Fairfax County police have made headway on a months-long investigation into over a dozen thefts targeting local liquor stores.
Detectives believe the crimes were all committed by the same “crew,” identifying a man arrested in Alexandria and three juvenile individuals as suspects, though others may also be involved, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Monday) in a news release.
The thefts date back to March 14 and involve stores from McLean and Tysons down to Lorton.
“Since March, detectives have investigated a crew that has been targeting ABC stores, loading carts with alcohol and fleeing in a vehicle before police could arrive,” the FCPD said. “This crew has been linked to 15 ABC store thefts and over $72,000 in stolen merchandise.”
The suspects include a 27-year-old man from D.C. who was arrested in Alexandria on Memorial Day (May 27) after allegedly robbing a Virginia ABC store in the Alexandria Commons shopping center on Duke Street and fleeing in a stolen vehicle that he then crashed.
The man was accompanied by three juvenile passengers who were also arrested that day, FFXnow’s sister site ALXnow reported.
The FCPD says its detectives determined after “an extensive investigation” that the man is also linked to several ABC store thefts in Fairfax County, starting with incidents at the one in Lincolnia (6206 Little River Turnpike) on March 14 and May 9.
He has been charged with robbery, five counts of grand larceny, five counts of larceny with intent to sell, five counts of transporting alcohol, five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, property destruction and organized retail theft.
The three juveniles were arrested again in D.C. on June 27 and face charges in Fairfax County of grand larceny and larceny with intent to sell.
Despite the arrests, the thefts have continued. In addition to the Lincolnia and Alexandria stores, ABC locations hit during the spree have included:
- May 10: Springfield Plaza
- May 18: Leesburg Pike Plaza (3501B South Jefferson Street) in Bailey’s Crossroads
- May 21: McLean Shopping Center (1445B Chain Bridge Road)
- May 22: Shoppes of Lorton Valley (8951 Ox Road)
- May 24: Huntington Gateway (5940 Richmond Highway)
- May 31: Belle View Shopping Center (1524 Belle View Blvd)
- June 11: Leesburg Pike Plaza
- June 12: McLean Shopping Center
- June 12: Merrifield Plaza (8105 Route 29)
- June 17: Lorton Marketplace (9421 Lorton Market Street)
- June 20: 8413 Old Courthouse Road in Tysons
- July 2: Leesburg Pike Plaza
- July 4: Burke Centre Shopping Center (5709 Burke Centre Parkway)
An FCPD spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow that the investigation is ongoing, and multiple other individuals may be involved. The department is asking anyone with information to contact its McLean District Station detectives at 703-566-7750.
An Arlington County police spokeswoman, meanwhile, was asked whether there was evidence of a link between the Fairfax suspects and any of the more than 150 ABC store thefts there so far this year.
“The investigation into thefts at Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores in Arlington County are ongoing and detectives continue to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to determine if any Arlington cases are linked regionally,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told our sister site ARLnow.
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