An elderly Alexandria woman was scammed of $77,000 in a complex scheme last month by multiple suspects purporting to be representatives from Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission and Bank of America.
On June 26, the victim got a call from “Anna Covery,” a woman claiming to work for Amazon, to inform her that her account was compromised. Covey told her that someone used her account to buy a $1,400 laptop and $200 in accessories, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
Alexandria City Public Schools will be returning to school on Monday, Aug. 24, and that means speed cameras will also be reactivated to enforce school zone speeding violations.
The City of Alexandria said enforcement of school zone speed cameras will begin on the first day of school following testing of the school zone flashers and camera systems on Aug. 21. The cameras will automatically issue tickets for speeding violations when school zone signs are flashing.
As recent ICE activity spurred concerns about ICE utilizing Flock cameras, Alexandria’s mayor is saying the city’s camera data is not shared with federal immigration officers.
The immigrant advocacy group ICE Out of Alexandria had called on City Council to ban automatic license plate readers like Flock cameras over the concern of ICE using them for surveillance of immigrants. That came after the group reported ICE’s apparent detainment of four residents on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Eaton Square apartment complex and two more at 7/11 on W. Glebe Road in Arlandria on the morning of Monday, Aug. 10.
An error with a speed camera in the West End is prompting police to dismiss and refund citations.
The Alexandria Police Department found a programming issue in the eastbound school zone speed camera on Seminary Road at Francis C. Hammond Middle School. A review determined 115 citations were given outside the enforcement period, which can only be school arrival and dismissal times under Virginia law.
Residents shouldn’t be alarmed when they see an increased police and fire presence at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus later this week.
The Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria City Public Schools and other emergency partners will hold an incident response drill at the campus (3775 W. Braddock Road) Thursday (Aug. 13). Expect police, fire and EMS vehicles and personnel to be in the area between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Alexandria Police Department is looking for the suspect behind an alleged attempted robbery involving the victim’s vehicle earlier in July.
Around 12:15 a.m. on Monday, July 13, APD was dispatched to the area of N. Henry Street and Pendleton Street in Old Town for a fight without weapons. The victim told police that he parked his white Toyota Corolla sedan and left it running with the hazard lights on and doors open to “conduct business” outside a dental office, and returned to his car to find an unknown man getting into it, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
An Amazon delivery driver was the victim of an attempted carjacking in the city’s West End on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2).
Around 4:15 p.m., an Amazon driver called 911 to report that a man pulled him out of his van and assaulted him in the 5000 block of Seminary Road. The victim said that the suspect was in a blue BMW with Virginia license plates and reportedly brandished a knife, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.
The Alexandria Police Department is asking dog walkers to join a citywide watch program where walkers keep an eye out for crimes and to call 911 if they see a situation needing an emergency response.
APD is launching the Dog Walker Watch program as the city is experiencing a summer uptick in violent crime. APD says that the dog walkers will help strengthen public safety and “serve as extra eyes and ears while walking their dogs, reporting suspicious activity through 911, 703-746-4444, or 311, as appropriate,” according to an email registry with the city.
Yesterday (Wednesday), the Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a request by the city’s police review board to continue investigating last summer’s in-custody death of Allan Tucker II.
Earlier this month, the Independent Community Policing Review Board voted to tell City Council that a report on the Alexandria Police Department’s response to the incident was incomplete and needed further investigation.
National Night Out, an annual program that promotes community and law enforcement partnerships to combat crime, will get record participation from Alexandria this year.
The city will have 54 participating sites on Tuesday, Aug. 4, which is also the date of Democratic and Republican primary elections.
There was an increased police presence in Old Town midday Tuesday in response to a trespassing incident.
Around 12:36 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department said it was responding to an “ongoing situation” in the 1700 block of Cameron Street. An APD spokesperson said officers responded when an unauthorized person entered a vacant home.
