Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station has a new commander. Capt. Ronald Manzo took over as the district’s top cop on March 1.

Manzo, a 47-year-old Fairfax County native, has been with FCPD for 22 years, rising through the ranks at various stations around the county. He spent 13 years at the Franconia District station, where he was everything from a crime prevention officer to detective.

His two most recent postings since rising to the rank of captain were as the Assistant Commander at West Springfield and commander of the Planning Research Bureau, which works directly with the Chief of Police.

Reston Now spent a few minutes with Capt. Manzo this week at his office in the new $18 million Reston District Station on Cameron Glen Drive. He says one of his goals is to “get back to basics” in policing here — have a greater visibility and more effective outreach with citizens.

Reston Now: You have been posted all over the county in your career, but never before in Reston. What strikes you as unique about Reston compared to other stations?

Capt. Manzo: I have only been here three weeks, so I am still getting a feel for Reston. The community has been very supportive. Supervisor Hudgins has done great things here.

Reston is growing. Other parts of the county don’t seem to be growing as fast. The Metro, the bike paths. These are different challenges I face as a commander on how we provide services here.

Reston Now: A common thing some people say is “Metro brings crime.” Metro has been here for eight months and according to FCPD stats, crime has not gone up. So is that statement a myth?

Capt. Manzo: I have only been here three weeks, so I have not looked at all the numbers. But in talking to the officers, we have not seen an increase. I think more people getting on Metro here and riding to where they need to go than people heading here.

Crime is down across the county. I think Metro is a good thing, a great thing.

Reston Now: You were talking about getting back to basics and getting officers out on bikes. What else are you instituting here?

Capt. Manzo: In coming here one of the first things I did is run the stats on officers in the station to see where we were as a station. I want to focus on improving our service. I dusted off our strategic plan, which each station has, looked at areas we can improve.

We can improve in community outreach. We support the mission of preventing and fighting crime, too, of course, but I want to get us back to the basics. Getting patrol officers to “own” patrol area. Creating a police service area manager so I can monitor some of the citizen complaints in Reston that don’t necessarily rise to criminal level. I can assign that to a PSA officer, and they can put it out and then get back to me with what actions were taken. Read More

A dog named Sassy and an officer from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station were hailed as heroes by FCPD on Tuesday for saving the life of a Great Falls man earlier this month.

During the eight-inch snowstorm in the area the first week of March, Jim Cassell appeared to be napping in his recliner at his Great Falls home. Sassy, his English Setter-Border Collie mix, sensed something was wrong and barked excitedly near his owner’s chair.

It turns out Cassell, 64, was suffering a massive heart attack, police said. The barking alerted Cassell’s wife Susan, who noticed her husband’s condition and immediately began doing CPR. Their son called 911.

Reston District Officer Nathan Keysor was the first emergency responder on the scene, police said. He recognized Cassell had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. He took over for Susan Cassell, administering chest compressions and succeeded in getting Jim Cassell breathing again.

The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department team arrived, took over, and served as the next link in the “chain of survival” to help save Jim Cassell.

He was rushed to Reston Hospital Center, where he remained in a coma for eight days.

Fairfax County Fire Chief Richard Bowers awarded Keysor the “Lifesaving Award” at the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday.

Keysor’s family and police and fire colleagues, along with Susan Cassell, were there to support and congratulate him. Jim Cassell remains hospitalized and will head to a rehabilitation facility soon. He expected to recover.

“Any of my colleagues and fellow officers would have done the same thing I did,” said Keysor, “I was in the right place at the right time.”

Photos: Top – Reston District Station officer Nathan Keysor (left) visits Jim Cassell in the hospital; bottom – Sassy/family photo

Crime fell 2.44 percent in Fairfax County in 2014, Fairfax County Police said.

The FCPD’s Reston District reflects the overall decrease in crime, according to statistics released by the police department on Wednesday.

One category saw a rise -that was quite large. There were 21 prostitution offenses in 2013 compared with just three the previous year.

Here are the number of other major incidents reported to police in 2014 (2013 number is in parentheses):

Arson — 2 (5)

Burglary — 87 (108)

Vandalism — 601 (704)

Homicide — 0 (2)

Larceny/Theft — 1,119 (1,236)

Motor Vehicle Thefts — 59 (48)

Robbery — 23 (37)

Stolen Property — 5 (4)

Drug Offenses — 393 (413)

Weapons Violations — 33 (59)

Countywide, reported incidents were down in most major crime categories. There were, however, two more homicides in 2014 (10) than in 2013 (8).

To see more detailed crime stats for the overall county and the Reston District, visit the Fairfax County Police updated crime statistics page.

Capt. Ron Manzo has taken over as the top cop at Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station.

