It was a fast week in Alexandria! Welcome to ALXnow’s Friday recap of top stories.
This week started as the city cleaned up from last Friday’s damaging storm that knocked over trees, closed roads and disrupted power for thousands. Our top story was on the report of a suspected car thief who ended up in the hospital with serious injuries after a high-speed chase ended in a crash early Monday morning.
The Alexandria Police Department got a fake phone call Thursday afternoon warning that a man with a gun was walking into the 7-Eleven at Mount Vernon Avenue and W. Glebe Road, intent on committing a robbery.
Police believe that the call to the Alexandria Department of Communications Center was made through Caller ID Spoofing — concealing an identity by deliberately falsifying data sent to a Caller ID display.
According to a draft memorandum of understanding between the school system and police, the Alexandria Police Department officers are considered “school officials” with access to the records of Alexandria City Public Schools students.
The School Board is conducting a public hearing on the draft MOU on Tuesday night, May 27. The 40-page document is an update to the two-year agreement between police and ACPS. Once approved, the updated agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. APD provides school resource officers at Alexandria City High School and the city’s two middle schools.
An Alexandria man is being held without bond after allegedly stealing a number of bicycles, breaking into an apartment in Old Town to steal a purse, and then using a debit card at a nearby convenience store.
The 54-year-old suspect was arrested on May 8 and charged with possession of burglary tools, entering a dwelling with intent to commit larceny, and multiple counts of destruction of property, trespassing, and petit larceny.
It’s finally Friday in Alexandria!
Here’s a look back at our top stories of the week. Topping off our coverage are the delectable poll results on the top three Mexican restaurants in the city. More than 1,800 foodies cast their votes, and Taqueria el Poblano (2400B Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray took the top spot, followed by Taqueria Picoso (1472 N. Beauregard Street) and Los Tios Grill (2615 Mount Vernon Avenue). Do you agree with the results?
After three years in a row of rising crime in Alexandria, it’s finally trending in the right direction.
Part 1 crimes, or crimes against people, include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. There were 1,133 total Part I incidents from Jan. 1 to April 30 this year, a decrease of 23%, according to the Alexandria Police Department Crime Dashboard.
Juveniles have been identified as the suspects behind an assault by mob in Old Town North that resulted in a man’s death.
The victim, later identified as 54-year-old John Andreadakis, was lying down in the community room of The Bloom apartment building at 900 N. Henry Street at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2024, when seven suspects were captured on surveillance video walking into the room, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
After his motorcycle was stolen during a test drive, an Alexandria man tracked it down days later on Facebook Marketplace.
The incident occurred at the victim’s business in the 4900 block of Eisenhower Avenue on Thursday, March 20. The victim listed his blue 2004 Suzuki GSX-R9600 for sale on Facebook Marketplace, and the suspect reached out via Facebook Messenger and asked for a test drive, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The suspect allegedly took the bike for a ride and never returned, and on March 25 the victim found the motorcycle listed in another Facebook Marketplace ad.
An Alexandria Police Department officer has been awarded full compensatory damages in his racial discrimination lawsuit against the city.
Delton Goodrum and his family erupted in tears of joy after the verdict was read. After a four-day-long trial before U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, the jury deliberated for less than three hours to find that then-Police Chief Don Hayes, who is Black, racially discriminated against Goodrum, who is also Black, in his years-long bid to be promoted to Captain. The jury found that Goodrum’s rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were violated and ordered that he be compensated $7.25 million, although awards in discrimination lawsuits under Title VII are capped at $300,000.
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) is inviting the community to participate in Alexandria Police Week, a series of events that honor fallen officers and support their families.
The department shared details about the upcoming events on Facebook on May 3.
It’s been an intense week in Alexandria.
Here’s a look back on this week’s top stories. Our most-read post was on the shooting of three men in Arlandria on Sunday night (April 27). Police found the victims with gunshot wounds shortly after being called at around 9 p.m. They were transported to area hospitals, and no arrests have been announced. Witnesses heard a barrage of gunfire, and the Alexandria Police Department is asking for help in the investigation.
