police | ALXnow

Alexandria Police seeing spike in opioid overdoses in local children

Published May 5, 2022 at 9:50AM

Recently confiscated small, round, pale blue counterfeit pill with tin used for inhalation, image courtesy Alexandria Police Department

The Alexandria Police Department and city officials are warning locals about an uptick in overdoses linked to pills laced with fentanyl.

“City of Alexandria officials warn the community about a recent spike in suspected fentanyl-related overdoses, especially in school-aged youth who report using a ‘little blue pill’ they believed was Percocet,” the city said in a release. “Illicit drugs are often laced with fentanyl, an inexpensive substitute that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and can be deadly.”

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Gang robs man of wallet at night in Arlandria

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2022 at 2:15PM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man was robbed of his wallet by a gang of four males on the evening of Sunday, April 24.

At around 10 p.m., the victim was confronted by four males outside in the 3800 block of Florence Drive in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria. The victim fell to the ground during the ordeal, but was not injured, according to police.

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Police: West End abduction and robbery was over $100

By James Cullum

Published May 3, 2022 at 10:05AM | Updated May 3, 2022 at 11:28AM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

More details have emerged after three men were charged with a robbery and abduction in the West End.

Anthony Henriquez-Prudencio, 19, Adalberto Santamaria, 19, and Manfredy Aguilar-Ruiz, 22, of Washington, D.C. were formally indicted for robbery and abduction on April 1 and go to a grand jury trial on August 23 — six months after the date of the incident. They have been held without bond in the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center since their arrest on February 23.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2022 at 3:45PM

Construction in Potomac Yard, staff photo by Jay Westcott

This was a rough week to be on the roads in Alexandria, with at least two road rage incidents escalating into a pepper spray attack and someone brandishing a firearm.

ACT for Alexandria met its goal by raising $2.5 million for 172 Alexandria charities and nonprofits in its 12th annual Spring2ACTion fundraiser on Wednesday. The fundraiser is the largest single day of giving in Alexandria, and donors can give on the Spring2ACTion website until May 1.

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Superintendent scolds majority of School Board over School Law Enforcement Advisory Group proposal

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2022 at 2:35PM

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

“Extremely problematic,” “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful” was how Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. said School Board members handled edits of his plan to create a School Law Enforcement Advisory Group.

In a March 9 email, Hutchings scolded a majority of School Board Members — Michelle Rief, Ashley Simpson-Baird, Adbel Elnoubi, Kelly Carmichael Booz and Chris Harris — for editing his SLEP proposal. He said that such “behind the scenes” operations raised transparency issues by violating the Virginia Freedom Of Information Act.

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DNA links Alexandria felon to gun stolen nearly eight months ago

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2022 at 10:45AM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

DNA evidence has linked a stolen handgun left in a car to a 32-year-old Alexandria felon, who now faces upward of two years in prison.

The .45 caliber Para Ordnance 1911 pistol was reported stolen from a car in Centreville on August 28, 2021, according to a search warrant affidavit. The same gun was recovered September 2, 2021, by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police in an abandoned car that was reported stolen from Arlington.

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Police: Gun pulled on woman during road rage incident in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published April 28, 2022 at 1:00PM

Alexandria Police are investigating a road rage incident involving the brandishing of a firearm in Old Town.

The incident occurred at around 6:22 p.m. while the 57-year-old female victim was driving near the intersection of Cameron and N. Washington Streets. The victim was not injured.

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Police investigating sudden death in Arlandria neighborhood

By James Cullum

Published April 27, 2022 at 9:45AM | Updated April 27, 2022 at 11:02AM

Alexandria Police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Alexandria Police reported a sudden death Wednesday morning in the City’s Arlandria neighborhood.

The death was reported in the 3900 block of Mount Vernon Avenue at around 6:45 a.m., and the area from Executive Avenue to Russell Road was temporarily shut down, but the street was reopened as of 10 a.m.

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No arrests after woman assaulted on S. Van Dorn Street

By James Cullum

Published April 25, 2022 at 2:15PM

Police car lights (file photo)

Alexandria Police are investigating an aggravated assault that occurred in the Landmark area of the West End on Sunday night (April 17).

The 32-year-old victim was did not seek medical attention and there have been no arrests, police said. The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. in the 500 block of S. Van Dorn Street.

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Amid transparency concerns, School Board forms school law enforcement partnership advisory group

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated April 22, 2022 at 3:55PM

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

The Alexandria School Board gave its blessing to Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. on Thursday night (April 21) to form an advisory group to make recommendations on the controversial school resource officer program within Alexandria City Public Schools.

The 16-person school law enforcement partnership (SLEP) advisory group will be made up of students, ACPS administrators, Alexandria Police and members of the community. The group will evaluate the partnership between ACPS and police for the school resource officer program, and also on school safety initiatives, and deliver a report in December.

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APD: Woman used pepper spray in road rage incident in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2022 at 10:45AM | Updated April 22, 2022 at 12:29PM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Police are investigating a road rage incident where a female driver pepper allegedly assaulted two people in the 2800 block of Park Center Drive with pepper spray.

The incident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. The 28-year-old male victim and 49-year-old female victim were sprayed in the face and declined to go to the hospital.