(Updated at 4:25 p.m. on 3/28/2024) Fairfax County police have arrested an Arlington man who allegedly shot two women, including his wife, at a day care center in West Springfield.
Officers were dispatched to the West Springfield KinderCare at 8518 Bauer Drive at around 2:14 p.m., according to the police scanner on Open MHz.
“Right now, all we have is an unknown suspect shooting outside, still trying to get more,” the dispatcher said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe Julio Pascual Sejas, 41, of Arlington, approached the day care center in an attempt to speak to his wife, who works there, Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Brooke Wright said at a press conference around 5:15 p.m.
When she declined to open the front door, Sejas fired three shots through the door, hitting his wife and another employee of the day care, Wright says. Both women were transported to a hospital with injuries determined to be not life-threatening.
There were more than 70 children inside KinderCare at the time of the shooting, but none of them witnessed it or appear to even have registered that it happened, according to Wright. The children were evacuated to the West Springfield District Police Station (6140 Rolling Road), where they have all now been reunited with their parents or guardians.
“I’m so relieved that kids were not harmed today, because we are talking too much about kids and gun violence that’s happening,” Wright said. “We want parents to know that we’re going to be protecting children as best we can.”
The FCPD announced at 6:37 p.m. that Sejas has been arrested. Detectives had obtained warrants charging him with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and three counts of shooting into a school building.
The arrest occurred within three hours of detectives obtaining the warrants. According to a news release from the FCPD, detectives found Sejas at Dulles International Airport, where “he was attempting to pick up family members who were arriving in Virginia.”
At the earlier press conference, Wright said no protective order was sought against Sejas “to my knowledge,” but the nature of his relationship with his wife is still under investigation. He is currently in custody without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
KinderCare offers day care and after-school programs for kids ranging from toddlers to 12 years old, including programs that are available during school breaks.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police officers issued almost 5,700 citations and warnings during the first phase of their year-long “Road Shark” safety campaign, the department announced this morning (Wednesday).
A collaboration with the Virginia State Police, the initiative aims to crack down on aggressive and unsafe driving by increasing patrols in high-crash areas and promoting education about traffic laws and responsible driving behavior.
“Our dedicated officers and Virginia State Troopers play a pivotal role in the effectiveness of this campaign aimed at curbing the presence of reckless drivers in Fairfax County,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
The first wave of this year’s campaign took place during the week of March 17-23. Some drivers were caught speeding over 100 mph, including in a 35-mph zone in at least one case, according to the FCPD.
The 5,695 warnings and citations issued exceeded the 3,786 violations recorded in the first wave of last year’s “Road Shark” campaign, which launched around the same time in response to a surge of pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Like last year’s effort, the 2024 campaign will consist of four week-long waves. The second one will begin on April 22, the FCPD says.
Photo via FCPD
A man who sexually assaulted two women in the Annandale area on consecutive days last week is now in custody, police say.
Kevin Lopez Altan, 24, of Annandale was arrested on Friday (March 22) after allegedly raping a business owner multiple times two days earlier and separately attacking a Northern Virginia Community College student the previous day, the Fairfax County Police Department announced this afternoon (Monday).
At a press conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described the assault against the business owner in particular as “abhorrent and inhumane.”
“There is no reason beyond he is evil personified. He’s brutal in his attacks on women. He’s relentless in his attacks on women,” Davis said. “…We’re proud that we were able to put him in handcuffs, but we can’t begin to explain criminal misconduct like his.”
According to police, a man tried to enter a business near John Marr Drive around 11 a.m. on Wednesday (March 20). Since the business was closed, the owner, a 59-year-old woman, told him that he couldn’t enter two times before he forced himself inside when she opened the door to tell him a third time.
The man then held the woman captive inside her own business for “several hours,” police said.
“Throughout this nightmare, the suspect sexually assaulted the victim repeatedly and threatened to kill her if she didn’t do exactly what he told her to do,” Sully District Station Captain Dan Spital said. “The victim found the moment when the suspect’s attention was diverted and bravely took that opportunity to escape.”
After escaping, the woman managed to run to a nearby business, where she asked someone for help. The 911 call came in at 10:13 pm., according to the FCPD.
