good samaritan | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published December 3, 2019 at 7:05AM

An airplane departing Reagan National Airport flies past the U.S. Air Force Memorial (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Hospital CEO Retiring Next Year — “Virginia Hospital Center President and CEO Jim Cole is stepping down after more than three decades with the organization. Cole, chief for 25 of his 35 years with the Arlington hospital, announced his retirement internally Monday. It’s set to take effect Sept. 1, 2020.” [Washington Business Journal]

County Crew Rescues Phone from Storm Drain — “So they got specialized shovels. And then the guy GOT INTO THE DRAIN and dig through the leaves, following the pinging and vibrating and found the phone! The phone was at 1% power when it came out. Still can’t believe it. Above and beyond. Kudos to Arlington County.” [Facebook/Arlington DES]

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 2, 2019 at 6:00AM

A Few Flakes Expected Tonight — “In the evening, precipitation will probably take the form of scattered snow showers over most of the region, ending before midnight. Little to no accumulation is expected.” [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter/@NWS_BaltWash]

Kudos to the Leaf Collectors — “Hats of to these guys. Leaf collectors jumping out of their truck to help my elderly neighbor rake her leaves.” [Twitter/@KathieNotnow]

News

Coffee Shop Tip Jar Theft Turns Violent in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published November 11, 2019 at 10:45AM

Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)

Arlington County Police are looking for a man who allegedly stole money from a tip jar and then bit a would-be Good Samaritan who tried to stop him.

The incident happened this past Thursday at Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters in Pentagon City, according to scanner traffic at the time.

News

Arlington Brothers Save Child from Drowning in Ireland

By Airey

Published July 24, 2019 at 3:30PM | Updated July 24, 2019 at 4:59PM

A group of brothers from Arlington rescued a girl who was drowning off the coast of Ireland (Image courtesy of Meagan Cummings)

A band of brothers from Arlington saved a five-year-old girl from drowning this week during a trip to Ireland.

On Monday, three brothers — Walter Butler (21), Eoghan Butler (18), Declan Butler (18) — were enjoying a rare sunny Dublin day at a beach with their brother-in-law Alex Thomson (24) when they heard someone crying for help. The group leaped into action after spotting a young girl on an pink inflatable floaty, who was being pulled away by the ocean current.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2017 at 8:00AM

Erik Gutshall swearing in ceremony in 2017 (Flickr pool photo by Jim Webster)

Dog and Owner Help Foil Purse Snatching — Mazel was a very good boy. The miniature bull terrier and his owner chased down a purse thief in Clarendon Tuesday evening, retrieving the purse and all of its contents. The thief remains at large but the purse owner is very grateful to get her belongings back prior to a planned vacation. [NBC Washington]

Arlington Woman Plows Into Falls Church Store — A 41-year-old woman from Arlington drove her car through the sliding doors of a Falls Church Rite Aid store this past weekend, damaging shopping carts and an interior wall. She was arrested and charged with DUI. [Falls Church News-Press]

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Police: Man Seeking Attention Threatened Restaurant Patron With Scissors

By ARLnow.com

Published September 15, 2017 at 11:35AM

File photo

The attack happened just before 5:30 p.m. on the 2200 block of Crystal Drive.

Police say the man was “in search of individuals that would acknowledge him” and “the incident occurred after the victim did not acknowledge the suspect.” The suspect was taken into custody after bystanders intervened, potentially saving the woman from being maimed.

Around Town

ACPD Officer’s Act of Kindness Spreads on Social Media

By Adrian Cruz

Published May 24, 2016 at 1:15PM | Updated May 24, 2016 at 1:37PM

While visiting the Pentagon City mall on Saturday with her son, Beth Schweinefuss says that she saw a man walking around the food court and standing by himself with a plastic bag on his head.

“We were sitting on the third floor of the mall resting and doing some people watching,” Schweinefuss told ARLnow.com. “We both noticed the gentleman in the food court standing by himself and wearing a plastic bag on his head. His mannerisms suggested to me he was possible talking to himself and was just looking around and listening to something on a portable tape recorder. That caught our attention.”

Around Town

Ballston Resident Helps Disabled Man Lost on the Metro Get Home

By Jennifer Currier

Published January 5, 2016 at 1:30PM

Yesterday’s evening commute for Ballston resident Andrea Gagliardi was following the normal routine, until she found herself helping a disabled man find his way home.

The man — who Gagliardi described as approximately 50 years old, mute and mentally disabled — was being helped by another woman when she arrived at the Courthouse Metro station. That woman was visibly upset, saying someone had dropped him off at the station, leaving him to figure out how to get to an address written on the back of a business card.

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Do-Gooders Help Police Chase Down Alleged Thief

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2014 at 3:30PM | Updated December 23, 2021 at 2:23PM

(Updated at 2:20 p.m on 12/23/21) Two shoppers helped the Arlington County Police Department arrest a suspect accused of robbery in Ballston yesterday.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. on the 900 block of N. Stuart Street, about a block away from Ballston Common Mall.

News

Good Samaritan Stops Cell Phone Robbery

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 30, 2013 at 3:30PM

The woman was texting behind the McDonald’s, on N. Lynn Street, when a man ran past and snatched her cell phone out of her hands, the BID employee said. Neither he nor the victim wished to be identified.

The woman called for help, and another BID employee got on the radio to describe the suspect, a black man in dark clothing, he said. Standing at the corner of N. Lynn and 19th Streets, he saw the suspect run by.

News

Police Deliver Pizza, Plaques to Good Samaritans

By ARLnow.com

Published November 15, 2011 at 1:59PM

Police officers dropped off the pizza and some commemorative plaques on Friday night as a way to say ‘thank you’ to three men who helped stop a late night attack in Ashton Heights over the summer.

According to police, two of the men were sitting out on their porch, waiting for a pizza delivery around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14, when they heard a woman scream. The woman, police say, was knocked to the ground by a 25-year-old man after repeatedly rebuffing his unwanted advances. Upon hearing the scream, the men chased down the suspect and held him until police arrived. The third man rushed to the victim to comfort her while awaiting police.