Man Charged With Sexual Assault In Arlington Has Long List Of Pending Charges In NoVA

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County police arrested a 25-year-old man following a sexual battery investigation in the Columbia Forest neighborhood, revealing a suspect with a extensive history of pending criminal charges across Northern Virginia over the last several months.

Cristobal Vasquez Sanchez, of an undetermined address, is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Facility. He faces charges of sexual battery and object sexual penetration by force, according to police and court records.

Officers responded shortly before 10:30 p.m. on May 22 to the 5500 block of Columbia Pike for a report of an assault. Investigators said a woman was inside the stairwell of a residential parking garage when she encountered Vasquez Sanchez.

The suspect initiated a conversation with the woman before touching her inappropriately, according to the Arlington County Police Department. The woman broke free and sought help from another person who was entering the parking garage.

Although the suspect initially fled the scene, police located and arrested him Monday morning.

Vasquez Sanchez was arraigned Tuesday morning in Arlington General District Court. He had a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.

The most serious charge Vasquez Sanchez faces in Arlington is object sexual penetration by force, a Class 4 felony. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 under Virginia law.

Court records show the Arlington assault is the latest in a rapid succession of criminal charges filed against Vasquez Sanchez across Fairfax and Arlington counties over the past year.

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At the time of his arrest Monday, Vasquez Sanchez was already facing trial or hearings for at least 10 other active cases in Northern Virginia.

On May 19 — just three days before the alleged sexual assault — Fairfax County police arrested Vasquez Sanchez on five separate charges stemming from a single incident, including assault on law enforcement, resisting arrest, fleeing from law enforcement, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. He has a hearing scheduled in Fairfax County General District Court on July 1 for those charges.

Vasquez Sanchez is also facing a July 1 hearing in Fairfax County for a separate April 15 incident in which he was charged with felony assault on law enforcement and assault and battery. Additionally, he has pending public intoxication charges in Arlington County with hearings scheduled for June 8 and June 12.

His regional arrest record dating back to July 2025 includes previous charges of petit larceny, destruction of property, and multiple violations of pretrial release conditions.

The investigation into the Columbia Forest assault remains active. Anyone with information, or anyone who has had past inappropriate encounters with the suspect, is asked to contact Detective P. Pena at 703-228-4183 or ppena@arlingtonva.us. Anonymous tips may be made through Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).