A 48-year-old woman died after being struck by a vehicle while she walked in a travel lane on Interstate 495 on the early morning of Sunday, July 25.
Virginia State Police reported that Ebony N. Madison, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, died after being struck by a 2006 Lincoln Mark LT at the 177 mile marker.
“The Lincoln was traveling at the posted 55 mph speed limit when it came upon the pedestrian in the travel lane and was unable to stop in time to avoid striking her,” VSP said in a release.
Police said Madison was not wearing reflective clothing, and that the 75-year-old male driver stayed at the scene.
No charges were filed against the driver.
A 54-year-old Alexandria woman died at the scene of a crash Friday, after veering her Dodge Ram off Interstate 95 in Hanover County and into a Volvo being repaired by its owner on the shoulder of the road. (Courtesy VSP)
“Candace S. Fields-Rogers, 54, of Alexandria, Va., was driving the Ram,” Virginia State Police reported. “She was wearing a seatbelt. She succumbed to her injuries onscene.”
The driver of the Volvo was underneath his tractor trailer making repairs when the crash occurred near the 93-mile marker. He was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was injured, and an investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said.
Fields-Rogers leaves behind a husband and two children. Last year, she launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her husband, a U.S. Army veteran with a traumatic brain injury. She raised $10,000 of her $50,000 goal for the still-open fundraiser.
Courtesy VSP
Virginia State Police lost track of a stolen white U-Haul pickup truck that was chased through Arlington, Alexandria and D.C. on Tuesday afternoon.
At around 4 p.m., police spotted the 2019 U-Haul Chevrolet Silverado traveling northbound on Interstate 395 near the Little River Turnpike exit.
“The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Fauquier County,” VSP public relations director Corinne Geller told ALXnow. “Once the trooper confirmed it was the stolen vehicle, the trooper activated his lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop on the Silverado. The driver refused to stop, sped away and a pursuit was initiated.”
The suspect was chased down Arlington Ridge Road in Arlington, continuing down Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria before the Silverado ended up driving on the wrong side of the street at Glebe Road and West Glebe Road and nearly rammed a VSP cruiser. The suspect veered out of the way and struck a road sign, which was knocked into the middle of the street, and has since been cleared away.
“His vehicle got damaged,” the investigating officer said via dispatch. “Pretty heavy damage… His vehicle nearly struck my cruiser.”
The truck was then involved in a crash with two trucks on northbound 395 on the 14th Street Bridge as it drove into D.C. A tweet from a former reporter and volunteer firefighter who runs a fire and EMS news website even showed the chase going into D.C.
“Once the suspect vehicle got back to I-395 north and crossed the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, DC, the troopers lost sight of it and the pursuit was terminated,” Geller said.
Video of a @VSPPIO rush hour chase 20-mins. ago on I-395N through Arlington into DC where VSP lost the truck. At least 1 other vehicle & street sign hit. Speeds at times in excess of 100mph. @ARLnowDOTcom @dclinenews @WTOPtraffic @hhowardWTOP #police #traffic @TomJackmanWP pic.twitter.com/URTOrTTp1q
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) June 1, 2021
Virginia State Police briefly chased a suspect driving a white U-Haul pickup along Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria. The suspect was chased from Arlington and into Alexandria before turning onto West Glebe Road and taking out a road sign at around 4:15 p.m.
The U-Haul truck drove on the wrong way of the street on West Glebe Road, and nearly struck a VSP cruiser. The suspect veered out of the way and struck a road sign, which was knocked into the middle of the street, and has since been cleared away.
“His vehicle got damaged,” the investigating officer said via dispatch. “Pretty heavy damage… His vehicle nearly struck my cruiser.”
The truck was then involved in a crash with two trucks on northbound 395 on the 14th Street Bridge as it drove into D.C.
Alexandria Police were not notified of the incident and are not coordinating with VSP. ALXnow has also reached out to VSP for an update.
Virginia State Police just chased a U-Haul pickup truck from Arlington into Alexandria on Mt. Vernon Ave, then back into Arlington and finally into D.C. via I-395 pic.twitter.com/VWvULlvpli
— Arlington Now (@ARLnowDOTcom) June 1, 2021
Video of a @VSPPIO rush hour chase 20-mins. ago on I-395N through Arlington into DC where VSP lost the truck. At least 1 other vehicle & street sign hit. Speeds at times in excess of 100mph. @ARLnowDOTcom @dclinenews @WTOPtraffic @hhowardWTOP #police #traffic @TomJackmanWP pic.twitter.com/URTOrTTp1q
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) June 1, 2021
Two Alexandria teenagers were arrested earlier this month for a number of serious firearm-related crimes.
