West End | ALXnow

Maryland man accused of placing peephole camera in bathroom of Alexandria restaurant

Published June 13, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated June 16, 2023 at 3:19PM

A man allegedly planted a small camera in a bathroom, pretended to discover it and then tried to extort the restaurant owner with an out-of-court settlement (via Google Maps)

A 56-year-old Maryland man faces multiple charges after allegedly planting peephole cameras in bathroom air vents in Alexandria and Baltimore restaurants, and then attempting to extort money from the owners by pretending to be a customer who found the cameras.

The Alexandria incident goes back to March 2022, when the suspect called the police from the Tempo restaurant (4231 Duke Street) and reported a hidden camera attached to a vent over the toilet in the men’s room, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Southern Towers gets a visit from the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2023 at 2:30PM | Updated June 12, 2023 at 3:03PM

A protest at Southern Towers in the West End on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency visited Southern Towers in the West End this week, signalling to housing advocates that years of protests against rent hikes and evictions are finally paying off.

On Wednesday, FHFA Director Sandra Thompson toured the 2,261-unit Southern Towers complex at 4901 Seminary Road. The tour was hosted by the People’s Actions Homes Guarantee campaign and African Communities Together (ACT), and the groups say that affordable housing residents are at the mercy of a major private equity landlord that only cares about profit. The groups say that since buying the property at the height of the pandemic in 2020, California-based owner CIM Group has evicted more than 250 residents, and that many of them endured uninhabitable conditions and rent increases.

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Man shot in West End early Sunday morning

By James Cullum

Published June 7, 2023 at 2:15PM

A person was shot in the 200 block of N. Breckinridge Place and walked to the 7-Eleven at 6120 Lincolnia Road on Sunday, June 4, 2023 (via Google Maps)

A man was shot in the West End early Sunday morning, and walked into a 7-Eleven on Lincolnia Road for help.

The incident occurred at around 1:45 a.m. in the 200 block of N. Breckinridge Place, and the victim walked less than a quarter mile to get help at the 7-Eleven at 6120 Lincolnia Road, according to dispatch reports. The victim suffered a non-life threatening injury.

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Two injured after more than a dozen shots fired on Richenbacher Avenue

By James Cullum

Published June 1, 2023 at 11:00AM | Updated June 1, 2023 at 2:39PM

Two people were shots in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue on May 31, 2023 (Staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 2:40 p.m.) Police said two teens were shot in a residential area near Interstate 395 and N. Van Dorn Street on Wednesday night.

Alexandria Police Department received multiple calls at around 8:15 p.m. reporting 15-20 gunshots in a residential area in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue, which is near N. Van Dorn Street and Interstate 395.

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No arrest after shots fired and blood trail leads into West End hotel

By James Cullum

Published May 25, 2023 at 1:30PM | Updated May 25, 2023 at 1:48PM

Shots were fired in the 6200 block of Duke Street on April 30, 2023 (via Google Maps)

Alexandria Police say that no arrests were made or injuries reported after multiple shots were fired outside a West End hotel late last month.

APD responded at around 9:30 a.m. to the 6200 block of Duke Street for a report of shots fired, and found two bullet casings in the middle of the parking lot, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Fairfax County man sentenced 10 years for 110-mph Duke Street crash that killed man

By James Cullum

Published May 1, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated May 2, 2023 at 12:29PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse at 520 King Street in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 5:30 p.m.) A 45-year-old Fairfax County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last Thursday for a 2022 crash on Duke Street that killed a Fairfax County man and injured four others.

Carlos Kami Adar McKethan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs in connection with the death of 39-year-old Bizuayehu Bulti on the night of Feb. 22, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.

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City holds ribbon cutting for ‘West End City Hall’ honoring Del Pepper

By Vernon Miles

Published May 1, 2023 at 2:45PM | Updated May 2, 2023 at 12:34PM

Ribbon-cutting at the Redella S. "Del" Pepper Community Resource Center (image via City of Alexandria)

A new city facility occasionally called West End City Hall had an official ribbon cutting last week that honored the building’s namesake: longtime City Council member Del Pepper.

The building at 4850 Mark Center Drive is a hub for several city services like the Department of Community and Human Services, the Alexandria Health Department, a permit center and more.

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No arrest after shots fired in Landmark area Sunday morning

By James Cullum

Published May 1, 2023 at 10:45AM

Gunfire was reported in the 6200 block of Duke Street on April 30, 2023 (via Google Maps)

No one was injured and no arrests have been made after shots were fired in the 6200 block of Duke Street on Sunday morning.

Alexandria Police were dispatched at around 10:30 a.m. to the area near the Landmark Mall site after a driver called in the incident. The caller reportedly told police that the suspect was a male wearing all-black clothing and black sneakers with white soles.

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No bond for Fairfax County man arrested for West End shooting and allegedly eluding police

By James Cullum

Published April 26, 2023 at 10:45AM

A 28-year-old Fairfax County man was arrested earlier this month for a Jan. 4 shooting incident and a number of other charges, including drug and gun possession and eluding police (via Google Maps)

A 28-year-old Fairfax County man wanted for a Jan. 4 shooting incident faces numerous charges after allegedly striking an Alexandria Police Department cruiser in the Landmark area earlier this month.

Police arrested Mengesha Mnat after a brief chase on April 3, after he allegedly pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot at 6120 Lincolnia Road, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. Police said Mnat parked facing the street and struck a police cruiser as APD approached his car to make an arrest.

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Suspect arrested after man shot in the neck in West End

By James Cullum

Published April 25, 2023 at 10:45AM

A man was shot in the 4oo block of N. Armistead Street on March 18, 2023 (via Google Maps)

An arrest has been made after an Alexandria man was shot in the neck while returning home to pick up clothes after a domestic dispute, police said in a recently released search warrant affidavit.

The incident occurred Saturday, March 18, near an apartment that the male victim shared with his child’s mother and child in the 400 block of N. Armistead Street. Prior to the shooting, police mediated a domestic assault complaint between the victim and his child’s mother in an apartment. The victim told police that he agreed to leave the apartment and made an arrangement to return to pick up clothes.

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Police say West End shooting incidents last Saturday are likely related

By ALXnow.com

Published April 21, 2023 at 1:15PM | Updated April 21, 2023 at 1:31PM

Police car lights (file photo)

(Updated 1:30 p.m.) No suspects were arrested after two related incidents of gunfire from a chase between two vehicles in the West End last Saturday night (April 15).

The first incident occurred at 7:58 p.m. at Braddock Road and North Van Dorn Street, in the underpass below Interstate 395. Police said on the scanner that a black SUV was involved in a gunfight with another vehicle.