Armed robberies near Pentagon Mall spike sharply, on track to double last year's total
Nearly 20 armed robberies have taken place in Pentagon City since 2018. (Tim Barber/ABC7)
Arlington, VA. (ABC7) — There have already been three armed robberies in Fashion Centre Mall’s parking garage in Pentagon City. This week, yet another one happened just feet away.
And last July, a robbery victim shot and killed the robber during a struggle over the robber’s gun.
Arlington County Police say they are stepping up patrols in Pentagon City, following this string of armed robberies at or near the Fashion Center at Pentagon City.
Investigators say the crimes are taking places in parking garages - some of them in broad daylight.
So far in 2020, there have been five total armed robberies in Pentagon City.
Last year, there were seven for the entire year.
So 7 On Your Side inspected the garage’s security.
We found it to be well-lit, with just a few lights that were not working.
We noticed two temporary camera towers set up outside each entrance, but we did not spot any cameras inside the garage.
The mall released a statement late Thursday afternoon.
“At Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, we utilize a number of proactive security measures, including video surveillance on all floors and all entrances of our parking garage. While we cannot speak to the security measures of other organizations affected in the community, we have increased our security presence to ensure a safe and secure environment, and we continue to rely on our close working relationship with the Arlington County Police Department to ensure the appropriate security measures are being taken at and around our property.”
“Are you guys looking to put cameras in the garage? Are you working with the mall to figure out if they could get cameras in there,” asked ABC 7 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Tim Barber.
“The mall is a privately owned property and we are working closely with the mall,” said Arlington County Police Spokesperson Ashley Savage. “At this time, we don’t have any surveillance images of any of these three incidents that occurred there—the carjackings or the armed robbery.”
ABC 7 also asked if detectives believe the crimes are connected.
“That is part of our investigation to determine whether or not these are being conducted by the same individual or individuals. At this point, we have vague descriptions that are similar,” said Savage.
Police suggested parking in well-lit and busy areas. They also urge people to put down their phones or devices while walking around.
The mall spokesperson provided us the following statement;
"At Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, nothing is more important than safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees. We take any crime that impacts our community seriously, and we remain fully committed to ensuring Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is a safe and welcoming destination for everyone. To help achieve a safe and secure environment, we utilize a number of proactive security measures, both seen and unseen, including continuous patrolling and video surveillance of our property and parking decks. Most importantly, we maintain a close working relationship with the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) to ensure that the most appropriate and up-to-date security measures are being taken at and around our property. We have increased the number of security patrols on our property, as well as collaborated with the ACPD to strengthen their presence on our property. We continue to work with them to increase the number of patrols in our parking decks. Additionally, ACPD previously installed a security tower to enhance surveillance of our property." - Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
