The body of the man found at Four Mile Run Park on Tuesday has been identified as Kevin Isaías of El Salvador by Telemundo 44, though police won’t confirm the victim’s identity.
Telemundo 44 was the first to report the identity of the man, and was told by his family that he was a married father with a daughter and a baby on the way. The family also told the outlet that he left for work at 6 a.m. and that they were clueless as to what led to his death.
The Alexandria Police Department has released few details on the incident, except to say that they responded at 1:27 p.m. that day and found an adult male dead in the water in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue in Four Mile Run Park.
APD classified the incident as a suspicious death — the second to occur this week following Monday’s suspicious death of a 50-year-old man at The Bloom building in the Braddock neighborhood of the city. Police also did not answer questions on that incident.
Anyone with information on either of these incidents can contact the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
Medians, reduced crossing distances and curb extensions are just a few of the roadway changes being proposed for four intersections with Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria.
The preferred design options are meant to improve mobility, safety and access issues at the intersections of Mount Vernon Avenue at Glebe Road, Russell Road, Executive Avenue, and Four Mile Road. The options will be presented at the Traffic and Parking Board’s April 29 public hearing.
The project would extend curbs, remove street parking, add crosswalks along Mount Vernon Avenue, as well as add a pedestrian refuge island at the busy intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road.
The changes are part of the city’s Vision Zero plan to eliminate fatal and severe crashes, and construction is funded by the city and from a Virginia Department of Transportation grant.
There have been three fatal pedestrian crashes along Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria over the years. Changes have been proposed since 2016, when a study outlined needed pedestrian improvements. The 2021 Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan also recommended changes at the intersections.
The city was set to deliver the plan to the Traffic and Parking Board in January, but the city was delayed because it needed to “allow staff more time to finalize a few details and respond to questions that have been raised related to right of way, pedestrian crossing analysis, traffic analysis, and turning movements before getting an official concept design approval.”
Alexandria’s biggest giving day has done it again. On Wednesday, ACT for Alexandria raised $2.9 million for 188 nonprofits.
The final tally will keep changing as donations will continue on the Spring2ACTion website until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 28.
Spring2ACTion is the main annual fundraiser for most of the participating nonprofits. It’s also the second straight year that ACT for Alexandria eclipsed their $2.5 million goal by collecting $2.9 million.
The top three recipients are Move2Learn with $152,086, Carpenter’s Shelter with $150,214 and Casa Chirilagua with $89,610. It’s the second straight year that Move2Learn won the top spot.
“We are so grateful for all of the 7,325 donors, 188 nonprofits, 67 businesses, and 33 sponsors that participated in this year’s incredible event,” said Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT for Alexandria. “Alexandria’s nonprofits do so much for our community and today’s outpouring of support means that they can continue to provide critical programs and services in the months to come.”
Peeler said that 67 Alexandria businesses donated a portion of their proceeds toward the effort. She also said that, after working to collect millions, her staff of seven employees will be taking the next two days off to collect themselves.
“It takes a lot of planning and preparation, even though it seems like it all happened in one day,” Peeler said. “Every year feels a little different for different reasons… What hasn’t changed is that deep commitment to serving our nonprofit community. It’s astounding.”
Spring2ACTion has raised more than $23 million over the last 14 years.
Spring2ACTion Top 10:
- Move2Learn | Powered by Runningbrooke raised $152,286 from 157 donors
- Carpenter’s Shelter raised $150,214 from 272 donors
- Casa Chirilagua raised $89,610 from 270 donors
- ALIVE! raised $80,804 from 352 donors
- Alexandria Tutoring Consortium raised $79,440 from 204 donors
- Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia raised 76,527 from 102 donors
- The Campagna Center raised $63,229 from 86 donors
- King Street Cats raised $60,101 from 460 donors
- Space of Her Own, Inc. raised $59,400 from 164 donors
- Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association raised $57,098 from 122 donors
We’ve officially crossed the $2 million mark in giving! Thank you to everyone who’s supported our nonprofits. #Spring2ACTion pic.twitter.com/WbN1ACKjPr
— ACT for Alexandria (@ACTforAlex) April 24, 2024
We extend a heartfelt thanks to each & every one of you who helped make #Spring2ACTion a success! From the tireless efforts of the nonprofit staff to the generous contributions of sponsors, partners, and donors, this event wouldn't have been possible without your support. pic.twitter.com/E8PPdziJTC
— ACT for Alexandria (@ACTforAlex) April 25, 2024
Crumbl Cookies is coming to Alexandria’s Bradlee Shopping Center.
There have been reports of the cookie store coming to the Bradlee Shopping Center for years, but construction is finally underway.
