Herndon Police are searching for Donald Higgins, a 65-year-old Herndon resident who went missing on Monday. Higgins, who suffers from dementia, was last seen at 10:30 p.m. when he left his home on Tyler Street in Herndon.
He was last seen wearing gray jogging shorts, a dark gray or blue black jacket, black loafers and a yellow Redskins jersey, according to the police department. He was also carrying a pair of blue Dockers pants and a dark plaid shirt. Higgins has a tattoo on his right forearm and wears reading glasses.
A Fairfax County Police Department helicopter cleared the area after searching for Higgins Tuesday morning near the Loudoun County line, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department.
ALERT: Last seen 10:30p 11-6-17 when he left home on TylerSt in Herndon. HIGGINS suffers from dementia. Full info: https://t.co/BzF16dK6SK pic.twitter.com/dy2Cm1DFMQ
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) November 7, 2017
If you have any information, contact the police department at 703-435-6846. Information can also be directed to Detective Jeffrey Lange at 703-435-6881, ext. 2304 or by email at [email protected]
RCC Offers Day Camps On Student Holidays Next Week — Reston Community Center is hosting “Fun Fusion Days” on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 6 and 7, when Fairfax County Public Schools are not in session. RCC staff will lead children ages 7 to 11 in a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, sports, games, movies and cooking, aiming to keep children happy and engaged. Campers must bring their own lunch, snacks, and drinks. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road. The fee is $45 per day for residents or $68 per day for nonresidents. Register online through WebTrac. [Reston Community Center]
Beware of Local Solar Scams — Fairfax County Government is warning residents of a scam involving solar companies. In an online statement, officials said local residents have reported being contacted and given a sales pitch by companies claiming to be part of a county-wide program called “Solarize Fairfax.” While in the past the county has partnered with the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), which negotiated rates for county residents with two specific companies, county officials said that program is no longer active, and the county has never endorsed any specific solar companies. [Fairfax County Government]
Reston Woman Named One of 2017’s ‘Women Who Mean Business’ — Reston resident Lynn Dugle has been named one of Washington Business Journal’s 2017 “Women Who Mean Business,” which “honors the region’s most influential businesswomen.” Dugle is the CEO of Engility Corporation and has more than quadrupled the firm’s business during her short tenure. Most recently, she helped the company land a lucrative, $200-million contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to help modernize the country’s air traffic control systems. In her spare time, Dugle is on a mission to visit at least 100 different countries during her lifetime–and she’s already 80 percent of the way there. [Washington Business Journal]
Fairfax County Police Stop Child Exploitation Ring — Fairfax County police officers received a tip over the weekend that underage girls were being held against their will at a Springfield hotel. Officers responded to the TownPlace Suites on Brandon Avenue in Springfield and found one young victim in the lobby, and another two in one of the hotel’s rooms. Officers also located the suspect holding the victims hostage and took him into custody. A 22-year-old Fredericksburg, Virginia man is charged with commercial sex trafficking, abduction with a firearm, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. [Fairfax County Police]
A man was beaten and robbed by men he encountered at a Reston laundromat this week, police reported Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Reston District, the male victim was doing his laundry at a laundromat in Hunters Woods Plaza around 11 p.m. on Sunday. Police said 10 other man were in the laundromat at the time.
The victim told police one of the men approached him and challenged him to “some type of physical game.” The victim agreed and left the laundromat with the 10 men. The group reportedly went to a nearby wooded area.
While in the woods, all 10 men reportedly assaulted the victim, beating him, and then took his wallet and other personal items he had on him.
Police said an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
Police from the Reston District are seeking to file charges of unlawful entry for two teens who were caught breaking into Herndon High School over the weekend.
According to the police report, two students were caught inside the school at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday morning. Police said there appears to have been no property stolen or damaged in the incident.
In other local news, it appears to have been a relatively quiet Halloween in the Reston area. No major incidents have been reported; only a few larcenies, and no stolen vehicles.
