Hunters Woods Village Center management rearranged the parking lot and gave the shopping plaza a cosmetic facelift about a year ago. But a deeper problem remains: the perception that the center is not a safe place.
There have been recent complaints of panhandling and other nuisance, but not necessarily criminal, activity at Hunters Woods, Fairfax County Police said. This spring, residents of the Hunters Woods Condo Association, which borders the plaza’s Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, say they have noticed a new neighbor — one who lives in a tent in back of the church.
The tent was a subject of a recent condo association meeting. It is sure to come up again on May 7 and 10, when police and representatives from Reston Community Center, Cornerstones and FCPD will meet with the community to talk about what’s being done to improve safety at Hunters Woods.
Katy DeFoe, crime prevention specialist for FCPD’s Reston District Station, say community leaders have been meeting for about a year to discuss — and make changes at — Hunters Woods.
“I hear from the community ‘I don’t want to go to Hunters Woods. There are people hanging out there,’ ” says DeFoe. “But the stories I hear are not backed up by [crime in the] police reports.”
The police did not have updated crime stats for Hunters Woods available.
DeFoe says several plans have been implemented to work on improving safety (or the perception of safety) at Hunters Woods.
Among them:
- Making sure the community knows who to call when they see criminal activity or they are being bothered by someone.
- Adding visible police presence.
- Improving lighting on the Reston Association paths near the village center. RA will pay for this.
- Improving visibility on the plaza between RCC, the church and the retail shops. This area formerly had tall bushes where people could congregate or hide. Vegetation is now lower and sparser.
Two burglaries have been reported in Reston in the last week, Fairfax County Police said.
Police said that an employee of a business in the 11900 block of Market Street at Reston Town Center told police someone entered the business on April 21 and took property. Police did not say what was stolen.
The second incident was reported on Saturday, April 26. A resident of the 11400 block of Washington Plaza (Lake Anne) told police someone entered the residence and took property.
Police did not say what was stolen in the second incident.
In this week’s other crime news reported by the Reston District Station:
LARCENIES
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, cell phones from business
2000 block of Golf Course Drive, personal documents from vehicle
12700 block of Roark Court, license plate from vehicle
2300 block of Emerald Heights Court, cell phone from business
2200 block of Cocquina Drive, medications from residence
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, liquor from business
11200 block of Roger Bacon Drive, cell phone from business
STOLEN VEHICLES
11900 block of Freedom Drive, 2010 Toyota Corolla
11600 block of North Point Court, 2013 Nissan Maxima
11480 block of Commerce Park Drive, Chevy Trailblazer
A 15-year-old girl was treated for alcohol poisoning and a 48-year old woman charged after officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station were called to a Great Falls party on Saturday.
Police responded to a report of an alcohol overdose at a party in the 10000 block of Akhtamar Drive in Great Falls on Saturday, April 26 around 11 p.m.
Officers transported the teen to the hospital after they found her unconscious on a couch in the home.
Police also found about 50 other teenagers at the home. The teen party had allegedly been advertised on social media, they said.
The host, a 48-year-old woman, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a misdemeanor under Virginia law. She told NBC4 she did not give the girl alcohol and that the girl had crashed the party with some other teens.
Police and the Unified Prevention Coalition want to remind residents that the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” program is underway in the month of May. The program is dedicated to keeping youth and young adults safe and drug free.
Police say parents need to know:
- It is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.
- Under age 24, the brain is still growing and negatively affected by alcohol.
- Parents can be prosecuted under the law for hosting underage drinking parties.
- It is unsafe and illegal for persons under 21 to drive after consuming alcohol (.02 blood alcohol content or above).
- Don’t risk living with the burden of an unnecessary death or accident because you provided or allowed alcohol use by someone under the age of 21.
Fairfax County Police say residents need to be on the lookout for black bears.
Over the weekend, there were several bear sightings in Vienna, said Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell.
