Reduced Metro Service Today — Expect reduced Metro service today as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority investigates the recent Blue Line derailment. Metro is holding all of its 7000-series railcars — nearly 60 percent of its rail fleet — out of service. A safety investigation found defects in one of the railcars involved in last Tuesday’s derailment. [WMATA]
Elden Street Business Robbed — Police are looking for a suspect who robbed a business on the 500 block of Elden Street yesterday morning. The man was seen leaving in a red four-door Honda or Toyota. [Herndon Police Department]
Lane and Ramp Closures in Effect on Dulles Toll Road — A number of lane, shoulder and road closures are in effect this week along the Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway and Autopilot Drive. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Virginia Declares State of Emergency Over Gas Supplies — Gov. Ralph Northam gave the state and local governments increased flexibility and funding yesterday (Tuesday) after a ransomware attack disrupted the Colonial Pipeline, which provides 45% of the East Coast’s gasoline supply. 7.5% of the state’s 3,880 gas stations reported running out of fuel, a shortage primarily attributed to panic buying. [WTOP]
ABC Stores Will Resume Pre-Pandemic Hours on Friday — “After more than a year of reduced operating hours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores will return to pre-pandemic operating hours on May 14, 2021. All stores will open by 10 a.m. every day, apart from some stores which regularly open later on Sundays…Closing times vary by store.” [Virginia ABC]
Herndon Robbery Suspect Still Unidentified — An armed robbery of a business in the 1000 block of Elden Street on Thursday (May 6) is still under investigation. Police say “an unknown subject” entered the business shortly before 10 a.m., displayed a weapon, and demanded money. The business and amount of money taken have not been disclosed. [Herndon Police Department]
Fairfax County Warns About “Phone Spoofing” Scam — Multiple Fairfax County residents have reported receiving calls from 703-324-1000 saying that their data has been compromised and they need to set up fraud protection. While the number appears to be from the MyFairfax online portal, it is a scam, and the county says people should not call any secondary number or give out their personal or county information. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The Herndon Police Department is asking the public to avoid the Dulles Park area of Elden Street while officers conduct an active investigation.
Police say an armed robbery occured in the 1000 block of Elden Street shortly before 10 a.m.
“Please avoid the area so that officers may conduct a thorough investigation,” the HPD said.
UPDATE: HPD continues to investigate an armed robbery that occurred shortly before 10 am in the 1000-blk of Elden. Please avoid the area while police conduct their investigation. Updates as available. #herndonpd
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) May 6, 2021
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced to 28 months in prison for serving as a getaway driver in an armed robbery on the 1100 block of Elden Street.
William Pena, 27, who arrived in the United States illegally, drove several gang members from Maryland to Herndon to rob a store in the Town of Herndon of roughly $19,500, according to court documents. The incident happened on Aug. 18, 2017.
The men entered a neighboring restaurant and kept patrons and staff on the floor for several minutes before escaping from a. Rear exit.
Court documents state that Pene drove three of the armed robbers away from the scene and back to Maryland.
Here’s more on the multi-jurisdictional effort that led to the conclusion of the case:
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Blue Heat. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said the case was a “prime example of our need for strong borders.”
“After previously being deported, this admitted MS-13 gang member again illegally crossed our southern border to get back into the United States. Then, as we’ve seen so often, once back here in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area he continued his criminal activity and participation in MS-13.”
Charges are pending against two men who police believe attempted to rob an Exxon gas station in Reston on Monday (April 6).
Police believe that two men, who have not been identified, threatened a gas station employee with a machete and demanded cash at the Exxon on 11808 Baron Cameron Avenue. The employee was able to take control of the weapon.
The men attempted to escape but were found after a helicopter-assisted search.
The Fairfax County Police Department says that charges are pending “further investigation.”
Image via Google Maps
Local police are investigating an armed robbery that happened earlier today at the 7-Eleven on 2303 Soapstone Drive in Reston.
Four men wearing masks — including one with a firearm — entered the store and stole property around 4:28 a.m. today, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“One man brandished a firearm at the clerk while another man jumped over the counter and stole property,” according to FCPD.
The race and age of the suspects are unknown, police said.
Image via Google Maps
Two Maryland men were arrested on Labor Day in connection with a robbery, officer-involved shooting and carjacking on the 700 block of Elden Street.
