A woman was sexually assaulted by a man who brandished a firearm at a hotel in the Tysons West area earlier this month, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
The department’s Major Crimes Bureau Sex Abuse Squad is investigating a rape that reportedly occured on Oct. 1 at a hotel in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive — likely the Hawthorn Suites, according to a news release published today (Monday).
“Officers responded at 5:30 p.m., after receiving a report of a man that sexually assaulted a woman and brandished a firearm,” the FCPD said. “The suspect entered the unlocked hotel room, physically and sexually assaulted the victim and fled. A man known to the victim learned of the assault, saw the suspect and gave chase.”
According to police, the suspect was able to escape after pointing the gun at the other man. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Police say detectives have obtained surveillance footage from the hotel and Metro showing the man that they believe to be the suspect:
Detectives obtained video surveillance from the hotel of the suspect. As detectives continued to investigate, they also recovered video surveillance from the suspect entering the Metro at the Eastern Market station. The suspect switched to the Silver Line at the Capitol South station and exited at the Spring Hill station.
Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department determined the suspect entered the Metro at the Spring Hill station following the assault. The suspect took the Silver Line to Metro Center and switched to the Red Line in the direction of Glenmont. Detectives believe the suspect resides in the Washington D.C. area. The suspect is described as a Black man, 25-40 years-old, 5’8 – 6′, heavy build with short curly black hair that is partially dyed blonde.
A clip from the video shared by the FCPD shows a man wearing a necklace with a large medallion walking down a pedestrian bridge to a Metro station.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the investigating detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
A man who sexually abused children for years at a home day care in Annandale has been sentenced to life in prison, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today (Friday).
Elwood Lewis Thomas, a 38-year-old man from Alexandria, will serve four life sentences and an additional 36 years in prison after being convicted last year on multiple counts of rape, aggravated sexual battery, and sexual penetration with an object, according to Descano’s office.
“We asked that Mr. Thomas be sentenced to life in prison because of his abhorrent history of sexually abusing children,” Descano said in a statement. “My thoughts are with these children and their families as they begin the journey of healing.
CA Descano announced today that an Alexandria man was sentenced to four life sentences plus 36 years after being convicted of two counts of rape, four counts of aggravated sexual battery, and two counts of object sexual penetration last year. pic.twitter.com/OIZ1zF2tnL
— Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Descano (@FairfaxCountyCA) August 26, 2022
Fairfax County police arrested Thomas in September 2019 and charged him with abusing three kids while they attended Happy Land Daycare from 2006 to 2010. The day care operated in the 6400 block of Holyoke Drive from approximately 1999 to 2012, the police department said at the time.
According to police, Thomas had been employed at the day care and was living in the house between 1999 and 2012. The children were between 4 and 8 years old at the time of the abuse, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney says.
Thomas had previously been arrested for molesting a girl at the day care in June 2012. The girl, then 14, alleged that Thomas had inappropriately touched her on multiple occasions when she was 11 or 12, The Washington Post reported at the time.
For that case, Thomas was convicted in 2013 of aggravated sexual battery of a child under 13. The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney says he was sentenced to eight years in prison, but seven years were suspended, and he was ordered to spend 20 years on probation.
Just days before allegedly raping a woman at her apartment in Reston, Anthony Agee had been released from police custody on bond after being arrested on a felony drug charge, Fairfax County court records show.
Though only 22 years old, Agee has been in county courts on a variety of charges dating back to a Feb. 21, 2017 traffic violation for failing to obey a highway sign, where he paid a $30 fine, according to the General District Court’s online information system.
Though Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano has faced criticism for prosecution decisions some see as overly lenient, his office says Agee wasn’t in custody in part due to a plea deal that prosecutors under his predecessor, Ray Morrogh, offered for an armed burglary attempt that occurred on April 30, 2018.
The deal was approved by a Fairfax County judge and capped the incarceration portion of Agee’s sentence at three years. He was released from jail in December 2020, according to the Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
“Our hearts break for the victim of the tragic crime in Reston over the weekend and we will prosecute this case to the full extent of the law,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office said.
Since being released from jail, Agee has been arrested four times, including on March 1, 2021 for stealing a vehicle and on Feb. 23 for an incident involving a gun and breaking and entering.
In the March 1 case, Agee was charged with vehicle theft, reckless driving, failure to identify himself to law enforcement, and failure to stop at the scene of an accident. The vehicle theft charge — the only felony — was downgraded to petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
Per court records, Agee didn’t contest the charges at a preliminary hearing on Sept. 1, 2021. The case also included a civil violation for possession of marijuana that was dismissed on Jan. 20 of this year.
