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.
A 41-year-old Maryland man is being held without bond after allegedly executing the family dog in a fit of rage, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
The incident occurred on Feb. 25 in an apartment in the 4300 block of Raleigh Avenue, which is near the Shoppes of Foxchase on Duke Street.
The victim told police that the father of her child took her car and her Glock 19 9mm pistol when he left for work that morning. She told police that she then became fearful and left the apartment with her child.
At around 10 p.m., the victim and the suspect were texting, with the suspect “highly agitated that she would not tell him the whereabouts of their daughter,” according to the search warrant affidavit.
A phone call followed the series of texts, and during the call the victim heard two “loud booms and the call disconnected,” according to the search warrant affidavit.
Police later found the dog named Max dead on the bed in the master bedroom, shot twice in the head.
The suspect then allegedly texted the victim that she should not go upstairs with their child, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The suspect was arrested on March 12 and was charged with torture of a dog, larceny of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm in an occupied building, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He goes to court on April 26.
The Alexandria Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program is available 24/7 to listen and help at 703-746-4911.
“If you are a neighbor and know that an abusive incident is occurring, call the police immediately,” the city said. “Calling the police is simply the most effective way to protect the victim and children from immediate harm.”
A 47-year-old Alexandria man was charged with forcible sodomy and attempted rape against a woman in her Old Town apartment on Sunday.
The Alexandria Police Department said that the victim knows the suspect, but did not go further except to say that Antuan Bostick was arrested at around 8:10 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, after a neighbor called 911. The neighbor told the dispatcher that she could hear the victim screaming for help for up to five minutes.
Bostick is being held without bond and goes to court for the offenses on May 10. He was also charged in March with driving while intoxicated. He has also been found guilty for a number of drug and alcohol convictions back to 2018, according to court records.
Alexandria’s Department of Emergency Communications got the 911 call at 8:03 p.m., officers were dispatched at 8:06 p.m. and arrived at the scene at 8:10 p.m., according to APD. No weapon was found at the scene, and police said that the investigation remains active.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and would like to talk or needs resources, contact the Alexandria Sexual Assault Hotline at 703-683-7273, where a trained advocate is available 24 hours a day.
There is a moderate police presence in the 800 block of N Pitt St. as officers investigate a sexual assault. One suspect is in custody.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 8, 2024
The mother of the child who brought a gun to Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Old Town last month has been arrested and charged with allowing access of firearms to children.
The child went to school (530 S. St. Asaph Street) on March 1 with the wrong backpack and discovered the handgun in the bag and reported it to their teacher.
Police deemed the incident accidental on the part of the student, and said that the student’s parents fully cooperated. After a “comprehensive investigation,” the child’s mother, 31-year-old Alexa Dickens, was arrested and charged, according to an APD press release.
Allowing access of firearms to children is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a up to a $2,500 fine. Dickens’ court date has not been released.
Update to Investigation: The mother of the Lyles-Crouch student was charged and arrested today. pic.twitter.com/CPmhSecKZ0
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 5, 2024
An Alexandria man has been charged after allegedly trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at National Airport over Easter weekend.
TSA officers detected the gun at a security checkpoint and airport police confiscated it.
This is the tenth gun TSA stopped at the airport during the first three months of 2024, putting this year on roughly the same pace as 2023, when 39 guns were stopped at DCA checkpoints.
More, below, from a TSA press release.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stopped an Alexandria, Va., man from carrying his handgun onto a flight on Saturday, March 30.
The .40 caliber gun was loaded with 12 bullets.
The gun was detected as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA to take a closer look inside the carry-on bag. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police confiscated the gun and cited the individual on a weapons charge. TSA does not confiscate firearms, law enforcement does.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and the man now faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“This marked the third gun that our officers detected during the month of March, which is a very busy period due to spring break travel,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Bringing a loaded gun to an airport security checkpoint delays these spring break travelers. However, more important is the fact that bringing a loaded gun to a checkpoint is a security risk that our officers take seriously, which is why this individual now faces a federal financial civil penalty.”
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and gun owners have a duty to ensure they are not violating any local firearm laws. Additionally, contacting the respective airline could reveal any additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Last year, 6,735 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide and 93 percent were loaded.
(Updated 4:30 p.m.) The Alexandria Police Department arrested an adult man wanted for murder in Huntersville, North Carolina early this morning in Old Town.
Alexandria Police Department Communications Manager Tracy Walker said police received a “be on the lookout” notice and observed the suspect’s vehicle at 11:50 p.m. Police identified the suspect as 53-year-old Rahman Ferguson. He is being held in the Alexandria Adult Detention Center awaiting extradition.
