News of crime and punishment across Fairfax County.
UNATTENDED CANDLE CAUSES FIRE, MAJOR DAMAGE TO McLEAN HOME: The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and Arlington County Fire Department on Jan. 8 at 10:42 p.m. dispatched units to a reported house fire in the 1500 block of Dominion Hill Court in McLean.
Arriving units found fire showing from all sides of the two-story, single-family home and requested a second alarm. Crews worked to control the large volume of fire and prevent it from spreading to neighboring homes.
Firefighters knocked down the blaze in 30 minutes. Personnel remained on the scene throughout the night to cool hotspots.
Two occupants were home at the time of the fire. Working smoke alarms were present and activated after the occupants discovered the fire. Both occupants evacuated the house and called 911.
There were no reported civilian or firefighter injuries, officials said.
Fire investigators determined that the blaze was accidental in nature and started in the family room. The cause of the fire was an unattended candle that ignited nearby combustibles.
Two occupants were displaced because of the fire and they declined assistance offered by the Red Cross. Damages as a result of the fire were about $919,500, fire officials said.
MAN DIES AFTER BEING FOUND ON ROADWAY IN VIENNA: Vienna police dispatched officers to Mill Street and Ayr Hill Avenue, N.E., on Jan. 6 at 1:29 p.m. to assist rescue personnel with a medical emergency, with cardiopulmonary resuscitation already in progress.
A man had been found lying unconscious in the roadway behind his vehicle, police said. Officers notified the man’s family while rescue personnel transported the man to an area hospital, where he died a short time later, authorities said.
Police did not provide further information about the man’s identify.
THIEF MAKES OFF FROM FIREARMS FROM VIENNA STORE: An employee at Vienna Arsenal, 386 Maple Ave., E., told Vienna police that, on Jan. 10 between 12:40 and 12:57 p.m., a customer had purchased ammunition, then continued to browse around the store.
Store employees later discovered that two firearms were missing. Security video showed the man concealing the two firearms and leaving the business, police said.
VIENNA POLICE CITE MARYLAND WOMAN AFTER CARWASH KERFUFFLE: A woman was driving her vehicle through Flagship Carwash Center, 540 Maple Ave., W., on Jan. 11 at 4:37 p.m. when she allegedly refused to follow the employees’ directions to drive her vehicle forward.
The car wash’s conveyor belt continued to run, causing the vehicle behind the woman to run into the rear of her vehicle. The woman then exited her vehicle and blocked the other vehicle from exiting the car wash, police said.
An employee got into the woman’s vehicle to move it out of the way and the woman allegedly began assaulting the employee, authorities said.
Police issued a summons to the 26-year-old Capitol Heights, Md., woman charging her with assault and battery. Police released the woman on her signature.
COPPER PIPES STOLEN FROM VIENNA CONSTRUCTION SITE: A contractor working in the 200 block of Maple Avenue, W., told Vienna police that sometime between Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 8 a.m. someone had stolen copper pipes from the construction site.
EMPLOYEE’S WALLET STOLEN AT VIENNA BUSINESS: An employee at Balance Art Acupuncture, 450 Maple Ave., E., Suite 311, told Vienna police that on Jan. 6 between noon and 2 p.m. someone stole his wallet from his desk.
EMPLOYEE’S WALLET TAKEN FROM PHARMACY’S BREAK ROOM: An employee at CVS, 337 Maple Ave., E., on Jan. 12 at 4:11 p.m. found an unknown man in the break room going through the employees’ personal property, Vienna police said.
When the employee confronted the man, he fled the store. A short time later, another employee discovered that her wallet had been stolen from the break room, police said.