Loudoun County police charged a Reston man with attempted capital murder in connection with a shootout last Thursday (Jan. 17) with deputies in Paeonian Springs.
Deputies responded to the 39000 block of Peacock Circle around 3:30 p.m. for a trespassing complaint after a witness said that a male forced entry into a trailer on the property, which contained firearms, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Before the deputies arrived, the suspect, now identified as Hyeong J. Suh, 29, of Reston, was heard firing a weapon on the property, the report said.
An investigation by the Sheriff’s Office indicates that Suh “fired a weapon several times, including firing rounds at two responding deputies.” The deputies exchanged gunfire and wounded Suh, who then “subsequently barricaded himself in the trailer, but exited a short time later and surrendered without further incident,” the report says.
Suh was immediately transported to a local hospital for a non-life threatening injury.
Suh was arrested and charged with one count of attempted capital murder and breaking and entering, according to the report. Currently, Suh is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Two deputies have been placed on routine, paid administrative leave until the end of the investigation, per Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office policy.
Photo via LCSO
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said today (Jan. 22) that she will not seek re-election this year.
The announcement came shortly after 11:30 a.m. during the Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Her planned retirement adds to list of supervisors who have also said they are leaving.
Hudgins, who is nearing the end of her fifth term, was first elected to the board in 1999.
Her colleagues on the board took to Twitter shortly after the announcement to share the news and praise her work.
Chairman Sharon Bulova, who announced her plans to retire in December, tweeted that Hudgins “will be sincerely missed when she retires from the Board at the end of 2019.”
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity posted — and then deleted — a tweet saying, “At today’s Board meeting, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has announced that she will not seek re-election. It was a pleasure serving with her and I wish her the best on her future endeavors.” A few minutes later, he wrote, “At today’s Board meeting, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has announced that she will not seek re-election.”
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who was the chairman before Bulova, tweeted that Hudgins has been a “tireless advocate for the Hunter Mill District,” pointing to her work on affordable housing.
Thank you to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins on her decades of service to Fairfax County. She will be sincerely missed when she retires from the Board at the end of 2019.
— Sharon Bulova (@SharonBulova) January 22, 2019
Cathy Hudgins has been a trainblazer and an advocate for Hunter Mill District and Reston for many years. We wish her the best in her retirement and look forward to great things for the rest of the year!!! https://t.co/DMNiSbDKDm
— Bill Bouie (@bbouie) January 22, 2019
Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has been a tireless advocate for the Hunter Mill District. She’s been a champion for affordable housing and has dedicated her career to making sure every voice is heard in our community. I'm proud to call her a friend and wish her well in her retirement.
— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) January 22, 2019
Two Democratic candidates have already joined the race for her seat, Reston Now previously reported.
Shyamali Hauth, a United States Air Force veteran and community advocate, has her campaign focused on transportation, affordable housing, construction practices, budgets, security and education systems. Parker Messick, a recent graduate of Roanoke College, is running on a platform to “stop big development.”
The election for the county’s Board of Supervisors will take place on Nov. 5.
File photo
A Herndon man pleaded guilty on Friday to running a prostitution ring with a man from Sterling.
After a nearly year-long investigation, 32-year-old Luis Bonilla-Hernandez of Sterling and 23-year-old Eliazar Duran Mota of Herndon were charged in July with two counts of felony receiving money from earnings of a female prostitute and two misdemeanor counts of using vehicles to promote prostitution, Reston Now previously reported.
The two men, who ran the prostitution business out of their homes, picked up women each week from Union Station before transporting them around northern Virginia to commercial sex customers — charging between $30 and $40 each for dozens of “commercial sex transactions,” according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“The defendants would advertise the women with business cards purporting to be tied to an automobile shop, and they would tell Hispanic patrons via word of mouth that the cards related to prostitution,” according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Police found evidence of prostitution and over $14,000 in cash when they searched Bonilla-Hernandez’s house.
Duran Mota and Bonilla-Hernandez both pleaded guilty in connection to the prostitution of five adults and to one count of interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise.
They each face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing is set for April 12.
More from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:
Two men pleaded guilty today to running a prostitution business that catered to the Hispanic population in northern Virginia over the past three years.
According to court documents, Luis Bonilla-Hernandez, 32, of Sterling, and Eliazar Duran Mota, 23, of Herndon, ran the prostitution business out of their homes. Each week, the defendants would obtain a woman to work in prostitution for a week at a time. The women, known as “Treinteras,” would travel by bus to Union Station in Washington, D.C. from states such as Pennsylvania and New York. The defendants then picked up the women from Union Station and transported them throughout northern Virginia to commercial sex customers. The defendants would advertise the women with business cards purporting to be tied to an automobile shop, and they would tell Hispanic patrons via word of mouth that the cards related to prostitution.
