<b>Suspect Captured by Victims, Say Police</b>
Arlington police say an Arlington man was arrested last Tuesday after the occupants of a Buckingham apartment he broke into overpowered and restrained him until police arrived.
Police have charged Michael L. Stewart, 18, of the unit block of North Thomas Street, with robbery and rape.
Just after 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, police officers responded to a report of a break-in at an apartment in the 4200 block of North 2nd Road, where they say they found Stewart. According to police reports, Stewart broke into the apartment to rob it, then committed sexual assault. Eventually, police said, the victims were able to overpower him and call police.
Stewart is a suspect in two other home-invasion robberies in the Buckingham area. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility and will likely face additional charges. Detectives are also looking into whether he was involved in any other robberies in Arlington.
<b>Coach Pleads Guilty to Indecent Liberties</b>
A former high-school soccer coach in Arlington is facing a possible five years in prison after pleading guilty, last week, to taking indecent liberties with a minor.
Bernard McHale, 41, of 12023 Golf Ridge Court in Fairfax, pleaded guilty of the charge in connection with a teen-age girl who he used to coach in soccer.
Fairfax County police arrested him June 27, after the woman — who's now 23 — accused him of committing sexual improprieties against her when she was 17. Police charged him with one count of crimes against nature and two counts of custodial indecent liberties with a child.
The charges grew out of a series of incidents that occurred in the summer of 1997. According to police, when the woman came forward, in summer 2003, she told detectives that McHale "sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion at his former home on Rockaway Lane in Fairfax."
McHale had been employed by Arlington Public Schools since 1998. He was an assistant special-education teacher and coached girls JV and varsity soccer at Yorktown High in Arlington. He also coached at The Potomac School, a private school in McLean, and previously coached club soccer with the DC Stoddert Soccer League in the District.
On Oct. 3 in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Judge Kimberly Daniel certified one of the indecent-liberties charges to the grand jury. McHale was then indicted on Nov. 17.
He appeared last Wednesday, Jan. 14, in Circuit Court before Judge Terrence Ney and pleaded guilty, admitting that he and the teen-age girl had had sexual relations, some 6 1/2 years ago. McHale is scheduled for sentencing on April 23.
— Bonnie Hobbs
<b>New Leaders for Democrats, Republicans</b>
Arlington Democrats named a new leader earlier this month, and county Republicans may soon have a new head too.
Scott Tate is planning to announce that he will run for chairmanship of the <a href="http://www.arlingtongop.org">Arlington County Republican Committee</a> at the comittee’s next meeting, Thursday, Jan. 22, at the NRECA Center, 4301 Wilson Blvd. The filing deadline for ACRC members to announce their candidacy for chair is Feb. 25. Candidacy forms and more information are available at ACRC headquarters at 405 S. Glebe Rd., or by calling 703-685-2488.
If elected, Tate would succeed current chair David Avella, who will not seek another term as chair of the county Republicans. Tate ran against U.S. Rep. James Moran (D-8th) in 2002, and ran a campaign for county board in 2000.
On the other side of county politics, the <a href="http://www.arlingtondemocrats.org">Arlington County Democratic Committee</a> completed its biennial reorganization at its monthly meeting in the first week of January, electing party activist James Turpin as its new Chair for 2004-2005. Turpin succeeds Dan Steen as Party Chair.
The elections took place on Jan. 7 at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Building in Arlington. Turpin will be presiding at his first official meeting at the same location on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
<b>Arlington Assembly Action</b>
In the first week of the General Assembly, Arlington delegates have gotten down to business. Del. Robert Brink (D-48) introduced House Bill 218, which would cut off revenues for the Virginia BAseball Stadium Authority effective July 1, 2004 - six months earlier than the Authority’s money would currently be cut, essentially terminating the Authority.
In addition, Brink filed House Bill 219, which would give local governments greater power to appoint members of the Stadium Authority.
Del. Al Eisenberg (D-47), one of two freshmen delegates from Arlington, was appointed to the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources committee, as well as the House Science and Technology Committee.
During this Assembly session, Arlingtonians and other Virginians will again be able to call a Constituent Viewpoints hotline at 1-800-889-0229. The hotline is online 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday through March 12. Operators take name and address, telephone number and the subject f the call, then record constituents’ messages for the appropriate legislators.