Construction started at the end of March at 3618 King Street to convert the 1,900-square foot space into a cookie shop. The shopping center now lists the store as one of its tenants.
Crumbl Cookies founded in 2017 in Utah, and the franchise now has more than 900 locations. In 2022, the company reportedly sold more than $1 billion in cookies. That’s a lot of dough.
Crumbl Cookies is known for their weekly rotating menu of cookies.
The nearest Crumbl Cookies to Alexandria is in the Kingstowne area of Fairfax County (5810 Kingstowne Towne Center).
There’s a liquidation sale happening at Robcyns (3660 King Street) at the Bradlee Shopping Center.
Merchandise is currently being sold at half-price.
The store reportedly opened in 1963, and sells women’s and children’s dancewear, shoes and tchotchkes. It will close for the last time on Saturday, April 27.
The store made the news last year after a car smashed through the front window.
Store staff told ALXnow that the business couldn’t recover after the pandemic and that customers are finding their needs on Amazon.
A Hyattsville man suspected of stealing thousands worth of cosmetic items from multiple CVS stores in Alexandria was arrested with two others in Maryland earlier this month.
The three Maryland men are suspected of stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from Target and other stores throughout the region and were arrested on April 19 by a deputy from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. They were charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen goods with the intent to sell and conspiracy to commit retail theft of more than $50,000 in five days.
“Amazing work to the quick acting deputies to prevent further retail larcenies in not only Stafford, but the DMV area,” the Stafford Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
In Alexandria, there were at least six incidents at six different CVS stores during February and March, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The incidents are all similar — two Black males wearing ski or surgical masks walk into the store and then place items in the cosmetic section into large bags, then walk out the store and into a car that’s waiting with the engine running.
Thefts were reported at the following CVS stores:
- 1462 N. Beauregard Street, Feb. 24 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a blue Subaru Crosstrek with Maryland plates
- 5101 Duke Street, Feb. 24 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 3120 Duke Street, Feb. 29 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 4515 Duke Street, Feb. 29 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 2601 Richmond Highway, March 4 — No suspect vehicle seen
- 501 King Street, March 8 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a black Hyundai with Maryland plates
- 433 S. Washington Street, March 8 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a black Hyundai
On March 8, the manager of the CVS at 433 S. Washington Street in Old Town told police that the three suspects walked in wearing black clothing, and black ski masks or surgical masks, according to the search warrant affidavit. The manager said the suspects placed cosmetic items in large bags and that they walked out of the store and into an awaiting vehicle.
The black Hyundai with Maryland license plates fled southbound, and during their investigation police received a license plate reader alert, “showing a stolen black Hyundai Elantra with Maryland tags in the area of Braddock Road and Mount Vernon Avenue,” police said in the search warrant affidavit.
Police located the stolen Hyundai near the CVS on S. Washington Street and were involved in a brief chase, but lost sight of the suspects when they crossed from the city into Fairfax County by driving onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
“(T)he vehicle operated by an unknown driver fled from them at a high rate of speed from S. Washington Street southbound towards Fairfax County,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “APD officers attempted to deploy a global positioning systems device on the fleeing vehicle before losing sight of (it) southbound on the George Washington Parkway.”
The Hyundai was recovered in Hyattsville near on March 9 by the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was released to its owner, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Another car was also seen fleeing the scene of multiple incidents in February — a blue Subaru Crosstrek with a Maryland license plate. Police contacted the owner of the license plate, who said it stolen from his daughter’s car.
The Bowie Police Department also found that there was a similar theft from a CVS store on Feb. 21, with two Black males allegedly stealing cosmetics and fleeing in a blue Subaru, according to the search warrant affidavit.
On March 12, CVS’s regional investigation officer provided APD with two internal case files identifying one of the suspects that was arrested in Stafford County on April 18. APD determined that the Hyattsville suspect lived on the same street from where the stolen Hyundai was recovered. Additionally, a video camera captured the stolen Subaru driving along that same street, according to the search warrant affidavit.
No charges have been made in the Alexandria incidents.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office put out a press release after making the arrests:
On April 18th at approximately 11:45 a.m. deputies responded to Target, located at 1090 Stafford Market Place, for a larceny in progress. Staff advised a group of males, who they had seen stealing before, were currently concealing skin care items into a large bin. As deputies arrived, the suspects fled out a fire exit with the stolen items.
