Crime Scene - The Washington Post's Blog About Local, National and International Crime and Criminal Justice - February 27, 2011

Four dead in incidents around Washington area

Three people died in separate incidents around Washington overnight, and a fourth perished in Fairfax, police said.Henry Kelly, 20, of Southeast Washington was pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting in an alley on the 3100 block of Buena...

By Daniel de Vise | March 5, 2011; 2:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Crime Statistics, Fairfax, The District, Unsolved
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Arrest in 'East Coast Rapist' attacks

Authroties say they've captured the man known as the "East Coast Rapist", ending a 14-year hunt for a man who has terrorized women in four states. A suspect was taken into custody Friday in Connecticut after detectives followed a tip...

By Josh White and Maria Glod | March 4, 2011; 6:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Around the Nation, Josh White, Maria Glod, Pr. George's, Pr. William, Sex Crimes, Updates
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Home search in missing woman case

Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies on Tuesday searched the home of the last person to see Bethany Anne Decker, 21, a pregnant Ashburn woman missing for over a month, according to authorities. The Loudoun Sheriff's Office declined to detail the outcome...

By Caitlin Gibson | March 4, 2011; 4:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Loudoun, Missing Persons, Updates
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Pershing Park lawyers fees top $2M

The D.C. government has shelled out more than $2 million in attorneys fees to lawyers representing former top D.C. police officials involved in a long-running lawsuit accusing them of ordering unfounded arrests of hundreds of protesters in 2002. The tally...

By Del Quentin Wilber | March 4, 2011; 4:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Del Quentin Wilber, From the Courthouse, The District
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Guilty plea in $14M bank fraud case

Bank manager to plea guilty to fraud

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 4, 2011; 12:51 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, Financial Crimes, From the Courthouse, Loudoun | Tags: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
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New assistant chief named for District police

D.C. Police Commander Lamar D. Greene has been promoted to assistant chief in charge of the Homeland Security Bureau for the Metropolitan Police, a police spokeswoman confirmed. He replaces Assistant Chief Patrick Burke, who now will head the department's Strategic...

By Mary Pat Flaherty | March 4, 2011; 12:41 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cathy L. Lanier, Mary Pat Flaherty, The District
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Three hospitalized in Capitol Hill fire

Three people remain hospitalized after a fire late Thursday in an apartment building in Capitol Hill that displaced more than 40 residents. A 79-year-old woman is in critical condition and a 25-year-old woman and a 64-year-old woman are in...

By Theola Labbé-DeBose | March 4, 2011; 12:10 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fires & Fire Safety, The District, Theola Labbé-DeBose
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Ohio man swigs beer during traffic stop: Report

An Ohio man was arrested after he took a sip of beer in front of an officer during a traffic stop, according to this report: Lt. Andy Eichenlaub, a spokesman for the Elyria Police Department, said police pulled over Stephen...

By Washington Post Editors | March 4, 2011; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Nation, Offbeat
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Third arrest in '09 Metro bus shooting

D.C. police arrested a third suspect this week in the 2009 slaying of 21-year-old George Rawlings, who was gunned down on the steps of a Metro bus two years after his teenage brother was killed in a controversial police...

By Paul Duggan | March 3, 2011; 4:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Homicide, Paul Duggan, Police Shootings, The District
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Ex-teacher Ricks admits to new charges

Kevin Ricks, a former Manassas high school teacher who last year was convicted in state court of molesting a teenaged boy, pleaded guilty Thursday morning to six counts of producing child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography....

By Josh White and Dana Hedgpeth | March 3, 2011; 10:21 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, Josh White, Pr. William, Schools, Updates
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Woman killed in McLean crash

A Leesburg woman was killed Wednesday after her car ran a stop sign in McLean and was hit by an oncoming SUV, according to Fairfax County police. Sow-Hoong Hon was driving a 1999 Honda Accord north on Bellview Road around...

By Allison Klein | March 3, 2011; 9:46 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Allison Klein, Fairfax, Traffic Accidents
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Puppies stolen in home break-in

A pair of pit bull puppies was stolen from a Manassas home Wednesday afternoon, police said. Someone broke into the house in the 9300 block of Goosebury Drive between 2 and 4:30 p.m. and took the eight-week-old puppies, a male...

By Allison Klein | March 3, 2011; 9:18 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Allison Klein, Animal Stories, Manassas
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Arrest in 2007 D.C. attack that killed man

The case of a man who was beaten more than three years ago but died in December has been ruled a homicide, according to D.C. police. Demetrius Ormon Dempsey, 34, had been living in hospitals and nursing homes since he...

By Allison Klein | March 3, 2011; 8:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Allison Klein, Homicide, The District
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Guilty plea for man shot near U.S. Capitol

A man who was shot by U.S. Capitol Police officers after approaching them with a gun has pleaded guilty in the case. John Wesley Wheeler Jr. of Suitland, Md., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington on Wednesday....