Edward Maul Mejia Sandoval, 22, was charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of threatening to abduct with the intent to defile. Manual Enrique Casco, 34, was charged with robbery, carjacking and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police believe the suspects attempted to rob a local business on Labor Day after assaulting two female employees. A Town of Herndon police officer chased the suspect on foot when one suspect brandished a handgun.Â
After a brief exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the officer, police officers arrested Sandoval. Casco was arrested a short time later after an armed carjacking on the 1000 block of Elden Street.
No injuries were reported.
Detectives are actively investigating the incident. A handgun was recovered during the initial investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call FCPD’s major crimes bureau at 703-246-7800.
Photos via FCPD
A Herndon police officer was involved in a shooting while responding to a report of an armed robbery in the area on Monday night.
Two suspects have been arrested, according to the Herndon Police Department. There is no active threat to the community.
The severity of the officer’s injuries is unknown.  The incident happened near Locust Street at around 9 p.m. on Monday (September 2).
The investigation is ongoing and the Herndon Police Department declined to release any other details about the incident.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
1600 block of Becontree Lane, cell phone from school
11900 block of Freedom Drive, cell phone from location
1800 block of Presidents Street, property from vehicle
1600 block of Reston Parkway, merchandise from business
1900 block of Reston Station Boulevard, bicycle from parking lot
11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, bicycle from location
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
This story was updated.
Two men robbed a massage therapy business at gunpoint on Tuesday (August 20).
Police believe the armed men demanded money after displaying a handgun at Reston Wellness, a massage therapist at 11250 Roger Bacon Drive.
The incident happened around 4:55 p.m.
The suspects were described as Hispanic or Middle Eastern men in their early 20s. The employee who reported the incident police said the men took an undisclosed amount of cash and ran away.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County police recently arrested a Herndon man and charged him with seven larcenies in connection with a stash of guns and drug paraphernalia.
Two weeks ago, an officer smelled marijuana coming from a car, which had been sitting in the 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road for awhile, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
After speaking with the driver, Brandon Hernandez, 19, of Herndon, officers searched the car and discovered more than a pound of marijuana along with a handgun, ammunition, THC cartridges and cash, police say.
Police arrested Hernandez and the two passengers in the car — Kevin Fernandez, 20, of Herndon and Guillermo Alfaro, 20, of Reston.
FCPD then teamed up with the Herndon Police Department to obtain a search warrant for Hernandez’s home. Police say they ended up seizing seven loaded weapons, which have been linked to several burglaries and armed robberies in the area, and more than 450 THC vape pens.
Hernandez is currently being held without bond, and more charges are pending as detectives continue to investigate, according to police.
Images via FCPD/Facebook
Herndon police arrested a Herndon woman in connection with a domestic assault that caused her husband’s death, according to the Herndon Police Department.
Thuan Tran, 79, was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries last Tuesday (Feb. 19) after he was assaulted in his home in the 400 block of Patrick Lane, police say.
Police took his wife, 77-year-old Nhan Pham, into custody at the scene and charged her with malicious wounding.
Tran died on Friday (Feb. 22) “as a result of the injuries sustained during this incident,” according to the report.
Pham is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Herndon police detectives are working with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to amend the charges, according to the report.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
11900 block of Bowman Towne Drive, cash and document from location
2400 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business
9800 block of Georgetown Pike, merchandise from business
10800 block of Hunter Gate Way, wallet from vehicle
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beer from business
1400 block of Lake Fairfax Drive, wallet from residence
12200 block of Laurel Glade Court, property from residence
11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business
11500 block of Maple Ridge Road, license plate from vehicle
1800 block of Michael Faraday Drive, laptop computer from business
1500 block of Northgate Square, package from residence
Olde Georgetown Court/Georgetown Pike, documents from vehicle
11400 block of Orchard Lane, license plate from vehicle
11100 block of South Lakes Drive, cell phone from location
12000 block of Starboard Drive, license plate from vehicle
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business
1800 block of Town Center Parkway, cell phone from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
Fairfax County police arrested a man who was living in a vacant Reston apartment.
The property manager for the apartment in the 1800 block of Oracle Way alerted police about the man on Friday, Feb. 15. Police found the man and confirmed he was not a resident, according to the report.
Police arrested and charged 23-year-old Michael Spruill of no fixed address with unlawful entry and destruction of property.
