Greetings:
I hope everyone is doing well. The following is a synopsis of activity that occurred during the month of March in the Third District.
· On March 2nd, there was a robbery in the 2400 block of South Shirlington Road where the victim was robbed of beer. She was struck in the face but not seriously hurt.
· On March 4th, there was an attempted murder of a victim in the 1200 block of South Rolfe Street . Two roommates were arguing when one of them threatened to kill the other. He took a knife and was attempting to cut through the bedroom door when police arrived and arrested him.
· On March 7th, one of our bait vehicles was parked in the 600 block of South Courthouse Road . A suspect attempted to gain entry into it, which set off the alarm and he was arrested by police.
· On March 11th, a male victim was in the area of the 4100 block of South Four Mile Run Drive , when he was hit in the head. When he woke up, he crawled over to a bus stop. He was later found by police and was taken to VA Hospital Center for injuries to his face. This incident is still under investigation.
· On March 16th, a female was walking on the bicycle path in the Barcroft Sports Complex area when she was approached from behind and forced into the wooded area. The suspect put a cloth over the victim’s head and touched her in various areas. This incident was reported several hours later. At this time, it appears as though this may have been an attempted robbery. We have no other information on the suspect.
· On March 27th, a victim inside of the bank in the 3400 block of Columbia Pike was robbed of his money. The suspect ran out of the bank and was being chased by the victim as well as some bystanders. The suspect was caught by police and taken into custody.
Thus far in April, we have had the following:
· On April 1st, a female victim was walking along the bicycle path in the Columbia Pike/South Four Mile Run area when she was forced to the ground and her clothing ripped. The victim kicked the suspect and ran off. The victim was not physically injured. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 5”2’, wearing all black clothing. At this time, we do not believe that this incident and the one on March 16th are related.
· On April 2nd, a female was walking in the area of the Giant Food Store in the 2500 block of Columbia Pike when she had her wallet taken from her coat pocket. The suspect is described as a Black male, 30’s, between 5”11’ to 6”2’ and wearing all black clothing.
· On April 8th, a male was walking in the area of the 800 block of South Greenbrier Street when he was approached by a Hispanic male who began shouting and cursing at him. He then took out a pocket knife and tried to cut the victim. The victim received minor cuts to his hands. The suspect left the area and was unable to be located by police.
· On April 11th, there was a robbery in the 5200 block of South 8th Road where the victim was approached by two Black males who demanded his money and cell telephone. Both items were given to the suspects and they left the area. No other information to report in this incident.
· On April 13th, a man brandished a shotgun at a resident in the 800 block of South Arlington Mill Drive . The suspect was arrested by police shortly after the incident occurred.
The team, along with County’s Parks and Recreation, our Special Operations Section and our Auxiliary Unit, has been spending a lot of time on the bike paths, especially in light of the recent incidents. We have seen a number of homeless camps as well as graffiti. We are working with the Gang Unit and Parks to identify the graffiti. I will reiterate that the bike paths are safe but there are those that “hang out” so be careful and pay close attention to your surroundings. I do not encourage you to use the paths after dark for your safety and especially stay off of the paths in isolated areas. One can never be too careful!
And speaking of graffiti, we are starting to see an increase in it, especially in the Claremont and west end of Columbia Pike areas. Most of the graffiti in the Claremont area seems to be “tagging”. We are still trying to determine the graffiti in the Columbia Pike area.
The GPS larcenies from vehicles are still with us so please continue to lock your vehicle doors and remove all electronic equipment from your vehicle. Another “hot” item to steal has been satellite radio systems.
This is the beginning of our special events season and our first big one will be on May 4th; the 2008 United States Air Force Cycling Classic which will result in the closure of some roads. Stay tuned for media updates on this and other special events throughout the year. I will pass along any information I get so that you are well informed.
Think warm weather and stay safe.
Captain Michelle R. Nuneville - Commander
Arlington County Police Department
Operations Division - District 3
1425 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-4097
mnuneville@arlingtonva.us