While investigating the case, FCPD detectives learned that the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Police were looking into an attempted sexual assault that had been reported around 8:50 p.m. on Thursday (March 21) at its Annandale campus.
The 20-year-old woman who got attacked is a current student and was able to get assistance from a nearby student in fending off the assault, NOVA Police Chief William “Jake” Jacoby said at the press conference.
After comparing notes, including a composite sketch created by the FCPD, investigators from the two departments determined they were looking for the same individual, according to Spital.
Lopez Alton was identified by a NOVA Police officer who coincidentally recognized a description from FCPD detectives of the suspect’s “unique” tattoos and “mannerisms.” The officer had encountered Lopez Alton in his previous work as a Fairfax County sheriff’s deputy.
When FCPD investigators found that Lopez Alton’s fingerprints matched ones found at the Annandale business, police launched a manhunt for him, targeting shopping centers around Annandale where he was “known to hang out,” Spital said. He was ultimately arrested in the Heritage Center (7617 Little River Turnpike) round 1:20 p.m. on Friday. Read More
An 18-year-old suspect turned himself in last night in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old Westfield High School student on Wednesday (March 20), police say.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced the arrest of Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon at a press conference this morning (Friday).
Police suspect Cruz-Delcid knew the victim, who died after being shot outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon. Another teen was shot at during the two rounds of firing but managed to escape without injury.
The FCPD identified Cruz-Delcid as a suspect in the shooting yesterday. He has been charged with second-degree murder, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and felony distribution of cocaine.
The drug charge stems from “a previous narcotics investigation,” police previously stated.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a verbal argument between the three teens in the hotel parking lot.
Police Chief Kevin Davis emphasized that, while it’s unclear if the encounter was gang-related, the victims knew each other, characterizing the encounter as a “neighborhood association.”
Davis lamented the proliferation of guns in small disputes as a nationwide challenge.
“Seemingly petty disputes are resolved with firearms,” Davis said.
Police said that the teens were involved in ongoing verbal disputes that remain under investigation.
Cruz-Delcid turned himself shortly after 11 p.m. last night after a discussion between law enforcement and an attorney. He did not provide any statement to police and is being held without bond.
The suspected shooter recently graduated from Mountain View Alternative High School in Centreville, according to police.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said the school system is providing counseling to students at Westfield and Herndon High School, along with other high schools on an as-needed basis.
Fairfax County police are still searching for a teen who they believe fatally shot another teenager yesterday (Thursday) outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon.
The Fairfax County Police Department has identified Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon as the suspect in the shooting, which allegedly followed a physical altercation between three teens.
The encounter began after Cruz-Delcid pulled into the hotel’s parking lot in the 13700 block of Coppermine Road yesterday afternoon, according to police. At some point, he and two other teens began fighting.
“Cruz-Delcid then disengaged from the fight, pulled out a firearm, and shot at the victims,” the FCPD said. “Only one of the victims was struck and the second victim was not injured. Cruz-Delcid left his Honda Civic at the scene and took off on foot after the shooting.”
Officers arrived the scene shortly after 3:35 p.m. and found the teen who got shot suffering from gun shot wounds “to the upper body,” police said. After attempting life-saving measures, responders transported the boy to a hospital, where he died.
At a media briefing yesterday, FCPD Deputy Chief Brooke Wright said at least three shots were fired, and it wasn’t yet clear how many hit the victim. Another teen who wasn’t hit remained at the scene.
Police said the shooter was seen headed toward neighboring Coates Elementary School, prompting Fairfax County Public Schools to place the school under secured status just before students were scheduled to leave.
Detectives have obtained warrants that would charge Cruz-Delcid with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The FCPD says he is involved in “a previous narcotics investigation,” prompting detectives to also get a warrant for cocaine distribution.
“Our officers, our Fugitive Track and Apprehension Unit, and our Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau are working to locate Cruz-Delcid,” the FCPD said.
Updated at 2:40 p.m. on 3/22/2024 — An 18-year-old from Herndon has been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting in McNair, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.
Earlier: A teen has died after getting shot at a hotel in the McNair area of Herndon near Dulles International Airport.
