Man Accused of Killing Roommate
An Arlington man has been arrested for the fatal stabbing of his roommate last week in what was the first homicide in the county in almost a year.
Raymundo Sosa, 36, is charged with murder and is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Police spokesperson John Lisle said that Sosa "got into some type of argument" with one of his roommates and stabbed him on Friday night.
Police were notified of the stabbing by two of the other residents of the apartment, located at 5110 South 8th Street, who discovered the victim’s body.
"When we arrived the victim was deceased," Lisle said.
Police then sent their K-9 units to search for the suspect. He was found hiding under a bridge near the intersection of George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run Drive.
Police have not released the identity of the victim as they are still trying to locate his next of kin.
The last homicide to take place in the county occurred on June 30, 2006 when an Iraq War veteran was shot and killed in the Pentagon Row shopping plaza. Lisle said that police have yet to determine a motive for the Pentagon Row killing and do not have any suspects.
— David Schultz
Second Bagger Emerges
Another woman was attacked by a man with a plastic bag earlier this month.
But Arlington Police do not believe that this attack was committed by the same man who has been making a series of plastic bag assaults against Arlington women.
On June 7, Police say that a woman walking on a trail behind Gunston Middle School at around 3 p.m. was grabbed from behind by a man who tried to put a plastic bag over the woman's head. The woman pushed the attacker away and ran up the path towards Oakridge Elementary School while the man ran in the opposite direction.
This style of assault is similar to five other plastic bag assaults against women in the Arlington area that have been occurring since March 5.
However, Police spokesperson Steve Gomez said that this is where the similarities end between the crimes.
Gomez said that this assault took place on a bike path during the day while the other assaults have all taken place near Metro stations at night.
He also said that the description given by the victim in this case — of a Hispanic male in his 30s, 6 feet tall with black hair and a tattoo on his right forearm — is very different from the description of the attacker in the other cases.
Gomez said police are concerned that another plastic bag attacker has emerged.
"I don't think you can call it a 'Copy Cat' [crime]," he said, "[But] it is kind of a distinct method. It's possible that he's seen some coverage [of the other attacks] and tried to copy [them]."
— David Schultz
Moran Includes Tuition Amendment
U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) inserted an amendment into an appropriations bill last week that would determine if a tuition reimbursement program for legislative branch employees is possible.
The amendment, which was attached to a larger legislative branch appropriations bill and passed in committee, requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study to determine if funds can be allocated for Capitol Hill employees to attend school part-time.
"The Executive Branch and Capitol Police currently have access to both a loan repayment and tuition reimbursement program," said Moran in a statement. "Many Hill staffers are in pursuit of a graduate degree at night while assisting Congress during the day. Providing educational benefits enticing them to stick around longer strengthens Congress’ institutional knowledge and helps raise the debate beyond politics to policy."
Under the amendment, the GAO would have to complete their study no later than six months after the bill is signed into law. The appropriations bill that the amendment was attached to passed in committee and is expected to be heard on the House floor this week.
Free HIV Testing in Arlington
The Whitman-Walker Clinic will mark the 13th annual HIV Testing Day on June 27 by providing free testing for the virus.
Its Arlington clinic, located at 5232 Lee Highway, will be offering free tests for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The clinic will be using a rapid oral test, which delivers results in 20 minutes.
"There are thousands of people in our area who are living with HIV/AIDS and up to one-third of them do not know it," Donald Blanchon, Whitman-Walker CEO, said in a statement. "It is vital to your health and to the health of your loved ones that you get tested, know your HIV status and take steps to protect yourself."
The Arlington Whitman-Walker clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 27. Call Chip Lewis with Whitman-Walker at 202-797-3514.
Students Release Fish Into River
Elementary students at Drew Model School in Arlington participated in the American Shad Restoration Project this year. The students raised American Shad fish, a threatened species, in their classrooms and released them into the wild. The students, led by teacher Jill Meyer, raised approximately 5,000 Shad eggs, which were released them into the Occoquan River at Leesylvania Park.