crime | ALXnow - Part 10

Alexandria man charged in mob assault, robbery in Arlandria

Published September 30, 2025 at 12:45PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An 18-year-old Alexandria man has been arrested in connection with an assault by a mob and robbery in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Multiple people assaulted the male victim as he walked in the parking lot of the Food Star International (206 W. Glebe Road). He reported to police that a gray Honda Accord pulled up and that the suspects got out of the car, assaulted him, and stole his shoes, wallet, cash, backpack, and phone, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Man struck by train at Potomac Yard Metro dies, was being chased

By James Cullum

Published September 30, 2025 at 11:15AM

Suspected fare evaders captured chasing a man, who tried to elude them by jumping onto the tracks of the Potomac Yard Metro station before being struck by a train (via MTPD)

The man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Yard Metro station on Sept. 22 succumbed to his injuries that evening at George Washington University Hospital, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

Metro Transit Police said at the time that the man trespassed onto the tracks, and an investigation has found that he was being chased by two alleged fare evaders, a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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DASH places 2 registered sex offenders on leave following ALXnow reporting

By James Cullum

Published September 24, 2025 at 6:00PM

Electric DASH bus, photo via DASH/Facebook

Following Tuesday’s story about DASH hiring policies not prohibiting sex offenders, the transit agency has placed two employees on the Virginia State Police registry on administrative leave to “assess the rigor of our recruitment standards and ensure we meet the highest standards in providing safe, fair, and accessible transit to our community.”

ALXnow looked into DASH’s hiring practices after the Alexandria School Board discussed safety concerns about a proposal to transport Alexandria City High School students on DASH buses starting next school year.

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Alexandria man arrested after gun brandishing at Groveton store

By James Cullum

Published September 18, 2025 at 12:45PM

A handgun retrieved by the Fairfax County Police Department that was allegedly used in a brandishing incident in the Groveton neighborhood, resulting in the arrest of an Alexandria man (via FCPD)

An Alexandria man was arrested Friday after allegedly brandishing a handgun at a store in the Groveton neighborhood of Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Police arrested Dorian Claytor Jr. after he allegedly brandished a black handgun inside a store in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway and then fled on foot Friday afternoon. Claytor was arrested soon afterward, and police later found a handgun hidden in an aisle of the store.

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Alexandria schools see dramatic drop in student arrests, quarterly data shows

By James Cullum and Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 4:39PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools will present quarterly safety data to the School Board Thursday showing a dramatic decline in student arrests and court referrals, with 28 total cases during the 2024-25 school year compared to 69 the previous year.

The latest quarterly report covers 262 safety incidents between January and June, with 8 student court referrals and 6 arrests during the third and fourth quarters. This represents a 59% decrease from the 2023-24 school year.

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Ex-Fort Belvoir soldier sentenced to 15 years for assaulting infant, raping wife

By James Cullum

Published September 15, 2025 at 11:30AM

The Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

A former U.S. Army private stationed at Fort Belvoir has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for two counts of assaulting his infant daughter in 2012, as well as one count of sexual abuse.

Austin Blair Johnson pleaded guilty in June to permanently injuring his child and raping his wife, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton also ordered that Johnson must pay $1.1 million in restitution. The former U.S. Army private was living on base with his family at the time of the incidents. The sentence will be served consecutively with a 15-year sentence for assault of an infant in violation of Montana law, according to the DOJ.

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Systems Planning and Analysis expansion into Alexandria leads this week’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 3:47PM

Officials cut a ribbon at Systems Planning & Analysis announcement on Sept. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Ryan Belmore)

Here’s a rundown of our top stories.

Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

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Teen charged with armed robbery on Metro train in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 2:00PM

Waiting for a train at the King St-Old Town Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 15-year-old Alexandria male has been issued a detention order and charged with robbery using a firearm after allegedly robbing a man on a Metro train near the King St-Old Town Metro station.

The incident occurred on Monday, Aug. 4, just after 7 p.m. The victim was on a train traveling from the Van Dorn Street Metro station to the King Street station when he was approached from behind by a masked male, put in a choke hold, hit in the face and then had a black handgun “jammed into his person,” and allegedly said, “Give me everything,” according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The victim told the Metro Transit Police Department that the suspect stole $300 in cash, an Apple watch, and a Louis Vuitton backpack.

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Alexandria man, juvenile charged in Woodlawn carjacking

By James Cullum

Published September 11, 2025 at 2:20PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Alexandria man and a juvenile were arrested Sept. 8 (Monday) after a carjacking in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County Police Department announced Wednesday (Sept. 10) that detectives from their Major Crimes Bureau arrested Noel Isaac Sanchez, 20, and a 17-year-old juvenile when they were tracked down in the stolen vehicle in Burke. Police said in a release that the suspects went to the 5800 block of Saint Gregory’s Lane to meet a man looking to sell clothes he listed for sale online, and that one of the suspects displayed a firearm and made off with the victim’s vehicle.

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South Carolina man charged with using fake ID at Potomac Yard Best Buy

By James Cullum

Published September 10, 2025 at 6:30PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A South Carolina man faces felony charges after allegedly attempting to pick up online orders from the Best Buy store (3401 Richmond Highway) in Potomac Yard.

The suspect was arrested on Aug. 6 after a store manager reported he tried to “pick up online orders with fraudulent identification,” according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Fairfax County carjacking suspect arrested in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published August 28, 2025 at 10:45AM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A 34-year-old Alexandria-area man is being held without bond after the alleged carjacking of a delivery driver in the Groveton neighborhood of Fairfax County.

The incident occurred at around 11 a.m. in the 3300 block of Lockheed Boulevard on Monday, Aug. 25. Virginia State Police located the vehicle in the City of Alexandria and arrested David Lewis during a traffic stop.