An assistant principal at Hunters Woods Elementary School has been placed on leave after she was arrested for shoplifting at a Target in Reston, according a spokesman for the Fairfax County Public Schools System.
Melissa Tochterman, 47, of Herndon, was arrested and charged with grand larceny last Thursday evening.
Tochterman left the store with a cart full of unpaid items. Video footage showed she left with $690 worth of merchandise, police said.
Police released information about the incident Monday evening.
This story was updated at 12:33 p.m. to include information on Tochterman’s employment status.
Photo via FCPD
A 10-hour barricade on Ladybank Lane ended today following the surrender of Anthony Moaf, 21.
At around 4 a.m. today, police arrived on the scene after receiving a report that an armed man was threatening to kill family members in the 13200 block of Ladybank Lane.
Moaf is being taken for a medical evaluation. He also faces charges for reckless handling of a firearm, police said.
Earlier in the day, the Fairfax County Police Department asked people to stay away from Ladybank Lane in Herndon due to ongoing safety concerns.
All family members are safe, but the man threatened to shoot responding officers. At around 6 a.m., police heard at least one gunshot. “It was not directed at anyone or at police,” according to the police department.
Police are attempting to resolve the situation peacefully and urge residents to avoid the area. They have made contact with the man over the phone and are continuing negotiations.
For the latest updates, visit the department’s Twitter feed. This story will be updated.
This post was updated at 3:38 p.m.
Photo via FCPD
A 17-year-old Lorton teenager suspected of murdering a Reston couple in late December was served petitions earlier this morning, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The suspect, who has not been identified by police due to his age, has been charged as a juvenile with two counts of murder after an investigation determined he killed Scott Fricker, 48, and his 43-year-old wife, Buckley Kuhn-Fricker on the 2600 block of Black Fir Court on Dec. 22, police said.
The teen then shot himself and has remained in a local hospital since the incident.
The Herndon Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify a man involved in an indecent exposure incident.
At around 4:15 p.m. yesterday, a girl walked past a silver Toyota Scion as she got off the school bus at the intersection of Crest Drive and Old Hunt Way.
The man in the car asked her for directions. When she came close to the car, she realized he had no pants on and was exposing himself.
The suspect was described as a white male between 20 and 25 years old with a long beard. He was wearing only a gray hooded sweatshirt.
If you have any information or were in the area at that time, contact Detective Jeffrey Lange at 703-435-6846 or [email protected].
Photos via Herndon Police Department
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
The following articles were the five most-clicked links on Reston Now this past week.
- M & S Grill in Reston Town Center Closes
- New Details Surface in the Murder of Reston Couple
- Memorial Service Set for Couple Murdered in Reston
- Longtime Business Leaves Reston Town Center
- Fannie Mae Eyes Move to Reston’s Core
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally. Have a great weekend!
On Saturday, a memorial service will be held for Scott Fricker, 48, and Buckley Kuhn-Fricker, 43, the Reston couple who were shot and killed in their own home last week.
The service will begin at 10 a.m. at Herndon’s Trinity Presbyterian Church.
The couple was shot in their home on Friday, Dec. 22. Police believe a 17-year-old Lorton boy, whose identity has not been released, shot the couple and turned the gun on himself. He remains in the hospital with life threatening injuries.
One family member believes the teenage boyfriend of the couple’s daughter killed them after they learned of his Nazi views and encouraged their daughter to break up with him. The shooting took place on the 2600 block of Black Fir Court.
Fricker had a Ph.D from the University of Maryland and worked for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Kuhn-Fricker specialized in estate planning and elder law.
Police are investigating the suspect’s alleged Neo-Nazi connections.
(Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 3 p.m. to include new information).
A man allegedly assaulted a child, carjacked a pick-up truck and led police on a chase that culminated with a car crash that sent eight people to the hospital late Wednesday night. The suspect, a woman and five children remain in the hospital.
Brendan Stefon Vinson, 28, of Adelphi, faces multiple charges, including carjacking, speed to elude, two assaults on police officers and receiving stolen property. Police were called for back-up at the hospital as the suspect attempted to wrestle out of his handcuffs.
The incident began when the Fairfax County Police Department responded to a report about a child being assaulted on the 6100 block of Early Autumn Drive at around 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday. They learned a man randomly knocked on the door of a home and hit a young child who was at the door, police said. The suspect fled the area in a stolen car that police believe was taken from Hyattsville around 6 p.m.
