WASHINGTON — Police have arrested the suspect involved in a Tuesday afternoon hit-and-run in Arlington that left two men injured — one of them with life-threatening injuries.
Noormustafa Shaikh — a 40-year-old Stafford, Virginia, man — is in critical condition after he was hit and dragged by a small SUV in the parking lot of his business, MK Auto Sales and Service, in the 3600 block of Columbia Pike at about 4:45 p.m.
Arlington County police says a woman, later identified as 39-year-old Alexandra Mendez of Fairfax, Virginia, drove into the parking lot the wrong way up a one-way driveway, began to turn around and hit another vehicle before striking two other men.
Arlington police say Mendez was arrested at her home at about 6 a.m. Wednesday.
ABC7 says Shaikh and one of his employees tried to shut a gate Mendez drove through, preventing Mendez from leaving in her Toyota Highlander.
Daniel Murray, of the Arlington County police, told ABC7, “In an attempt to get away, she gunned the car, hit the gate, knocked one of the individuals over. She then stopped for a minute and then, after a minute, gunned the car again.”
The police say the driver ran over the foot of Shaikh’s employee, and ran Shaikh over, dragging him for several feet.
The woman got away in her Toyota Highlander. The vehicle was recovered outside of the Mendez’s residence.
Cellphone video captured the incident and may have helped lead to the arrest.
Mendez was denied bond and is currently being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
She has been charged with aggravated malicious wounding, malicious wounding, two counts of hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license.
In Arl hit/run injuring 2: Alexandra Mendez, 39, of Fairfax, VA in custody on mult charges #WTOP pic.twitter.com/Hp2Z7OzvMW
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) January 28, 2015
Arl Hit/Run injuring2: arrested driver has suspended license. Witnesses:this slvr car &others hit b4 men were #WTOP pic.twitter.com/9JWwn9uaYJ
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) January 28, 2015
Security video captures the wrecks that witnesses say proceeded the hit-and-run.
See a report from ABC7:
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