstances of the crash, warrants were obtained on September 7 for [the suspect], 42, of Arlington, VA for Child Neglect (x2) and Hit and Run of Unattended Property (x2). He was taken into custody by the Town of Vienna Police Department.”

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A Falls Church man is facing charges and a tow truck driver is facing a traffic citation after an incident Sunday evening in Ballston.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. in front of the Advanced Towing lot on the 4000 block of 5th Road N.

An officer was conducting a traffic stop of a tow truck, according to today’s Arlington County police crime report, “when the suspect, who is the owner of the towed vehicle, arrived at the location and began acting disorderly.”

“When an additional officer arrived on scene and began to converse with the suspect, he allegedly lunged at the officer,” the crime report says. “The officer then attempted to detain the suspect, during which he shoved the officer before fleeing the scene on foot. Officers initiated a foot pursuit and took the suspect into custody.”

The suspect, a 25-year-old Falls Church resident, “was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication.”

The tow truck driver was cited for “a vehicle being towed without being properly secured to the tow truck,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Minutes before the incident, police were dispatched to the nearby Ballston Quarter mall for a report of a driver who parked his running car in front of the Ted’s Bulletin on Wilson Blvd to pick up food and came back to find it potentially stolen. Savage told ARLnow that call was not related to the tow truck incident.

Advanced Towing was back in the news earlier this month after ARLnow was the first to report that one of its drivers towed a car with two young children inside from in front of the Pentagon City mall.

A suspect is in custody after police say a store in Virginia Square was robbed and one of its employees threatened.

The unidentified store on the 3400 block of Washington Blvd — the same block as the Giant supermarket — was robbed of several bottles of wine Tuesday afternoon, according to scanner traffic. The thief then used a wine bottle to threaten a store employee before boarding a Metro bus, police said.

Police tracked down the bus and took the suspect into custody.

More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ROBBERY, 2023-09120186, 3400 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:41 p.m. on September 12, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise and allegedly exited the store without payment. An employee followed the suspect out of the store, during which the suspect threatened the employee with a wine bottle before boarding a Metro bus. Officers located the bus with the suspect on board and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 35, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Robbery. He was held without bond.

A 47-year-old Richmond man is facing charges after police say he robbed a store and then threw a fake gun at responding officers.

The incident happened Friday afternoon after 3 p.m., in the Courthouse area.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-09080157, 2000 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 3:19 p.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business and allegedly concealed merchandise before attempting to exit the store without payment. A store employee confronted the suspect during which he lifted his shirt exposing what appeared to be a firearm before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers canvassed the area, located the suspect and gave him commands to stop. The suspect disregarded their commands and continued to walk away before stopping, lifting his shirt and throwing the firearm in the direction of the officers. The officers then took the suspect into custody and recovered the firearm which was determined to be a replica. [The suspect], 47, of Richmond Va. was arrested and charged with Robbery and Assault on Police (x2).

Also in today’s crime report were a number of weekend incidents involving guns, including a shots fired call in Glencarlyn, a gun brandishing in Clarendon, and an armed robbery of jewelry along Columbia Pike.

From ACPD:

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-09100027, 300 block of S. Harrison Street. At approximately 1:44 a.m. on September 10, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers recovered evidence confirming several shots had been fired. Witnesses reported observing several unknown individuals running from the area after the shots were discharged. No victims or property damage were located. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

BRANDISHING, 2023-09100028, 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 1:49 a.m. on September 10, the victim approached an officer to report disorderly conduct. The preliminary investigation indicates that following a dispute earlier in the evening where the suspect was allegedly acting disorderly inside a business, he approached an employee of the business and lifted his shirt to display a firearm. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. Officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results.

ROBBERY, 2023-09090226, 1800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 8:10 p.m. on September 9, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim met with the suspect, an acquittance, for the prearranged sale of jewelry. During the incident, the suspect grabbed the jewelry and ran to his vehicle. The victim ran after him and upon arriving at the suspect’s vehicle, observed the passenger brandishing a firearm. The suspects then fled the scene in the vehicle with the stolen jewelry. The investigation is ongoing.

