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Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) A man was arrested at 10 p.m. last night after he barricaded himself and a woman in a home in Fair Oaks, prompting a police response.

Officers were currently on the scene in the 4100 block of Park Chase Drive, which is the Parkside at Fairfax Corner community yesterday afternoon and into the night.

The Fairfax County Police Department said at 5:11 p.m. that the man is “possibly armed,” advising community members to avoid the area as its officers work to resolve the situation.

Police were dispatched to the townhome at 4:05 p.m. for a “domestic dispute” that the dispatcher described as a priority, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

According to the dispatcher, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office had gone to the home earlier today (Monday) to serve a protective order. Neither the FCPD or the sheriff’s office was immediately available to confirm that.

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A Virginia State Police vehicle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

An Alexandria man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly shooting at another vehicle on I-66 in what state police are calling a “road rage incident.”

Daniel L. Serrano, 24, “fired several rounds” at a black Honda sedan from the white Honda he was driving on I-66 near Compton Road outside Centreville on Tuesday (Aug. 22), according to the Virginia State Police.

The driver of the black Honda — an adult man — was hit by the gunfire and transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with injuries considered serious but not life-threatening, police said. There was also an adult woman in the car who didn’t get injured.

“At this stage of the investigation, it appears the adult male driver of a black Honda sedan threw an object at a white Honda sedan while the two vehicles were traveling east on I-66,” VSP said in an update yesterday (Wednesday).

By the time troopers responded to the shooting at 1:08 p.m., both vehicles had pulled off to the side of I-66 near the 50-mile marker, according to police. Troopers found Serrano and a firearm at the scene and arrested him without incident, per the news release.

Currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, Serrano has been charged with a felony count of malicious wounding and a felony count of shooting into an occupied vehicle.

According to Fairfax County court records, he previously faced property destruction charges for incidents on Feb. 25 and March 1, 2021 that got dropped or dismissed. He was also cited on Feb. 14 of this year for failure to obey a highway lane marking, an infraction that was dismissed yesterday.

After an arraignment yesterday, Serrano is scheduled to get a preliminary hearing on the shooting charges at 2 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Fairfax County police helicopter (file photo)

One person was hospitalized after a driver shot at their car while they were traveling on I-66 just outside Centreville.

Virginia State Police responded to a call for a shooting on I-66 East near Compton Road at 1:08 p.m., according to the VSP.

“At this stage of the investigation, it has been determined that two Honda sedans were traveling east on I-66 when the driver of the white Honda began shooting at the other Honda,” police said in a news release. “Both vehicles pulled over to the side of the interstate near the 50 mile marker.”

One of two people in the other Honda was hit and taken to a hospital to get treatment of injuries not considered life-threatening.

Police haven’t provided any identifying information yet, but a dispatcher told the responding troopers at 1:10 p.m. that a caller said her husband had been shot in the leg, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

A Fairfax County police helicopter was dispatched to the scene, but troopers quickly reported that the suspect had been detained. VSP says the suspect remained at the scene and was taken into custody “without incident.”

As police investigate the incident, the VSP is asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or any other interactions between the two vehicles to call 703-803-0026 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

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Police say several weapons were discovered during their investigation of golf cart robberies at Hidden Creek Country Club (via FCPD)

Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with a series of golf cart robberies at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston.

Police arrested an 18-year-old from Lynchburg, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old in connection with an Aug. 16 incident.

That day, around 6:40 p.m., one of the teenagers reportedly brandished a gun when an employee approached the group of teens, who were suspected of stealing golf carts in the past. During the verbal fight, one teenager brandished a gun, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Later, around 8:06 p.m., the same group of teenagers reportedly stole a golf cart and crashed it. The group then robbed a party of golfers at gunpoint and drove away.

In both instances, police failed to find the individuals despite a helicopter-assisted search.

Police told FFXnow that three golf carts were also stolen on Aug. 13, but the management of the golf course did not seek to prosecute the case. The golf carts were recovered after a chase.

The FCPD announced yesterday (Sunday) that the individuals had been arrested and charged.

The 18-year-old faces a charge of possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. The 16-year-old was charged with possession of Schedule I/II Narcotics, and possession of a firearm while in possession of certain substances. The 14-year-old was charged with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and underage possession of a firearm.

Four guns and suspected narcotics were discovered during the course of the investigation, police said.

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Fairfax County police vehicle with blue lights on (file photo)

(Updated at 9:05 p.m.) Local police are investigating an armed robbery that took place last night (Wednesday) at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston.

Police arrived on the scene at around 8 p.m. to investigate the incident. No injuries were reported. 

At least one suspect reportedly displayed a handgun, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Police Department told FFXnow.

“This incident is still an active investigation, and no other information can be provided at this time,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

According to the county’s police scanner, six juveniles were seen near the 15th hole on the golf course. A female individual reportedly displayed a hand gun.