By Associated Press | March 3, 2011; 7:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: From the Courthouse, The District
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Rastafarian inmates moved in Va.

Rastafarian and other inmates who refuse to cut their hair have been moved to a maximum security prison as corrections officials continue to try to get them to comply with the state's grooming policy. In November the Department of Corrections...

By Associated Press | March 3, 2011; 7:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Prison Beat, Updates, Virginia
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In Pa., it's 'terrorism by mice'

A man in Pennsylvania has been arrested and charged with trying to sabotage competing pizza shop owners with mice, according to this report: "It's terrorism by mice," said Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "I've never had to deal with...

By Washington Post Editors | March 3, 2011; 6:47 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Animal Stories, Around the Nation, Offbeat
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Police discuss missing Va. woman

In response to increasing concern from family members of Bethany Anne Decker, 21, a pregnant Ashburn woman missing for over a month, Loudoun Sheriff's Investigators joined Decker's family at a press conference Wednesday to step up public outreach efforts in...

By Caitlin Gibson | March 2, 2011; 4:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Loudoun
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Park Police officer hurt in accident

A longtime U.S. Park Police officer on motorcycle patrol was seriously injured Wednesday in a multivehicle collision in Southwest Washington, authorities said. The officer, whose name was not immediately made public, suffered severe injuries to his arms and legs...

By Paul Duggan | March 2, 2011; 4:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Paul Duggan, The District, Traffic Accidents
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Guilty plea in Colonial Bank fraud case

Catherine Kissick, the former senior vice president of Colonial Bank and head of its mortgage lending division, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to commit bank, wire and securities fraud in a scheme that led to the downfall of Colonial Bank...

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 2, 2011; 2:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Nation, Dana Hedgpeth, Financial Crimes, From the Courthouse
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D.C. man charged in June killing

An 18-year-old District man was arrested Monday in a homicide that occurred in June in Northeast Washington, police said. Aaron Benton of Northeast Washington was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Charles Logan, 46, of Hyattsville. Logan...

By Paul Duggan | March 2, 2011; 11:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Homicide, Paul Duggan, The District
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Traffic stop questions for shooting case officer

A police video of the incident

By Ruben Castaneda | March 2, 2011; 11:05 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: From the Courthouse, Ruben Castaneda, Updates | Tags: Prince George's County police brutality, police misconduct
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D.C. man charged in 2010 murder

A District man was charged with killing a Maryland man who was found last year shot in a car. Aaron Benton, 18, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Charles Logan, who was found fatally...

By Allison Klein | March 2, 2011; 10:34 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Allison Klein, Homicide, Pr. George's, The District, Updates
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Motorcyclist dies in Howard co. crash

A motorcyclist was killed in Howard County Tuesday afternoon when he struck the back of a pick-up truck in the parking lot of a seafood market, police said. It happened at about 2 p.m. in the 7900 block of Oceano...

By Allison Klein | March 2, 2011; 8:28 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Allison Klein, Howard, Traffic Accidents
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Charges for Michael Vick co-defendant

A co-defendant in Michael Vick's dogfighting conspiracy case has been charged in Virginia with violating the terms of his probation. Quanis Phillips has been ordered to appear before a federal judge in Richmond on March 15....

By Associated Press | March 2, 2011; 7:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Animal Stories, Celebrities, Virginia
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Accused Md. killer ruled incompetent

A man accused of killing a driver sitting at a traffic signal last summer has been ruled incompetent to stand trial. The ruling Monday by Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Philip Caroom means that 26-year-old James William King Jr. will be...

By The Capital of Annapolis | March 2, 2011; 7:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Anne Arundel, Homicide, Updates
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Probation for woman's naked store dance

A Virginia woman has been sentenced to 18 months supervised probation for taking off her clothes in a Maryland convenience store and sexually harassing patrons and employees. Twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Riegler of Accomack County also agreed not to return to Maryland...

By The Daily Times of Salisbury | March 2, 2011; 6:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: From the Courthouse, Maryland, Offbeat, Virginia
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Court date set for Jack Johnson

Former Prince George's County Executive Jack Bruce Johnson is set to appear in court March 15 for an arraignment on bribery charges. The hearing would mark the first time Johnson, 61, has appeared in court since he was indicted Feb....

By Maria Glod | March 1, 2011; 6:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: From the Courthouse, Maria Glod
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Arrests in two College Park robberies

Police have arrested two men in connection with two of the four robberies of College Park businesses last month, authorities said Tuesday. Derek Sean Waddy, 29, and William Edward Patton Jr., 34, both of College Park, have been charged with...

By Matt Zapotosky | March 1, 2011; 6:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Matt Zapotosky, Pr. George's
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U.S. Attorney's Office collects big money

U.S. Attorney for Eastern District collects debts

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 1, 2011; 5:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, From the Courthouse | Tags: U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Virginia
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Blackwater contractors go on trial again

Blackwater contractors go on trial in alleged deaths

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 1, 2011; 5:36 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, From the Courthouse | Tags: Blackwater contractors on trial
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D.C. police identify hit-and-run victim

D.C. police have identified a 23-year-old Arlington man as the pedestrian who was killed Sunday in a hit-and-run collision on the Key Bridge. The victim, Eliester Elizardo Pineda-Medrano, was found unconscious in the Virginia-bound travel lanes of the bridge...

