News of crime and punishment across Fairfax County.
ARMED CARJACKING REPORTED IN VIENNA; VEHICLE RECOVERED IN BALTIMORE: A local resident walked into Vienna Police Headquarters on Jan. 28 at 10:30 p.m. to report he had been carjacked.
The victim had been driving a Mercedes sport-utility vehicle near Park Street and Moore Avenue, S.W., at 10 p.m. that evening when his vehicle was rear-ended.
The victim exited his vehicle to make contact with the striking vehicle’s driver. The striking vehicle’s occupants exited their car, presented a firearm and demanded control of the victim’s vehicle.
One suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and the other got back into what was described as a black Dodge Challenger and fled the area. The victim’s cell phone was left in his vehicle, preventing him from calling 911.
Vienna police sent lookouts for the stolen vehicle to surrounding jurisdictions. Authorities located the victim’s Mercedes abandoned in Baltimore, but the suspects, described as black men, have not been apprehended.
There were no injuries reported and no firearms were discharged during the carjacking, Vienna police said.
The Vienna Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section is working with the D.C. Metropolitan and Baltimore police departments to identify the suspects involved in this incident. Vienna police ask for the public’s assistance in locating any eyewitnesses or video of the incident. Call (703) 255-6366 and ask for Master Police Officer Juan Vazquez to provide information.
Vienna police thanked the Baltimore Police Department in their efforts to recover the victim’s vehicle.
VIENNA POLICE TO CITE JUVENILE DRIVER AFTER JOY RIDE: A Vienna police officer on Jan. 21 at 3:28 a.m. observed a driver commit a traffic offense in the 100 block of Maple Avenue, E., and initiated a traffic stop.
The driver refused to stop for the officer for several blocks until they reached the 300 block of Holmes Drive, NW., police said.
The officer found the vehicle occupied by three juveniles who had left their homes without their parents’ knowledge. The driver was unlicensed and had taken his parent’s vehicle without permission, police said.
Police notified the parents and released the juveniles to their custody.
The officer will seek petitions for the driver.
MAN CHARGED WITH PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS, BANNED FROM VIENNA TAVERN: An employee at Bear Branch Tavern, 133 Maple Ave., E., told Vienna police on Jan. 26 at 11:28 p.m. that a patron was being disorderly, acting aggressively towards her and refusing to leave.
Upon the officer’s interaction with the patron, he detected signs of impairment, police said.
Police arrested the 40-year-old Falls Church man and took him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where authorities charged him with being drunk in public.
At the request of the restaurant’s management, police banned the man from the establishment.
BANK NOTIFIED AFTER VIENNA MAN SUSPECTS SCAM: A resident living in the 1000 block of Rachel Lane, S.W., told Vienna police on Jan. 24 at noon that he is an association member and had received an e-mail from someone he believed was another member requesting a form to make a signature addendum to the association’s bankcard.
The resident e-mailed the form before he realized the e-mail address did not belong to an association member.
The bank was notified to watch for any fraudulent activity on the account, police said.
RESIDENT REPORTS MAN PHOTOGRAPHING CHILDREN SUSPICIOUSLY: While attending an outdoor event on Jan. 26 at 6:57 p.m. at Green Hedges School, 415 Windover Ave., N.W., a resident informed Vienna police that an unknown man had taken photographs of the resident’s children.
MAN STEALS CIGARETTES FROM STORE’S SECURITY ROOM: An employee at 7-Eleven, 427 Maple Ave., E., told Vienna police that on Jan. 24 between 7:23 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. a man had forced entry into a cabinet in the store’s security room and stolen several cartons of cigarettes.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN FROM VIENNA WOMAN’S VEHICLE: A resident living in the 100 block of Battle St., S.W., told Vienna police that sometime between Jan. 17 and 24 someone stole the catalytic converter from her vehicle.
FRAUDULENT CHARGES MADE ON WOMAN’S STOLEN CREDIT CARD: A local resident told Vienna police that someone had stolen her wallet from her purse on Jan. 19 between noon and 2:30 p.m. while she was at the Vienna Inn, 120 Maple Ave., E.
The woman discovered fraudulent charges later had been placed on some of her credit cards.
VIENNA WOMAN TAKEN IN COMPUTER-VIRUS SCAM: A resident living in the 200 block of Park Terrace Court, S.E., told Vienna police that, on Jan. 20 at 3 a.m., she had received a virus warning on her computer and contacted the number listed for Microsoft to fix the issue.
She received a call the next day from a woman claiming to be from her credit union. The resident later found someone fraudulently withdrew money from her credit-union account.
CASH, GOODS STOLEN FROM BUSINESS AFTER CLOSING: On Jan. 26, an employee at America’s Best Wings, 262 Cedar Lane, S.E., reported the store had been entered a few times after hours in the past week.
The suspect appeared to have access to the business and stole currency and goods, police said.
ARRESTS MADE IN THEFT OF GAMING DEVICES: Fairfax County police on Jan. 24 arrested two Maryland men about two hours after the latest in a series of gaming-machine thefts from area convenience stores.
At 8:55 p.m. that night, Fairfax County police dispatched officers to the 7-Eleven at 8434 Frye Road in the Mount Vernon area. A store employee called saying two men just had stolen a gaming machine and loaded it into a silver truck before leaving west on Frye Road.
Officers saturated the area and found a truck matching the description near the 7-Eleven at 8226 Russell Road, also in Mount Vernon. The officers stopped the truck, which had a partial tag mentioned in a previous bulletin.
Officers found parts of a gaming machine in plain view in the truck’s bed, police said.
The driver, Leonard Jones, 59, and passenger, Terrell Hardy, 35, were wearing clothes that matched the description of the men seen on surveillance footage stealing the gaming machine from the 7-Eleven on Frye Road, police said.
Police took both men into custody without incident and found additional evidence inside the vehicle, authorities said. Detectives responded to the scene to assume the investigation.
Authorities have charged Jones with grand larceny, possession of burglarious tools, two counts of destruction of property and petit larceny. They also charged Hardy with grand larceny, destruction of property and simple assault.
Additional charges are possible, as detectives continue to review evidence in the six previous gaming machine thefts throughout the county.
Thefts occurred at these 7-Eleven locations, police said:
• 1357 Chain Bridge Road in McLean on Dec. 29 at 4:30 a.m.
• 8017 Braddock Road in Springfield on Dec. 29 at 8 a.m.
• 6464 Lincolnia Road in Alexandria on Jan. 12 at 5:15 a.m.
• 4818 Beauregard St. in Alexandria on Jan. 21 at 10:59 a.m.
Attempted thefts occurred:
• 8434 Frye Road in Alexandria on Jan. 16 at 1:10 p.m.
• 7214 Beulah St. in Alexandria on Jan. 16 at 4:23 p.m.
Detectives and crime-prevention officers continue to work closely with business owners to provide tips to help keep them and their property safe, police said.
Business owners should secure gaming machines and ATMs to the floor, ensure security cameras are in good working order and clear any obstructions away from windows on the front of the businesses.
If a crime is in progress, businesses should contact police immediately.
Detectives are seeking the community’s assistance with identifying the suspects in these cases.
Police ask anyone with information about these incidents to call the Major Crimes Bureau at (703) 246-7800. Tips also may be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477).
Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards and should leave contact information if they wish for a detective to follow up with them.