It was a cold and news-filled week in Alexandria.
It all started with the report of two public safety incidents over the weekend — a serious car crash in Old Town and another shooting in the West End.
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Alexandria Police reported another shots fired call for service over the weekend in the West End, and there was also a serious crash with four cars in Old Town that sent two men to the hospital.
The shooting is the third in Alexandria this month, and occurred at around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning in the 200 block of Century Place in the West End near Holmes Run. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene, but no one was reported injured.
It was a short, but news-filled week in Alexandria.
With Monday off in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we started the week running with a COVID-19 update. Cases of COVID-19 in the city now stand at 8,975 and fatalities are at 99. That’s an increase of three deaths and 165 cases since Tuesday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Alexandria Police are investigating a series of hit-and-runs that damaged cars in the West End last month.
On Dec. 13 at around 11:15 p.m., Alexandria police responded to the area of N. Van Dorn Street and Sanger Avenue in the West End in reference to a motor vehicle crash.
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(Updated 4 p.m.) Police are investigating a pair of violent crimes that occurred this [Monday] morning.
The first was a felonious assault around 6 a.m. on the 1100 block of Quaker Hill Drive, right behind the Alexandria Commons shopping center near Taylor Run.
Two men have been arrested after allegedly trying to resell stolen cars and nearly running over an Alexandria Police officer.
Michael Daugherty, an 18-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., and a 20-year-old man from Prince George’s County, Maryland, were arrested on Dec. 7 after allegedly fleeing the Yasini Auto Gallery near the King Street-Old Town Metro station in a stolen white Toyota RAV4.
Two Fairfax County men were arrested last month and charged with drunkenness, resisting arrest and assault and battery after a fight at a West End bar.
On Dec. 11, police arrived at the Hashtag Restaurant & Lounge at 654 South Pickett Street and found the 23-year-old and 22-year-old men with swollen knuckles and welts on their faces. Both men were highly intoxicated and told police that they were assaulted while they fought by bar security staff and a bartender.
The Alexandria Police Department has put out a reminder — and a quick explainer — that a new law that went into effect this year makes holding a cellphone while driving illegal.
“One resolution we hope everyone makes is to go hands-free while driving a vehicle,” the police department said. “Virginia had over 23,000 distracted driver crashes in 2019, resulting in 120 deaths. January 1 signifies the first day that the new hands-free law goes into effect statewide. The new law prohibits anyone from driving a motor vehicle while holding a cell phone or other handheld personal communications device, even if the driver isn’t looking at or using the device.:
Police are currently investigating a “shots fired” incident in the West End, a few blocks from John Adams Elementary School.
Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga told ALXnow that the incident occurred on the 5700 block of Dunster Court. Paga said police confirmed that evidence of shots fired was recovered at the scene, but there were no reported injuries. Police are currently investigating.
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No injuries have been reported after another shooting in Old Town North, this time on Monday night (Dec. 28) near the intersection of North Henry and Montgomery Streets.
“There were multiple shell casings recovered,” Alexandria Police spokesperson Amanda Paga told ALXnow. “A building was hit, but no injuries were reported. It is an ongoing investigation at this time.”
Bilbo Baggins Now for Sale — “Longtime Alexandria restaurant and pub Bilbo Baggins has closed its doors for good. The cozy eatery, which opened in 1980, closed in the spring when COVID-19 first struck. Since then, the family-owned restaurant has not reopened and the nearly 4,000-square foot property is now for sale for $2.8 million.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Reminder: Illegal Starting Jan. 1 to Hold Cell Phone While Driving — “Starting January 1st, the ‘Hands-Free’ law will go into effect. The law makes it illegal to hold a cell phone while driving.” [Twitter]