The entire department moved into its new $18 million building last month. The new police station and North County Government Center is at 1801 Cameron Glen Dr., directly next door to the old building. The old building will be torn down soon and will become parking for the new headquarters.

Manzo comes to Reston most recently as FCPD’s Commander of the Planning Research Bureau.

Prior to that, he was Assistant Commander of the West Springfield District Station. He is joined by  Lt. Lance Schaible, who will be second in command.

During his time at West Springfield, Manzo was on the scene of the shooting of John Geer, a 46-year-old man who was shot by an FCPD officer after a domestic dispute and then a standoff at his home in summer 2013.

Capt. Manzo did not shoot Geer, but according to Geer’s family and attorney Michael Lieberman, who have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, the FCPD was negligent and failed to supervise the patrol officer who fired.

The lawsuit also questions police’s failure to summon a trained negotiator to deal with Geer. Family members also say Geer’s body was left in the home unattended by police for many hours.

Adam Torres, the officer who fired the shot from 17 feet away, has said in testimony he thought he saw Geer reach for a weapon. The other four other police officials, including Manzo, watching from a distance said they saw no such thing, The Washington Post reported.

The other officers at the scene agreed Geer had his hands above his shoulders, did not move them to his waist and was unarmed when he was shot, according to county documents in the case.

Fairfax County did not release information on the investigation until a judge ordered them to do so in December. The county then released 11,000 pages of information.

Meanwhile, Fairfax County Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova has created a 34-member ad hoc police commission to review police procedures. The commission will meet for the first time March 23 and is expected to issue a report in the fall.

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins says she supports establishing a citizen police practice review commission, but objects “to the manner in which the Board of Supervisor is establishing the commission.”

“I have urged that the Board discuss this matter in open session to review the current policy, to set benchmarks on what we wish to accomplish and to create a process of citizen engagement,” Hudgins said in an email to residents of her district last week.

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The dead man found in the woods near Herndon on Monday has been identified as William Adolfo Rivas Leiva, 22, of Herndon, Fairfax County Police said.

Police preliminarily concluded that this death is a homicide.

Police did not say how Leiva was killed or how long his body had been in the wooded area at Folly Lick Stream.

Leiva’s body was found in the 1500 block of Hiddenbrook Drive on Monday about 12:27 p.m., police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers electronically by visiting www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES(274637)** or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477).

**Text STOP to 274637 to cancel. Text HELP to 274637 for help. Msg & data rates may apply.

A man walking in the Lake Anne area early on Saturday was assaulted by two other men, Fairfax County Police said.

The victim told police he was walking on North Shore Drive near Waterview Cluster about 12:15 a.m. on Saturday when two men approached him. Both suspects assaulted the victim, police said.

The victim resisted and both suspects fled on foot. The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspects were described as males wearing dark clothing, police said.

Last week, a man was assaulted during an armed robbery on North Shore near Clubhouse Drive as he cleared snow off his car late at night.

In other crime weekend crime news reported by Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station:

• 2200 block of Castle Rock Square, license plates from vehicle
• 2000 block of Chadds Ford Drive, driver’s license, credit cards and money from vehicle
• 11700 block of Dry River Court, items from vehicle
• 10900 block of Harpers Square Court, purse from vehicle
• 900 block of Locust Street, wallet from school
• 2300 block of Southgate Square, electronic device from residence
• 2000 block of Swans Neck Way, driver’s license, credit cards and money from vehicle

Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station report an attempted burglary on Tuesday in unincorporated Herndon.

Police said a resident in the 12800 block of Williams Meadow Court resident reported someone entered the residence at night. Nothing was taken.

In other police news in the last week:

LARCENIES

6300 block of Dranesville Road, equipment from school.

1500 block of North Point Drive, property from residence.

11600 block of Springhouse Place, phone from residence.

11800 block of Coopers Court, wallet from vehicles.

1800 block of Explorer Street, wallet from business.

2000 block of Royal Fern Court, purse from residence.

1700 block of Quietree Drive, jewelry from residence.

2000 block of Royal Fern court, purse from business.

13400 block of Coppermine Road, wallet from residence.

12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, license plate from vehicle.

2400 block of Mason Ferry Drive, property from residence.

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from residence.

A man was shoveling snow off his car in Reston when he was held up at gunpoint early on Friday, Fairfax County Police said.

The victim was shoveling out his car in the 11600 block of North Shore Road near the intersection of Clubhouse Road about 2:15 a.m. when he was approached by two men, he told police.

The first suspect grabbed the victim and demanded property, but the victim resisted and a struggle occurred. During the struggle, the second suspect displayed a handgun, which allowed the first suspect to take property and cash, police said.

