Suspect Arrested in Garage Door Opener Burglary Spree

A man has been charged in connection with a spree of burglaries in Loudoun County where the suspect entered homes using garage door openers taken from victims’ unlocked cars, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Robert Williams-Dixon, 33, was arrested Monday in connection with eleven burglaries in eastern Loudoun County. Williams-Dixon, whose permanent address is not known, faces 11 county of burglary, 11 counts of grand larceny, two counts of credit card larceny and two counts of credit card fraud.

All burglaries were located in the Sterling area north of Route 7, according to police. The suspect entered homes while residents were asleep. Police believe he gained access to homes by using garage door openers from unlocked cars parked in driveways.

Neighboring jurisdictions like Fairfax County’s Police Department have reported similar crimes in the last week. Loudoun County’s Sheriff’s Office is working with detectives to determine if similar cases reported in nearby areas are related.

On Nov. 16, local police issued an advisory about four burglaries over two days. In all cases, investigators determined garage door openers were also missing from victims’ cars.

In Reston, two incidents a little over half a mile apart between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. In the first incident on the 12100 block of Abington Hall Place, a woman heard sounds from the kitchen area of her home. When she spotted a man standing in her kitchen, the man ran off. A purse and wallet were taken.

In the second incident, a resident awakened by his pets saw a man standing in his home. When confronted, the suspect dropped several items he was attempted to steal and left with the victim’s wallet. The wallet was later found by someone in the neighborhood and returned to police.

Williams-Dixon is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

File photo.