The women performed over a dozen commercial sex transactions each day, charging between $30 and $40 each time. After the prostitution dates, the women were required to turn all of their money over to the defendants, with a portion of the proceeds returned to the women at the end of the week. After a woman worked for a week, the defendants would switch out their “inventory” by obtaining a new woman from Union Station to work in prostitution throughout northern Virginia.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant on Bonilla Hernandez’s house, they recovered evidence of prostitution and over $14,000 in cash. Both defendants pleaded guilty in connection with the prostitution of five adult victims.
Bonilla-Hernandez and Duran Mota pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise. The defendants each face a maximum of five years in prison when sentenced on April 12, 2019. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with detectives from the Fairfax County Police, Arlington County Police, Prince William County Police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police, Alexandria City Police, Washington Metropolitan Police, Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, George Mason University Police, United States Marshal’s Service, and agents of various Office of Inspector Generals. This matter was brought to the task force by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain is prosecuting the case, with significant assistance provided by the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Photo via LCSO
Spring Street is shut down between Elden and Locust streets due to an accident.
Herndon Police tweeted that the street closed shortly before 10 a.m. today (Jan. 22).
Drivers and pedestrians should follow police direction, according to the tweet.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Spring Street shut down between Elden and Locust due to an accident. Follow police direction. Updates as available. #herndonpd #herndonva pic.twitter.com/T9DXrXJY9U
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) January 22, 2019
Map via Google Maps
FCPS opening two hours late today — Fairfax County Public Schools will open two hours late today due to the “very cold weather.” [Tysons Reporter]
Networking night — Tall Oaks Assisted Living is hosting a networking tonight from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Registration will close at noon today. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]
DARPA’s subsidiary scores satellite Bus development — The Herndon-based subsidiary of Airbus Group recently received a contract to develop a satellite bus intended for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstration program. [ExecutiveBiz]
Response to PRC letters to the editor — A Reston resident writing for Greater Greater Washington argues that “it’s not a lack of coordination or communication from the county that leaves people wondering what will happen. It’s the simple fact that no matter what the PRC limits are, the county can’t zone its way to a specific vision of the future. It would be disingenuous for it to say that it could.” His article responds to two letters to the editor published on Reston Now. [Greater Greater Washington]
Winter Restaurant Week extended — Slated to end on Sunday (Jan. 20), Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) decided to push the end date. Diners now have until Sunday (Jan. 27) to enjoy the prix fixe meals at several Reston restaurants participating in the event. [RAMW]
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Uncle Julio’s Fights Paid Parking with Suit Against Boston Properties
- Snow is Sticking on Reston Roads as Gov. Declares State of Emergency
- UPDATE: Snow and Slick Roads in Reston, FCPS Closed Monday
- Fairfax County Public Schools to Open Two Hours Late Tomorrow
- Fundraising Starts for Family of Killed South Lakes HS Teen
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Image via Google Maps
The kickoff celebration for the 2019 NoVa Maker Faire will take place next week in Reston, even though the event itself is set to take place elsewhere.
The annual event — now in its sixth year — gathers engineers, artists, scientists, crafters and more to show off their hobbies, experiments and projects.
The kickoff event will be at the Nova Labs “makerspace” at 1916 Isaac Newton Square next Wednesday (Jan. 23) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants can watch presentations, get information about the Maker Faire and eat food.
The Maker Faire, which used to be held at South Lakes High School, found its new home at George Mason University in 2017.
The main event is slated to take place on June 2.
Photo via Maker Faire NoVa/Facebook
There’s plenty to do around Reston this weekend in addition to the many events for Reston’s 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.
If you’re looking to avoid the cold weather, plenty of indoor activities are scheduled for this weekend.
Tomorrow (Jan. 19)
Stuff the Bus (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) — Head Herndon’s Fox Mill Giant (2551 John Milton Drive) to support Helping Hungry Kids as a part of “Stuff the Bus,” which takes place at various locations around the county to benefit local nonprofit food pantries. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova will join the event at 11 a.m. to assist with the food collection and also discuss the county’s resources for people impacted by the federal government shutdown.
Fantastic Films at Reston: A Wrinkle in Time (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) — The Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) plans to show the 2018 movie, which is based on the classic book by Madeleine L’Engle, with warm cocoa.
“Time Stands Still” auditions (1-4 p.m.) — The Reston Community Players is looking for people to come audition for a show that examines the lives of one couple making a living out of documenting the horrors of war. The auditions, which will be held at 266 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon, will consist of cold readings provided that day. Auditions will also be held at the same time and place on Sunday.