The juveniles were reportedly seen attempting to steal golf carts, according to the scanner.

Earlier this month, police confirmed that several golf carts were stolen from the golf course at 1711 Clubhouse Road and later recovered.

FCPD did not provide any additional information about the incidents.

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A Fairfax County police car (file photo)

An Arlington man was arrested in Alexandria yesterday (Tuesday) for a shooting incident that occurred in Bailey’s Crossroads earlier this month.

Fairfax County police officers were called to the Lion’s Den Lounge at 5820 Seminary Road around 4 a.m. on July 16 after getting a report of gunshots being fired.

Based on a preliminary investigation, detectives believe that 25-year-old Arlington resident Abdulkerim Halid fired two shots into the ground during “a dispute with a group of men in the lounge,” the Fairfax County Police Department says.

“Two adult females were injured from bullet fragments and debris,” the FCPD said. “They were taken to a nearby hospital for injuries not considered to be life-threatening. Halid was identified as the shooter, but he left the scene prior to police arrival.”

The FCPD arrested Halid “without incident” in Alexandria City yesterday with assistance from the Alexandria Police Department.

Halid faces two charges of reckless handling of a firearm, a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia that can be elevated to a Class 6 felony if the act caused “serious bodily injury.” A Class 1 misdemeanor carries a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500.

He’s currently in custody without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Police say Brandon Wims was shot multiple times while in a car at the Old Mill Gardens apartments in Mount Vernon (via Google Maps)

A Mount Vernon man will be tried for murder after allegedly shooting and killing Brandon Wims outside the Old Mill Gardens apartments in October.

A grand jury indicted 43-year-old Kyjuan Trott-McLean today (Monday) for murder and three weapons charges, according to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.

“The death of Brandon Wims is a tragedy,” Descano said in a statement. “I want to thank our Fairfax County Police for their dedication to this case and the policework that led to the arrest of the defendant.”

Trott-McLean was arrested on Dec. 1, 2022, almost two months after Fairfax County police identified him as their suspect in Wims’s fatal shooting.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Wims was shot multiple times around 7 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2022 while sitting in a car with two other people in the 5800 block of St Gregorys Lane.

The driver took Wims to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died, while the vehicle’s two other occupants were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said at the time.

The FCPD said a preliminary investigation suggested that Trott-McLean had approached the car on foot and fired into the vehicle after an “altercation.” He left the scene in a silver Nissan Maxima.

Police advertised a $11,000 reward for Trott-McLean before he was arrested in the 3800 block of Colonial Avenue near Woodley Hills Elementary School following a brief vehicle pursuit.

In addition to the murder charge, Trott-McLean has been charged with using a firearm in commission of a felony, possessing a firearm as a felon, and concealing a firearm as a felon.

A court date for the case will be set on Thursday (July 20), according to Descano’s office.

Photo via Google Maps

Pazzo Pomodoro in Vienna (via Google Maps)

Late night drinks ended in a round of fisticuffs at Vienna’s Pazzo Pomodoro last Wednesday (July 12).

Officers were called to the Italian restaurant at 118 Branch Road SE around 1:30 a.m. after getting a report of a fight, the Vienna Police Department said in a summary of notable incidents from the week of July 7-13.

According to the report, bystanders told police that the conflict began when a man made “comments about a couple” at the restaurant’s bar, which is open until 1 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays.

“One of the other patrons was offended by the comments and asked the man to stop,” the VPD said. “When the man continued with the comments, a fight ensued between the man, the patron, and the patron’s adult son.”

Other customers and employees were able to break up the fight before the police arrived and advised those involved of the process for pursuing charges, should they opt to go that route, according to the VPD.

In a separate, belatedly documented incident, police went to the 200 block of Harmony Drive SW on June 2 to settle a dispute between a resident and a group of teen boys.

Officers received two calls about the incident: one from the resident and another from a caller who claimed the resident had brandished a handgun.

The resident advised she heard a loud banging at her front door and she observed several teenage boys standing by the curb. The resident yelled at the boys, swearing and using racial slurs. When the boys began cursing back she called the police. The boys advised they left the local pool and were waiting for a ride when an unknown boy ran up to the resident’s door, knocked, and ran away. The resident then began yelling at them and emerged with a gun.

The resident told officers that she was holding her phone to call the police, not a gun — an assertion confirmed by a cell phone video that the boys recorded of the encounter, the VPD said.

Also in the department’s latest round-up, a traffic stop on June 30 led to the driver — a 30-year-old Herndon man — getting charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, and a resident reported on July 13 that her dog got sick from ingesting rat poison while in her backyard.

“It is not known how the poison could have gotten into the resident’s yard,” police said.

