Police have arrested four people in connection with multiple home burglaries involving pretend flower deliveries in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced on Jan. 10 that it was investigating five recent home burglaries linked by a woman who was seen on surveillance cameras pretending to deliver flowers. After determining that no one was inside, she alerted two men in a waiting vehicle who broke into the houses and stole cash, purses and other valuable items, police said.
In an update released today (Thursday), police reported that they have now connected seven cases between Dec. 28 and Jan. 11. Burglaries were reported in McLean, Reston, Oakton and Great Falls.
Detectives closed in on the suspects in January after identifying their vehicle, which was then spotted on Jan. 17 in a residential area of Cobb County, Georgia, according to the FCPD.
When contacted by Fairfax County detectives, the Cobb County Police Department reported that the vehicle was involved in a recent burglary in their area. That led to the arrest of four people who were charged with the Cobb County burglary.
“Our detectives traveled to Georgia to coordinate with CCPD detectives and review evidence obtained from the vehicle the suspects were driving when they were arrested,” the FCPD said. “Detectives were able to link the four suspects to multiple burglaries in Fairfax County.”
Detectives obtained warrants on Feb. 7 charging a 34-year-old man, a 27-year-old man, a 23-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman in connection to the Fairfax County burglaries. The charges include burglary, conspiracy to commit a felony and acting as an accessory to a crime.
All of the individuals are currently in custody in Cobb County, which is in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The FCPD says they will be extradited to Fairfax County after the Georgia burglary case is resolved.
Fairfax County police believe a recent series of home burglaries were committed by the same people, based on one suspect’s floral accessories.
Detectives are currently investigating five burglaries that started on Dec. 28 and continued most recently on Tuesday, Jan. 9:
- Dec. 28, 6 p.m. — 900 block of Dominion Reserve Drive in McLean
- Dec. 29, 6 p.m. — 1100 block of Bishopgate Way in Reston
- Jan. 1, 2 a.m. — 1100 block of Windrock Drive in McLean
- Jan. 8, 5:30 p.m. — 11000 block of Lance Lane in Oakton
- Jan. 9, 12:30-6:30 p.m. — 11100 block of Farm Road in Great Falls
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, home surveillance footage from four of the incidents shows a woman with flowers approaching the houses and knocking on the front doors.
“When no one answered, she returned to an awaiting vehicle,” the FCPD said. “Two men then forced entry into the home and stole valuables. The items stolen from the homes included jewelry, cash, and purses.”
Police say the individuals have used spray paint to try to tamper with security cameras at the homes.
The department is now seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the woman using images caught by a Nest camera.
“Anyone who recently had someone attempt to deliver flowers to your home or has seen someone matching the picture above is asked to contact our officers” at 703-556-7750, the FCPD said.
The FCPD reported an uptick in residential burglaries and break-ins last year. Through September, there had been 126 such incidents compared to 115 at that point in 2022.
A man who claimed he was stabbed by two masked strangers outside Dulles Town Center in November now faces charges of filing a false report and embezzlement from the mall’s Sports Nation store where he worked.
On Nov. 10, Fawad Fafa, 44, filed a report with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office claiming to have been a victim of a stabbing in the parking lot of the Dulles Town Center Mall in Sterling.
“Fafa reported that he left the mall and as he got into his vehicle, two males wearing masks approached his vehicle and stabbed him before fleeing in a dark-colored four-door sedan,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Detectives determined the report was fabricated and that Fafa had injured himself, the sheriff’s office said.
On Nov. 8, an employee of the Sports Nation store where Fafa worked reported that during the overnight hours the store had been entered and money was taken. Detectives soon determined that Fafa had taken the money, according to the release.
Fafa was arrested Dec. 15 and charged with two counts of filing a false police report and embezzlement, the release said.
He was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center the next day on a $1,500 bond.
On Dec. 19, at approximately 9:15 p.m., detectives allege Fafa again entered the Sports Nation store and forcibly removed money from the cash register, the release said.
