News of crime and punishment across Fairfax County.
CATS RESCUED FROM McLEAN HOUSE FIRE: The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Arlington County Fire Department on April 4 at 8:32 p.m. dispatched units to a reported house fire in the 6800 block of Churchill Road in McLean.
Units arriving at the two-story, single-family home saw fire coming from windows on the first floor and quickly extinguished the fire. Fire crews rescued two cats, which then were cared for by Emergency Medical Services personnel.
Rescue personnel took one occupant of the house to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Animal Control transported the cats to a local veterinarian, and officials expect both pets to recover. There were no firefighter injuries reported.
Two occupants were home at the time of the fire. One of the occupants accidentally spilled kerosene while refilling a kerosene fueled lamp. She immediately turned on the lamp and the kerosene ignited, officials said.
Both occupants evacuated from the house before fire crews arrived. Working smoke alarms activated after the fire was discovered, officials said.
Fire investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in a first-floor bedroom. The cause of the fire was the ignition of kerosene that spread to nearby combustibles.
The fire displaced two occupants, who declined assistance offered by the Red Cross. The fire caused about $62,500 worth of damage, officials said.
STABBING INCIDENT IN OAKTON SENDS VICTIM TO HOSPITAL: Fairfax County police on April 14 at 9:30 p.m. dispatched officers to the 9400 block of Lee Highway in Oakton after receiving reports of a group of men fighting. When officers arrived, they found a victim suffering from a stab wound to the upper body.
Rescue personnel took the victim to a hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Officials later upgraded the victim’s condition, but the victim remained hospitalized.
Based on preliminary investigation, the stabbing does not appear to be a random act, police said.
2 INJURED IN ALLEGED DOMESTIC ASSAULT; NO CHARGES FILED: A resident living in the 100 block of Shepherdson Lane, N.E., on April 6 at 12:27 a.m. requested assistance from Vienna police regarding a domestic assault in progress.
Officers went to the residence and separated both parties. After making the scene safe, the officers interviewed everyone involved in the incident.
Rescue personnel transported both parties to a hospital for treatment. Both refused to press any charges for the alleged assault and the case remains active, police said.
POLICE DEAL WITH TRESPASSER, BUT DON’T BOOK HIM: An employee at Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave., E., on April 6 at 4:15 p.m. requested assistance from Vienna police regarding a man inside the library who previously had been banned from the property.
VICTIM REPORTS 3 MEN ROBBED HIM AT GUNPOINT IN VIENNA: A local resident told Vienna police on April 9 at 2:40 p.m. that he had been picked up in a vehicle by an acquaintance and two other men at the shopping center with Giant Food on Maple Avenue, W.
While they were driving around, the three men allegedly displayed handguns, announced a robbery and took the victim’s belongings, police said.
The men allowed the victim to exit the vehicle on Cabin Road, S.E., where he ran to the nearest residence for assistance.
Police ask anyone who has information or video related to this incident to contact Detective Herrera at (703) 255-7821 or e-mail mherrera@viennava.gov.
VIENNA WOMAN REPORTS BEING ASSAULTED IN LAUNDRY ROOM: A resident reported that she was doing laundry in the communal laundry room in the 200 block of Park Terrace Court, S.E., on April 10 at 10 a.m. when she had a verbal dispute with another woman, Vienna police said.
The resident reported that during the dispute, the woman allegedly punched her.
Police advised the resident of the warrant process should she wish to pursue charges against the other woman.
VIENNA POLICE ARREST MAN ON DOMESTIC-ASSAULT CHARGE: A local person on March 23 at 12:30 p.m. told Vienna police he believed his friend had been assaulted by her boyfriend and requested a welfare check on the resident, who lives on Patrick Street, S.E.
The resident reported that she had been in an argument with her boyfriend that escalated when he allegedly assaulted her, took their infant child and left the apartment, police said.
Vienna police obtained a warrant charging the boyfriend with domestic assault. The child was returned home later in the day, but officers were unable to locate the boyfriend to serve the warrant.
On April 14, a Vienna police officer observed the boyfriend driving in the area of Cottage and Patrick streets, S.W., and initiated a traffic stop.
Police arrested the 26-year-old man and took him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where authorities served him with the warrant and released him on his own recognizance.
DRIVER FLEES IN VIENNA AFTER CRASHING INTO PARKED VEHICLES: A motorist rear-ended an unoccupied parked vehicle on April 6 at 7:34 p.m. at 1014 Cottage St., S.W., pushing it into the curb, and then rear-ended a second unoccupied parked vehicle, Vienna police said.
The motorist of the striking vehicle then left the scene without exchanging information with the other two vehicles’ owners.
Vienna police located the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run about a quarter of a mile away from the accident scene. The driver fled on foot, police said.
