police | ALXnow

Alexandria police investigate regional larceny rampage by suspects in stolen red Acura SUV

Published May 29, 2025 at 5:00PM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a regional larceny rampage, with three suspects accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of products and fleeing in a stolen red Acura SUV with stolen license plates.

The first incident was reported on Monday, April 15, when $2,457 in merchandise was stolen from Home Depot at 400 S. Pickett Street. The suspects, three Black males, were videoed walking out of the store and into a red Acura MDX with stolen Maryland license plates, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Former FedEx driver charged with stealing $210K in Verizon phones from Alexandria shipping center

By James Cullum

Published May 27, 2025 at 2:30PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A 59-year-old former FedEx driver was charged with grand larceny after more than $210,000 worth of cell phones intended for Verizon were stolen from the company’s shipping center at 4720 Eisenhower Avenue.

The suspect, a Maryland man, was suspended from his position at FedEx on January 15, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The phones were in several packages intended for the Verizon Wireless store in Springfield (6432 Springfield Plaza).

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published May 23, 2025 at 3:30PM | Updated May 23, 2025 at 5:03PM

Dominion Energy Power Outage Map on Friday, May 16 (screenshot)

It was a fast week in Alexandria! Welcome to ALXnow’s Friday recap of top stories.

This week started as the city cleaned up from last Friday’s damaging storm that knocked over trees, closed roads and disrupted power for thousands. Our top story was on the report of a suspected car thief who ended up in the hospital with serious injuries after a high-speed chase ended in a crash early Monday morning.

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Alexandria Police ‘spoofed’ by call alleging man with large gun intended to rob 7-Eleven

By James Cullum

Published May 22, 2025 at 3:10PM

APD outside 3412 Mount Vernon Avenue, May 22, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department got a fake phone call Thursday afternoon warning that a man with a gun was walking into the 7-Eleven at Mount Vernon Avenue and W. Glebe Road, intent on committing a robbery.

Police believe that the call to the Alexandria Department of Communications Center was made through Caller ID Spoofing — concealing an identity by deliberately falsifying data sent to a Caller ID display.

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Alexandria Police to be designated ‘school officials’ with access to student records under proposed MOU

By James Cullum

Published May 22, 2025 at 12:15PM | Updated June 17, 2025 at 11:27AM

Police at Alexandria City High School investigating a bomb threat (staff photo by James Cullum)

According to a draft memorandum of understanding between the school system and police, the Alexandria Police Department officers are considered “school officials” with access to the records of Alexandria City Public Schools students.

The School Board is conducting a public hearing on the draft MOU on Tuesday night, May 27. The 40-page document is an update to the two-year agreement between police and ACPS. Once approved, the updated agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. APD provides school resource officers at Alexandria City High School and the city’s two middle schools.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published May 16, 2025 at 3:30PM

Meal at Taqueria Poblano (via Taqueria Poblano)

It’s finally Friday in Alexandria!

Here’s a look back at our top stories of the week. Topping off our coverage are the delectable poll results on the top three Mexican restaurants in the city. More than 1,800 foodies cast their votes, and Taqueria el Poblano (2400B Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray took the top spot, followed by Taqueria Picoso (1472 N. Beauregard Street) and Los Tios Grill (2615 Mount Vernon Avenue). Do you agree with the results?

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Alexandria’s Part I crime is down 23% so far in 2025

By James Cullum

Published May 16, 2025 at 12:30PM

This man was among three men shot in the 3800 block of Old Dominion Boulevard in Arlandria on Sunday, April 27, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After three years in a row of rising crime in Alexandria, it’s finally trending in the right direction.

Part 1 crimes, or crimes against people, include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. There were 1,133 total Part I incidents from Jan. 1 to April 30 this year, a decrease of 23%, according to the Alexandria Police Department Crime Dashboard.

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Juveniles identified as suspects in assault by mob that led to man’s death in Old Town North

By James Cullum

Published May 15, 2025 at 12:00PM | Updated May 15, 2025 at 2:38PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Juveniles have been identified as the suspects behind an assault by mob in Old Town North that resulted in a man’s death.

The victim, later identified as 54-year-old John Andreadakis, was lying down in the community room of The Bloom apartment building at 900 N. Henry Street at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2024, when seven suspects were captured on surveillance video walking into the room, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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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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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published May 2, 2025 at 3:50PM

This man was among three men shot in the 3800 block of Old Dominion Boulevard in Arlandria on Sunday, April 27, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been an intense week in Alexandria.

Here’s a look back on this week’s top stories. Our most-read post was on the shooting of three men in Arlandria on Sunday night (April 27). Police found the victims with gunshot wounds shortly after being called at around 9 p.m. They were transported to area hospitals, and no arrests have been announced. Witnesses heard a barrage of gunfire, and the Alexandria Police Department is asking for help in the investigation.

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APD license plate reader leads to arrest of North Carolina murder suspect

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2025 at 2:00PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A North Carolina murder suspect was recently arrested in Alexandria and has been charged with murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.

The victim, 25-year-old Jose Alexander Lara Hernandez, was shot to death in Charlotte on April 19. Two days later, the Alexandria Police Department was notified by a license plate reader that a car belonging to the suspect, Danny Cardoza Lara, was located in the parking lot of a hotel in the 100 block of S. Bragg Street in the city’s West End.