Police on Thursday identified the man and woman killed in Tuesday’s murder-suicide at the Park Shirlington Apartments on the 4500 block of 31st Street South, near the Fairlington neighborhood.
Xiomara Aracely Benitez, 30, of Arlington was pronounced dead at the scene along with Juan Carlos Mox Mox, 30, of Arlington, according to a press release from the Arlington County Police Department. Police identified Benitez as the victim and Mox Mox as the subject. They were married with two children.
(Updated at 6:35 p.m.) Police are investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide at the Park Shirlington Apartments on the 4500 block of 31st Street South, near the Fairlington neighborhood.
Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck says it appears the man and woman, both 30-years-old, had some sort of relationship and lived together in the apartment where they were found. An adult female family member who also lived in the apartment found the bodies in a back bedroom and called 911 around 2:45 p.m.
Undocumented W-L Valedictorian “Still Kind of Scared” — This year’s Washington-Lee High School valedictorian, 17-year-old Nataly Montano, is one of the young people impacted by President Obama’s recent policy decision to pull back on the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Montano, a 4.3 GPA student, says she is “still kind of scared sometimes because things could happen to get me deported.” [Sun Gazette]
New Washington Blvd Trail to Impact Trees — A new trail extension planned for Washington Boulevard between Columbia Pike and Route 50 will result in the removal of “about 350 trees.” The plan has, on some level, pitted bicycle advocates against tree huggers, according to a blog post. [Commuter Page Blog]
Update at 11:15 a.m. — The all-clear has been given and the hazmat team is packing up their gear.
Some roads are being shut down in the area of 2800 S. Randolph Street in Shirlington due to a hazmat investigation.
Update at 7:40 p.m. — The all-clear was given at about 5:00 p.m. and the scene has since been cleared.
The Arlington County Fire Department’s hazmat team is investigating a suspicious substance at a federal office in Shirlington.
AWLA Wins ‘Best in Shelter’ Contest — The Animal Welfare League of Arlington will receive $50,000 in prize money after one of its dogs won the “Best in Shelter” contest. Gaston, a four-year-old American Bulldog mix, received the most votes in the contest, which was sponsored by author Martha Grimes. “The prize money will help us do even more for all the homeless animals that come into our shelter, including vaccines, medications, surgeries, and enrichment,” said AWLA Executive Director Neil Trent. Gaston was propelled to victory, at least in part, thanks to a music video produced by AWLA supporters.
Hot Weather Biking Tips — Given the on-going heat advisory, BikeArlington has posted some tips for bicycling in hot weather. Among them: hydrate, dress light, and take your time. [CommuterPage Blog]
Owner Cary Kelly said the store’s short time in existence has gone well, and customer response has been overwhelming.
“The last year has been, in a word, unbelievable,” Kelly said.
Located at 2800 S. Randolph Street, just off Shirlington’s main Campbell Avenue drag, this will be Cafe Pizzaiolo’s third location, after its Crystal City (507 South 23rd Street) and Fairlington (1623 Fern Street) locations. It’s expected to serve largely the same selection of antipasto, salads, pasta, paninis, calzones, subs, sandwiches, desserts and — of course — pizza. The eatery is currently applying for a liquor license to serve wine and beer.
We’re told that Cafe Pizzaiolo currently expects to open mid-July, though depending on the pace of construction the opening may actually be earlier or later in the month.
According to the Village at Shirlington website, Medi says it “offers the vibrant tastes of Mediterranean food, with uniquely blended flavors, healthy ingredients, and great value.”
It also says, “At Medi, we want you to Meet, Eat, Drink, and Indulge – That’s our motto!”
The drive started last year at the Old Town store, and this year the newer Shirlington location (4150 Campbell Avenue) will participate as well. Donations of new or gently used bras are accepted, and will be given to BraRecyclers. The organization distributes bras around the world to women and girls who have been stricken by disaster, or are in a state of transitioning back into self-sufficiency.
Megan Monticone, who is in charge of social media for Bloomers, explained that although all styles and sizes are needed, there is a particular need for donations of maternity bras, nursing bras and bras for larger breasted women, such as sizes DD and higher. Those tend to be harder to come by and more expensive than other types of bras.
A new French-Vietnamese style restaurant called Lotus Grill and Noodles is coming to Shirlington.
The restaurant, which currently under construction in a 2,100 square foot space next to Extra Virgin restaurant, will feature Vietnamese specialties like phở, crispy spring rolls, grilled pork rolls, and other lunch and dinner items.
The Stories Behind the Valor Awards — Wednesday’s Arlington Chamber of Commerce Valor Awards ceremony included some incredible tales of heroism in the line of duty by Arlington’s first responders. In addition to acts of bravery by firefighters and paramedics, there were stories of valor among Arlington’s law enforcement officers, including police officers who prevented a suicidal man from jumping off the Key Bridge in January, an officer who pulled the occupants of a burning, wrecked car to safety, and a Sheriff’s deputy who jumped on the electrified Metro tracks to come to the aid of a man hit by a train near Clarendon. [Sun Gazette]
Shirlington Dog Park Cleanup — Volunteers are being sought for a spring cleaning at the Shirlington Dog Park along Four Mile Run. The cleanup is planned from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. [Examiner.com]
