A Herndon man was arrested in connection with an aggravated assault of a victim, according to police.
Police believe Irving Lazarus Duncan, 33, assaulted a victim that was known to him on Oct. 6 while the victim was released.
The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Reston Hospital. Duncan was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center where he was held without bond.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station also reported the following minor incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from location
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cell phone and gun from location
11800 block of Barrel Cooper Court, purse from vehicle
11900 block of Barrel Cooper Court, clothing from residence
Reston Station Boulevard/Wiehle Avenue, property from vehicle
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, battery from vehicle
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, pants from vehicle
2400 block of Centreville Road, cell phones from business
10100 block of Clover Glen Drive, lights from residence
2300 block of Colts Neck Road, bicycle from location
1800 block of Discovery Street, electronic device from location
2200 block of Monaghan Drive, cash from vehicle
1800 block of Presidents Street, cash from location
1900 block of Reston Metro Plaza, construction material from location
1700 block of Seagull Court, cell phone from location
2400 block of Southgate Square, license plate from vehicle
1800 block of Sycamore Valley Drive, wallet from location
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
Photo via FCPD
Volunteers Sought for Reston Home Tour — The Reston Historic Trust & Museum is looking for volunteers to help with the annual home tour, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 19. [Reston Historic Trust & Museum]
Fairfax County Public Schools Maintain High On-Time Graduation Rate — “For the second straight year, more than nine out of ten Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) high school students earned a diploma within four years, according to graduation reports released today by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). More than three out of five of these students earned Advanced Studies Diplomas.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Herndon Man Arrested in Connection with Assault — Irving Duncan, 33, of Herndon was arrested for the aggravated assault of a victim that is known to him, according to police. The assault happened while the victim was asleep on Oct. 6. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Commemorative Bricks Available for Purchase — The Reston Historic Trust & Museum is selling commemorative bricks, which are installed at Lake Anne Plaza, for up to $250. Bricks are ordered and installed one time per year. [Reston Historic Trust & Museum]
Dominion Energy to Build Northern Virginia’s Largest Solar Facility — “Dominion Energy Virginia and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced Thursday that they will jointly study the possibility of developing a large-scale, 100-megawatt solar energy project at Dulles International Airpor. The project would encompass 1,200 acres at Dulles, and could power 25,000 homes at peak output. Dominion Energy said this project would be one of the largest solar facilities in Northern Virginia.” [WUSA 9]
Herndon Man Charged with Drunkenness and Sexual Battery — Jose Luis Hernandez, 45, was arrested after a juvenile victim reported that the suspect touched him in the genital area, according to police. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Farmers and Makers Market at Reston Town Center — Every Tuesday until November, a market at Reston Town Center will feature local farmers and artisans selling a variety of items. The market is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today. [Reston Town Center]
Sprouts Hiring Fair in Herndon — From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. today and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), people interested in working at Sprouts can attend a hiring fair at the Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel (2200 Centerville Road). Interested applicants should bring copies of their resumes. Positions open include cashiers, clerks, department managers and administrative coordinators. [Facebook]
ARTSFAIRFAX Welcomes New Board Members — “New board members include Cathy “Smitty” Smith, a Realtor with Long & Foster; Scott Cryer of DLR Group; Jennifer Owen with Sandy Spring Bank; and d’Andre Willis of HGA. The 2020-21 board president will be Michele “Shelly” Hazel.” [Inside NoVa]
Herndon Police Department Seeking Detective — The police department is looking to hire an experienced detective to join the Criminal Investigation Section. “We have a great incentive package for those who qualify.” [Twitter]
Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard said the two Maryland men arrested on Labor Day in connection with an armed robbery, shooting at a police officer, and a carjacking in downtown Herndon have “extensive criminal histories” and may be connected to other similar incidents in the county.
At a debriefing before the Herndon Town Council earlier this week, DeBoard released new details about the incident that happened near Locust Street. She said police officers responded quickly and effectively, even though there were only four people on duty when the incident happened at around 7:20 p.m. that day.
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 were attempting to rob a business in downtown Herndon that evening. As the incident was unfolding, one of the two women assaulted by the men spotted a police cruiser parked in the store’s security camera footage. The woman alerted the police officer — who was filling out paperwork in the cruiser and happened to be near the scene at the time — about the armed robbery. The officer — whose name has not been disclosed — immediately began to chase the suspects as they fled from the business, police said.
During the foot pursuit, one of the suspects shot at the police officer. The officer responded by shooting back. No one was injured or hit during the exchange, police said.
Sandoval was arrested with the help of two off-duty police officers and an EMT from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. After a brief search, Casco was arrested nearly thirty minutes later after police received a report of a carjacking up the street near Guapos.
The Fairfax County Police Department has taken over the criminal investigation due to the town’s limited resources, DeBoard said. The officer-involved shooting was a first for all three commanders on the scene at the time, she said.
“When you have an incident of this magnitude and this high enough of a threat, it becomes extremely dangerous and challenging,” DeBoard told the council.