A bear was reportedly hit on the Dulles Toll Road Saturday morning between Beulah Road and Hunter Mill Roads, the latter of which borders Reston. A resident of the 1600 block of Fremont Lane in Vienna called in a report of a bear in his backyard Saturday at about noon.
Caldwell said police do not know if it was the same bear or two different bears.
There are usually a few bear sightings each year — there were several near Baron Cameron Road and Reston Parkway a few years ago — says Caldwell. However, late April is very early for the bears to be out, she said.
“It is unusual to see them in April,” she said. “In past years we have seen them in June.”
Animal Control Officers say should not panic or feel alarmed when they see one.
From the county:
Bears typically avoid humans, but in their search for food it is not uncommon to see one. Most often, bears will keep moving through an area once they fail in their attempts to find food.
Unless the animal is sick or injured, or poses a threat to public safety, animal control officers do not take actions to attempt to remove bears from a neighborhood. Black bears have a natural fear of humans, and in most cases, would rather flee than encounter people.
If addressed quickly, wildlife issues caused by food attractants in yards can be resolved almost immediately.
Take the following precautions to keep bears and other wildlife away from your home:
• Do not store trash on porches, decks or in vehicles.
• If a bear is sighted in your neighborhood, remove birdfeeders.
• Take garbage to the curb on the morning of pickup, rather than the night before.
• Consider installing electric fencing around gardens, dumpsters and other potential wildlife sources. Electric fencing is an inexpensive and efficient proven deterrent against bears.
Photo: Bear in Vienna April 26/Credit: Fairfax County Animal Control
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station report these crimes for the last two weeks:
LARCENIES
12600 block of Glen Brooke Woods Drive, license plate from vehicle
2500 block of Peter Jefferson Lane, cash from vehicle
12100 block of Pinecrest Road, wallet from business
2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business
2000 block of Golf Course, personal documents from vehicle
12700 block of Roark Court, license plate from vehicle
1700 block of Jonathan Way, license plate from vehicle
1400 block of Lake Fairfax Drive, wallet from residence
900 block of Locust Street, cell phone from location
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from business
11400 block of South Lakes Drive, headphones from school
2300 block of Woodland Crossing Drive, electronic device from business
900 block of Falls Bridge Lane, stereo from residence
1400 block of Hunter Mill Road, camera from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES
2500 block of Farm Crest Drive, 2003 Nissan Altima
Barton Hill Road/Quimby Point Lane, Plymouth Neon
A Reston man was mysteriously shot in the stomach while kayaking in Anne Arundel County, Md., on Saturday, Maryland Natural Resources police.
Police said that David Seafolk-Kopp, 56, was shot while taking a break from paddling. He told police he saw a red dot near the lower part of his stomach and felt an excruciating amount of pain shortly thereafter.
Officials said the man launched his kayak from a friend’s home near Pasadena, Md., but was unable to make it back to shore until Sunday morning.
Seafolk-Kopp was taken to Baltimore’s Shock Trauma with non-life threatening injuries. The Baltimore Sun reported that he was treated and released.
Police told the Sun that they don’t have a motive or suspect, but the incident is under investigation.
A teenage girl has been charged with setting fire to three cars in Reston early Thursday.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department fire investigators said the cars were burned in the 11600 block of North Shore Drive.
The 17 year-old, whose name was not released by police, was charged with Virginia Fire Code, 18.2-86, setting a fire capable of spreading; and 18.2-81, intentionally burning personal property with a value greater than $200.
Damage is estimated at $30,000, fire officials said.
Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station report these larcenies in the Reston area for the week ending April 4.
900 block of Riva Ridge Drive, camera from residence
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business
12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, beverages from business
2100 block of Freda Drive, money, items and electronic device from vehicles
11200 block of Roger Bacon, medication from business
9600 block of Verdict Drive, money from vehicle
1700 block of Business Center Drive, purse from business
900 block of Locust Street, electronic devices from location
Fairfax County Police are investigating a burglary that took place March 22 in the 2300 block of Emerald Heights Court in Oak Hill.