The suspects fled the scene in a two-door Toyota sedan. The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The first suspect was described as black, 18-to-26 years of age, black jeans, about 5-feet-5 to 5-feet-6 inches tall, thin build and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect was described as a light to medium skin black male, 18-to-26 years of age, dark colored jeans, about 5-feet-4 or 5-feet-5 inches tall, medium build and wearing a leather jacket and white mask with eye holes.

Fairfax County Police have arrested a teenager in connection with a series of police impersonations on Fairfax County roads.

Police charged Tyler Scott Polkinghorne, 19, of 5066 Dequincey Dr. in Fairfax, with one count of Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer. Polkinghorne turned himself in at the Adult Detention Center on Monday.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. Further charges are possible.

Fairfax County Crime Solvers said last week they were offering a reward to anyone led them to information on the run of impersonations that began last October. This arrest did bot end up as the result of a tip through Crime Solvers, however.

Crime Solvers said each of the three incidents in Fairfax County, a person driving on a public highway encountered a vehicle behind them that activated emergency lights, similar to what you would see on an unmarked police car.

Police did not say where in the county the incidents occurred.

The suspect vehicle in each of these three incidents has been described as a black Volkswagen sedan such as a Jetta or Passat, bearing Virginia license plates.

In each of the three incidents, the drivers did not believe the vehicle was an actual police car and therefore, did not pull over. The suspect vehicle drove away without further contact.

Photo: Tyler Scott Polkinghorne/Credit: FCPD

Fairfax County Police are investigating an incident involving spotlighting the agency’s helicopter, creating dangerous visibility issues for the pilot and crew.

While returning to the helicopter base in Fairfax on Feb. 24 around 8 p.m., the pilot observed a bright light illuminating the chopper known as Fairfax One.

It appeared that the bright white light was following the aircraft and the beam lit up the entire cockpit. It appeared to come from a home, and police said they are working on developing positive identification of a suspect(s) and placing appropriate charges.

Police did not say the exact location of the home as the investigation is continuing.

The pilot was not using night vision goggles at the time of the incident. Had he been, the bright light would have created a temporary blindness and been extremely dangerous, police said.

It is against Virginia and federal law to shine spotlights or lasers that interfere with the safety of flights, including:

5.1-22. Interference with operation of aircraft; penalties; venue. Any person who interferes with or threatens to interfere with the operation of any aircraft, unless he is authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration or the armed forces of the United States, on or over the territory of the Commonwealth shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Where the act or acts of interference or threatened interference are of such a nature as to endanger the life of the aircraft’s operator or the life of any other person, the person interfering or threatening to interfere shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony. Any person who knowingly and intentionally projects a point of light from a laser, laser gun sight, or any other device that simulates a laser at an aircraft is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Venue for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest and trial of any such person is hereby conferred upon any court having criminal jurisdiction in the political subdivision in the Commonwealth where the aircraft either took off prior to such offense, or where it lands or comes to rest subsequent to such offense, or in or over which the offense occurred.

In this case a laser wasn’t used but there have been past incidents involving laser pointers, said police. Federal law prohibits this and states that pointing a laser at any aircraft, helicopter or fixed wing, is a federal crime with a punishment of up to 5 years imprisonment.

The FBI offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who aims a laser at aircraft.

Photo: Fairfax One/file photo

Fairfax County Police have arrested a Reston man who allegedly hit a marked police car — and then fled the scene and led police on a chase — in Reston early on Feb. 15.

Police said an officer in a marked police car was heading southbound on Reston Parkway about 1:50 a.m. on Feb. 15 and was struck by a 2002 Toyota RAV4 at the intersection of New Dominion Parkway.

After the collision, the Toyota continued to travel east on Temporary Road, fleeing the scene of the crash. The involved officer was able to follow the Toyota where the driver eventually exited his vehicle and fled on foot near the 11600 block of Vantage Hill Road, police said.

Responding officers located the driver and arrested him. Rigoberto A. Cruz, 38, of Reston, was charged with felony hit and run, felony DWI, disregarding a signal to stop by law enforcement, and refusal to submit to blood or breath test.

Fairfax County Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who burglarized a home in Fox Mill Estates last week.

The burglary occurred in the 12700 block of Magna Carta Road on Thursday between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. A suspect entered the home in an unsecured basement window and stole electronics, jewelry, a safe and multiple credit cards.

Detectives learned that these cards were subsequently used at a business in Martinsburg, WV, and police were able to acquire photos of a possible suspect.

A vehicle that may be connected to the case has also been identified as a dark Chevy or Toyota four-door sedan with tinted rear windows.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brett Choyce at 703-478-5141 or Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637.