A carjacking attempt in the Ballston area Monday morning was foiled by the vehicle’s stick shift, police say.

The incident happened around 5:45 a.m. on Labor Day at the Harris Teeter parking lot on the 600 block of N. Glebe Road.

Three men carjacked a victim who was driving a Kia Soul, but did not get far as they apparently did not know how to operate the vehicle’s manual transmission, according to police and scanner traffic.

The Fairfax County police helicopter was called in to help search for the suspects but they were not found and remain at large.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County police crime report.

ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 2023-09040047, 600 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 5:44 a.m. on September 4, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was exiting his parked vehicle when he was approached by three male suspects. The suspects instructed the victim to place his car keys on the hood of his car. The victim complied and walked away from the vehicle. The suspects fled the scene on foot after allegedly determining the vehicle was a manual transmission. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results. The suspects are described as white or Hispanic males, approximately 18-26 years old, wearing all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.

Earlier Monday morning, police responded to an alleged incident involving an intoxicated suspect threatening a victim with a machete near Courthouse and Rocky Run Park.

From ACPD:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-09040035, 2300 block of 11th Street N. At approximately 3:16 a.m. on September 4, police responded to the report of a possible mental health call for service. The preliminary investigation determined the male victim was outside a residential building when he observed the male suspect walk by holding a machete. A short time later, the suspect returned and initiated a conversation with the victim, during which he allegedly brandished the machete. The victim ran and the suspect chased after him while making threatening statements. The victim was able to get to a safe location and no injuries were reported. Responding officers located the suspect in the area with the machete and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 33, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Brandishing and Public Intoxication. He was held without bond.

Also in today’s crime report, police said the gunfire near the Ballston Metro station over the weekend stemmed from a dispute between two people.

SHOT FIRED, 2023-09010239, N. Stuart Street at Fairfax Drive. At approximately 8:21 p.m. on September 1, police were dispatched to the report of a possible assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and suspect became involved in a verbal dispute during which the suspect brandished and discharged a firearm. No injuries or property damage were reported.

A man suspected of shooting two people outside of a taco restaurant in Merrifield was arrested in Arlington.

Arlington’s SWAT team arrested the 25-year-old man Sunday night at an address a block away from Wakefield High School.

“The suspect was taken into custody without incident by members of the Arlington County SWAT team in the 5000 block of S. Chesterfield Road on the evening of August 27,” and Arlington County police spokesperson tells ARLnow.

The arrest follows a shooting outside of a restaurant located along Route 29 just inside the Beltway.

More from our sister site FFXnow:

A man from Falls Church has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun into a crowd outside Taco Baja (7716 Lee Highway) in Merrifield.

Police say their investigation indicates that Jorge Armando Melendez Gonzalez, 25, approached a group of men standing outside the restaurant early in the morning on Saturday (Aug. 26).

“During the encounter, the suspect was assaulted by one of the men and the suspect opened fire into a crowd of people who were standing in front of the business,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “The suspect then fled the area on foot.”

Police were called to 7716 Lee Highway at 1:51 a.m. for the reported shooting, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

Upon arriving, officers found two adult men in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. One of the men had been shot in the arm, while the other was shot in the abdomen, the FCPD says. Both men were taken to a hospital, one of them with injuries that police initially said were life-threatening.

Police identified a third victim when Inova Fairfax Hospital called 911 at 3:39 a.m. to report that a man had walked in with a gunshot wound to the arm, according to FCPD and the police scanner.

“Officers were able to determine the victim was related to the earlier shooting,” the FCPD said. “The victim’s injuries were considered non-life threatening and he was treated and released from the hospital.”

“Jorge Armando Melendez Gonzalez has been charged with three counts of Felony Malicious Wounding and three counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony,” Fairfax County police said in a press release. “He is being held at the Adult Detention Center on no bond.”

“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the shooting,” the press release adds. “Anyone who may have information about this shooting is asked to call 703-246-7800, option 5.”

ACPD is investigating a pair of incidents this past weekend that left two people with serious injuries.

The first happened around 11 p.m. Friday on the 3500 block of Wilson Blvd in Virginia Square. That’s the same block as a 7-Eleven and a tobacco store.