The 17-year-olds were pulled over on Route 1 by Virginia State Police at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4, after allegedly assaulting a man and stealing his wallet.
The suspects were pulled over driving a black Audi Q5 SUV after being followed by their alleged victim, who called police while driving northbound on Interstate 395 near the King Street exit.
The suspects were arrested for possession of a stolen firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
After their arrest, one of the suspect’s fathers asked that police search his home for weapons and contraband, and requested that the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center hold him because “he is afraid of his safety,” according to a search warrant affidavit.
The father described his son as angry and violent, and told police that in January he found a loaded firearm and marijuana in his home.
What an intense week in Alexandria.
Our top story was on the massive power outages that affected tens of thousands of residents on Friday, October 23. Without providing specifics, Dominion Energy told City Council this week that outages in Alexandria and Arlington were “unique,” and caused by a piece of equipment that failed at its Glebe Road substation. City Councilors responded that there have been at least eight outages since May.
Monday started with news that an Alexandria Police officer was shot in Old Town and that the 27-year-old suspect was found shot to death near a construction site.
Police were called to the Holiday Inn & Suites in Old Town North after reports that shots were fired in the lobby of the hotel. Police chased two suspects on foot and a shootout ensued. The officer was shot in the lower body and was later released, and the other suspect later turned himself in to police.
On the coronavirus front, there are now 74 deaths in Alexandria and there are now or have been more than 4,200 cases since the pandemic began in March. Latino residents continue to lead the case count. This week the Alexandria Health Department reported that majority of recent coronavirus cases in Alexandria might be the result of contacts at home, indoor gatherings and eating out.
Restaurant-wise, we reported the soft opening of a new chicken joint in North Old Town.
Additionally, the Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies art installation at Waterfront Park will be taken down next month at Waterfront Park, and the installation will temporarily be moved outside of Old Town Pool (1609 Cameron Street).
We also reported that more than 50% of Alexandria voters have already cast their ballots.
Additionally, more than 240 people participated in our weekly poll. With Halloween on Saturday, this week we asked about trick-or-treating plans, and 38% of respondents are not celebrating Halloween this year, 31% are not trick-or-treating but have other plans, 17% plan to trick-or-treat with modifications, and 14% plan to trick-or-treat as usual.
Here are ALXnow’s top stories of the week in Alexandria:
- BREAKING: Massive Power Outage Reported in Alexandria
- BREAKING: Virginia State Police Seek Alexandria Man After Police Shootout
- School Board Shelves Plan to Reopen Schools in 2021, Students with Disabilities Transitioning Back Next Month
- Republican Jeff Jordan Running Uphill Battle Against Incumbent Rep. Don Beyer
- Here’s Where Alexandria Residents Might be Getting COVID-19
- BREAKING: Shooting Suspect In Custody, Police Announce
- Police: Man Killed in Car Crash on N. Van Dorn Street
- Identity Released of Old Town North Suspect Killed in Shootout
- Police: Shots Fired in Braddock Area on Monday Night
- The Chewish Deli Opens New Location in Old Town
- Police Assist Man With Psychotic Episode in West End
Happy Halloween!
The man wanted in connection to a series of shootings in North Old Town early Monday morning is now in custody.
Virginia State Police say Mitchell D. Thompson, a 26-year-old Alexandria resident, turned himself in.
“He is in police custody and being processed on the felony warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” said VSP spokeswoman Corinne Geller. “Additional charges are pending, as the investigation remains ongoing at this time.”
State police released additional information Monday night about incidents that led authorities to urge residents to lock themselves in their homes and eventually resulted in a shootout in which one suspect died.
The series of events started with an armed robbery at the Holiday Inn on First Street around 5 a.m. Almost an hour later, two suspects, including Thompson, were spotted, ran from police, and engaged in a shootout during which an officer was shot, VSP said. Just before 6:30 a.m., following a K9 search, one of the suspects was located and a second shootout between the suspect and police ensued, after which the suspect was found dead.
More from a state police press release:
The incident began Monday at approximately 5:01 a.m. when the Alexandria Police Department received a 911 call for shots being fired at a hotel in the 600 block of First Street in Old Town Alexandria. As officers were responding to the scene, two individuals involved in the shooting had fled the hotel on foot. A perimeter was immediately established and search efforts were underway. Further investigation at the hotel determined that an armed robbery had taken place inside the hotel. No one inside the hotel was injured.
