Fairfax County Police Department

FCPD: Falls Church HS teacher and others charged in online child exploitation operation

Published February 11, 2025 at 1:15PM | Updated February 11, 2025 at 1:31PM

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announces arrests by child exploitation unit detectives on Feb. 11, 2025 (via FCPD/Facebook)

A recent online operation conducted by child exploitation detectives resulted in seven arrests, including that of a Falls Church High School teacher, the Fairfax County Police Department announced this morning (Tuesday).

Richard Berkowitz, a health and physical education teacher at the school in West Falls Church, was arrested on Jan. 29, two days into the operation, but Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid was asked to hold off on notifying the community so the operation could continue, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a press conference.

Countywide

Fairfax County police launch program to tap into community surveillance footage

By Jared Serre

Published February 11, 2025 at 9:45AM

The Ring floodlight (photo courtesy of Ring)

A new program launched by the Fairfax County Police Department hopes to take advantage of the increasing popularity of Ring doorbells and other at-home security systems.

Connect Fairfax County, announced by the department at the end of January, will allow law enforcement to leverage surveillance cameras to hopefully speed up investigations.

News

JUST IN: FCPS teacher charged with sexually assaulting students

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 7, 2025 at 2:20PM | Updated February 7, 2025 at 3:43PM

Fairview Elementary School teacher John Barger has been charged with sexual assault (via FCPD)

A local elementary school teacher is facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting two students.

Fairfax County’s Child Protective Services received a tip on Jan. 17 reporting that a student at Fairview Elementary School (5815 Ox Road) in Fairfax Station had been sexually assaulted by a teacher, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

News

FCPD charges man with armed carjacking on Columbia Pike

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 6, 2025 at 3:55PM

Fairfax County police say they found in a vehicle that was reportedly carjacked on Columbia Pike in Annandale (via FCPD)

A man has been charged with an alleged armed carjacking in Annandale yesterday (Wednesday) that led to an arrest in Tysons.

Fairfax County police officers were dispatched to the 7000 block of Columbia Pike around 7:32 p.m. after a caller reported being carjacked “at gunpoint,” according to scanner traffic.

News

FCPD: Springfield man charged with attempted sexual assault

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 5, 2025 at 8:15AM

Police have charged Yapheth Ably Emiru with allegedly attempting to sexually assault a woman in Springfield (courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)

A man who tried to sexually assault a woman near the Springfield Crossing apartments late last month has been arrested, Fairfax County police announced yesterday (Tuesday).

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, officers were called to the 6700 block of Metropolitan Center Drive shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 for a report of an abduction and an attempted sexual assault.

News

Police charge teen with stabbing officer in Fair Lakes, release footage of incident

By Jared Serre

Published February 4, 2025 at 3:55PM | Updated February 4, 2025 at 4:26PM

In-car video shows a man grabbing a Fairfax County police officer in Fair Lakes (courtesy FCPD)

A 16-year-old boy has been identified as the alleged perpetrator in the stabbing of a police officer in Fair Lakes yesterday (Monday).

The unnamed juvenile appeared to have charged at an officer responding to the scene in the 12800 block of Fair Lakes Parkway before attempting to strike him with a knife, according to footage released today (Tuesday) from police body and in-car cameras.

News

NOW: Fairfax County police officer stabbed in Fair Lakes area

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 3, 2025 at 4:50PM

Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a Fairfax County police officer.

Officers responded to the 12800 block of Fair Lakes Pkwy at around 2:47 p.m. for a “suspicious person” after 911 received “several calls” from someone who was rambling, according to scanner traffic.

News

Substitute teacher charged with assaulting student at Reston school

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 3, 2025 at 9:00AM

Dogwood Elementary School sign (via Google Maps)

A Fairfax County Public Schools substitute teacher has been arrested and dismissed from her job for allegedly assaulting a student at Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive).

The county’s Child Protective Services received a referral on Sept. 25, 2024 indicating that a substitute teacher had assaulted a student at the Reston school, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release on Saturday (Feb. 1).

News

FCPD makes arrests in two burglary sprees, investigates another

By Jared Serre

Published January 31, 2025 at 11:15AM

A parked Fairfax County police car (file photo)

Local law enforcement is still on the lookout for one suspected serial burglar, despite arresting two others in recent days.

The Fairfax County Police Department is seeking help from the community to identify a man believed to have perpetrated two burglaries and two larcenies in nine days.

News

FCPD: Woman struck in hit-and-run crash on Richmond Highway has died

By Angela Woolsey

Published January 31, 2025 at 8:15AM

The Richmond Highway and Buckman Road intersection in Hybla Valley (via Google Maps)

One of the pedestrians struck in a hit-and-run crash on Richmond Highway earlier this week has died, police say.

Erica Tibbs, 33, of Alexandria and her 5-year-old child were crossing Richmond Highway (Route 1) near the Buckman Road intersection in Hybla Valley around 8:34 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 29) when an SUV driver hit them, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.