A flurry of events continued as the suspect crashed into a pick-up truck at Stone Road and Lee Highway and carjacked the driver. Police believe he then stole a trailer and attached it to the pick-up truck. When police began chasing the vehicle, the suspect ran a red light at the intersection of Centreville Road and Frying Pan Road. He then rammed into a mini van in the intersection, sending five children and a woman to the hospital. One child was ejected from the car and flown to the hospital. The child remains in critical condition.
The suspect attempted to escape by foot at the intersection. As police caught the man, he injured two police officers in an attempt to ward off police. Both victims who were assaulted by the suspect also sustained minor injuries.
Police said they are still investigating multiple scenes relating to this incident. Police officers injured in the incident are recovering and expected to return to work, police said.
Photos via FCPD
How Family Tried to Keep Suspected Neo-Nazi from their Daughter — People magazine published an in-depth piece about the Reston double murder on Friday, including details on how the family attempted to keep the suspect, who turned the gun on himself, away from their daughter. [People]
Escape Herndon Donates Tickets for Charity — The business is donating proceeds from all tickets sold for New Year’s Eve to Starlight, an organization that aims to bring joy and comfort to hospitalized children and their families. [Escape Herndon]
Reston Library Holds One-Hour Sessions to Build Computer Skills — Adults seeking to improve their computer skills can register for a one-hour session with a technology volunteer to improve their computer skills and get help with navigating the Internet and e-books. Individuals interested in participating should call the library to make an appointment. The session will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. today. [Fairfax County Government]
Neighbors in a Lorton community discovered a 40-feet wide swastika that was moved into the grass of a community field two months ago. Tire marks from a mower ran up to the home of a troubled teen, according to neighbors.
After a protracted discussion, residents opted to talk to the teen’s family directly about the incident two months ago. Now, after reports that the 17-year-old allegedly shot and killed the parents of his 16-year-old girlfriend in their Reston home make nationwide headlines, some neighbors regret not filing a report with local police.
The incident, reported by The Washington Post, is part of a narrative surfacing as more details about the Reston murder on Friday become known.
According to the Post, Scott Fricker, 48, and Buckley Kuhn-Fricker, 43, forbade their daughter from seeing the teen after discovering a Twitter account they thought was linked to the teen included tweets praising Hitler, calling for white revolution and an image of a man hanging from a noose.
Janet Kuhn, Buckley Kuhn-Fricker’s mother, told FOX 5 that the family believes the parents attempts to break up the daughter and her boyfriend led him to commit the crime in their home on the 2600 block of Black Fir Court. Police are investigating the boy’s alleged Neo-Nazi connection.
The teen, whose identity has not been revealed by police, has been charged with two counts of murder. He remains in critical condition. Four other family members who were home at the time of the shooting were not hurt.
Selected police officers from the Reston District Station will begin wearing body cameras in March as part of the Fairfax County Police Department’s pilot program that was approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors last month.
The station was added to the program, which originally would have outfitted all patrol officers in the Mount Vernon and Mason district stations, because extra equipment is available, police said.
Researchers from American University who are studying the program determined it was more appropriate to outfit half of the patrol officers in each district in order to create a control group that would allow researchers to compare data between officers who do and do not have body cameras and work in the same area of the county.
“The Reston area was chosen because it differs from the two police districts already included in the program. The patrol areas within the Reston District include a number of high-rise buildings as well as stops along Metro’s Silver Line. Additionally, our Reston District Police Station is the newest building among our stations, and already has the physical infrastructure in place to accommodate the technical needs of the program,” the police department said in a statement.
The pilot program includes 230 cameras, which will be worn on the outside of the officer’s uniform or vest on a full-time basis. The addition of the Reston District Station is not projected to increase the cost of the three-month program, which will cost roughly $684,000 in fiscal year 2018. The department has the option of extending the program from three to six months.
In an Oct. 2015 report, the county’s Ad Hoc Police Review Commission recommended the program in order to increase community trust, improve evidence collection, decrease the number of complains against police officers and drive a “civilizing effect.”
“Statistics have clearly shown a decrease in use of force encounters, and in the resultant number of complaints by civilians against the local police departments once those departments employ [body cameras]. The reduction in complaints and the level of violence from both law enforcement officers and civilians with whom they interact daily perhaps serves as the greatest motivation for FCPD to begin using the cameras,” according to the report.
