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Crime Report: Fighting Back Edition

By WTOP Staff

A woman was sexually assaulted last night as she walked into her apartment building in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The victim managed to fight back, however, and the suspect left some incriminating evidence at the scene as he fled.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 05/15/12, 2900 block of S. 13th Street. At 9:33 pm on May 15, a victim was walking into her apartment building when a subject ran up from behind and sexually assaulted her. The victim began throwing punches and was able to take the subject to the ground. As the suspect fled the scene, he dropped his cell phone and car keys. Police have knowledge of the suspect’s identity, but have been unable to locate him at this time.

Police say the incident was not related to a series of sexual assaults Friday night.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

ROBBERY, 05/09/12, 900 block of N. Stafford Street. On May 9 at 2:21 pm, a known suspect to the victim took cash out of the victim’s coat pocket, pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head. The suspect fled the scene and was located a short time later by police in bushes behind a restaurant. Johan Middelthon, 46, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with robbery and malicious wounding. He was held on no bond.

ROBBERY, 05/12/12, 2600 block of S. Eads Street. On May 11 at 11:15 pm, a male subject attempted to grab money out of the hand of a female victim. The victim punched the subject in the face and fled the scene on foot. John Dingle, 39, of Stafford, VA, was arrested and charged with attempted robbery. He was held on a secured bond.

ROBBERY, 05/15/12, 100 block of S. Utah Street. On May 15 at 3:30 pm, a subject grabbed landscaping equipment from a previous employer and tried to flee the scene. The owner ran after the subject to recover the equipment and a physical altercation ensued. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle and was located by police in Fairfax County. Kris Curtis, 26, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with robbery, attempted malicious wounding and assault and battery. He is being held without bond.

BURGLARY, 05/11/12, 1500 block of N. 19th Street. Between 7:30 am on May 10, and 6:45 pm on May 11, an unknown subject(s) entered an apartment and stole various items. Property reported stolen include a bike, iPad, camera and laptop. There is no suspect description.

BURGLARY, 05/12/12, 800 block of S. 18th Street. Between 8:30 pm on May 11, and 8:50 pm on May 12, an unknown subject(s) entered into an apartment and stole two laptops. There is no suspect description.

BURGLARY, 05/12/12, 200 block of N. Piedmont Street. Between 11:45 am and 1 pm on May 12, a resident returned home to find her living room window open and laptop missing. There is no suspect description.

BURGLARY, 05/12/12, 2100 block of S. Nelson Street. Between 4:30 am and 5 pm on May 10, an unknown subject(s) entered a residence and stole various items. Property reported stolen include $10,000 in cash, jewelry, and a kitchen blender. There is no suspect description.

BURGLARY/STALKING/UNLAWFUL FILMING, 05/13/12, 800 block of N. Quincy Street. On May 13 at 12:05 am, an ex-boyfriend entered the victim’s apartment unknowingly after sending her a topless photo of herself while she slept. The subject made over 50 attempts to contact the victim by phone and was reported yelling inappropriate comments outside of her apartment. Trevor Frye, 27, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with burglary, stalking and unlawful filming. He was held without bond.

SEXUAL ASSAULT, 05/12/12, 2100 block of N. Lee Highway. On May 12 at 12:19 am, a male subject approached a female victim walking home alone and grabbed her. The subject was attempting to take the victim to the ground while sexually assaulting her and covering her mouth. The victim punched the subject, then she was thrown into the bushes. The suspect fled the scene. The suspect is described as a black male, wearing khaki pants, a red and white checkered long sleeve shirt and black gloves.

SEXUAL ASSAULT, 05/13/12, 300 block of N. Oxford Street. On May 13 at 2 am, a female victim reported she was sexually assaulted by a male [suspect]. The victim and her boyfriend attended a cookout with the subject, where they consumed alcohol. The victim reported the sexual assault after waking up in the middle of the night to find the subject on top of her in the boyfriend’s apartment. Federico Alfonso Umana Barrera, 35, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with sexual assault and forgery of a public document.

PEEPING, 05/12/12, 900 block of N. Barton Street. At 12:19 am on May 12, a female victim was alerted to a noise outside her living room window and when she looked a male subject was standing in the window watching her. Police located the suspect a short time later behind an adjacent apartment complex. Erdenbulag Khosbagana, 31, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with peeping.

STOLEN VEHICLES

05/09/12, Vespa LX50 Scooter, Brown, 3200 block of N. 10th Street


Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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