Crime Scene - The Washington Post's Blog About Local, National and International Crime and Criminal Justice - April 4, 2010

Gilbert Arenas begins sentence in Montgomery jail

Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas began serving his sentence Friday night when he arrived at the Montgomery County Detention Center at 7:40 p.m., jail officials said. Arenas pleaded guility to a gun charge in the District and a judge sentenced...

By Washington Post editors | April 9, 2010; 7:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Dan Morse
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10 1/2-year sentence for day care provider in Fairfax shaken baby case

A Fairfax County daycare provider who shook a four-month-old boy, causing lasting brain damage, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison Friday, lawyers said. The sentencing of Trudy E. Munoz Rueda, 45, for felony child abuse and...

By Mary Pat Flaherty | April 9, 2010; 4:48 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fairfax , From the Courthouse , Mary Pat Flaherty , Updates
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2 teens injured in Dunkirk crash

Two Calvert County teenagers were injured Friday morning, one seriously, when a green 2003 Ford Explorer they were riding in hit a tree in Dunkirk. Ryan J. Brown, 18, of Owings was driving the Explorer at high speed on...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 4:46 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Calvert , Traffic Accidents | Tags: 2 teens hurt in crash, dunkirk crash injures 2, teens injured in crash
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Beltsville blaze at firearms warehouse causes $1M in damages

Firefighters responding to a blaze at a Beltsville warehouse belonging to a firearms dealer arrived to heavy smoke, fire -- and the sound of ammunition discharging, according to the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. No injuries were reported, but it...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 2:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: David P. Marino-Nachison , Fires & Fire Safety , Pr. George's
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St. Elizabeths nurse not guilty in death of patient

A D.C. Superior Court jury on Friday found a former St. Elizabeths Hospital nursing assistant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2007 death of a patient. As the jury foreman read the verdict, Calvin Green hugged his attorneys Janet...

By Washington Post editors | April 9, 2010; 1:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: From the Courthouse , Keith L. Alexander , The District
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Three dead in Anne Arundel head-on collision

A woman and two men died Wednesday night in a head-on collision in Severn, Anne Arundel police said Friday.

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 12:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Anne Arundel , David P. Marino-Nachison , Traffic Accidents
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Gangs teamed to terrorize 3 Va. cities, indictment says

Eight people face gang-related charges that accuse them of terrorizing neighborhoods in three Virginia cities. A 108-count indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in Norfolk includes charges of racketeering, murder, attempted murder, and firearm and drug crimes.

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 12:05 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Facebook , Gangs , Virginia
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Howard police car involved in accident outside police station

Here's a fender bender the likes of which you don't hear about every day: One that involves a police car outside a police station. Howard County authorities are still investigating the cause of Wednesday’s accident in Ellicott City. A police...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 8:40 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard , Keith L. Alexander , Traffic Accidents
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Murder of Md. woman leads police to missing teen

The murder of a Maryland woman has led police in Pennsylvania to the body of a teenage girl, missing since 1995....

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 8:13 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland
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Jailtime for former Md. volunteer firefighter for arson role

A former volunteer firefighter has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for his role in a house fire in Mardela Springs, Md. Twenty-two-year-old Kyle James Bradley was sentenced on Thursday. He pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 8:08 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fires & Fire Safety , From the Courthouse , Maryland
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Wait for mental health evaluation in Va. 'horrorcore' case

A hearing for an aspiring rapper charged with killing his girlfriend and three others has been delayed as his attorneys await results of a mental health evaluation. Richard "Sam" McCroskey of Castro Valley, Calif., faces capital murder charges in the...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 8:02 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Homicide , Updates , Virginia
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Typo keeps man behind bars for three extra years

A Thai man has been released from an Indonesian prison after spending three extra years behind bars because of a typo in his paperwork, a report said Friday. Kamjai Khong Thavorn, 53, should have been released in 2007 after serving...

By Washington Post Editors | April 9, 2010; 7:58 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the World , Offbeat
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Baltimore police stats meetings got 'stale,' get scrapped

Baltimore's police commissioner has suspended the department's weekly meeting where commanders share intelligence and pore over statistics. The meeting is known as Comstat and has been a key part of the city's crime-fighting strategy since 1999, when it was introduced...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 3:08 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore , Crime Statistics
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Violent crime in Arlington down in 2009

Arlington police say crime in the D.C. suburb dropped 3.7 percent, with violent crime down 8.3 percent. The department said Thursday that there were fewer homicides, forcible rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults last year than in 2008....

