crime | ARLnow.com

Arlington attorneys file suit over deputy accused of catfishing 15-year-old, killing her mother and grandparents

Published February 13, 2024 at 11:30AM | Updated February 13, 2024 at 12:54PM

Austin Edwards (via the city of Riverside)

Two Arlington attorneys are suing a Virginia sheriff’s office over a brutal triple homicide carried out by a deputy who, court documents allege, was hired illegally.

The deputy, 28-year-old Austin Edwards, reportedly lied about his age while soliciting sexual photos from a 15-year-old girl in California in 2022. When the teen rejected Edwards’ advances, he drove to California, claimed authority as a deputy to gain entry into a home and killed her mother and grandparents, according to legal filings.

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County leaders says Columbia Pike’s future looks ‘bright’ as construction nears completion

By James Jarvis

Published February 9, 2024 at 2:45PM

Construction and haze along Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

As a 15-year-long project to rebuild Columbia Pike with wider sidewalks and underground utilities enters its last construction phase, county leaders say they are seeing early signs of a promising future.

On Thursday, the Columbia Pike Partnership held its third annual “State of the Pike,” during which Arlington County’s department heads delivered a comprehensive overview of the Pike’s housing market and local economy via Zoom.

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How nonprofits and the county say they are keeping teens out of court for offenses and drug use

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 30, 2024 at 3:55PM

Arlington police officers (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A new program diverting teens from the criminal justice system has seen 27 referrals for a variety of criminal offenses, largely related to theft, assault and drug and alcohol violations.

Shoplifting and physical disagreements with peers are exactly the kinds of crimes Devanshi Patel expects to see go through the program, run by the nonprofit she leads called the Center for Youth and Family Advocacy (CYFA).

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County boasts progress in Green Valley but public intoxication hasn’t gone away, residents say

By Dan Egitto

Published January 30, 2024 at 9:30AM | Updated January 31, 2024 at 5:01PM

The "FREED" Sculpture in the John Robinson, Jr. Town Square (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Arlington County Police Department has ramped up efforts to curb public intoxication and other illegal behavior near a Green Valley elementary school.

Despite these efforts, however, some of that behavior persists, according to some community members and ARLnow’s observations.

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BREAKING: Former swim club board president pleads guilty to sexually exploiting children

By ARLnow.com

Published January 23, 2024 at 4:25PM | Updated January 23, 2024 at 10:20PM

Mark Black (courtesy Alexandria Sheriff's Office)

A former board president of the Arlington Aquatic Club pled guilty today to conspiring to sexually exploit several children.

Mark Black, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement one month before he was set to go to trial in federal court on Feb. 27, according to a press release from the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

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Green Valley to see ramped up public safety efforts after months of resident advocacy

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 21, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated December 21, 2023 at 5:40PM

Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley in 2022 (staff photo)

Still reeling from recent shootings, a Green Valley resident took the dais during Saturday’s Arlington County Board meeting to ask the county and police for a plan to address public safety concerns.

Yordanos Woldai, co-founder of Green Valley Matters, a new resident group focused on public safety, says this plan should include regular police patrols and stepped up enforcement of illegal activities.

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Grand jury returns indictment for wild chase through Arlington and Fairfax County

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 4, 2023 at 11:30AM

Police looking for evidence where shots were fired along S. Wakefield Street in October 2022 (file photo)

A grand jury has returned an indictment for a man on felony charges in connection to a wild police chase in October 2022.

The indictment against Ricardo Singleton, returned last Monday, included charges for eluding police and shooting a firearm from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a school. They follow a bizarre crime spree for which Singleton was arrested on Oct. 6, 2022.

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NEW: Former Arlington Aquatic Club board president faces trial for child pornography charges

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 30, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated November 30, 2023 at 8:23PM

Pool at the Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center (staff photo)

(Updated at 8:20 p.m.) A former board president of Arlington Aquatic Club is set to go to trial next year for child pornography and sexual coercion charges, according to court documents.

Mark Black, who is about to turn 50, according to public records, was arraigned in federal court last week. A trial date was set for Feb. 27, 2024.

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Suspect heading to court in cross-jurisdiction vehicular mayhem case

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 30, 2023 at 10:30AM

Falls Church carjacking suspect (photo courtesy City of Falls Church)

The case involving the man who allegedly went on a carjacking and assault spree through Falls Church and Arlington is moving forward.

Last week — eight months after his arrest — he was identified as Garrett Reeves, of Lorton, according to Susan Finarelli, a public information officer for the City of Falls Church Police Department.

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Arlington County Board candidates make their final pitches for votes this election

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 1, 2023 at 3:30PM

Voting on Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The end of the election is drawing nearer: early voting ends on Saturday and Tuesday is Election Day.

At this point, the roughly 12,000 early votes cast are almost evenly split between in-person and mailed-in ballots, per the Arlington County election turnout dashboard. Some 44,000 ballots need to be returned between now and the close of the polls on Tuesday to surpass turnout in 2019, the last similar election year.

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Arlington teen receives net 10-day sentence for assaulting five women last year

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 20, 2023 at 3:55PM

Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Arlington teen has been sentenced for assaulting five women in and around Courthouse last year.

One of the victims posted the conclusion to her story — a year in the making — on Reddit this week. The guilty teen is 17 years old and lives in the area between Courthouse and Rosslyn, the victim said, noting he had a stable home life.

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Arlington sees slightly elevated crime rates compared the region, per new report

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 19, 2023 at 1:30PM

Crime scene tape at shooting scene in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington has a slightly higher than average crime rate compared to the region overall, according to a new report.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently released its annual report, in which it compiled crime statistics reported out by local police departments, including Arlington County Police Department.