These summer weeks are flying by, and another one is in the books in Alexandria.
This week, readers responded to a number of issues in the city, including the tragic story behind the city’s first murder, crime in Arlandria and another protest outside of the acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s home.
The Alexandria City Council will receive a staff proposal next month on a community police review board, and Councilman Mo Seifeldein says he wants the body to have independent investigative authority and subpoena power in investigating police misconduct.
“Don’t abuse your power is what it comes down to,” Seifeldein said in a virtual meeting on Tuesday night. “The board could receive complaints that deal with abuse of power, serious misconduct… unnecessary force, unreasonable excessive use of force, use of racial, ethnic or sexual language/ remarks or just harassment, generally.”
A 36-year-old man is in jail on multiple charges after allegedly abducting and attacking another man with a knife and hatchet and threatening to jump out an 11-story window.
Tysheem Robinson, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on July 31 and charged with abduction by force/intimidation, probation violation, threatening to bomb and burn, destruction of more than $1,000 in property, obstruction of justice/resisting arrest, and assault and battery. He is being held without bond.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson on Monday asked residents to lock up their cars, as the number of stolen vehicles and thefts from vehicles has already eclipsed last year.
“Car thefts and thefts from cars are up considerably in the city,” Mayor Justin Wilson wrote on social media. In the vast majority of these cases cars are left unlocked with valuables in sight and keys in the car.”
It was a busy week in Alexandria.
Alexandria Police apprehended the suspect in the city’s only murder this year, and he is currently in the hospital suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A 45-year-old Alexandria man is in jail for allegedly attempting to rape a woman behind the 7-Eleven at 3412 Mount Vernon Avenue at the border of Del Ray and Arlandria.
James Bowen was arrested on July 19 and is currently in the Alexandria jail.
Alexandrian Killed in D.C. Shooting — “Metropolitan Police identified Montrell Lucas, 18, of Alexandria, as one of two victims who were killed Tuesday night. Police responded to the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue Northeast around 8:46 p.m. for a report of a shooting and found three victims.” [Patch]
D.C. Company Sends Out Incomplete Ballot Applications — “Judith, a city of Alexandria resident, received the letter, which includes a partially completed application for a mail-in voting ballot and a pre-addressed and prepaid envelope to send the application to her registrar’s office. But her ballot application would have gone to the wrong address.” [NBC4]
Ibrahim Bouaichi, the Maryland man suspected of murdering Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez in the West End last week, was released from jail on bond earlier this year while awaiting trial on charges that he attacked and raped her last fall, according to court records.
Gonzalez was shot and killed on July 29 at around 6 a.m. outside her home on S. Greenmount Drive in the West End. Soon after her death, Alexandria Police identified Bouaichi as a suspect and said that he was armed and dangerous.
Alexandria Police are investigating another shots fired call for service in Old Town.
Police notified the public of the incident in the 300 block of Tancil Court in a tweet at 9:25 p.m. No one was reportedly injured in the incident, and a number of cars were hit by bullets and shell casings were recovered by police at the scene.
(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) Bouaichi suffered life threatening injuries after shooting himself, according to police.
Alexandria Police arrested Ibrahm Elkahlil Bouaichi on Wednesday for the murder of Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez in the West End on July 29.
Alexandria Police Chief Michael L. Brown has been heavily criticized over the public firing of an APD officer for unjustified use of force, resulting in a low approval rating in a recently released internal survey of officers obtained by ALXnow.
The survey, conducted by the Alexandria chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, was completed by 60 officers throughout the department — among a police force of 320 sworn officers and 138 civilian employees.