A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge found earlier this month that the incident constituted a violation of Agee’s probation, but the judge took no further action and let him remain out on probation, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Agee’s Feb. 23 arrest stemmed from a shooting at the Paper Moon strip club in Springfield and led to felony charges of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and entering a structure with the intent to commit assault, battery or another felony, along with a misdemeanor for brandishing a firearm.
Agee was detained, but at an April 4 preliminary hearing, prosecutors dismissed the case without prejudice, according to court records.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office says it asked for a dismissal as a temporary measure, because the case needed further investigation, including DNA testing, search warrants, and other evidence gathering. Read More
(Updated at 10:45 a.m. on 8/24/2022) Fairfax County police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with sexual assault of a woman in her apartment in Reston.
Anthony Agee, 22, was charged with intent to commit rape, abduction and the prevention of a 911 call in connection with the Sunday (Aug. 21) incident, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced in a press conference today (Tuesday).
According to police, the woman was watching television in her living room on the 2200 block of Lovedale Lane near South Lakes Drive when she woke up to a man there. The victim said the man raped her on the floor of her apartment at knifepoint.
She was hospitalized with injuries that are not life-threatening, according to Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Fairfax County Police Department’s major crimes bureau.
The suspect was arrested after a community search. Neighbors saw a man peeping out windows in the area before the attack.
Police officers also reviewed video footage from a previous incident on June 5 that showed the suspect in and around the area.
Another resident told police of a handprint that was visible on glass doors in the area. Police ran the fingerprints through an expedited search and were able to pinpoint the suspect, according to O’Carroll.
Davis said the investigation is “far from over,” referring to the suspect as a “vicious, callous criminal” and a “monster.” Police believe he may be connected to other incidents, and the suspect was known to the community.
“We’re not done with him yet,” Davis said. “He’s off the street. That is the good news.”
Updated at 12:25 a.m. on 8/23/2022 — A man has been taken into custody, and charges are “forthcoming,” Fairfax County police said.
Earlier: A woman reported being sexually assaulted at knifepoint while in her apartment in the Shadowood area of Reston, the Fairfax County Police Department said today (Monday).
Officers were called to the 2200 block of Lovedale Lane around 11:50 p.m. yesterday (Sunday) after the unidentified victim said she “awoke to a man standing inside her apartment.”
“The man threatened the woman with what appeared to be a knife and sexually assaulted her,” the FCPD said in its report. “The suspect is described as a black man, unknown age, approximately 5’6″, thin build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a mask, and gloves.”
The woman was transported to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
Police conducted a search of the area but haven’t identified or located a suspect yet.
“Our detectives have been working nonstop on this case,” Major Ed O’Carroll, the FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau commander for cyber and forensics, said. “We’ve developed and are actively following up on several promising leads. I have the utmost confidence the suspect will be identified soon and we will do everything we can to hold him accountable for this heinous crime.”
The FCPD says detectives are looking for any home surveillance video that community members might have recorded last night.
Information can be shared with the police department at 703-246-7800, option 2, or through Crime Solvers, which can be reached by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
This is the second sexual assault that has reportedly occurred in Fairfax County within the past week. Police said a woman had been assaulted by a man with a gun in the Mount Vernon area last Wednesday (Aug. 17).
Fairfax County police are still on the lookout for a suspect after a woman reported being sexually assaulted at gunpoint last week near the Sacramento Center in Mount Vernon.
The woman was walking east towards Richmond Highway when she “was approached from behind” around 9:29 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 17) in the 8700 block of Sacramento Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department said on Friday (Aug. 19).
“The victim was pulled into the nearby bushes where she was sexually assaulted at gunpoint,” police said. “The victim was able to break free from the suspect, and he ran away in an unknown direction.”
According to police, the woman was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
A search for the unidentified suspect remains ongoing:
Patrol units, along with our canine and helicopter, saturated the area to locate the man responsible for this incident, but he was not found.
Yesterday, detectives canvassed the area to identify any witnesses and surveillance footage that may have captured the suspect before or after the attack. The suspect was described as an unknown race male, 5’8″ to 6′, and with an average build. At the time of the attack, he was wearing all black clothing with gloves and a black mask covering his head. He was armed with a handgun. Detectives are asking community members who reside in the area to review home surveillance in the evening hours of Aug. 17 for any suspicious people.
The FCPD says anyone who might have information about the incident can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 8/16/2022 — Hektor Fernando Alvarez’s employment at Virginia Hospital Center was terminated on Friday (Aug. 12), the hospital says.
