(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) A “mob” of seven boys is facing serious charges after allegedly attacking another teen at Washington-Liberty High School.
The fight happened around 3:15 p.m. — five minutes after school dismissal — on Tuesday but police were not called until an hour later. A tipster tells ARLnow that it took place inside the school.
The victim went to a hospital on his own, with a non-life-threatening laceration, according to Arlington County police. ACPD is seeking “Malicious Wounding by Mob” charges against the attackers.
Washington-Liberty’s principal sent the following email to families about the incident this afternoon.
Dear W-L Community,
During dismissal yesterday at approximately 3:15 p.m., several W-L students were involved in a significant verbal and physical altercation with another student. Our staff responded to break up the group of students and contacted law enforcement. We have been in communication with the families of the students involved and have applied appropriate disciplinary consequences.
The initial police report is provided below. Washington-Liberty is collaborating with the ACPD on its investigation and continues to talk with other students not directly involved who may have additional information.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY MOB (late), 2024-01090125, 1300 block of N. Stafford Street. At approximately 4:19 p.m. on January 9, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 3:15 p.m., a verbal dispute occurred between a group of juveniles, during which the juvenile male victim was allegedly assaulted by a group of approximately seven juvenile male suspects. The victim sustained a laceration and self-reported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Petitions are pending for the juvenile suspects for Malicious Wounding by Mob.
We take these incidents very seriously and will continue to take all necessary steps to keep students and staff safe. These actions do not reflect our core values and beliefs at Washington-Liberty and under no circumstances do we condone this type of behavior. Please talk to your student about the consequences of their actions if they get involved in an altercation like this.
I apologize for the delay in updating the broader W-L community regarding this incident, as my immediate focus was on communicating with the students and families directly involved and cooperating with the ACPD on its investigation.
If you have any questions or further information about this incident, please contact me 703-228-6202.
ARLnow asked police about a motive for the attack and whether it was captured on video.
“A verbal dispute preceded the assault and the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation,” said ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb. “During the course of the preliminary investigation, evidence was recovered. To ensure the integrity of the investigation and prosecution, there are no additional details to provide at this time.”
Arlington police responded to a large fight at Bailey’s Pub (4238 Wilson Blvd) in the Ballston Common Mall last week.
It’s not clear what started the brawl, but it quickly grew in size and prompted a large police response. Six people were arrested and several people were taken to Virginia Hospital Center for injuries. At least one police officer suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
“A huge melee broke out and spread into the mall,” Sternbeck said of the early Wednesday morning incident. “Nobody wanted to cooperate with police.”
From the ACPD daily crime report:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 12/05/12, 4200 block of N. Wilson Boulevard. At 1:35 am on December 5, a large fight involving several subjects broke out. As a result of this large fight, six suspects were arrested for a variety of different charges. A few of the victims/subjects were taken to Virginia Hospital Center for treatment of injuries ranging from swelling to lacerations. Mitchell Thach Khlock, 22, of Springfield, Va. was arrested on charges of obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, malicious wounding, and assault and battery. Smeth Snguon, 33, of Sterling, Va. and Vireak Snguon, 30, of Arlington, Va. were arrested and charged with assault by mob. Saloeun Chea, 28, of Alexandria, Va. was arrested on charges of malicious wounding and assault by mob. Carlos Enrique Lopez, 23, of Alexandria, Va. and Ray Shawn Banks, 23, of Arlington, Va. were arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. All suspects are currently being held without bond.
A hotel employee who lost an eye during a huge brawl at the DMV Music Awards in Crystal City last month is speaking out about his ordeal.
In a video produced by the Arlington County Police Department, the employee — “Antonio,” a bartender at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City — says he and his family are now in debt and struggling to get by on meager workman’s compensation payments. He has had two operations since the March 5 incident and expects to have at least one more to get a prosthetic eye. While in recovery, Antonio has been unable to bathe or care for himself, and relies on his wife and friends to accomplish everyday tasks.
“I used to work for three hotels… I don’t know” if I will ever work again, he said. “I cannot live this way.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the attack to contact Detective J. Donaggio at 703-228-4167 or [email protected]. Several photos of the woman who is alleged to have attacked Antonio are displayed at the end of the video.