Fairfax County police were dispatched to the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the 13700 block of Coppermine Road around 3:33 p.m. for the shooting. A dispatcher reported that the suspect was seen fleeing on foot in the direction of Coates Elementary School, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
One teen was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Brooke Wright announced in a media briefing shortly before 6 p.m. that the teen had died.
“We have a teenager who’s dead and shouldn’t be, and I can’t imagine anything more devastating for that kid’s family,” Wright said. “We take this very, very seriously.”
Coates Elementary was put on “secure the building” status, meaning that there’s police activity in the area but it’s “unrelated to the school itself,” according to a Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson. Students are typically dismissed from classes at 4 p.m.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the shooting stemmed from a “physical altercation” between three teens who were all known to each other.
“At some point, they separated physically,” Wright said. “The suspect pulled a firearm and shot at least three rounds. We don’t know how many struck the victim…and there is also a victim who was also a teenager who was shot at and not struck.”
Police are still searching the area for an individual believed to be the shooter, Wright said, noting that the FCPD has “deployed a lot of resources.” Since the person is still believed to have the gun used in the shooting, the searching officers are “heavily armed.”
Officers are on scene of a shooting in the 13000 blk of Coppermine Rd in McNair. A teenager was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The suspect is described a Hispanic male wearing all black clothing. Call 911 w/ any info. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/0aO9QCuz6b
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 20, 2024
Image via Google Maps
(Updated at 4:20 p.m. on 3/25/2024) Schools in Vienna, Herndon and Fort Belvoir have or are at risk of losing their crossing guards due to budget constraints facing the Fairfax County Police Department.
The Vienna Town Council and Mayor Linda Colbert were informed at a recent work session that the county will no longer provide crossing guards for any schools in the town’s limits because of a lack of funding, Councilmember Howard Springsteen shared at the council’s meeting on Monday (March 18).
The nine affected crossings would instead need to be covered by the Vienna Police Department, which doesn’t have sufficient staffing to handle the added duties, according to Springsteen, whose comments were first reported by Patch.
“Schools are not our responsibility. It’s a county responsibility,” he said. “…I know the mayor’s been working on this and the council’s been pretty upset about this. We’re working on that, but people need to be aware of some of the issues we deal with behind the scenes.”
Vienna isn’t the only place affected. The FCPD said it would also eliminate coverage for one crossing each in Herndon and Fort Belvoir, according to a letter from Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
The Herndon Police Department says it was notified late last fall that FCPD was removing its officers from a crossing at Herndon Elementary School, effective Jan. 1. Because only one spot was affected, the town was able to fill the gap.
“Herndon does not have a school crossing guard program, but we take the safety of our kids very seriously,” HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon said. “Unlike the Town of Vienna, which has been left with multiple vacancies as a result of the crossing guards being removed, we have only one crossing and have managed to cover it with patrol officers each day.”
Fort Belvoir has also taken over crossing guard duties at its on-base school, according to March 19 memo from the FCPD to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The crosswalk covered by an FCPD officer was across Meeres Road in front of Fort Belvoir Upper School and the Child Development Center, Fort Belvoir Public Affairs told FFXnow.
The Army installation says it’s “currently working with FCPD, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Fort Belvoir Elementary school leadership to discuss a way ahead.”
“As we gather more information, Fort Belvoir will be in a better position to decide on the best way to ensure crosswalk safety,” Fort Belvoir Public Affairs said. “The safety of our children remains our number one priority.”
The FCPD indicated in a statement to FFXnow that discussions about how to handle the school crossings in Vienna are still in the preliminary stages.
“Given the primary jurisdiction responsibilities afforded to the Town of Vienna for law enforcement and public safety, the FCPD has engaged the Vienna Police Department in preliminary discussions surrounding school crossing coverages,” the department said. “As our conversations continue, all school crossing coverages will be handled by the FCPD.” Read More
Local police are searching for two suspects who reportedly attempted to rob a bank on Fox Mill Road just outside Reston.
Police believe that two men in a black Audi SUV entered the drive-thru of Wells Fargo at 2575 John Milton Drive on March 14 at 10:47 a.m. and demanded money via a note.