WOMAN TELLS VIENNA POLICE A SUSPICIOUS MAN FOLLOWED HER FOR BLOCKS: A local resident told Vienna police on April 12 at 11:30 a.m. that while at the Vienna Post Office, 200 Lawyers Road, N.W., she observed a man who was trying to get her attention.
The man followed the resident for several blocks, police said. When the woman tried to take a picture of the man’s license plate, he reportedly became angry and got out of his vehicle, police said.
The woman drove immediately to the Vienna Police Headquarters to report the incident. An officer’s attempts to speak to the owner of the vehicle the man was driving were unsuccessful, police said.
POLICE CALLED AFTER WOMAN DESTROYS PROPERTY IN RESTAURANT’S BATHROOM: An employee at Ledo’s Pizza, 141 Park St., S.E., told Vienna police on April 10 at 1:34 p.m. that a woman had locked herself in the bathroom and begun destroying property inside.
Officers spoke to the woman, who appeared to be to be mentally stressed. A family member came to the restaurant to assist the woman and pay for the damages she caused.
An employee banned the woman from the restaurant, but did not wish to pursue criminal charges against her, police said.
VIENNA POLICE RESPOND TO DOMESTIC ALTERCATION: Vienna police officers responded April 10 at 9:13 p.m. to a reported fight inside an apartment in the 200 block of Cedar Lane, S.E. A resident told police his sister’s boyfriend had gotten into an altercation with his mother’s boyfriend.
Police advised both parties involved in the altercation of the warrant process should they wish to pursue charges.
VIENNA MAN REPORTS THEFT OF UNLOCKED VEHICLE WITH KEYS INSIDE: A resident living in the 1100 block of Westbriar Drive, N.E., told Vienna police that, between April 10 at 10 p.m. and April 11 at 4:52 p.m., someone had stolen his vehicle.
The vehicle had been parked and left unlocked with the keys inside, police said.
VIENNA POLICE ARREST TOWN RESIDENT ON OUTSTANDING WARRANTS: While running an inquiry on a vehicle in the parking lot at Wawa, 465 Maple Ave., W.,on April 9 at 12:38 a.m., a Vienna police officer determined the vehicle’s owner was wanted on outstanding warrants in Fairfax County and the city of Fairfax.
Police arrested the 42-year-old Vienna man and took him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where authorities served him two warrants charging petty larceny.
MAN TELLS VIENNA POLICE HE WAS DEFRAUDED IN CHECK SCAM: On April 9, a local resident told Vienna police about a fraud that allegedly occurred Jan. 26 at noon when an acquaintance met him in the parking lot of PNC Bank, 353 Maple Ave., E., and gave him a check.
The resident deposited the check at the bank and then made two cash transfers, one to the acquaintance and one to another man.
Several weeks later, the resident found that the check he had been given was not valid and he had been defrauded a large sum of money, police said.
MAN REPORTS THEFT OF WORK iPAD: A resident living in the 300 block of Old Courthouse Road, N.E., told Vienna that, between April 1 at noon and April 4 at 10:24 p.m., as he was in the process of moving out of his home, someone stole his work iPad.
LOCAL RESIDENT REPORTS SUSPICIOUS MEN AT VIENNA FIREARMS STORE: A local resident told Vienna police that on April 9 between noon and 1 p.m. he had observed a man shopping for a handgun earlier in the day at Vienna Arsenal, 386 Maple Ave., E.
The man left the business in a vehicle with two other men, police said.
The resident thought the men might have been connected with a robbery in the vicinity later that afternoon, police said.
4 MORE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS STOLEN FROM VEHICLES IN VIENNA: In a recurring pattern this year, Vienna police have had to investigate thefts of catalytic converters from four vehicles.
The devices, which reduce harmful emissions from vehicles, are prized by thieves because they contain precious metals.
Here is a breakdown of the cases:
• A resident living in the 500 block of Lewis Street, N.W., told police that, between April 7 at 5 p.m. and April 8 at 10 a.m., someone stole the catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway.
• A resident living in the 700 block of Upham Place, N.W., reported that, between April 7 at 9:30 p.m. and April 8 at 11:45 a.m., someone took the catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway.
• A resident living in the 300 block of Park Street, N.E., told Vienna police that between April 7 at 9:30 a.m. and April 8 at 7 p.m. someone stole the catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was legally parked on the roadway.
• A resident living in the 400 block of Holmes Drive, N.W., told police that, between April 8 at noon and April 10 at 4 p.m., someone took the catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway.
Three of these four grand-larceny cases involved older Toyota Priuses, including one 2007 model and two 2008 versions, said a department spokesman. Priuses from that general era have been prime targets for catalytic-converter thieves, Vienna police said during a rash of such cases earlier this year.