LARCENIES:
1700 block of Business Center Drive, purse from vehicle
2400 block of Centreville Road, bicycle from business
10299 block of Colvin Run Road, property from residence
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).
Fairfax County police detectives, together with officers from Ocala, Florida, have arrested a man on suspicion of committing sexual assaults against four women in Reston 22 years ago.
In a statement issued Monday, Fairfax County police said DNA evidence uncovered on Aug. 25th of this year confirmed a lead they had previously been pursuing in a cold case involving the sexual assault of four women in an apartment in the 11000 block of Olde Tiverton Circle in Reston back on June 6, 1995. That lead pointed them to 49-year-old Jude Joseph David Lovchik.
Police said that up until September of this year, Lovchik had been living in the 7200 block of Linden Tree Lane in Springfield, Virginia. After that, he reportedly moved to Ocala, Florida. Police reportedly tracked him there and arrested him during a traffic stop at an intersection near his home.
Lovchik is now being held in a Marion County jail in Florida while authorities await extradition orders to Fairfax County.
Lovchik is facing charges of being a fugitive from justice, armed burglary, abduction with intent to defile, and sodomy, and authorities said further charges may be filed once he is extradited back to the area.
Local officials said they are also working with the four female victims in this case, to provide them with needed moral support given this latest update in the case.
Further updates will be released if additional charges are filed.
A man has died from his injuries after police say he fell from a parking garage at Reston Town Center Friday evening.
Officers from the Reston Police District issued a statement Monday evening indicating that the incident is under investigation.
Police said officers responded to the 11900 block of Freedom Drive Friday evening after it was reported that an 18-year-old man had accidentally fallen off a parking structure where he was hanging out with a friend.
The man, identified as Robin Buritica Carvajal of Woodbridge, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He later died from those injuries on Sunday.
A 45-year-old man has been charged with drunk driving following a fatal crash that took place in Reston on Sunday.
Fairfax Police issued a statement indicating the department is still investigating the crash, which took place at the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Lake Fairfax Drive around 2:30 p.m.
“A preliminary investigation revealed a 1987 Toyota MR2 was traveling south on Baron Cameron Avenue, approaching Lake Fairfax Drive, when it crossed the center median and struck a 2008 Porsche traveling northbound,” police said in the statement.
The driver, 45-year-old Jose Jimenez-Yapura, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was arrested, as police said alcohol appears to have been a factor in the crash. He has been charged with driving while intoxicated. His passenger, however, later identified as 42-year-old Miguel Jiminez of Falls Church, was taken to the hospital, but later died of his injuries.
The driver of the Porsche, a 16-year-old, was not injured in the crash.
Police are still investigating, and said they are unsure if speed may have also been a factor in the crash.
A police officer was injured during a pursuit last week in Herndon, according to a police report.
Herndon Police arrested Isaiah Jacob Lacey, 21, on Thursday, Oct. 19 after the car pursuit that caused roughly $15,000 in damages, according to the report.
Police pursued the car on the 800 block of Ferndale Avenue after it fled from an officer who attempted to stop the vehicle for a traffic violation. The chase ended when the car hit a police car near the intersection of Ferndale Avenue and Park Avenue. One police officer suffered minor injuries.
Lacey, who has no permanent address, was held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on the following charges: hit and run, felony eluding police, felony assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and other traffic violations.
Fairfax County Police are also looking for leads after two houses in the Herndon area were robbed on Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21. On Friday, residents on the 2400 block of Cypress Green Lane returned home to find a number of items had been taken between 5:30 and 11:45 p.m.
The next day, police said someone entered a home in the 13100 block of Diamond Mill Road and stole items between noon and 8 p.m.
