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2 Alexandria business owners charged in first skill games indictments

Published August 11, 2025 at 1:30PM

Skill games at Tiger Mart & Bakery, 3903 Mount Vernon Avenue in the city's Arlandria neighborhood (staff photo by James Cullum)

Two people have been charged with possession of an illegal gambling device for operating skill games, marking the first indictments against Alexandria business owners.

The Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office just announced that a grand jury returned indictments against Alexandria business owners Oscar Salinas, 57, and Michelle Kim, 53, both charged with one count of possessing an illegal gambling device. Salinas is an Arlington resident, and his restaurant is located in the 3800 block of Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray North Shopping Center. Kim is from Montgomery County, Maryland, and her business is located in the 200 block of S. Van Dorn Street.

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Bail granted for groomer accused of abusing dogs in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published August 4, 2025 at 1:00PM | Updated August 4, 2025 at 1:28PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man charged with felony animal abuse was granted bail on July 24 (Thursday), despite objections from the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Kevin Malik Sanders was granted a $10,000 bail on personal recognizance and goes to court for a three-day jury trial starting Feb. 2, 2026, according to the Alexandria Clerk of Court. The 29-year-old was arrested on July 21, 2025, after the death of a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Abigail at Your Dog’s Best Friends (2000 Richmond Highway) on July 12, 2024. He was charged with four Class 1 misdemeanors and one count of felony animal abuse. The Commonwealth’s Attorney released allegations of abuse in an effort to keep him behind bars (see below).

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Alexandria man arrested for burglarizing Arlandria home

By James Cullum

Published July 22, 2025 at 11:30AM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Alexandria man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing a home in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood.

The 23-year-old suspect was arrested May 28 for burglary and released June 5 on an unsecured bond. He was rearrested on June 12 for violating his pretrial bail and released by court order on June 20, according to the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office.

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Florence Drive shooting suspect was released from jail months before attack

By James Cullum

Published July 8, 2025 at 3:30PM

Cristian Gonzales Gomez has been charged with shooting two men on Florence Drive on May 26, 2025 (via APD)

ALXnow has uncovered more details on the suspect charged with the May 26 quadruple shooting in Arlandria.

Cristian Gonzales Gomez, the 21-year-old Falls Church man charged in connection with the firefight, was in jail for 14 months until earlier this year for possession with intent to distribute Schedule I/II drugs to juveniles and possession of a firearm on school grounds in Fairfax County in 2023.

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Metro card data led police to suspect in Alexandria assaults

By James Cullum

Published July 7, 2025 at 3:35PM

Jeffrey Gary (via APD)

More details have been released on the apprehension of the suspect in the alleged abduction and sexual assault of two women near two Alexandria Metro stations on May 30.

One of the incidents occurred near the Braddock Road Metro station, and the victim told police she was followed out of the station by a man, grabbed from behind, and wrestled on the ground. The victim recounted that she was able to get away from the suspect and then hit him on the head with her purse before fleeing and calling the police, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 20, 2025 at 3:37PM | Updated June 20, 2025 at 6:43PM

Jeffrey Gary (via APD)

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria.

Our top story was on Jeffrey Gary, a 35-year-old Fairfax County man released on bond after allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting two women at the Braddock Road and Potomac Yard Metro stations last month.

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Suspect out on bond after allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting women at Alexandria Metro stations

By James Cullum

Published June 16, 2025 at 2:45PM

Jeffrey Gary (via APD)

A Fairfax County man is out on bond after allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting two women at the Braddock Road and Potomac Yard Metro stations last month.

Jeffrey Gary, 35, a Georgetown Law graduate, was employed as an assistant division chief by the Federal Communications Commission up until his June 1 arrest. He was released Friday (June 13) on four bonds totaling $14,000, according to court records.

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Alexandria man tracks down his stolen motorcycle on Facebook Marketplace

By James Cullum

Published May 13, 2025 at 12:00PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

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.

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BREAKING: ‘Shocking’ verdict after Alexandria Police Department officer awarded full compensatory damages in racial discrimination lawsuit against the city

By James Cullum

Published May 9, 2025 at 5:52PM | Updated May 10, 2025 at 2:34AM

Delton Goodrum (center) and his wife Lauren (on right) with the legal team after winning his racial discrimination case against the City of Alexandria, outside the Federal Courthouse in the city's Carlyle neighborhood, May 9, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

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Man charged with abduction and assault after naked attack on woman in Old Town North

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2025 at 12:00PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A woman is safe after allegedly being abducted and assaulted by a naked man along the Mount Vernon Trail in Old Town North earlier this month.

“The suspect pinned both of her forearms down and she fought to break free,” police said a recently released search warrant affidavit. “(The victim) said she realized the suspect was fully naked when he was on top of her and she saw his penis. (The victim) tried to push him away specifically with her right hand to the suspect’s left arm. (The victim) said she yelled and the suspect covered her mouth with his hand. The suspect told her, ‘Do you want to die?'”

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Skill games put in ‘murky situation’ after recent ruling, says Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney

By James Cullum

Published April 28, 2025 at 11:00AM

Skill games at La Feria Latina Grocery at 3842 Mount Vernon Avenue in March 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A recent ruling in Hanover County dismissing a case against a skill games operator has put the anti-gambling effort into a tailspin in Alexandria.

General District Court Judge Hugh Campbell dismissed a case against a convenience store owner in Hanover County and found that new QVS2 (Queen of Virginia) machines by Pace-O-Matic that are unlocked when customers give clerks cash are not illegal gambling devices. The ruling has sent Alexandria’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter and his staff back to the drawing board.