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 2:48 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Arlington , Crime Statistics
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Md. man sentenced for buying, wearing military uniforms, ribbons

A 39-year-old Columbia man has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for purchasing and wearing military uniforms and decorations even though he is not in the military. Chad Chan Dieu was arrested in August after he bought medals and...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 1:08 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Anne Arundel , From the Courthouse , Howard
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Six charged with home invasions, robberies of Fairfax card games

Six Maryland men face charges for their alleged roles in robbing card players at gunpoint and tying them up during home invasions at private games, police said Thursday. The men netted cash, jewelry and credit cards from robberies on March...

By Mary Pat Flaherty | April 8, 2010; 12:37 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Fairfax , Mary Pat Flaherty , Montgomery , Virginia
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Fallen Montgomery officer Ayala's funeral set for Friday

Montgomery County police have announced funeral arraignments for fallen officer Hector Ayala, whose surviving wife is pregnant with triplets. Following his family's wishes, the services are designed to be private -- only Ayala's family and fellow public safety officers are...

By Dan Morse | April 8, 2010; 10:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Morse , Montgomery
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Park Police seek man accused of racist vandalism

The U.S. Park Police have issued a warrant for a man they suspect of "acts of racist vandalism" in parks in D.C. and on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Ronald Edward Bost Jr. is wanted for damaging government property, according...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 10:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: David P. Marino-Nachison , The District
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Arkansas teen files complaint against mother after Facebook dustup

The mother of a 16-year-old boy said she was only being a good mom when she locked him out of his Facebook account after reading he had driven home at 95 mph one night because he was mad at a...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 10:11 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Around the Nation , Offbeat , Technology
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Man who coordinated Sarah Foxwell search among honored officers

The Maryland State Police are honoring two officers who played key roles in investigating the slaying of three children last year. Trooper First Class Gary Bachtell was named trooper of the year and Sgt. Eric Fogle was named noncommissioned officer...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 9:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Heroes , Maryland
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Man, 56, charged in Blue Ridge Parkway shootings

A 56-year-old mechanic has been charged in the shootings of two people at a scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Augusta County Sheriff Randy Fisher's office says Ralph Leon Jackson has been charged with attempted capital murder,...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 8:38 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Virginia
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Man charged after alleged 'road rage' knife attack

An Alexandria man has been charged with malicious wounding after what Fairfax police called a "road rage incident." Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Fairfax police said in a Wednesday news release, two drivers pulled to the side of a ramp...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 8:24 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Alexandria , David P. Marino-Nachison , Fairfax
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D.C. man, 27, shot in Nov. dies; death ruled a homicide

A man shot in November in the District has died, D.C. police said Wednesday, and his death is being investigated as a homicide. Earl Griffin, 27, of no fixed address, was found shot in the 2400 block of 11th St....

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 8:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: David P. Marino-Nachison , Homicide , The District
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Probation for JMU students who threw snowballs

Two James Madison University students will spend 12 months on probation and eight hours picking up litter for throwing snowballs at a snowplow and an unmarked police cruiser. Ryan William Knight and Charles Joseph Gill also must submit letters of...

By Washington Post Editors | April 8, 2010; 7:56 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Offbeat , Updates , Virginia
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Two St. Albans students charged after BB gun incident

UPDATE, 6:35 p.m.: Three private schools on the grounds of the National Cathedral in Northwest Washington were locked down for about 90 minutes Wednesday in a gun-related scare that turned out to involve a BB rifle, officials said. Two male...

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 6:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Paul Duggan , Schools , The District
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Fairfax Naked Guy -- Not Guilty

The woman who said she saw Erick Williamson -- The Naked Guy -- standing nude in his Springfield doorway last fall testified Wednesday that she flipped him off first, then covered up her seven-year-old son, then called the police.

By Tom Jackman | April 7, 2010; 4:28 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Fairfax , From the Courthouse , Tom Jackman , Updates
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Trial of inmate charged with killing cellmate while serving Montgomery sentence moved

A judge in Cumberland has granted a defense motion to move the trial of a state prison inmate charged with murdering his cellmate at the maximum-security Western Correctional Institution. The inmate, Mario Bowling, is serving a 25-year sentence for a...