Chess club (1-2:30 p.m.) — Locals can learn chess from experienced instructors at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street).
Sunday (Jan. 20)
Crys Matthews performance (2 p.m.) — Matthews, a singer-songwriter from Herndon, is scheduled to perform her songs at CenterStage at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets cost $15 for Reston residents.
Winter Restaurant Week ends (all day) — Sunday is the last day for locals to enjoy prix fixe menus at the four Reston restaurants that are participating in Winter Restaurant Week.
Photo via Reston Community Players/Facebook
Plans for Jinya Ramen Bar to open at a vacant spot in Reston Town Center are still undetermined.
Reston Now previously reported in December that the Japanese ramen restaurant chain said on its website that it was “coming soon” to 11964 Market Street, the former spot of a Thai restaurant.
A reader pointed out yesterday (Jan. 17) that the Reston location is no longer listed.
An employee for La Brea Dining Group, the parent company of the Jinya brand, told Reston Now that nothing has been finalized yet on the Reston Town Center location. The employee said she wasn’t sure why the Reston address was posted on the website, since the plans are still in the process.
When contacted by Reston Now, Jinya Ramen Bar said, “We are looking for better opportunities in that area!”
The chain has nearby locations in D.C. and Fairfax, Va.
Photo via Google Maps
Lake Audubon’s dredging project is slated to start as soon as Feb. 1.
The Reston Association announced today (Jan. 18) that it plans to hire Lake Services, Inc. to dredge the accumulated sediment from the lake’s main coves. Dredging could begin as early as Feb. 1 with expected completion by the end of April.
The announcement came five months after residents were warned to avoid the lake after a harmful algae bloom was spotted. The bloom, called Microcystis, can produce toxins that are lethal for livestock, fish and people. Some of the toxins have been linked to liver cancer.
“Routine dredging is part of the association’s lakes maintenance program, which helps to extend the life of the lake,” the press release say. “As lakes age, they eventually fill in through sedimentation.”
Sedimentation occurs when materials such as soil from stream erosion, construction sites, road sand, leaves or other debris accumulate in the lake.
RA anticipates that the dredging will require removing 13,500 cubic yards of material, which will be placed in trucks and hauled to a disposal site in Loudoun County.
While the dredging is underway, locals can expect truck traffic to affect the Lake Audubon Pool’s parking lot, according to the press release.
The dredging operation staging area will be located at the Lake Audubon boat ramp. Dredging will not occur at the shoreline edge or within 5 feet of any dock structure, according to the press release.
Before dredging can begin, RA’s Board of Directors will need to approve the project contract with Lake Services, which is anticipated at the upcoming meeting next Thursday (Jan. 24).
Photo via Reston Association
Seahawks fans can head to the Chipotle in the South Lakes Village Shopping Center next week to help raise funds for South Lakes High School girls basketball.
The Chipotle at 11160 South Lakes Drive will donate 33 percent of proceeds for customers who display the flyer or mention the Seahawks.
The fundraiser runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday (Jan. 21).
South Lakes High School girls varsity basketball won their eighth consecutive game at Washington-Lee High School on Jan. 8.
Go to @ChipotleTweets at the SL Shopping Center, on Monday, January 21st, between 4:00-8:00pm, and display the following flyer on your smartphone, to support your hard working #Seahawks Burritos & Basketball! 🌯🏀😃 #WinWin #CommitToGrit #OneForTheTeam #GoSeahawks 💙💚🏀 RT! pic.twitter.com/gmuAzQQWBa
— SL Girls Basketball (@SLGirlsBBall_) January 16, 2019
Several government facilities around Fairfax County are closed today (Jan. 18) for Lee-Jackson Day and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this coming Monday (Jan. 21).
Fairfax County
Fairfax County’s courts are closed today and Monday.
Fairfax County’s government offices and libraries will be closed on MLK Day.
The county’s public schools will get off three hours early today and be closed on MLK Day.
The Fairfax Connector will run on a holiday weekday schedule MLK Day. A full list of routes running in the Reston area is available online.
Frying Pan Farm Park will remain open on MLK Day, while Colvin Run Mill Historic Site will be closed.
County trash and recycling collection will not have any changes to its schedule on MLK Day.
Reston
The Reston Association offices, including Central Facilities and the Nature House, will be closed on MLK Day.
Herndon
Town of Herndon government offices will be closed on MLK Day.
The Community Center will have altered hours from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. on MLK Day.
Metro, DMV and more
All Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customer service centers will are closed today and Monday.
