Suspects Who Tried To Escape By Swimming In Cold Waters Caught By Police In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Two people who tried to swim away from police in the cold waters near the Pentagon after leading police on a car chase in Arlington early Wednesday morning were eventually taken into custody, according to the Virginia State Police.

The chase started around 1 a.m. on Wednesday when a Virginia State Police trooper tried to make a traffic stop of a car with the wrong license plates at 18th Street and South Crystal Drive in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington. The driver didn’t stop and sped away, police said.

When the driver headed onto Interstate 395 north, police tried to stop the vehicle when it was traveling on the right shoulder of the interstate. But the driver struck a Virginia State Police car, which caused both vehicles to spin around and collide a second time, police said.

The driver and passenger in the car then got out and fled the scene on foot. With the assistance of the Arlington County Police Department as well as a Fairfax County Police Department helicopter, a search perimeter was established.

Shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, the two suspects were spotted hiding near Roaches Run. As Virginia State Police troopers approached them, the suspects jumped into the water and began swimming across Roaches Run toward the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The U.S. Park Police responded to assist state police as the two suspects hid in the water to avoid detection, according to police.

Arlington County Fire and Rescue deployed its water rescue team, and the two suspects were found and taken into custody without further incident, police said. They were both taken to a nearby hospital for treatment due to their exposure to the cold temperatures of the water.

The Virginia State Police said charges against the two suspects are pending as they continue their investigation into the incident.