According to police, a man trying to shoplift was confronted by an employee, who he then assaulted, causing serious injuries. A suspect was later located nearby and arrested.

More from an ACPD crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-08250310, 3500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:01 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise and attempted to leave the business without payment when he was confronted by an employee. The suspect returned the merchandise and began to leave the store when he allegedly assaulted the employee, resulting in lacerations, and caused property damage to the business. The employee was able to move away from the suspect who then fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. During the course of the investigation, the suspect was located in the area and taken into custody. During a search of his person, the suspect became combative and resisted officers. [The suspect], 33, of Burtonsville, Md. was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding, Destruction of Property, Obstruction of Justice and Shoplifting.

On Saturday night, near the Arlington Mill Community Center along Columbia Pike, police say two male suspects beat up a victim while making threatening statements.

The victim was seriously hurt and the suspects fled the area, police said. The reason for the attack is unclear.

From ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-08260296, 900 block of S. Dinwiddie Street. At approximately 10:47 p.m. on August 26, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, officers met with the reporting party who observed two unknown male suspects kick and strike the victim while making threatening statements. The reporting party then confronted the suspects who fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results

A 26-year-old Arlington man who worked as an FBI contractor is facing child exploitation and pornography charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria says a grand jury returned charges Wednesday against Brett Janes, including “two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography.”

If convicted he’ll face at least 15 years in prison.

Address records suggest that Janes lived in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood, a few blocks from Oakridge Elementary School. Federal prosecutors say he met and then exploited boys over the internet, including via video games and on Discord.

More on the charges, below, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a former FBI contractor with sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly contacted roughly a dozen minor boys over Discord and Snapchat. He allegedly groomed the minors by telling them he worked for a U.S. intelligence agency before repeatedly threatening suicide if the minors did not continue to communicate with him. Janes allegedly enticed one victim, a 13-year-old boy whom he met through the first-person shooter game Valorant, to strip and masturbate over a live video Discord call by threatening to kill himself and by paying him money over CashApp. He allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over Discord through flattery and repeated begging.

Janes allegedly received child sexual abuse material from these two minors, as well as two separate minor victims, and attempted to meet up with a minor. He also allegedly purchased hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse material from Telegram.

Janes is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Arlington County Chief of Police, Charles “Andy” Penn, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney McKenzie Hightower is prosecuting the case.

Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Janes are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the child exploitation and human trafficking task force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash 

A 34-year-old D.C. man was arrested last month in a high-profile Arlington sexual assault case.

Police say they suspect Geremy Bridgeforth is the man who broke into a woman’s apartment in Virginia Square on April 2 and sexually assaulted her. That attack was followed by a subsequent early-morning apartment break-in on April 12, in Courthouse, in which the victim was touched inappropriately.

Blurry surveillance photos of the suspect were released by police a few days later.

In an update in the case Thursday afternoon, Arlington County police announced additional charges against Bridgeforth, who according to court records was arrested on July 14.

Following a comprehensive criminal investigation, the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is announcing charges have been obtained in the April 2 incident in the Ballston-Virginia Square neighborhood. Geremy Bridgeforth, 34, of Washington D.C. is charged with Burglary with Intent to Commit Murder/Rape/Robbery and Object Sexual Penetration. During the course of the investigation, detectives determined that between April 1 and April 2, the suspect entered additional residences in the 3900 block of Fairfax Drive and stole property. He was charged with Burglary (x2), Credit Card Theft (x2), Credit Card Fraud (x2) and Petit Larceny related to those offenses. Additionally, Mr. Bridgeforth was charged with Burglary with Intent to Commit Murder/Rape/Robbery and Aggravated Sexual Battery in the April 12 incident in the Clarendon-Courthouse neighborhood. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

Bridgeforth has a number of prior arrests and convictions in Arlington dating between 2015-2021, according to court records, for crimes including fare evasion, trespassing and indecent exposure. Most recently he served a net two months in jail on the 2021 indecent exposure charges, court records suggest.

Multiple residents told ARLnow at the time that the Courthouse break-ins followed the installation of new smart locks, which some claimed would leave apartment doors open even when an app said it was locked.