Cameras will record during any encounter of law enforcement and the pubic related to a call for service, a law enforcement action, subject stop, traffic stop, search or police service. Police officers are also expected to activate the devises in a private resident so long as officers have the legal authority to be in that location.
The devices are from Axon, a law enforcement technology giant formerly known as Taser International.
A Herndon man was arrested Friday night after fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Abdullah Anwar, 23, was stopped in the parking lot of Waterview Plaza after he was observed driving over the posted speed limit along Route 7 in Sterling, police said. During the investigation, police found the car was stolen from Herndon.
Anwar was charged with felony speed to elude, auto theft, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a breath test, reckless driving by speed and driving on a suspended driver’s license. He was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a secured bond.
On Thursday, the Prince William County Police Department arrested a suspect in connection with the attempted rape of a 21-year-old woman of Herndon. The suspect, Joshua Mark Testa, 39, was charged with attempted rape, abduction with intent to defile and malicious wounding.
According to police, the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim when she attempted to leave from a residence on the 13800 block of Greenwood Drive in Woodbridge earlier in the morning. The accused, an acquaintance, grabbed the woman when she attempted to leave, knocked her to the ground and attempted to remove her clothing. As a struggle ensured, the suspect punched the victim in the face multiple times and fled the residence, police said. Minor injuries were reported.
He was arrested later in the afternoon without incident at Woodbridge hotel.
In a separate incident, a victim woke up to a man standing in his bedroom on the 1800 block of Wainwright Drive on Thursday at around 3 a.m. The suspect fled the house on foot when he was confronted, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Electronics and banking information was taken from the inside of the home. The suspect was described as a white or Hispanic man between 40 and 50 years old, weighing around 200 pounds and wearing dark clothing.. The victim was not injured and the case is ongoing.
FCPD’s Reston District Station also reported the following crimes this week:
LARCENIES
2200 block of Stirrup Iron Lane, rings from vehicle
11500 block of Rolling Green Court, bicycle and scooters from residence
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, license plate from vehicle
12500 block of Cross Country Lane, laptop computer from business
900 block of Locust Street, cell phone from school
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, property from residence
2300 block of Colts Neck Road, shoes from business
STOLEN VEHICLES
None reported.
On Monday, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested Karla Severiche, a 32-year-old Reston resident in connection with a shoplifting incident on the 21200 block of Signal Hill Plaza in Sterling. Severiche was charged with grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell or distribute, possession of burglarious tools, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
A juvenile involved in the incident was transported to the Loudoun County Youth Shelter, the sheriff’s office said.
The Herndon Police Department reported no major incidents this week.
Anyone with information about any of the crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).
Sabino Vasquez-Murcia, a 29-year-old Herndon resident, was killed on Saturday when a car struck a parked vehicle he was sitting in on Saturday night. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office identified him as the victim of the crash today.
The driver, Julio Rivera, 39-year-old Herndon resident, lost control of his car and hit the parked car and a townhouse on the 700 block of Colonial Avenue in Sterling, the sheriff’s office said. The crash happened around 10:45 p.m.
Vasquez-Murcia was taken to Reston Hospital where he later passed away. The townhouse sustained minor damages and no one was injured inside, according to the report.
Rivera has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, DUI and driving on a suspended license. He is currently being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond, the sheriff’s office said.
File photo.
Holiday Performances at Fountain Square on Wednesday –– Enjoy musical performances on Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. at Foundation Square, including presentations by the Fairfax School Choir and the Drum and Fife Company. [Reston Town Center]
Swimmers from South Lakes High School Split Win with Langley High School — Varsity swim and dive teams from SLHS came out strong at their opening meet on Friday. The girls’ team won with 161-151 while the boys’ team lost 134-181. The team is scheduled to compete against Centreville High School on Dec. 8 at 8:30 a.m. [SLHS Swim and Dive]
Herndon Man Charged with Involuntary Slaughter in Sterling Crash — Julio Rivera, 39, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, DUI and driving on a suspended license on Friday after he hit a parked car and a townhouse on the 700 block of Colonial Avenue. A passenger in the car was taken to Reston Hospital, where he later died. [LoudounNow]
Reston Association Covenants Staff in Training — RA covenants staff will be in training today and for half-day on Tuesday. Staff will do their best to return all messages by the end of today. [Reston Association]
Photo courtesy of SLHS Swim and Dive
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.