The department’s Reston District Police Station also reported the following incidents in its daily crime report:
LARCENIES
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, package from residence
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from business
12900 block of Centre Park Circle, package from business
2200 block of Centreville Road, snacks and beverages from business
1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from residence
12000 block of Greywing Square, bicycle from residence
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beer from business
2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, medication from residence
11500 block of Links Drive, scooter from residence
2200 block of Marginella Drive, guitar and keyboard from residence
1400 block of North Point Village Center, merchandise from business
11700 block of Stevenage Road, purse from vehicle
12200 block of Sugar Creek Court, license plates from vehicle
10200 block of Wendover Drive, property from residence
1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, bicycle from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES
None reported.
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).
Fairfax County Police Department’s Citizens Advisory Committee Meets Tonight — Join the committee for its monthly meeting at the Reston Police District Station (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) at 7 p.m. The body is designed to improve communication between residents and local police officers. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Film Screening, ‘Art of Community’ Reception on Thursday — Public Art Reston and Reston Historic Trust & Museum will co-host a reception to celebrate the exhibit “Reston: The Art of Community” at the Reston Historic Trust & Museum (1639 Washington Plaza) from 5:30 – 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public. [Public Art Reston]
VolunteerFest Begins On Saturday — Volunteers can participate in volunteer projects throughout Fairfax County from gardening to painting. Last year, more than 500 volunteers participated in the project, donating more than 1,600 hours of their time. [Volunteer Fairfax]
Meeting on PRC Zoning Ordinance Amendment Tonight — The latest community meeting on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would increase the density cap in Reston’s Planned Residential Community (PRC) district is tonight at 7 p.m. at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive). [Fairfax County]
Review: ‘Aida’ is ‘an Explosion of Color and Sound’ — According to a reviewer, the new Reston Community Players show features “action and comedy elements, along with the flashy set and costume design, [that] will keep young and old enthralled to the end.” [DC Metro Theater Arts]
Crash Shuts Down Reston Roadway — A collision at Fairfax County Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive affected traffic this morning. The road was reopened as of about 8:20 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department. [FCPD/Twitter]
Stream Restoration In Progress — In its latest “Reston Today” video dispatch, Reston Association shares information about a restoration project currently underway at Brown’s Chapel Park and Vantage Hill. [Reston Association/YouTube]
Reston Solar Firm Plans Large Farm — SolUnesco (1818 Library St.) has proposed a 400-acre, 60-megawatt solar farm along in Orange County. [(Charlottesville) Daily Progress]
In conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, Fairfax County is promoting “Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout.”
On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents are encouraged to drop off unused or expired medications at any Fairfax County Police district station. Medicine must be pills or liquids only, as no pressurized canisters or needles will be accepted.
The disposal is free, confidential and safe, organizers say. Promotional materials for the event say safe handling of unused or expired medications prevents accidental poisoning, protects the environment and prevents drug abuse.
Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout is sponsored by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County in partnership with local businesses and in collaboration with these Fairfax County government departments: Police, Health, Public and Private Partnerships, Neighborhood and Community Services, Public Works and Environmental Services, and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
The Reston District Station of the Fairfax County Police Department is located at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive.
Chamber: Effort To Woo Amazon ‘Start of Something Great’ — Jim Corcoran, president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, says the partnership between Loudoun and Fairfax counties to try to bring Amazon’s new headquarters to Herndon can be “a model for our economic growth,” no matter what the company decides. [Washington Business Journal]
Metro: Fare Evasion is Serious Issue — Metro says its efforts to ensure no one gets on trains without paying has helped curb serious crime on the system by 20 percent. [Metro Transit Police/Twitter]
Early Metro Hours Sunday for Marathon — Trains will begin rolling Sunday at 6 a.m. to help participants in the 42nd annual Marine Corps Marathon. Extra trains will also be running on the Blue and Yellow lines. [WMATA]
A Look at Mixed-Use Developments in Fairfax County — Earlier this week, Bisnow took a look at several large developments in the works in the county, as it says “developers are increasingly turning the county into a walkable, mixed-use environment.” Included in the profile are several Reston developments, including Reston Station and Tall Oaks. [Bisnow]
Police Warn of Criminals Targeting Garage Door Openers — Police departments in Loudoun and Prince William counties are urging residents to keep their garage door openers out of sight as criminals are stealing them from cars and using them to gain access to homes. Police in Reston have previously warned of similar crimes. [WTOP]
Fairfax County police say a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in Reston when answering a Craigslist job listing may not be the only victim.