At the Westwood Country Club on July 7, a “disgruntled” employee was trespassed after “breaking several plates, shoving the manager, and placing several employees in fear.”

In addition, a resident in the 1100 block of Moorefield Hill Court SW called police on July 10 to report that his dog walker had seen another woman who claimed to be a dog walker enter his home around noon that day:

At 7:30 p.m., a resident reported an incident from earlier in the day when his dog walker observed a woman walk through the carport and into his home. The woman immediately left saying she had the wrong house. The dog walker provided the resident with the woman’s description and the tag number from her vehicle. Officers went to the woman’s home and she advised them that she is a dog walker and accidentally walked into a home thinking it was her client’s address then quickly realized she was at the wrong house.

Photo via Google Maps

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Police cars lined up outside Tysons Corner Center when it was evacuated on June 18, 2022 for gunshots (staff photo by James Cullum)

The man who fired multiple gunshots in Tysons Corner Center last summer has been sentenced to three years in prison, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today (Friday).

Noah Settles, a 23-year-old D.C. resident and rapper with the stage name No Savage, pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to three counts of maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge also gave Settles 10 years of probation and barred him from returning to Tysons Corner Center, according to Descano’s office.

“Today, the justice system has shown that perpetrators of gun violence will be held accountable for their actions,” Descano said. “Firing a gun into a public space is a serious crime, one that endangered our community members and threatened their future sense of safety. In cases like these, it is the prosecutor’s job to ensure accountability and use the tools at our disposal to prevent this sort of dangerous incident from happening again.”

Settles sparked a panic at Tysons Corner Center on June 18, 2022 when he fired three gunshots during a busy Father’s Day weekend, according to police and prosecutors. No one was struck by the bullets, but three people were reportedly injured during the chaotic evacuation of the mall.

The Fairfax County Police Department later identified Settles as the man who had fired the shots, describing the incident as the escalation of an argument between two “crews” based in southeast D.C.

“During court hearings, video footage from mall surveillance cameras and bystanders’ phone show Settles getting into an altercation with another group of young people, fleeing briefly, then turning back to fire three shots by a mall kiosk,” Descano’s office said.

Settles was indicted by a grand jury on seven charges, but charges of attempted malicious wounding, brandishing a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Three years of jail time was the minimum sentence possible under his guilty plea. The maximum was 33 years.

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The new red flag orders dashboard as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14 (via Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney)

Fairfax County residents will now be able to access some data related to local temporary gun removal cases.

On June 13 (Tuesday), Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano released to the public a continuously updated digital dashboard that tracks ongoing and past Emergency Substantial Risk Orders — known more commonly as Red Flag Orders — as well as view demographic breakdowns of those subjected to ESROs by race, gender and age.

Instituted in 2020, Virginia’s red flag law gives the Fairfax County Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney the authority to temporarily remove a gun or guns from someone’s possession if they have probable cause that the individual poses a ‘substantial risk’ to themselves or others.

When contacted by community or family members seeking to initiate a red flag order under a civil order, law enforcement will begin an independent investigation to determine whether one is appropriate.

If an order is granted, individuals are barred from purchasing, possessing or transporting any firearms for up to 14 days with opportunities for extension.

Fairfax County is the only jurisdiction in the state with a team dedicated to red flag orders, Descano told FFXNow by email. The county is the source of 75% of red flag orders in Virginia, he said when announcing the new dashboard.

The dashboard is intended to improve public communications and demystify the court processes for the general public, similar to one on bond decisions that the prosecutor’s office launched last year.

“We wanted this dashboard to bring transparency and awareness to the community about this law and that it can be a tool that saves lives,” Descano wrote. “By showing that it is being used, I hope Fairfax residents will know that if they have a dangerous situation, they can pick up the phone and get help.”

In addition to allowing community members to be more knowledgable about Virginia’s red flag law, the dashboard aims to be a useful tool for prosecutors in guiding their work.

“The other important role of the dashboard is how it informs my prosecutors’ decision-making,” Descano wrote. “We’re using this internally to track cases and make sure nothing falls through the cracks, and that’s a key piece of our day-to-day work on these cases. We have about nine months of data now that we’re working with, and as we get more data on Red Flag Orders, we’ll be able to identify trends that may help us and law enforcement further protect the community and handle these cases.”

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has opened 108 red flag cases since May 2022, 92% of them against men, according to the dashboard.

The data will expand over time as Descano’s office works to incorporate more and varied trends and demographics into the board, Public Information Officer Laura Birnbaum says.

“There’s a lot more in this story to tell about how these orders are coming to the police, who’s initiating them, who are the respondents and what kind of situations are we seeing these these orders come out. There’s more data and more trends to pull apart,” Birnbaum said. “…Are there times of year where we see more of these and others? What does that help inform us about other ways we could do gun violence prevention work?”

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