A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
In other crimes reported to the Reston District Station this week:
LARCENIES
900 block of Locust Street, cell phone from location
2300 block of Southgate Square, property from residence
11100 block of Saffold Way, property from residence
1700 block of Fox Run Court, property from residence
Fairfax County Police are investigating a burglary that took place in the 1600 block of Washington Plaza on Tuesday.
An employee of a business at Lake Anne Plaza told police someone entered the business and took property.
Police did not say which business or what was taken.
In other crime news from the Reston District Station this week:
LARCENIES
11900 block of Democracy Drive, purse from vehicle
11400 block of North Shore Drive, property from business
2400 block of Centreville Road, jacket from business
Fairfax County Police are introducing a new online tool that citizens can access to be better informed of incidents happening nearby.
Police say the new crime mapping tool “is designed to help users better understand where police are responding, and offers users a general description of the incident.”
Developed in conjunction with the Fairfax County Department of Information Technology’s GIS branch, the new crime mapping application will be a valuable asset for residents, neighborhood civic associations, businesses, and anyone who wants to know the latest police-related events in their neighborhoods, said police.
Here is how to use it:
Go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policeevents/#police, type the address of the location, and all police-related events within a specific radius will populate the screen.
Information is, typically, a day behind real-time events.
Users may inquire about any location they like; their child’s school, a local business district, a potential area they’d like to move.
Users can also search by incident type (such as assault, larceny, burglary or sex offense), by date, by location and date range.
A 26-year-old Reston woman was arrested Saturday night after allegedly showing up naked at the Arlington Magistrate’s Office.
Police say Maura Fussell arrived at the magistrate’s office around 11:00 p.m. seeking to visit her husband, who had been arrested in Clarendon earlier that day.
She was drunk, completely naked and refused to get dressed or leave in a cab, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
Sternbeck was unable to say whether Fussell arrived at the office wearing clothes and subsequently removed them, or whether she arrived there naked.
Fussell was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and drunk in public. She was held in jail until sober, police said.
Fairfax County Police are investigating a burglary in the area around Hidden Creek Country Club.
Police said an employee of a business in the 1700 block of Clubhouse Road reported that someone entered the business and took property on March 7.
In other, unrelated Reston crime news this week:
LARCENIES
11800 block of Baron Cameron Avenue, merchandise from business
2500 block of James Madison Circle, license plate from vehicle
2000 block of Maleady Drive, money from vehicle
2200 block of Astoria Circle, property from residence
11900 block of Bowman Towne Drive, cell phone from business
1800 block of Sycamore Valley Drive, airbags from vehicle
9900 block of Georgetown Pike, merchandise from business
1700 block of Ascot Way, jacket from business
1800 block of Presidents Street, personal items from business
Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District station said appliances were stolen from a unit in the 2000 block of Royal Fern Court on Thursday.
The police did not give other details, such as which appliances were missing or whether there are any suspects.
Other larcenies reported by police for the week ending March 7:
11900 block of Market Street, purse from location
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business
2400 block of Centreville Road, cell phone from location
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, cell phone from location
12000 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from location
Correction: An earlier version of this article said Royal Fern Court was in Shadowood Condominiums.
Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station reports the following larcenies for the week ending Feb. 27:
11100 block of Beaver Trail Court, laptop computer from vehicle
7900 block of Community Drive, cell phone from business
8900 block of Leesburg Pike, purse from vehicle
11400 block of South Lakes Drive, cell phone from location
2100 block of Freda Drive, credit cards from location
1700 block of Lake Shore Crest Drive, cash from residence
11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business
13300 block of Parcher Avenue, items from vehicle
1600 block of Washington Plaza, laptop computer from business
1600 block of Bachan Court, wallet from location
STOLEN VEHICLES:
2400 block of Masons Ferry Drive, Ford Escort