Police began pursuing Ferguson, who stopped his vehicle and fled. Walker said a perimeter was established at Madison and Rivergate Place near Oronoco Bay Park. Support was called in from neighboring jurisdictions with canine units and a helicopter from Fairfax County.
Around 2:20 a.m. the Ferguson was located and arrested without incident, police said.
UPDATE 2: @AlexandriaVAPD just detained someone they believe is the murder suspect from North Carolina who had been on the loose in Old Town since just before midnight. He was captured near homes off of Irongate Place near the river north of Madison St. They believe this is the… https://t.co/u9h2RQRPpy
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) March 20, 2024
Image via Google Maps
A 50-year-old sex offender is being held without bond after allegedly abducting a woman in Old Town and sodomizing her, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
The victim told police from Inova Alexandria Hospital on Feb. 1 that she met the suspect on the evening of Jan. 29 while riding on the King Street Trolley. The victim told police that he told her about his prior military service and that they talked for several minutes before they decided to get coffee at Bob & Edith’s Diner (1743 King Street).
After midnight, the victim and the suspect walked out together, after which she told police that he grabbed her by the hair and told her to kiss him.
The victim said that the suspect tried to pull her pants down and forced her to perform oral sex on him, according to the search warrant affidavit. The victim told police that the suspect stopped her when he began suffering chest pains.
Police identified the suspect after looking at surveillance footage from the restaurant. They also found three days earlier, on Jan. 26, that he was taken to a local hospital “due to chest pain from consuming narcotics,” according to the search warrant affidavit.
Michael Kristopher Sheckles, of Newburg, Maryland, was arrested on Feb. 21. He is being held without bond and goes to court April 3 for abduction with intent to defile and sodomy.
Sheckles is a registered sex offender with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. While serving in the U.S. Air Force, he was convicted of sodomy and indecent assault in 2000 and misdemeanor sexual battery in 2007, according to FDLE.
A 30-year-old man is being held without bond for allegedly stealing juice drinks and assaulting an employee from a West End 7-Eleven.
On Feb. 7, the employee at the store at 6120 Lincolnia Road called 911 to report the incident, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The victim told police that the suspect walked into the store, took three-to-four juice bottles and then walked out without paying and sat across the street at a bus stop.
“The victim followed the unknown suspect outside the store to the bus stop across from the 7-Eleven,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “The victim demanded the suspect return the merchandise. The suspect put the bottles down on a nearby parked vehicle. As the victim leaned forward to grab the bottles the suspect punched him several times in the face. The suspect then took the bottles and fled the scene.”
The victim sustained a broken nose, a hematoma on his forehead and lacerations near his left eye and nose, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Churchill Oluwole Hamid was arrested on Feb. 15 for the incident and is being held without bond. He was charged with malicious wounding and petit larceny and goes to court on April 3.
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) A man was arrested this morning after a fight at the Covanta Waste-to-Energy Facility that resulted in a handgun allegedly brandished and man getting pepper-sprayed.
The incident occurred at around 8:15 a.m., according to Alexandria Police Department dispatches. An employee of the facility at 53001 Eisenhower Avenue reported to APD that trash truck drivers were arguing with each other, and that one sprayed the victim with pepper spray and that another suspect brandished a handgun.
Three suspects were located nearby in a trash truck, held at gunpoint and then apprehended, according to dispatch.
APD said that one man, Chaka Cook, was arrested and charged with felony assault with a caustic substance. No weapons charge was made.
The victim refused medical attention, according to dispatch reports.
A 15-year-old Northeast D.C. boy was arrested Friday and charged with felony murder while armed in last year’s shooting death of Nasrat Ahmad Yar, a former interpreter with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, who fled the Taliban in 2021 with his wife and four children and moved to Alexandria.
Yar was working as a Lyft Driver in D.C. on July 3, 2023, when he was shot and killed just at around midnight in the 400 block of 11th Street NE. Video footage near the scene showed four young people running through an alley after the shooting. One of them said, “You killed him,” and another responded, “He was reaching bro.”
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith announced the arrest on Friday, and said that video of four teens running from the scene was instrumental in making an arrest.
“Thank you for providing information to bring us to this point in respect to the closure in this case,” Smith said.
Assistant Police Chief Leslie Parsons said that police are still looking for several other suspects allegedly involved in the incident.
“There are still several outstanding suspects who were involved in this tragedy, and we encourage anyone with information on those suspects to come forward,” Parsons said. “The reckless actions of these teens cost a man’s life and shattered a family just starting out on their journey in this country.”
A GoFundMe supporting the Yar’s family has so far raised $525,630. Hundreds attended his funeral in Fredericksburg, including Army officers Yar served with, the Washington Post reported.
