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JUST IN: Alexandria Police investigate suspicious package in Carlyle

By James Cullum
1/4

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.)

Henock Seyoum Pastoor, a 27-year-old Alexandria man, was arrested by Metro Transit Police on Thursday and charged with threats to bomb or damage buildings or means of transportation.

Pastoor’s arrest was made after approximately 200 of his neighbors were evacuated from their homes in the 1700 block of Dogwood Drive. Hundreds of residents in the area were briefly evacuated.

“MTPD apprehended Pastoor at his home, where he made references to explosive devices on the property,” MTPD said in a release. “Nothing dangerous to the community was found.”

Alexandria Police assisted in the investigation.

There were also suspicious packages investigated today in the 400 block of Dulany Street near the U.S. Patent and Trademark office in Carlyle.

The area reopened just before 4 p.m. after being closed down for three hours.

The latter incident is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Additionally, a suspicious package in the 5500 block of North Morgan Street only contained salt and pepper shakers, according to police.

Dulany Street and Dogwood Drive maps via Google Maps

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.