The note contained a message threatening the employee, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The two suspects then drove away with “nothing in hand.” No weapons were displayed during the interaction and no one was injured.
“Officers and detectives searched the area extensively, but the suspects were not found,” the FCPD said, describing the men as being in their early to mid-20’s and wearing dark clothing.
Here’s how to provide FCPD with information about the incident:
Those with information are asked to please call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 5. 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 and follow the steps to “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.” Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.
Local and state police are on the prowl once again for dangerous driving behaviors.
The Fairfax County Police Department and Virginia State Police announced yesterday (Monday) that they have launched a “Road Shark” enforcement and education campaign for a second year with the goal of reducing aggressive driving and crashes.
Phased out for a time after getting introduced in 1999, the initiative was revived last year in response to a surge in pedestrian fatalities in 2022. With the campaign, officers issued nearly 25,000 citations and warnings during four week-long “waves” involving increased visibility and enforcement of traffic laws, particularly in locations with frequent crashes or safety issues.
The FCPD says the first “Road Shark” campaign helped the county make “significant strides in promoting safer roads.”
“Through the efforts of our officers, partners, and engaged drivers, we saw a remarkable decrease in traffic incidents and a notable improvement in overall road safety last year,” the police department said.
According to state data, the total number of crashes in Fairfax County went up in 2023, as did the number of injuries, but fatalities dropped to 42 after soaring to 66 in 2022 — the most since Virginia’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) launched in 2010. Ten of the people killed in crashes last year were pedestrians compared to 32 in 2022.
Less than three full months into 2024, however, the county’s death toll has already reached nine for people killed in vehicles — most recently, in a head-on collision on Fairfax County Parkway — and five for pedestrians, two of them on Richmond Highway, two on I-495 and one on Buckman Road in Mount Vernon.
The I-495 and Buckman Road fatal crashes all occurred in the morning of March 10.
Like last year, this year’s “Road Shark” campaign will combine enforcement with education, all based on data collected by police, according to the FCPD:
- High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE): FCPD officers will be strategically conduct enforcement and education areas all over the county to deter unsafe driving behaviors. Officers will be looking for an array of traffic violations including aggressive driving, excessive speeding, driving under the influence, school zone violations, distracted driving, and others. A recent NHTSA synthesis of studies concluded that high-visibility enforcement efforts such as these reduced crashes and improved safety outcomes in study locations.
- Community Engagement and Education: FCPD encourages all community members to play an active role in road safety by adhering to traffic laws, promoting responsible driving behavior, and reporting any concerns to local law enforcement. Road Shark 2024 will involve community engagement, communication, and education to help educate our residents on safe driving practices and raise awareness about the importance of road safety.
- Data-Informed Decision Making: Fairfax County police officers, along with Virginia State troopers, will utilize data-informed enforcement strategies and operations that target areas with high crash concentrations to reduce crashes. This allows us to identify trends, address specific areas of concern, and implement effective strategies to best address road safety issues.
“The Road Shark campaign will once again bring together law enforcement, community organizations, and community members to address and mitigate traffic safety challenges,” the FCPD said. “Through increased patrols, targeted enforcement, and educational outreach, the FCPD aims to create a safer and more secure environment for all road users.”
A Pimmit Hills man has been accused of possessing child porn and having sex with a teenager who was reported missing in New York.
Detectives arrested 20-year-old Muammer Steve Demir on Friday (March 15) after they found him with the teen at a house in the 7300 block of Sportsman Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Monday).
Demir was in possession of child sexual abuse material when police arrived at the house, according to the FCPD.
The FCPD says its Missing Person Unit and Child Exploitation Unit detectives were notified yesterday that a missing teen from New York may be in Fairfax County, and their investigation led them to Demir’s house.
“Detectives learned Demir drove to New York in August of 2023 and then brought the juvenile back to Virginia,” the FCPD said.
Demir has been charged with having carnal knowledge of a child and possessing child abuse material, but additional charges are expected, according to police. He’s currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The teen has been reunited with her family, the FCPD said.
After an arraignment on March 15, Demir is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 25, per Fairfax County General District Court records.