Earlier: A man from Falls Church has been arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a patient under his care when he worked at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital (3600 Joseph Siewick Drive), the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Friday).
The victim — a patient who was receiving long-term care at the hospital — told a hospital technician on July 7 that his previous caretaker had “fondled the victim’s genitalia on two separate occasions,” police said.
Detectives from FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau began an investigation on July 8. They identified the caretaker as 21-year-old Falls Church resident Hektor Fernando Alvarez, who was working for a company called Metropolitan Healthcare Services (MHS) that Inova had contracted “to provide sitter services for patients,” according to police.
The FCPD says Alvarez is no longer employed by MHS, but he was working as a medical technician at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. There have been no incidents reported at that hospital, according to the department.
Alvarez was arrested after a month-long investigation on Aug. 9 and has been charged with aggravated sexual battery with a victim through mental incapacity or helplessness.
“He was held on no bond but later released on a secured bond,” the police department said, which means the money was primarily covered by a bond company.
Prosecutors had argued for Alvarez to be denied a bond, but the judge rejected their recommendation, FFXnow was told.
Online case information indicates that Alvarez was arraigned at the Fairfax County General District Court on Wednesday (Aug. 10) and had a bond hearing yesterday (Thursday). A court employee told FFXnow that the bond was served this morning.
Inova Health System says it has been working with the victim’s family and MHS to respond to the assault allegation.
“Inova has been in contact with the patient, their family, and the contracted staffing agency in regard to this troubling alleged incident,” a spokesperson for the nonprofit said in a statement. “Safety is central to everything we do at Inova, and we expect all who work or provide services in our care sites to meet that high standard.”
The FCPD says anyone with additional information about the case can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS), and online.
“Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars,” the FCPD said. “Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.”
A preliminary hearing for Alvarez has been set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 28.
Photo via Google Maps
Look Out for Spotted Lanternfly — “While there are still no sightings of the spotted lanternfly in Fairfax County, it is getting closer, and experts are on the lookout for it. This summer the invasive pest was found in nearby Loudoun County…The insect feasts on more than 70 plant species, though its preferred host is the tree-of-heaven.” [DPWES]
FCPD Detective Destroyed Evidence of Rape — Fairfax County police are reviewing dozens of unsolved sexual assault cases after the victim of a rape in 1995 learned that a detective had destroyed all physical evidence in her case, including the rape kit. Police now say they believe the woman’s account and that her case was handled inappropriately, but she says the department needs “to somehow be held accountable.” [The Washington Post]
Longtime Fairfax Symphony Leader Dies — “William Hudson, a pianist and conductor who led the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra for 36 years, establishing it as a leading regional orchestra in the capital area, died July 12 at his home in Vienna, Va. He was 89. The cause was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, said his former wife, Denise Battistone.” [The Washington Post]
Tysons Corner Center Owner Reports Retail Resurgence — “Macerich…noted that distress in the retail industry has slowed dramatically after a pandemic-spurred wave of closures in 2020…Macerich said its leasing activity in the second quarter reflected retailer demand at levels not seen since 2015.” [CNBC]
Vienna Police Share Results of Increased Traffic Enforcement — “After a noticeable increase in stop sign violations, the Town of Vienna Police Department had a directed enforcement initiative during the month of June…During the Stop Sign Enforcement Campaign, officers worked a total of 469 events utilizing stationary observation of stop signs, which generated 219 stop sign violations and 74 other violations.” [Vienna Police]
Local Meal Service Company Gets New HQ — MightyMeals, an overnight meal delivery company that grew out of a Franconia restaurant in 2015, has leased a 16,000-square-foot commercial unit at 7669 Limestone Drive in Gainesville for its new corporate headquarters. The space is seven times larger than its current 2,400-square-foot cooking prep warehouse in Burke. [Washington Business Journal]
Signs for Renamed Vienna Street in Place — “Vienna officials have replaced street signs on the former Wade Hampton Drive with new ones reading ‘Liberty Lane.’ The switch was done in early July ‘with little fanfare’ (as requested by residents), town officials said in the government’s monthly newsletter.” [Sun Gazette]
Bus Planned to Upcoming Innovation Center Metro — “OmniRide is hoping to take advantage of the forthcoming 66 Outside the Beltway toll lanes, and for the first time, its passengers could be getting one-seat trips to the Dulles area by the end of the year. The transit provider is hoping to start a commuter route that would take riders from Balls Ford Road to the Innovation Center Silver Line Metro stop in December” [Inside NoVA/WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Humid throughout the day. High of 90 and low of 71. Sunrise at 6:13 am and sunset at 8:19 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A Fairfax man who once served as a youth leader at the Saint Matthews United Methodist Church in Annandale has been arrested for multiple alleged sexual assaults of a teenager, the Fairfax County Police Department said today (Thursday).
