Residents at an apartment building in Tysons have been grappling with a series of vehicle thefts and break-ins this summer.
The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating the thefts of at least two vehicles that were reportedly taken from the parking garage of the recently rebranded The Jones at Tysons (1500 Westbranch Drive) in early June.
A police officer responded to the first case on June 5, according to the FCPD.
“The victim reported they last saw their vehicle at 5:00 p.m., the day prior, parked on the second floor of the garage,” the department told FFXnow.
A different vehicle was reported stolen on June 9. According to police, the owner said they had last seen their vehicle at 8 p.m. the previous night and noticed that it was missing the following morning. The vehicle was found in D.C. on June 10, but the identity of the thief remains unknown.
Another resident said their car had been vandalized sometime between 4 p.m. on June 8 and 6 p.m. on June 9, sharing a photo of the shattered driver’s seat window. The message was posted on the apartment building’s mobile app for residents and shared with FFXnow.
The FCPD says it doesn’t have any records of a vandalism incident at that time, suggesting the person may not have reported it to the police.
Bozzuto, the company that manages The Jones, didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time, but the building’s general manager acknowledged that there had been “several” cars stolen recently in a message to residents on June 10:
Dear Residents,
I would like to make you aware of a couple of incidents that recently took place in our community.
Over the past several days, several cars parked within the garage were stolen. Along with a reported break-in. These unfortunate circumstances have been reported to the Fairfax County Police Department and management is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. If you have any relevant information, we encourage you to contact Fairfax County Police Department.
The safety and security of our residents is one of our top priorities. Please take a minute to review these tips from the National Crime Prevention Council to help keep our community safe:
- Always lock your cars and be aware of your surroundings as you enter and exit your vehicles.
- Do not leave valuables in plain sight.
- Stay alert and tune into your surroundings, wherever you are.
- Be alert when entering and exiting the building.
- Make sure the doors to the building, including garage doors, close behind you when you enter and exit and do not allow unfamiliar visitors to enter the community.
- If you are ever uncomfortable with a situation, we ask that you dial 911.
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am always here to help.
The vehicle thefts at The Jones came on the heels of a spate of vehicle break-ins and larceny incidents in Tysons earlier this year. Between Jan. 5 and April 6, the FCPD responded to 20 different vehicle break-ins — most of them in the area of Jones Branch Drive and Westbranch Drive — that it believes were committed by the same person.
The FCPD announced on June 25 that a 34-year-old Maryland man was arrested on Tuesday (June 24) in connection with those vehicle break-ins and larcenies.
“He is being held at Prince George’s County Jail awaiting extradition back to Fairfax County where he will be charged with three counts of Felony Credit Card Theft, three counts of Credit Card Fraud, and three counts of Destruction of Property,” the FCPD said.
Investigations into the incidents at The Jones at Tysons, however, remain ongoing.