Due to law enforcement agencies having stronger communication skills than a teenage couple, deputies were already well aware of this group. It was reported they were involved in an organized retail theft ring that involved numerous Target stores stretching all the way to Maryland. It was also reported these three musketeers traveled in a black Nissan Rogue with a Maryland license plate. With this information, it did not take Deputy J.E. Alford long to locate the Nissan with all three suspects inside at the traffic light for Stafford Market Place and Garrisonville Road. A high-risk stop was conducted and all three were taken into custody without incident. Not surprisingly, stolen Target items were located within the vehicle.
…All three were charged with four counts of grand larceny, two counts of possession of stolen goods with intent to sell, and conspiracy to commit retail theft greater than $5,000 within 90 days. All three were held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The investigation is still ongoing.
There’s a new Honduran restaurant in town.
Como En Casa (Just Like Home) opened last month at 4112 Mount Vernon Avenue in the former home of Ferman’s Bar & Grill. It’s the first restaurant for owner Jury Vaquedano, who brightened the interior by painting the walls, and adding large televisions, as well as a fresh menu and staff.
One thing that is sticking around is the rotisserie oven for cooking roasted chicken.
“We have great pupusas, chicken fajitas and tacos,” Vaquedano said. “Lunch is getting busier every day because people are finding out how good the food is.”
Vaquedano is in the process of getting a license to serve wine and beer, and wants to host Olympic watch parties this summer, as well as for other big sporting events.
The entrees at the restaurant cost between $15 and $30.
Vaquedano has owned a roofing company, JVC Home Improvement, for the last eight years. In 2018 she opened a food truck, El Sazon Catracho, but closed it in 2020. Since then, she’s worked with her sister’s Honduran restaurant in Springfield, Hondu Pollo (6959 Hechinger Drive).
Como En Casa serves breakfast all day and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the theft of more than $50,000 worth of luxury handbags and other merchandise from two consignment shops in the city.
On Jan. 26, the owner of Encore Consignment Boutique (119 S. Fairfax Street) reported just after midnight that the front glass door was smashed and that approximately $8,600 worth of luxury handbags and other merchandise was stolen, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The business was broken into again on Feb. 28 at around 5 a.m., and approximately $6,300 worth of luxury handbags were stolen.
On Feb. 29 at around 4 a.m., the glass door of Vida Style at 210 N. Lee Street was smashed and the owner reported that $50,000 in luxury handbags and other items were stolen.
Vida Style owner Alicia Valencia told us that the store’s top-shelf bags and jewelry were stolen, and that she had to get a front glass door replaced.
“I don’t think I ever felt more of a spirit of community than after this happened,” Valencia said. “My team and everyone jumped in to help. There was fingerprint dust everywhere, and we cleaned that up and I called Del Ray Hardware and they helped me with their glass guy and the glass in the front door was replaced within an hour.”
The suspect(s) were videotaped driving a black Toyota Sienna minivan with Virginia plates, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Anyone with information on these incidents can contact the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
An Alexandria woman was scammed of more than $100,000 from a suspect who claimed to be a representative of the U.S. Social Security Administration, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
The victim received an email last October from an individual claiming to work for SSA informing her that “her account was being suspended due to fraudulent activity and listed a phone number to contact,” according to the search warrant affidavit.
The victim called the number and provided the suspect with her Social Security number and bank account information. No suspect has been arrested, and the incident is under investigation.
SSA said that it will never send emails asking for personal information.
“If someone saying they are from Social Security does email you requesting information, don’t respond to the message,” SSA said. “Instead, contact your local Social Security office or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to see whether we really need any information from you.”
Got any spare drugs? In an effort to curb misuse, Alexandria is asking residents to drop off expired prescription medication on Saturday (April 27).
It’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. residents can drop off their unneeded prescription drugs (including pet medication) at:
- Alexandria Police Department Headquarters (3600 Wheeler Ave.)
- Fire Station 210 (5255 Eisenhower Ave.)
- The Neighborhood Pharmacy of Del Ray (2204 Mt. Vernon Ave.)
- Walgreens Pharmacy (3614 King St.)
Expired and unused medication is “highly susceptible to misuse, especially opioid prescriptions,” the city said in a release. Additionally, many drugs are environmentally hazardous and can contaminate waterways if flushed.
Last year’s Drug Take Back Day took in 2,647 pounds of unused medication in Alexandria — a 40% increase over 2022.
The drop-offs will be staffed by the Alexandria Police Department and Sheriff’s Office.
Needles are not accepted at the event, and can be dropped off at other permanent medication locations, according to the city.
If you can’t make it to the drop-off event, the city recommends the following:
- Remove medication from its original container. Do not crush
- Mix medication with an inedible substance, such as kitty litter or coffee grounds
- Place mixture in a sealable bag or container and throw away in the trash
- Black out all personal information on the prescription label so it is unreadable
Photo via DCHS/Facebook