Imtiaz Rauf, a 44-year-old from Gainesville who is a registered sex offender, has been charged by the Fairfax County Police Department with sexual battery. Police say Rauf placed an ad saying he was looking for an administrative assistant. The victim met Rauf for a job interview at 12005 Sunrise Valley Drive, and police say she was sexually assaulted upon arriving.
Rauf was arrested and taken to the Adult Detention Center, where he is being held without bond. FCPD says detectives are looking into other ads they believe were placed by Rauf and are “investigating other similar reports” of assault. Additional charges against Rauf may be forthcoming, police say.
According to Rauf’s entry in the state’s Sex Offender Registry, he was added to the list after being convicted of sexually soliciting a minor in Montgomery County, Maryland in 2011.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Rauf, or who has further information about the case, is encouraged to contact FCPD Det. T. Horton at 703-246-7800. Information can also be reported by calling 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), by visiting Crime Solvers online, or by texting “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637). Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.
Mugshot of Imtiaz Rauf/FCPD
Police in Loudoun County say a Reston man who drives for a ride-hailing service assaulted a customer last week.
The incident took place at about 7:20 a.m. Thursday in the 45600 block of Falke Palza in Sterling, near the Country Inn & Suites off Old Ox Road. A woman told police she got into a confrontation with the driver, identified as 45-year-old Sheikh R. Lamptey. According to the woman, Lamptey grabbed her phone from her during the altercation, and struck her in the head as well.
Lamptey was handed a simple assault charge by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, the Fairfax County Police Department reported the following crimes in the past week:
LARCENIES
1700 block of Ascot Way, purse from vehicle
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cellphone from school
11900 block of Democracy Drive, property from vehicle
11400 block of Commerce Park Drive, property from vehicle
11400 block of Esplanade Drive, airbag from vehicle
13400 block of Farm Crest Court, tires from vehicle
1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from residence
2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, cigarettes from business
2500 block of John Eppes Road, airbag from vehicle
900 block of Locust Street, cellphone from school
1500 block of North Point Drive, cellphone from business
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, merchandise from business
10200 block of Wendover Drive, property from residence
12100 block of Windsor Hall Way, property from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES
None reported
Two more thefts of airbags listed in the larcenies include another in the same area south of Herndon as several such reports a few weeks ago. The other, though, was in North Reston.
FCPD also reported that a man from Georgia unlawfully entered a private school on Sunrise Valley Drive twice in recent days.
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).
The Herndon Police Department also reported in its weekly crime report a pair of malicious wounding cases.
- On Friday, a man was stabbed in the abdomen in the 1200 block of Elden Street. The victim was taken to Reston Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect in the crime, 57-year-old Pedro Quintero Gonzalez, of Herndon, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.
- On Sunday, a man was struck in the face with a pint glass during an altercation in the 200 block of Elden Street. The suspect, 31-year-old Bakari Kamau George, of Reston, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.
In each case, police report the victim and the suspect were acquainted.
The Fairfax County Police Department says a man was caught on surveillance video inside a private school outside of normal hours.
Walter Elsey, 27, of Georgia was arrested Saturday after police say he was spotted on camera inside Good Beginnings School (11501 Sunrise Valley Drive). The incident took place just before 11 a.m., and he was located by police near the school after he was seen on video.
Further investigation revealed Elsey had also unlawfully entered the building a few days earlier.
The man was taken to the county’s Adult Detention Center and charged with two counts of unlawful entry.