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 3:06 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland , Montgomery , Prison Beat
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Choking infant saved by Prince George's firefighter

The timing could not have been more perfect. The volunteer firefighters, having just finished dousing a brush fire in Bowie, were just blocks from their station in Kentland. The choking infant girl, having just been loaded into a car by...

By Matt Zapotosky | April 7, 2010; 2:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Fires & Fire Safety , Matt Zapotosky , Pr. George's
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Motorcyclist, 22, dies in Fairfax crash

A 22-year-old Fairfax man was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a Jeep on Tuesday night, county police said Wednesday. Sergiu Mocanu, of the 6100 block of Lincolnia Road in the Alexandria section of the county,...

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 12:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: David P. Marino-Nachison , Fairfax , Traffic Accidents
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Two convictions in six-day Montgomery attempted murder trial

It took six days to try a home-invasion/attempted murder case in Montgomery County Circuit Court, according to local prosecutors. The trial ended Tuesday in a series of guilty counts against two of the masked men....

By Dan Morse | April 7, 2010; 8:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Morse , From the Courthouse , Montgomery
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Reinforcements for D.C. EMS after heavy early week call volume

D.C. police found a man with a gunshot wound in the arm inside a residence in the 4300 block of 3rd Street SE onTuesday afternoon, officials said. Unfortunately, such an attack is not all that uncommon in that stretch of...

By Clarence Williams | April 7, 2010; 8:32 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Clarence Williams , Emergencies & Rescues , The District
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Court appearance scheduled for accused Va. triple murderer Speight

The man charged with killing eight people at his rural central Virginia home will appear in court one day after being indicted by a grand jury. The arraignment of 39-year-old Christopher Speight of Appomattox is set for Wednesday morning....

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 7:57 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: From the Courthouse , Updates , Virginia
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Man charged in death of Md. woman who was found in Pennsylvania woods

A Pennsylvania man has been charged in the death of a Maryland woman whose body was found in a wooded area of south-central Pennsylvania. State police in Franklin County say troopers responded to an Interstate 81 overpass at about 2:30...

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 7:53 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Homicide , Maryland
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Delaware robbery suspect left wallet at crime scene

New Castle County police say they are searching for a robbery suspect who dropped his wallet at the crime scene. Police say detectives have arrest warrants for 20-year-old Edwin Diaz-Davila of Wilmington who is wanted on robbery charges....

By Washington Post Editors | April 7, 2010; 7:47 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Delaware , Offbeat
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Police: Woman got in bus's way, was hit

A woman was charged by Arlington County police on Monday after she allegedly placed herself in the path of a Metrobus and was hit by it. Lisa Pope, 40, of Arlington, was charged with careless interference with traffic and released...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 3:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Arlington , Traffic Accidents
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Md. House votes to make prosecuting gang members easier

The Maryland House of Delegates has approved legislation to make it easier to prosecute gang members. The House voted 111-28 on Tuesday for the measure....

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 1:57 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gangs , Maryland , Politics
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Man, 18, in hospital after he was hit, dragged by bus in Pr. William

An 18-year-old man from California was taken to the hospital Monday night after he was hit by a bus and dragged about 50 feet while crossing a Woodbridge street, Prince William County police said. The man, who was not named...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 11:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: David P. Marino-Nachison , Pr. William , Traffic Accidents
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Three murder charges for accused Appomattox shooter

A Virginia grand jury has indicted the suspect in the January slayings of eight people on three counts of capital murder and six other charges. The Appomattox County grand jury returned the indictments Tuesday after hearing evidence against Christopher Speight....

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 11:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: From the Courthouse , Updates , Virginia | Tags: Christopher Speight, appomattox, appomattox shootings
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Seventh man arrested in connection with Waldorf gang rape

Charles County authorities have arrested an additional suspect and identified three others in the March 16 sexual assault of a woman in Waldorf. Last week in Newark, N. J. police arrested Jose Maria Echebarria, 30, of Waldorf in connection with...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 9:54 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Charles , Sex Crimes , Updates
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Pr. William police seek man who impersonated officer, robbed store

Prince William County police are looking for a man who they say robbed a Manassas check-cashing business after identifying himself as a police officer and threatening to Taser the clerk. The robbery occurred Saturday around 8:30 a.m. in the 10500...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 9:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Keith L. Alexander , Manassas , Pr. William
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Long-term inmate health care needs improvement, Md. report says