Additional charges were obtained for burglary and embezzlement, and Fafa was arrested by the Fairfax County Police Department. He is being held at the Fairfax County jail.
Image via Google Maps. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
A man was arrested in Maryland earlier this week for allegedly following a woman, assaulting her and trying to break into her house in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Fairfax County police officers and detectives were called to the home in the 5700 block of Poplar Lane near Bailey’s Crossroads at 12:31 a.m. on Dec. 8 for an assault and burglary, according to a news release.
Police say the victim first encountered Antiero Ebai Menyoli, 29, in the parking lot of MGM National Harbor Hotel and Casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland, earlier that evening.
“They talked briefly [and] then the victim got in her vehicle and drove home,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “While driving, the victim noticed a vehicle was following her due to one headlight being brighter than the other.”
Suspecting the other driver was the man she’d talked to in the parking lot, the woman “attempted to lose the vehicle prior to arriving home,” police said. However, Menyoli allegedly approached her as she was walking to the house and assaulted her.
“She was able to break free and run inside her house,” the FCPD said. “Menyoli followed her and broke a glass panel in the victim’s door to gain access to the house. He was unsuccessful and then fled the scene.”
The FCPD says detectives identified Menyoli based on a review of surveillance footage.
He was arrested on Tuesday (Dec. 12) in Prince George’s County and charged with burglary, assault, and property destruction. He is awaiting extradition to Fairfax County, according to the police department.
Police also made an arrest on Tuesday in a string of five burglaries that started on Monday (Dec. 11). The incidents started with a home burglary and the theft of a Nissan Altima in Oakton around 8 p.m. and ended after 9:10 a.m. in Fairfax Station when a 93-year-old woman reported a break-in at her house to 911.
Fairfax County police are looking for a man who allegedly stole a Newington resident’s dog.
Officers were called to the 7500 block of Tralee Woods Court at 7:50 a.m. on Monday (Nov. 27) in response to a reported burglary, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“The victim was alerted by a family friend that her dogs were running loose in the neighborhood. The family friend was able to retrieve two of the three dogs,” police said.
However, the third dog — a French bulldog named Queen — was not found.
According to the FCPD, detectives believe the suspect went into the home and tried to abscond with all three dogs, but he only managed to get away with Queen.
“Surveillance footage showed the suspect carrying Queen to a four-door Nissan, possibly an Altima or Sentra, and leaving the area,” the FCPD said, describing the man’s clothing as a “white t-shirt, gray shorts, and blue Crocs.”
The department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact its West Springfield District Station at 703-644-7377. Anonymous tips are also accepted through Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or online.
A Maryland man arrested in Tysons last week may be behind multiple burglaries in the Tysons and Reston areas, police say.
Officers encountered the man on Oct. 13 inside a building in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive in Tysons after they were called there for a commercial burglary around 6:30 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday (Thursday).
“[The man] was found in possession of burglarious tools, including screwdrivers, and a collection of stolen property,” police said.
The FCPD didn’t detail what kind of property had been stolen or the business that was targeted. Located northeast of The Boro, the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive is filled with office buildings.
Detectives have found “physical and video evidence” connecting the man to “a series of burglaries spanning across the Reston and McLean” police districts, according to the FCPD.
“Detectives are reaching out to the community, urging residents to come forward if they can identify [the man] or recall seeing him inside any other businesses,” the police department said.
The FCPD advises anyone with information to contact its detectives with the McLean station at 703-893-0886 or the Reston station at 703-478-0904. The department also accepts anonymous tips through Crime Solvers, which can be reached by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) or online.
Court records indicate that the man is facing charges for the Oct. 13 incident as well as offenses on May 19 and Oct. 3. The charges include misdemeanor petit larcenies, along with possession of burglary tools and breaking and entering to commit burglary, which are felonies.
The man has been released from custody on a $1,000 bond, according to police. He’s scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 16, per Fairfax County General District Court records.
A man from Maryland was recently arrested in D.C. in connection with a gun store burglary in Newington, the Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Monday).