Metro will operate on a Saturday schedule, opening at 5 a.m. and close at 11:30 p.m. on MLK Day. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day, and parking will be free at all Metro-operated facilities. Meanwhile, Metrobus will run on a Saturday supplemental schedule with some late-night trips canceled on selected routes.
Speaking of closed offices, Reston Now will be on a break on MLK Day.
File photo
Students at Terraset Elementary School are reducing their plastic use — one straw at a time.
Since the beginning of the year, students are no longing using single-use straws in the cafeteria. Fairfax County Public Schools announced on Tuesday (Jan. 15) that the straw initiative is saving up to 400 straws per day.
An estimated 80,000 straws will be eliminated over the period of one school year.
In addition to the single-use straw ban, Terraset is now encouraging students to trade disposable water bottles in for reusable ones and to use canvas totes instead of plastic bags.
The school’s initiative and recent urging are meant to help students make environmentally-friendly choices.
“Terraset’s students are helping to save the planet and oceans by individual actions that make a big difference,” according to an FCPS press release.
Image via Google Maps
RA urges members to attend PRC meeting — In the latest Reston Today video, Reston Association’s Board President Andy Sigle urges RA members who are concerned about population density to attend a Jan. 23 meeting related to the county’s proposed amendment to the Planned Residential Community zoning ordinance. [YouTube]
Dense fog alert — This morning the National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory until noon today for portions of the region, including Fairfax County. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. [National Weather Service]
“Superior Donuts” opens tonight — Reston Community Players’ production opens tonight at RCC Hunters Woods at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28. [Reston Community Center]
Ed-tech merger — Herndon-based Real Time Cases merged with Delray Beach, Fla.-based Elearis. The Herndon startup’s ideo-based business case studies paired up with the technology platform from Elearis for a new Herndon-based firm. [Washington Business Journal]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
A mixed-use development project along Herndon Parkway hit some design snags and a zoning issue as the developer tried to move the project forward at the Herndon Planning Commission meeting on Monday (Jan. 14).
Penzance Properties plans to build a mixed-use development at 555 Herndon Parkway. Located on the south side of Herndon Parkway, the site is between Van Buren Street and Spring Street and north of the future Herndon Silver Line Station.
The 90,000 square feet of office space currently occupying the site is slated to be razed.
The Planning Commission staff report notes that the development plan needs one modification to abide by a zoning ordinance. The report also provided dozens of suggestions and areas to focus on to improve the project.
The Architectural Review Board reviewed the plans at its Dec. 12 meeting and said in a memo to the Planning Commission that the architecture and urban design of the project need more definition and revision.
ARB noted that the project is especially hard to review “since it is the first development of this size and scale in Herndon and the first time the ARB is evaluating architecture as part of a development plan review process.” Its “broad and general level” review a list of critiques, including a lack of facade detailing, insufficient material variety on the residential floors and roofline, an undefined pedestrian scale and an “overall stark and sterile design.”
A transportation impact study on the project expects minimal impact on intersections, with 25 percent of the anticipated travel connected to the four office buildings and 35 percent related residential.
Out of the three development alternatives, the transportation study analyzed the alternative with the highest trip generation. That option includes up to 406,000 square feet of office space, 380 residential units and 27,767 square feet of retail and a 250 room hotel. The buildout is slated for 2022.
“Herndon has long planned for intersection improvements on Spring Street between Herndon Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway and at the intersection of Herndon Parkway and Van Buren Street,” according to the study’s examinations of the 2017 conditions. “These intersections operate at or near capacity under existing conditions.”
The Town of Herndon is studying three alternate bus bay location plans that include bus layby lanes, passenger car layby lanes and a signalized pedestrian connection crossing Herndon Parkway east of the site.
Penzance Properties has scheduled a neighborhood meeting for Jan. 23 and mailed invitations to neighboring properties, according to the staff report.
The Planning Commission also took up a proposal to create a design concept for street improvements on South Elden Street between Sterling Road and Herndon Parkway.
A revised resolution would add an 8-foot, shared-use path on the western side of Elden Street running from Sterling Road to Herndon Parkway and improve the existing five-lane section to be a four-lane section with 11-foot-wide travel lanes, a raised median and protected turning lanes. It would also add enhanced crosswalks at the intersections of Elden Street and Alabama Drive, the intersection at Dulles Park Shopping Center and the intersection of Elden Street at Sterling Road.
These changes are meant to increase visibility and pedestrian safety.
The Town of Herndon has until Oct. 1 to adopt a policy for the work under a previously approved $65,000 grant or repay the grant to the state after that date.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Monday, Jan. 28.
Images via Herndon Planning Commission
