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Crime Report: Grabbed from Behind

By WTOP Staff

Two women were followed by men and grabbed from behind while walking home this past week, according to police.

Early Sunday morning, a woman was returning home in North Rosslyn when two men followed her, grabbed her, and possibly took some money before she was able to break free. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 01/13/13, 1800 block of N. Quinn Street. At 3:17 am on January 13, a victim was returning home when she noticed two male subjects behind her. One male subject followed the victim into her apartment complex and grabbed her from behind. The victim struggled to break free and scream, but the subject held onto the victim and put his hand over her mouth. Eventually, the victim was able to break free and the suspect fled by foot. Some cash belonging to the victim seemed to be missing, but it is unclear if the suspect took the money. The subjects are described as two Hispanic males. One of the subjects stood on the outside of the apartment complex, while the other assaulted the victim. The subject that assaulted the victim is described as approximately 5’5”, heavy set and wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and pants.

Early Monday morning, a man approached a woman from behind as she was walking home from work in the Buckingham area, near Ballston. The man grabbed the victim by the head, pushed her to the ground and stole her purse, according to the crime report.

ROBBERY, 01/14/13, 4100 block of N. 4th Street. At 12:10 am on January 14, a victim was walking home from work when the subject approached her from behind. The subject grabbed the victim by her head with both hands and pushed her to the ground. The subject then took the victim’s purse and fled the scene by foot. The suspect is described as a black male in his late 20’s, approximately 5’8” and 150 lbs. Additionally, the subject has brown eyes and black hair, but no facial hair. The suspect was last seen wearing a red long-sleeve shirt, black pants and a black hat.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

ARMED ROBBERY AND BRANDISHING A FIREARM, 01/10/13, 1400 block of N. Glebe Road. At 12:45 pm on January 10, three subjects allegedly attacked a jogger on a bike trail and stole his GPS watch. The victim believes he may have been struck in the head with a handgun. After calling police, the victim was later transported to the Virginia Hospital Center for non-life-threatening injuries. At 12:55, another victim running on the same bike trail reported that he passed three male subjects. One of the subjects allegedly pointed a handgun at him and verbally made a threat. This victim was not physically injured and was able to get to a safe place and report the crime. These two incidents are believed to be connected. The police currently have three subjects in custody.

ROBBERY, 01/14/13, 2200 block of S. Army Navy Drive. At 12:34 am on January 14, a victim was walking home when he was approached from behind by two male subjects. The victim stated that the two subjects allegedly approached him in an aggressive manner and that subject one appeared to display the handle of a handgun. The victim then fled the scene, dropping his bag in the process. Subject two grabbed the bag and both subjects fled the scene by foot. The subjects were both described as being in their mid-20’s. Subject one is described as a white male, approximately 6’0”, 220 lbs, wearing blue jeans, a leather jacket, and a white and black t-shirt. This subject also had medium length black hair and a mustache. Subject two is described as a black male, approximately 5’9”, 125lbs, wearing black jeans, a leather jacket, and white and black t-shirt. This subject also had short black hair and a mustache.

ROBBERY, 01/12/13, 5000 block of S. 8th Road. At 2 pm on January 12, a victim exited a bus and was followed by two subjects that were also passengers on the bus. The subjects asked the victim if they could use his cell phone to which the victim responded saying that he did not have a phone. The victim began walking again and noticed that the subjects had been following him for several blocks. The subjects confronted the victim again, ordering him to let them see his phone. When the victim said no, one of the subjects grabbed the victim’s left hand and twisted it backwards. The other suspect attempted to grab the victim’s right hand, but when the victim resisted, the subject punched him in the face. The subjects then took the victim’s iPhone and fled the scene by foot. The suspects are described as two black males. One suspect was wearing a striped purple shirt and the other was wearing a black t-shirt.

ROBBERY, 01/10/13, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At 6:50 pm on January 10, a subject physically attacked his girlfriend in an attempt to take her phone. The subject and victim had been involved in a verbal altercation regarding pictures on the cell phone. These pictures documented the injuries from a previous domestic assault where the subject attacked the victim. The subject wanted to delete the photos, but the victim disagreed. The subject then knocked the victim to the ground and kicked her. Then the subject ripped the jacket pocket of the victim and took her cell phone. The subject then fled the scene. Miguel Angel Diaz Ruiz, 34, of Arlington, VA was served two warrants for domestic assault and battery and one warrant for robbery.

BURGLARY, 01/15/13, 2400 block of S. Oxford Street. Between 6 am on January 14 and 12:52 am on January 15, an unknown subject(s) broke into a residence and stole a TV. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/15/13, 3300 block of Lee Highway. Between 6:15 am on January 14 and 1:35 am on January 15, a guest returned to his hotel room and noticed that the door was not fully closed. A cell phone and money belonging to the guest were missing. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/14/13, 2500 block of N. 10th Road. Between 4 pm on January 11 and 10 am on January 14, an unknown subject(s) broke into a construction site after gaining entrance through a broken window. The subject(s) stole copper wire. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/14/13, 4500 block of S. 6th Street. Between 1 pm and 1:50 pm on January 14, an unknown subject(s) broke into an unlocked home. The subject(s) stole jewelry and electronics. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/13/13, 3400 block of N. Washington Boulevard. Between 12 am and 12 pm on January 13, an unknown subject broke into a restaurant. One of the cash registers appeared to have been tampered with. No money from the cash register was missing, but the owner of the restaurant was able to view surveillance footage. Surveillance showed an unknown male subject breaking into the restaurant and attempting to open the cash register several times with no success. The unknown subject then is seen attempting to open the safe in the back office of the restaurant, but when he is unsuccessful again, he is seen leaving the restaurant. There is no suspect description at this time.

BURGLARY, 01/11/13, 5000 block of N. Washington Boulevard. Between 8:30 am and 8:38 pm on January 11, an unknown subject(s) broke into a residence while the owner was at work. The subject(s) seemed to have forced entry into the home through a side door. An HP laptop computer appeared to be stolen and several drawers looked as though they had been searched through. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/09/13, 1200 block of N. Scott Street. Between 10:30 am and 11:30 am on January 9, an unknown subject(s) entered a residence and stole four laptops. The subject(s) forced entry into the home through a window. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 01/09/13, 1500 block of N. Clarendon Boulevard. Between 3 pm on January 8 and 6:20 am on January 9, an unknown subject(s) illegally entered a construction site and stole copper wire. The subject(s) forced entry into a locked area. There is no suspect(s) description

BURGLARY, 01/08/13, 1600 block of N. George Mason Drive. Between 5 pm on January 2 and 12:32 pm on January 8, an unknown subject(s) entered a residence and stole several articles of jewelry. The subject(s) forced entry into the home through a door. Some doors within the home were damaged and items were out of place. There is no suspect(s) description.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (SERIES), 01/12/13, 2800 block of N. Tacoma Street. Between 9:30 pm on January 12 and 1:19 am on January 13, an unknown suspect(s) entered a locked vehicle and stole a GPS. Scratches could be seen on the door frame of the vehicle. Other vehicles in the area were also victimized, possibly by the same suspect(s). There is no suspect(s) description.

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (SERIES), 01/13/13, 3500 block of N. Nottingham Street. Between 10 pm on January 12 and 10 am on January 13, several vehicles were reported to be damaged. Broken mirrors, windows, and dented frames of over seven vehicles were found. Some residents reported hearing loud noises and seeing a vehicle full of male occupants around 10 pm on January 12. There is no suspect(s) description at this time.

STOLEN VEHICLES

01/12/13, VA XFF1223, 2011 Ford E23 Van, White, 3100 block of S. 17th Road

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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