At approximately 5:50 a.m., an Alexandria Police Officer located two suspects – one of them Thompson – and a foot pursuit was initiated. When the officer and the two adult males reached the intersection of North Royal Street and Second Street, the officer and one of the two suspects exchanged fire. The officer was shot and both suspects fled the scene again on foot. The officer has been treated and released for non-life threatening injuries sustained in the shooting.
The search perimeter was expanded and police K9 teams located, at approximately 6:24 a.m., one of the suspects near the intersection of Montgomery Street and North Fairfax Street. As Alexandria police officers engaged with the adult male suspect, shots were fired by both the suspect and officers on scene. The male suspect died at the scene. A stolen firearm was recovered in the male suspect’s possession. No law enforcement at this location were injured.
The man’s remains have been transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas for examination and autopsy. Next of kin notification is still pending.
The investigation remains ongoing at this time into all three incidents by state police, with the assistance of the Alexandria Police Department and the ATF.
With vehicle thefts on the rise, Alexandria Police are investigating a violent carjacking in the West End that injured two men and led to a car chase and crash in Fairfax County.
The incident occurred on July 25 around 5 p.m. Two men parked their cars at their homes in the 300 block of South Whiting Street. The two cars, a black 2014 Toyota Camry and a black 2012 Chevrolet Impala were parked at S. Whiting Street (facing Stevenson Avenue) and their owners were unloading them. The engines were left running with the keys inside and were unlocked, according to police.
Two men in face masks then approached them. One of the men pointed a gun at one of the victims and asked that they give him money, according to a search warrant affidavit.
The second suspect also had a gun and asked for money from the other victim “several times before striking him in the face with the grip and magazine well of the gun” before taking his cell phone, according to police.
The suspects then drove away in both cars.
The Camry was recovered the next day after a chase with Virginia State Police in Clifton that ended with it crashing and two male suspects fleeing the scene on foot. The female driver was taken into custody and later interviewed at the hospital by police.
According to the affidavit, the driver told police that she drove because she was nervous letting her two companions get behind the wheel. She also said that the trio were driving to the beach. The investigating officer then asked her about the gun and she “stated she wanted an attorney and the interview was terminated.”
Inside the Camry, police found a Glock handgun and several wallets. One of them had an identification belonging to the victim of another carjacking that occurred approximately the week before in the city “with similar suspect descriptions,” notes the affidavit.
On July 30, there was also a violent carjacking in Old Town. A man was approached by three men who asked for a ride. When he refused, the man was beaten unconscious and woke up in the hospital.
Alexandria Police would not respond to questions regarding this incident. It is not clear if the Impala has been recovered.
Earlier this month, Mayor Justin Wilson appealed to the public for help in lowering a rising trend in vehicle-related thefts. As of August 11, there have been 179 vehicle thefts, which is an increase of 34 over last year. There have also been 379 thefts from vehicles, which is an increase in 69 events over 2019.
Map via Google Maps
Virginia State Police have issued a senior alert for a missing 81-year-old man suffering from a cognitive impairment last seen in the Hybla Valley area next to Alexandria on August 24 at around 7:00 a.m.
Jose Rodriguez is described as five-foot-nine, weighs 190 pounds and was last seen walking north on Davis Street.
He is possibly wearing a long sleeve black collared shirt, pleated black dress pants and black dress shoes, according to police.
“The missing senior suffers from a cognitive impairment and the disappearance poses a credible threat to his heath and safety,” according to Virginia State Police.
Anyone who sees Rodriguez is asked to contact the Fairfax County Police Department at 703-691-2131.
Posted by Rafael A. Arancibia Jr. on Monday, August 24, 2020
The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office and Police Department released a statement yesterday supporting a new state law requiring law enforcement officials to ask drivers racial information during all traffic stops.
The Virginia Community Policing Act went into effect on July 1 and requires all state and local law enforcement officials to ask drivers their race, ethnicity, age and gender — in addition to tracking why the individual was stopped and if they were searched, arrested or given a warning.
“The law also explicitly prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in bias-based profiling, defined as actions based solely on the real or perceived race, ethnicity, age, gender, or other noncriminal characteristics of an individual,” according to the city, which says that the police already collect this information. “Statewide data will be analyzed to determine the prevalence of bias-based profiling and complaints alleging the use of excessive force.”
The city has compiled annual traffic citation data for 2018 and 2019, and information on police use of force is available for 2019, according to a city release.
The city is currently developing a plan for a community police review board, and the process has been criticized by groups as being too insular. Activists in the city are also calling on greater data transparency over arrests and other confrontations, as 54% of all arrests last year in the city were of Black men.
Staff photo by Vernon Miles