By Paul Duggan | March 1, 2011; 3:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Paul Duggan, The District, Traffic Accidents
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More charges in Sterling robbery: Police

A Loudoun man has been arrested on charges stemming from a botched robbery in Sterling on Feb. 10, according to the Loudoun Sheriff's Office. Samuel Thomas Eaton, 27, was the last suspect believed to be connected to the apparent home...

By Caitlin Gibson | March 1, 2011; 3:19 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Homicide, Loudoun, Updates
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Federal judge sworn in in D.C.

Two decades ago, a young lawyer wearing a blue pinstripe suit stepped before an appeals court to argue his first case in Washington, and he succeeded in having his client's conviction on first-degree murder charges overturned. Today, that same lawyer...

By Del Quentin Wilber | March 1, 2011; 1:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Del Quentin Wilber, From the Courthouse, The District
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Woman guilty of bilking fish company

A Norfolk woman plead guilty Tuesday to embezzling $2.2 million from a fish and oyster company she worked for as a bookkeeper and allegedly using the money to pay off her credit cards. Leslie M. Coffman, 60, pleaded guilty n...

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 1, 2011; 1:43 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, From the Courthouse, Virginia
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Alleged FARC supporter charged

A federal grand jury in Alexandria indicted a 32-year-old Salvadoran man for allegedly trying to support the FARC, a terrorist organization.

By Dana Hedgpeth | March 1, 2011; 9:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, From the Courthouse
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Woman killed in D.C. tunnel crash

A woman was killed early Tuesday in a car crash with a Department of Public Works truck that had stopped so workers could do maintenance work in the 3rd Street Tunnel, D.C. police said. The crash occurred within a few...

By Allison Klein and Martin Weil | March 1, 2011; 9:18 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Allison Klein, Martin Weil, The District, Traffic Accidents, Updates
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Son testifies in father's shooting

The trial is expected to last at least another week.

By Ruben Castaneda | March 1, 2011; 8:01 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: From the Courthouse, Pr. George's, Ruben Castaneda, Updates | Tags: Prince George's County police brutality, police misconduct
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Deadly bus crash in Md. on I-70

Maryland State Police say one person is dead and three others have been taken to a hospital after a pickup truck crossed the median and hit a disabled bus along Interstate 70 in Washington County. The westbound truck crossed the...

By Washington Post Editors | March 1, 2011; 7:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland, Traffic Accidents
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Baltimore officer Rivieri's firing upheld

A Baltimore judge upheld the firing of a police officer shown on video berating and pushing a 14-year-old skateboarder who addressed the officer as "dude." The department's trial board found Officer Salvatore Rivieri not guilty of using excessive and unnecessary...

By Associated Press | March 1, 2011; 7:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore, From the Courthouse
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Deadly head-on crash near Port Deposit

Maryland State Police say a man was killed and three men were injured in a head-on collision near Port Deposit. Thirty-two-year-old Terry Williams Jr. of Port Deposit was pronounced dead at the scene of Friday afternoon's accident....

By Cecil Whig | March 1, 2011; 7:40 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Anne Arundel, Maryland, Traffic Accidents
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Prisoners' legal guide for Va. inmates

A legal guide to challenging prison mistreatment is being made available to Virginia prisoners. A lawsuit settlement agreement in federal court in Charlottesville calls for five copies of the previously banned "Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook" to be placed in each prison's...

By The Daily Progress | March 1, 2011; 7:38 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Prison Beat, Virginia
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August double murder trial for Va. man

An August trial is set for a Virginia man charged with killing a West Virginia woman and her 3-year-old son. Media outlets report that 34-year-old Antonio Prophet of Lorton, Va., pleaded not guilty Monday in Berkeley County Circuit Court....

By Associated Press | March 1, 2011; 7:35 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation, Fairfax, From the Courthouse, Updates
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Fork-wielding man charged with impersonating cop

A man in Florida was charged with impersonating a police officer after pointing a barbecue fork at some motorists, according to this report: The Broward County Sheriff's Office said deputies found Howard Schultz of Pompano Beach pointing his 10-inch cooking...

By Washington Post Editors | March 1, 2011; 6:46 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation, Offbeat
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Regional 'director' in drug case tried

A federal jury in Alexandria convicted a 25-year-old man of conspiring to distribute cocaine in Northern Virginia. Fernando Reynoso Avalos, of Fort Washington, was alleged to have been a part of a large-scale conspiracy to bring multi-kilograms of cocaine ranging...

By Dana Hedgpeth | February 28, 2011; 5:05 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dana Hedgpeth, From the Editors, Narcotics, Virginia
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Crime Scene: February 27, 2011 - March 5, 2011