Sheriff’s deputies found a stolen gray car without license plates in Herndon. The car was stolen last Tuesday (Feb. 19) in Sterling, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The case stolen auto case is still under investigation.
Herndon police are investigating their own stolen auto case. A 2008Â Grey Pontiac Vibe was reportedly stolen between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. last Tuesday (Feb. 19) after it was parked in the 1000Â block of Knight Lane, and the key was left inside the unlocked car.
Herndon police are investigating an armed robbery that happened in the 1100 block of Elden Street last Monday (Feb. 18). A man demanded personal property from a victim and then ran away when the victim tried to call the police, according to police. The victim’s personal property was recovered.
“The suspect is described as a Hispanic male between 19-21 years of age wearing a black blue hoodie/jacket with the hood up and black pants,” according to the report.
File photo
Police are looking for three women and one man in connection with two separate robberies that occurred on Saturday night (Dec. 22).
Around 7:30 p.m., a store manager at the Victoria’s Secret store in Reston Town Center (11929 Market Street) confronted three women who were seen shoplifting, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
One suspect pepper-sprayed the manager and a security guard as they attempted to intervene, before all three suspects drove off in a dark-colored Nissan Altima, according to the report.
The report gave the following description for the women:
They were described as black women in their 20s. The first suspect had a thin build, long black hair, a pink jacket with strips, and white sneakers. The second suspect had red hair, a blue jacket, a black shirt, and white and black sneakers. The third suspect had a black jacket, black pants, a white hat, and white and black sneakers.
A second robbery took place at 8:05 p.m. at the intersection of Monroe Street and Sunrise Valley Drive in Hunter Mill.
Police say a man with a gun approached a victim walking down the street and demanded money. The man then fled in a black sedan after taking money from the victim. The amount of money taken was not included in the police report.
“The man was described as black, with a deep voice, around 6 feet 2 inches tall, wearing a white coat,” according to the report.
Police say the victim was not injured.
Maps via Google Maps
The Herndon Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify an armed man suspected of robbing M&T Bank at 1025 Herndon Parkway earlier this month. Photos of the incident were released by the department today (Sept. 20).
On Friday, Sept. 14 at around 5:05 p.m., the suspect entered the bank, presented a handgun, and handed the teller a note demanding cash. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
The man fled on foot, eastbound down Herndon Parkway. Anyone with information about the incident should call the police department at 703-435-6846.
Photos via Herndon Police Department
A man armed with a gun robbed the Sunoco gas station at 11190 South Lakes Dr. last night, Fairfax County Police said.
The robbery happened around 8 p.m. yesterday. A man entered the gas station displayed a gun to an employee and took an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. The employee was not injured during the robbery.
Authorities dispatched a police helicopter and several squad cars to look for the suspect, who is described as a black man, about six feet tall and 200 pounds, wearing a dark hooded jacket, a scarf and white gloves.
We were investigating an armed robbery at Sunoco on South Lakes Dr. around 8 pm https://t.co/ECk8xPv8M1
— Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) November 29, 2016
Several readers wrote to us to report hearing or seeing the helicopter. One reader told us they saw four police cars speeding toward the gas station.
Fairfax County Police said a woman was robbed of her purse at knifepoint on Saturday afternoon on South Lakes Drive in Reston.
Police said the woman was walking down South Lakes near Soapstone about 4:30 p.m. when a man attempted to grab her purse.
The suspect displayed a small knife and a struggle ensued, but the victim was not stabbed.
The suspect fled on foot and was described as Hispanic, about 25 years-old, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and 250 pounds, with a mustache and short hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jean shorts.
In other weekend crime news:
BURGLARY: 11700 block of Karbon Hill Court, Reston, Sunday, 12:50 a.m. A resident reported that she awakened to a man entering her home through a window. The suspect fled in an unknown direction and was described as white, 20 to 30 years old, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
TRESPASSING: 11000 block of Caris Glenne Drive, Herndon, July 22, 9:30 p.m. A resident reported someone entered their residence and shut off their power. No property was taken.
LARCENIES:
Moorings Drive/Chatham Colony Court, license plate from vehicle
1400 block of Lake Fairfax Drive, phone from residence
11100 block of North Shore Drive, food from business
8700 block of Potomac Hills Street, purse from vehicle
