Remember the fifty person brawl at Fashion Square in July? it happened again Saturday night, only this time with even more people. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen downtown. Fashion Square ain’t safe. #
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Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Looks like this one was near the mall, but not at Fashion Square. It says Putt Putt Lane… at the Putt Putt or Uhaul lot?
Either way, that’s frightening.
WINA reported that it started at Fashion Square, and moved across the street. WCAV omitted that detail.
The article made a connection to Charlottesville High School. Is this area in the city or county?
It is in the County. My guess is that there was a lot of blue on red crime. This sounds like a big gang issue. It has happened in the city prior in Prospect and off of Main Street. They have these huge fights to determine turf, membership etc.
I don’t really think these sorts of events have much to do with city or county land, as if the kids are paying attention to that sort of thing. It’s possible that a fight starts at school and then continues later where the kids are all hanging out.
Kathy: you mean like a rumble?
Blue on red? Are partisan politics THAT heated in old C’ville?
I was at the mall on Saturday night with eight 13 year-olds. My daughter begged that we do a scavenger hunt/photo safari at Fashion Square Mall, so there we were.
One of the mothers had seemed a bit freaked out that we were going to the Mall and I truly thought she was just overprotective. Once we got there, I immediately noticed that there were groups of 3 and 4 people together hanging out all around the mall. They weren’t shopping, just hanging out and there were a lot of these groups.
My daughter and her friends were immediately “busted” by the security guards for taking photos. Absolutely no photos are allowed to be taken in the mall. Ironic considering you are being filmed the entire time you are shopping. They also had a couple of instances where strangers “bumped into them” and then acted like it was their fault.
Right before we were getting ready to leave, I noticed that the mall security personnel were actually being assisted by Albemarle police – a lot of them.
When we went to the car, there were five police cars in front of the Red Robin entrance. All I could think was “let’s get the hell out of Dodge girls!”
Lisa, when you say that the girls were bumped into a lot, do you think that the bumpers were attempting to pick-pocket? Or something else? Either way, that’s an icky mall experience.
I’ve always thought it was odd that some people talk about the Downtown Mall as if it were this sketchy, dangerous place (I guess the goth kids and the homeless are what they mean) — I’ve never felt threatened on the Mall itself, whereas I would definitely feel uncomfortable at the Fashion Square Mall in the evening if I were alone. I would guess that the Downtown Mall (again, I mean the Mall itself — I’m aware of the jumpings and assaults downtown-not-on-the-Mall) has a sense of community that’s lacking at the FSM. It’s an interesting contrast between truly public space (the DM) and the quasi-public but really private space of the indoor mall. Sad that our public commons in most cities have gone the way of privatized spaces; I really do believe that creates conditions that lend themselves more readily to dangerous and anti-social activities.
My opinion, as someone in the prime mall demographic: our mall sucks. Along with the general skeevy characters walking around, it’s just a general black hole of manners and rude teenagers and just…yeeeegh.
I was in there the other week, and when I came out, someone had walked across my car! There were footprints all the way across my hood! Seriously, who walks on someone’s car? I mean, it’s not an expensive or great looking car by any means, but geez, a little respect would be nice.
I only go to Fashion Square around the holidays, any other time I go online if I want something from those specific retailers.
The downtown mall would be great if parking didn’t suck. I don’t feel anywhere near as skeeved out going there as when I have to go to Fashion Square.
I agree with Kelly in that this particular fight sounds like it started earlier and got continued. Still, all it does is reinforce my previous opinion of that little area…
So the Mall security people bust people for taking pictures, and ignore the thugs hanging out? What an inane sense of priorities.
Don’t go there much, and never in the evenings, so can’t talk from personal experience, but I have heard about what goes on.
The Mall does have some decent stores-Belk, Sears,etc. And fye is where I go for music,movies. Their staff are some of the nicest,most friendly people in any business in town.Anything I can’t get there I go to Amazon. Can’t stand Plan 9-the atmosphere stinks, literally-there is always this horrid chemical smell in there. And the staff seems largely indifferent to customers,there is never anyone at the cash register.Last tiem I was in there after waiting around, I replaced my poetntial purchases and left.talk about bad customer service!
The Downtown mall is much nicer than it used to be . You do have to be careful, especially at night, like you do anywhere else. But I think its safer than the UVa Corner area at night.
Yeah, you do get a few(largely harmless) derelicts.As for the goth,,punk kids, the Living Ecology School types-I love them. They remind me of my misspent flower child youth LOL! We got the same looks from the old fogies of that day as the kids with their tattoos, unique haircuts,piercings,bare midriffs and exposed thongs, as we did with our hair and clothes. And I freakin love the music of Avril Lavigne! And Britney too.
Most malls suck – mixtures of sketchy people who are there because they have nothing better to do, teenagers who are there because they have nothing better to do, and screaming toddlers, intermingled with people who are trying to do their shopping and get out. FSM is no better or worse than any other mall I’ve ever been in. It’s not my favorite place, but I don’t think it’s particularly dangerous, at least not in terms of violent crime.
I do think (and I have no stats to back this up) that you’re less likely to be a victim of a violent crime inside a mall than you are on the downtown mall when it’s deserted, simply because there are always more people around and the security guards provide some illusion of safety. I suspect that there weren’t any “innocent victims” in this fight, but people who were involved in whatever disagreement there was and chose to jump in. Don’t mistake that for being similar to random attacks on the mall or anywhere else.
I wonder if the brawlers were watching an international soccer game on TV and got carried away.
I allow my daughters (ages almost-12 and 14) to shop on the Downtown mall without me (during the day) but I will not let them do the same at Fashion Square.
And didn’t someone attempt to assault a woman who was getting into her car around the back side of FSM? This was at the height of the serial rapist scare. She fought him off. Does anyone remember that?
That apartment complex down Putt Putt drive is pretty sketchy too.
kixeldorado, someone pulled the hood ornament off of my car while parked in the FSM lot also. It was parked pretty close to the Belk entrance nonetheless.
Newer mall designs, such as Short Pump, have an outdoor setup, which I’d think discourages loitering, especially in cold weather.
Maybe the new YMCA near Brook Road will pull them away from the Fashion Square Mall and give them something better to do, like playing a little ball before dinner. They’re probably good at crowd control. If not, Mr. Taliaferro will handle it.
Hollow: step away from the Generation Gap.
LaGrape, I thought I was trying to bridge the gap, or something.By saying there are some good things now as well as in the “good old days”. By trying to remember what it was like when I was young, and when my parents and teachers etc were saying “I don’t know whats the matter with kids these days.”
I swore I would never give in to such an attitude. Have often said if I become a damn old fogey I hope someone will shoot me and put me out my misery.
Rememember the old saying “you’re as young as you feel.”
Agreeing with Hollowboy here. It doesn’t seem that the kids have changed. Rather, the lack of places for kids to hang out. It’s really not a big change from “Rebel Without a Cause.” There are just the same dangerous outcomes, and I doubt FSM enjoys being the epicenter of bored teens defending their turf. The mall happens to be a place with mild amusements, that is away from parents, has shelter from cold weather, and is free to get in. I seem to remember that the ice park used to be a similar hang out until they began cracking down on folks who weren’t there to skate.
Kathy: Blue on red crime?
Sorry, I’m not following you. Is this a euphemism for race? Or maybe the police beating up on native americans? Depressed people bashing angry people?
Googling for the phrase “blue on red crime” yields exactly one hit: your post.
Dale, I think Kathy might have been focusing on the gang colors blue & red when making mention of the crime. you know, Blood & Crips (or something similar as I make myself look foolish).