Police: Reston-Area Robberies Up 100 Percent in 2015

Robberies in Fairfax County Police’s Reston District up 100 percent over this time last year, says Capt. Ron Manzo, commander of the Reston District Station.

Manzo, along with crime prevention specialist Katy DeFoe, were at Reston Association’s regular Board of Directors meeting last week to give an annual report on the state of crime — and crime prevention — in this part of the county.

The Reston District covers 40 square miles and includes Reston, as well as unincorporated Herndon and Great Falls.

Manzo said there have been 32 robberies in the Reston District so far in 2015. Twelve have been in south Reston, he said. At this point in 2014, there had been 16 robberies overall, he said.

However, many of the cases are not random, said Manzo.

“Most of the robberies are drug ripoffs,” Manzo said. “We have made arrests in six of them. The others are inactive due to lack of follow up.”

Manzo pointed out some other crime stats for 2015:

There have been three shootings in the Reston District this year. One was a homicide in unincorporated Herndon. One was a domestic situation in which a man shot his wife. The man was charged.

The third shooting was in Shadowood in May. Three men are facing gun possession and attempted robbery charges, but were not charged with homicide in the shooting that killed Rashad Kejuan Daye, 24, of Herndon.

Police said previously the apartment resident was protecting himself against the suspects, who were known to him.

Car thefts are slightly up — 62 so far this year compared to 60 through October of 2014.

However, DeFoe said the majority of stolen cars have been taken when the keys were in the car and/or the cars were left unlocked.

“We’re not locking our doors, we are not taking keys out,” said DeFoe. “We average about for or five [incidents of thefts from auto where doors were unlocked] per night. If they if not finding keys in the car, they will [search] through a car with unlocked doors.”

Manzo took over as the head of the Reston District Station early this year. He said one of his top priorities has been getting officers out of their cars and back on the streets and bike paths.

“Right off bat, that was one issue I saw with the NPU [Neighborhood Policing Unit] ,” he said. “I immediately put them back on bikes.”

He said the Hunters Woods area, especially the tunnels and paths, were a concern.

“There have been a couple of unfortunate cases on the trails,” said Manzo. “I need them out on bikes. ”

Capt. Ron Manzo/Reston Now file photo