H-B Woodlawn Student Wins Arlington Idol — We have a new Arlington Idol. H-B Woodlawn junior Mary Shields (above) placed first at the annual singing competition Thursday night. Watch her winning performance here. Shields will now perform at a July 8 summer concert at Washington-Lee High School. [Arlington Public Schools]
Discussion of Pike/Glebe Development Tonight — Arlington’s site plan review commission will discuss early plans for a mixed used development at the Rosenthal auto dealership site at Columbia Pike and South Glebe Road tonight. The development plan calls for ground floor retail space, 259 residential units and 44 town homes. The meeting is open to the public. [Pike Wire]
Donations for Employee Injured in Brawl — The Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel is accepting donations for an employee who was seriously injured during a brawl at the 2011 DMV Music Awards. Antonio Illanes was hit with a bottle and lost sight in his left eye. He has had to endure several operations since the March 6 incident. [TBD]
Dogs on Display at AWLA — The Animal Welfare League of Arlington has set up a small animal viewing area in its lobby to encourage the adoption of animals that have had a hard time finding a home. [Sun Gazette]
Screen capture via YouTube
Arlington police are still looking for the people responsible for turning the DMV Music Awards show in Crystal City into a large-scale brawl.
Despite the fact that 1,500 people attended the event, dozens of offers responded to the scene, and some of the fights were caught on video, police still have not made any arrests, according to department spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.
Investigators are asking anybody who witnessed or video taped an assault at the awards to come forward by contacting Det. John Donaggio at 703-228-4167.
Update on 3/7/11 — Another video of the brawl has been posted on DMVLife.com.
Update at 3:05 a.m. — A video posted on AllDMVHipHop.com (NSFW) shows a group of nearly a dozen people fighting inside the hotel.
A huge brawl broke out at a local hip hop award show in Crystal City Saturday night, sending several people to the hospital.
Multiple fights broke out at the 2011 DMV Music Awards at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, authorities said. Reports of more than 20 people fighting amid an audience of more than 1,500 prompted Arlington County police to take the rare step of sending every available unit to the scene.
“We’re going to need everyone,” an officer radioed to the dispatch center just after 9:30 p.m. “Apparently the whole place is out of control.”
Police arrived after most of the fighting had been broken up. Arlington officers were joined by units from Alexandria and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, a witness said. Some officers were armed with assault rifles, riot shields and other tactical gear, according to multiple witnesses.
The violence sent at least five people to local hospitals, according to Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal. Among the injured were a hotel employee and an individual who suffered “severe trauma to left eye.”
As of 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, no arrests had been made, according to Nosal. At that time police were still conducting an “active investigation” inside the hotel, Nosal said.
Local resident Doug Wendt witnessed the aftermath of the melee from outside the hotel. He reported this from the scene:
Approximately 30+ police cruisers converged upon the scene within minutes, as well as multiple paramedic units. While uniformed officers – some wearing tactical gear – and plainclothes detectives searched the hotel for suspects and persons of interest, victims were being treated on the streets outside the hotel by emergency medical personnel. Medical staging areas were set up on South Clark Street in front of the Hyatt, as well as at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Police units clogged Crystal Drive and South Clark Street as patrons streamed out of the hotel after the event was ended as a result of the incident.
According to TBD, the general manager of the hotel said security for the event was provided by “police, a private company, and the hotel’s own security staff.”
No word yet on why the fighting started.
Photo courtesy Doug Wendt. Hat tips to Doug, Alan and John.
A huge brawl broke out in the parking lot of a Falls Church nightclub early Monday morning, prompting a frantic call for backup from the first police officers on the scene.
Officers from Falls Church and from Arlington and Fairfax counties swarmed the parking lot after the call, which came in around 12:30 AM. Responding officers disbursed a crowd of several hundred people, according to Maj. Mary Gavin of the Falls Church Police Department.
An officer was assaulted during the scuffle and suffered minor injuries, but did not require hospitalization, Maj. Gavin said. There were no arrests.
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