Three recent carjackings and other armed robberies in Pentagon City parking garages have raised alarm and prompted police in Virginia’s Arlington County to beef up patrols.
The string of robberies began in mid-January, when an armed man threatened a woman in a parked car in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive and robbed her of a cellphone. Carjackings quickly followed: Jan. 23 in the 1100 block of South Hayes Street; on Jan. 30 in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive, and on Feb. 4 in the 1100 block of South Joyce Street.
“We have increased assets in the Pentagon City area,” said Ashley Savage, spokeswoman for the Arlington County Police Department. “Some of those assets are visible, some are not visible.”
Amid the robberies, there was an attempted abduction on Feb. 11 in the neighborhood. An arrest was made in that case, but police said they are looking for suspects in the armed robberies and trying to determine if the cases are linked.
Because of a lack of surveillance video, police said they don’t have a good description of a suspect.
“We did see, in a number of those cases, that the victims had spent some time in the garages prior to the incident, so we’re really encouraging patrons to park and immediately exit and go on with their business … and just be aware of your surroundings,” Savage said.
“Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas … and really limit your use of devices that distract you, such as headphones and cellphones.”