A state audit says there have been some improvements in inmate health care at Maryland prisons, but more needs to be done to help inmates with long-term conditions. The Office of Legislative Audits released a report Monday on the state...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 8:56 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Maryland , Prison Beat
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Ariz. sheriff uses bike power to run prison TVs

An Arizona sheriff has installed stationary bikes in a prison that power televisions, according to this report: Sheriff [Joe] Arpaio says that half of his inmates are overweight, and that this is a way for them to get in shape...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 8:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation , Offbeat , Prison Beat
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Fund set up for fallen officer whose wife is pregnant with triplets

A memorial fund has been set up for Montgomery County Police Officer Hector Ayala. Ayala was killed Sunday morning after his police car struck a tree. He leaves behind a 14-month old son and a wife who is pregnant with...

By Dan Morse | April 6, 2010; 8:06 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dan Morse , Montgomery
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Bank expert discusses ATM skimming -- and how to detect it

The ATM skimming scam has resurfaced. A customer spotted a skimming device on Saturday night at a Wachovia bank in the 1600 block of Rockville Pike at Congressional Lane and alerted a manager. Rockville police said the device is “identical”...

By Mary Pat Flaherty | April 6, 2010; 7:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Alexandria , Cons & Scams , Mary Pat Flaherty , Montgomery
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New search for evidence in 2009 Va. resort shootings

Officials are heading back into the woods near Virginia's The Homestead resort to search for a man charged with killing two of his supervisors there last year. Bath County Sheriff Larry Norfleet says crews will search the area around the...

By Washington Post Editors | April 6, 2010; 7:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Homicide , Virginia | Tags: Beacher Hackney, Larry Norfleet, The Homestead, resort
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Montgomery police tentatively ID homicide victim found in woods

Montgomery County detectives have tentatively identified a 25-year-old homicide victim whose body was found March 31 as Felipe Leonardo Enriquez, officials said Monday. Police released a photo of the possible victim hoping to hear from anyone who can confirm his...

By Dan Morse | April 5, 2010; 5:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dan Morse , Montgomery , Updates
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Fenty may attend funerals of all four D.C. shootings victims

The word around the John A. Wilson Building is that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) will try to attend several, if not all, of the funerals for the men who were fatally shot last week in Southeast. Mafara Hobson, a...

By Washington Post Editors | April 5, 2010; 3:36 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The District
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Crash with impaired driver injures Fairfax officer, Pr. William police say

Prince William County Police said a man driving under the influence of alcohol ran a red light Saturday evening and caused a crash that seriously injured a 43-year-old Fairfax County police officer. The officer, who was not identified, was taken...

By Maria Glod | April 5, 2010; 2:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maria Glod , Pr. William , Traffic Accidents
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4 shot, dozens arrested in N.Y. mayhem

Four people were shot and dozens of people were arrested Monday in a mile-long stretch of Manhattan near Times Square in mayhem that police said was connected to the start of the city's annual auto show....

By Washington Post Editors | April 5, 2010; 2:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation , Crime, Seen
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Mother of man killed in Va. hospital wants law to separate violent patients

Calling her son "a lamb being fed to the wolves," the mother of an Alexandria man killed at a state psychiatric hospital called Monday for a law that would separate violent patients from others receiving treatment. Denise Wilkins' son Justin...

By Washington Post Editors | April 5, 2010; 2:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Alexandria , Updates , Virginia
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Intruder climbed into bed with Sterling woman

A man entered a Sterling home early April 5 and climbed into bed with a 60-year-old woman, Loudoun Sheriff's officials said. Authorities said the man walked into the home in the 100 block of Farmington Court through an unlocked door...

By Maria Glod | April 5, 2010; 12:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Loudoun , Maria Glod
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Natural death ruling for 2-year-old D.C. girl

The D.C. medical examiner's office has ruled that a 2-year-old girl who died after paramedics declined to take her to the hospital in the first of two visits to her home died from pneumonia. Beverly Fields with the Office of...

By Washington Post Editors | April 5, 2010; 11:57 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Emergencies & Rescues , The District
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Feds to fund Arenas's stay in Montgomery, corrections official says

In response to our story about Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas's expected arrival soon at a Montgomery County county facility for his community service stint, reader Arkygirl666 asked: Why are the Montgomery County taxpayers getting stuck with his bill for...

By Dan Morse | April 5, 2010; 11:37 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Celebrities , Dan Morse , Montgomery , Reader Questions
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Crime Scene: April 4, 2010 - April 10, 2010