crime | ALXnow

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

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.

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Police investigate early morning break-in at Alexandria tobacco shop

By James Cullum

Published August 27, 2025 at 10:45AM

Alexandria Vape and Tobacco at 1213 King Street was broken into on Wednesday morning, Aug. 27, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the early morning burglary of a tobacco shop on King Street in Old Town.

APD was called at around 5:30 a.m. by a passerby who found that the glass front door of Alexandria Vape and Tobacco (1213 King Street) had been smashed, according to dispatch reports. Police found the owner of the shop, who said that two suspects smashed the front door and then fled the scene, the owner told ALXnow.

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West End luxury car owner reports $11K in jewelry, cash stolen after multiple break-ins

By James Cullum

Published August 25, 2025 at 3:30PM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department is currently investigating multiple break-ins and the reported theft of more than $11,000 in jewelry and cash from two vehicles parked in the garage of a luxury apartment building in the 4900 block of Seminary Road in Alexandria’s West End.

Details on the incidents were released Monday in a search warrant affidavit, allowing APD to recover video surveillance footage from the parking garage.

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Skill games crackdown, dating fraud death lead week’s top Alexandria stories

By James Cullum

Published August 15, 2025 at 3:30PM

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

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories.

Our top story this week is on two Alexandria business owners charged with possession of an illegal gambling device for operating skill games. The news marks the first indictments against Alexandria business owners for the devices. Dozens of skill game machines operate at multiple convenience and grocery stores in the West End and Arlandria neighborhoods, despite police hand-delivering warning letters to more than a dozen offending businesses. Skill games were outlawed as illegal gaming by the Virginia legislature in 2020, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter told ALXnow that his office is assessing “all potential investigative leads.”

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Alexandria resident creates app to track local crime data

By James Cullum

Published August 13, 2025 at 3:15PM | Updated August 15, 2025 at 3:47PM

Police at the scene of a shooting near the Braddock Road Metro station, Sept. 19, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Want to find out what’s happening with crime in Alexandria? A new app created by a lifelong city resident does just that.

Last year, freelance app developer Trevor Weir launched AVAware on the iOS App Store. After a free week-long trial, a $3.99 monthly fee kicks in, giving users an ad-free opportunity to explore publicly available information on all manner of Part 1 crime events occurring in the city.

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Dumfries man charged in Alexandria park shooting stemming from TikTok argument

By James Cullum

Published August 12, 2025 at 12:30PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A 35-year-old Dumfries man faces multiple charges related to a shooting last month at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive) in Alexandria’s West End.

The July 10 shooting was the result of an argument in a TikTok livestream between Aria and the male victim, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. Samir Ahmad Aria was charged with reckless handling of a firearm, shooting in a public place without injury, and pointing/brandishing a firearm — all Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.