Thomas Weaver, 61, was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) and has been charged with five counts of indecent liberties of a minor by a custodian as well as 20 counts of possession of child pornography, the FCPD announced.
According to police, Weaver led youth activities at Saint Matthews periodically since joining the church at 8617 Little River Turnpike in 2001, but he hasn’t held that leadership position since 2020, when the assaults allegedly occurred.
“On multiple occasions since 2020, Weaver coerced the victim to meet him in a secluded area in Annandale,” the FCPD said. “Once there, Weaver sexually assaulted the victim.”
Per the news release, police were alerted to the assaults last month by a family member of the victim. Fairfax County detectives deployed a search warrant for Weaver’s residence yesterday and found “numerous images of child pornography,” leading to his arrest.
“Saint Matthews United Methodist Church has been fully cooperating with the police on this matter,” police said. “The church also notified the Fairfax County Child Protective Services with concerns about Weaver.”
The church contacted CPS about Weaver about 10 days ago, according to St. Matthews spokesperson Paul Steidler, who sent a statement to FFXnow:
St. Matthew’s UMC is saddened and deeply troubled by this event. Our fervent prayers and heartfelt concerns go out to those directly impacted by the situation and for whom this is a troubling, triggering event.
St Matthew’s UMC is fully cooperating with law enforcement on this important matter. We urge anyone who may be able to aid law enforcement on this case, or who knows of any inappropriate actions towards children, to immediately contact law enforcement.
St. Matthew’s UMC has rigorous child protection policies and is completely committed to having a safe and secure environment for all children.
The FCPD says detectives haven’t identified Weaver’s previous sites of employment yet, but they believe there could be additional victims, since he might have worked as a youth leader at other churches in the past.
The department asks anyone with information about the case, including if they or their child could be a victim, to call its Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be sent anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
Weaver is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Virginia Reports Second Case of Monkeypox — “The patient is an adult male resident of the Northern region of Virginia who was exposed out of state. The Virginia patient did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home. To protect patient privacy, no further information will be provided.” [VDH]
Discrimination Lawsuit Details Issues at Annandale Apartments — “The Fairfax County Circuit Court heard a case [Friday] that shined a light on the filthy and inhumane conditions at Fairmont Gardens in Annandale. Dean Sanchez, a former leasing agent, is suing the Donaldson Group, the company that owns the apartment complex…Sanchez reports the apartments are infested with mice, bedbugs, roaches, and mold.” [Annandale Today]
Man Arrested in McLean Charged in Capitol Storming — “A U.S. Naval reservist who was assigned to an agency that operates spy satellites told an undercover FBI agent that he stormed the U.S. Capitol with members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and has espoused anti-government and antisemitic ideologies, federal authorities said in court records unsealed on Thursday.” [NBC4]
Lawsuit Alleges FCPS Mishandled Sexual Assault Complaint — “Lawyers for a former Fairfax County student recently filed an amended complaint against the Fairfax County School Board outlining allegations of an unsafe environment that led to repeated sexual harassment and sexual assaults of the student.” [Inside NoVA/WTOP]
Metro Introduces $2 Weeknight Fares — “Lower-priced unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus monthly passes are now on sale for travel beginning July 1, providing more flexibility and value to customers who may no longer be commuting five days a week. And beginning Monday, June 27, all customers traveling on Metrorail after 9:30 p.m. on weekdays will benefit from a flat fare of $2 per one-way trip.” [WMATA]
Police Investigate Fairfax City Shooting — “The founder of a non-profit that builds schools for girls in Africa was found shot to death inside his Fairfax city home Friday morning.” [NBC4]
Falls Church Abortion Clinic Plans Expansion — “Falls Church Healthcare Center is working to expand capacity because they suspect they’ll soon get more out-of-state patients. They are looking to add more appointments, considering adding an extra day for scheduling and hiring nurse practitioners to deliver care.” [DCist]
New Lorton Fire Station Gets Grand Opening — “The new $14 million fire station is significantly larger, has energy efficient and environmentally sustainable features, and was outfitted to comfortably accommodate both male and female members of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and the volunteer fire company.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 80 and low of 68. Sunrise at 5:47 am and sunset at 8:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
