Local police recently arrested a man who’s believed to be behind multiple criminal incidents targeting the Sunset Business Park in Herndon, including two arson attempts.
The Herndon Police Department (HPD) dispatched officers to 268 Sunset Park Drive at 5:17 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 1) for a larceny after a security camera was reportedly stolen from one of the storefronts.
“A male subject stole the Ring camera. It is still recording,” the dispatcher said, as captured on the police scanner. “It is going to be the same subject who’s been setting the fires and damaging the property.”
The man was already under investigation by the Fairfax County Office of the Fire Marshal for allegedly attempting to start a fire outside the same business around 7:25 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 30), according to HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon.
“There was minor damage to the front awning of the building,” she told FFXnow.
While police didn’t identify the business, per scanner traffic, HPD officers responded to a property destruction call at 266 Sunset Park Drive, which belongs to the Reston Community Players and serves as a rehearsal, office and storage space.
In response to the security camera theft on Monday, the HPD notified the fire marshal’s office and enlisted the Fairfax County Police Department, including its Fairfax 1 helicopter, for assistance with a search for the man.
However, the search came up empty until police received another call around 9 p.m. that day for a “suspicious person” at 266 Sunset Park Drive.
“Subject is back at the business, knocking on the door,” the dispatcher said. “… There are currently people inside the business practicing.”
With support from the FCPD’s helicopter and K9 unit as well as Herndon’s drone team, officers ultimately tracked the man down in a “wooded area” near Fairfax County Parkway, according to the HPD.
Herndon police have charged the man with two counts of petit larceny, two counts of property destruction and attempted burglary — a felony. He remains in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center following a bond hearing on Wednesday (Sept. 3), online court records show.
The Fairfax County General District Court has scheduled a preliminary hearing for the case on Dec. 8.
“This incident highlights the strong partnership between HPD and FCPD, which brought a safe resolution to a dangerous situation, and our partnership with the @ffxfirerescue’s Office of the Fire Marshal, which continues to support this investigation,” the Herndon department said on social media.
The fire marshal hasn’t sought any charges in connection to the arson attempts yet, “as the case remains under investigation,” Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt says.
Reston Community Players Board President Michael Barret Jones confirmed to FFXnow that the all-volunteer theater group has been targeted by “a number of incidents” this summer. Its location near the woods is relatively isolated within the business park, perhaps making it more vulnerable to vandalism and other issues.
In addition to the recent security camera theft and attempted break-in, the organization has seen rocks thrown through its windows and at members, and in one case, someone set a fire in an access hallway that resulted in water damage to “multiple businesses,” according to Barret Jones.
“No one has been physically hurt by any of the damage, though it has been emotionally challenging,” he said.
Both Reston Community Players and Herndon police say the man arrested on Monday doesn’t have appear to have any connection to the theater or its members.
While the investigation continues, the group is continuing to rehearse its first show of the upcoming 2025-2026 season — a production of “The Rocky Horror Show” that’s slated to premiere at the Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods on Oct. 10.
The community players also rent out the rehearsal hall at Sunset Business Park to two other groups that regularly use it for classes.
“We are all working together to report incidents, protect each other, take safety precautions like leaving in groups, and all want to return to the business of creating art, teaching and building the next generation of performing artists,” Barret Jones said. “Thus far, we have repaired several broken windows and replaced cameras. We are still working to ascertain the repair needs of the areas that were damaged by arson.”