Arrested by Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents on May 22, the 20-year-old is one of four men suspected by police of stealing 53 firearms from Dominion Defense (7200 Fullerton Road) between 3-4 a.m. on April 29.
According to the FCPD, security footage captured masked men “working together to gain entry into the business through a small opening above the door.”
“The men stole 53 firearms, which were a combination of long guns and handguns,” police said. “The fourth subject remained outside as a lookout. The suspects left in a gray Acura four-door sedan with no front license plate.”
The FCPD said 15 of the 53 stolen guns have been recovered by law enforcement, but didn’t provide details about how the guns were located.
“At this time, we cannot confirm if any guns have been involved in other crimes around the region,” an FCPD spokesperson told FFXnow.
The one identified suspect has been charged with burglary and larceny of firearms. He is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The FCPD, ATF and National Shooting Sports Foundation are still offering a $11,000 reward to community members who provide information that helps identify the remaining suspects.
Detectives in the FCPD’s West Springfield Police District can be contacted at 703-644-7377. The department also accepts anonymous tips through Crime Solvers.
Fairfax County police are looking for a man who allegedly broke into a woman’s home in Chantilly and tried to sexually assault her.
Officers were called to a house on Iberia Circle at 12:02 p.m. yesterday (Thursday). The man entered the woman’s home through an unlocked door “and attempted to sexually assault her,” according to the police.
“The victim was able to escape her house and contact the police,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release today. “The suspect left on foot prior to police arrival. The victim was taken to a local hospital for injuries that were non-life-threatening.”
Police described the man as a stranger to the victim with “straight black hair and a medium build.” At the time of the assault, he was “wearing a long sleeve black shirt, dark pants, and a light blue hospital-style mask,” the FCPD said.
Detectives are investigating the incident as a daytime burglary and attempted sexual assault.
The department said its detectives can be contacted as follows:
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web – Click HERE. Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for a cash reward. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.
Dozens of firearms were stolen from a gun shop in the Newington area in an overnight burglary this past weekend, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Over 50 firearms were taken from Dominion Defense (7200 Fullerton Road) between 3 and 4 a.m. on Saturday (April 29), according to police.
Four masked men were seen on security footage working together to gain entry into the business through a small opening above the door. Three of the four men stole 53 firearms, which were a combination of long guns and handguns. The fourth subject remained outside as a lookout. The suspects left in a gray Acura four-door sedan with no front license plate.
The FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau has now partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation to offer a $11,000 reward for information that will help them identify and locate the suspects.
“ATF will continue to collaborate with our partners by offering our investigative and analytical resources to ensure that the stolen firearms are recovered as quickly as possible,” ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said in a news release. “More often than not, stolen firearms are used in a crime of violence that often leads to someone being injured or killed.”
As of today (Thursday), over 14,000 people in the U.S. have died from gun violence this year, more than half of them by suicide, according to data collected by the independent nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
The FCPD advises anyone with information to contact detectives at its West Springfield Police District by calling 703-644-7377. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing two Latino restaurants in Mount Vernon earlier this month, Fairfax County police announced last week.
Police say surveillance footage showed the man, a resident of the county’s “Alexandria area,” breaking into Mezcalero Restaurant three times and Mana Pupuseria once from Nov. 13-18.
The Fairfax County Police Department had been investigating the burglaries since the first one at Mezcalero was reported on Nov. 13.
The man was arrested on Nov. 19 after officers in the Mount Vernon Police District responded to the Walmart at 7910 Richmond Highway for a larceny report.
“[He] was wearing clothing that matched images seen on surveillance footage from the four previous reported burglaries,” the police department said in its news release. “Through investigation, detectives determined Flores was responsible for the four commercial burglaries.”
According to the FCPD, videos showed the suspect using a brick to destroy the windows of the two restaurants. He stole merchandise and property, but the amounts are still being determined as part of the police investigation, the public affairs bureau told FFXnow.
The man has been charged with four counts each of burglary and destruction of property, vehicle tampering and petit larceny. The burglary charges are felonies, while the others are misdemeanors.
The Fairfax County General District Court confirmed that the man is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Jan. 4.