The Herndon Police Department is conducting an internal affairs investigation. The county’s Commonwealth Attorney will determine if the police officer’s use of a gun was justified. Thus far, the suspects have not been charged with attempted capital murder.
The incident was captured with body camera footage. DeBoard also said the Herndon Town Council’s $25,000 investment in technology to track police cruisers helped police respond to the scene by tracking the cruiser.
Details about the business robbed by the suspects, the names of the victims, and the name of the officer will not be released for privacy and safety reasons, the police chief said. The department may release the officer’s name later this week if it determines there is no threat to safety.
Several minors were targeted in separate indecent exposure incidents in Herndon in late August on Elden Street.
On August 29, minor victims told police that a man they knew exposed his genitals to them on the 1200 block of Elden Street.
Jabril Mohamed, 47, of Herndon, was arrested for taking indecent liberties with a child and indecent exposure, according to the Herndon Police Department.
In a separate incident also on the 1200 block of Elden Street, a minor said a man she knew was recording her in her room while she was getting dressed. The incident happened on August 29.
Salvador Arnoldo Lima Reyes, 35, of Herndon, was arrested for creating an unlawful image of a minor.
Both men were taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center where they were being held without bond. The Town of Herndon released information about the incidents yesterday (September 3).
Photo via Herndon Police Department
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.
A man was abducted and robbed near Alabama Drive last week.
According to the Herndon Police Department, the victim said two men with handguns told him to get into a car.
They then drove him to a field, where they took cash and his cell phone, police said.
Local police believe the victim was taken to an area in Centreville. The case is under investigation and no other information was immediately available.
Photo via Herndon Police Department
‘Overlooked’ Exhibit Ends This Week — “Join Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) this Thursday to hear Jean Badalamenti respond to the current exhibition Overlooked (closing August 31). DC-based Jean Badalamenti is a licensed social worker with more than 25 years of experience and DC Public Library’s first health and human services coordinator. She received a master’s degree in social work from Howard University and has spent her career advocating for people without homes or jobs, as well as those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.” [Greater Reston Arts Center]
A ‘Jade’ Way of Looking at Your Neighborhood — “Explore your neighborhood in great detail w/ our new mapping application called Jade. It features 170+ layers to view, combine and analyze. It also includes, for the first time, current and historical aerial imagery.” [Fairfax County Government]
Assault Reported Near Florida Avenue — Kawser Ibrahim, 28, of Herndon was arrested for malicious wounding and assault on August 22. Police believe Ibrahim assaulted a man, who was taken to a local hospital for treatment. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Herndon Police Department Investigates Car Crash — Local police are investigating a car crash that left the driver of the vehicle, a juvenile, dead on Sunday (June 9) at 2 a.m. The cause of the crash is unknown. Three passengers were transported to area hospitals where they remain in serious condition. [Herndon Police Department]
Democratic Party Primary Set for Today — Polls opened at 6 a.m. for the primary today. Five candidates are vying for the seat of Hunter Mill District Supervisor after veteran legislator Cathy Hudgins announced her intentions to retire earlier this year. [Fairfax County Government]
Farmers and Makers Market in Reston Town Center Today — The market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, features farmers and artisans selling a mix of items, including produce and vintage items. [Reston Town Center]
Local Company Works to Reduce Electric Vehicle “Range Anxiety” — Electrify America is expanding its partnership with Walmart to a create a cross-country network of fast-charge station for electric vehicle owners. The partnership aims to tackle “range anxiety” with 120 fast charging stations at Walmart stores in 34 states. [WTOP]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
In May 2018, the body of Alexander Alfaro Castillo, a Herndon resident, was found with a note on his chest alongside photos of a young girl. It read, “He raped me when I was drunk so I killed him.”
Castillo also had underwear stuffed in his mouth and the letters “MS” carved into his face, according to a recent news report.
Now, Herndon police are saying that the case is not the revenge killing it appeared to be.
Authorities say they will not disclose a motive because the case is still pending in court, but they believe the note was intended to distract the police from tracking the actual suspects.
The Washington Post dove into search warrants that confirm one suspect in the killing — Denis Castillo Hernandez, 21, who is allegedly an MS-13 member.
Here’s more from the report:
A white powder was sprinkled over Castillo’s head and body when it was discovered, prompting officers to call a hazmat team to clean up the substance before detectives could investigate more fully, according to the search warrants. The powder was later determined to be a salt that was not dangerous.
Maria Ines Alfaro, the victim’s sister, said her family did not know Hernandez and they had not been told by police what prompted the killing.
“He was very sweet and supportive in many ways,” Ines Alfaro said of her brother. “He used to bring a bottle of wine to have with my mom and me. We used to do that every day.”
Local police have been mum about the case, releasing only a few public details since it occurred.
Search warrants obtained by the Post indicate Castillo was found dead in his mother’s home on the 400 block of Patrick Lane on May 26. He was lying on his back on the floor in underwear and a black shirt. Residents in the home said they heard loud banging and screaming prior to the arrival of police.
The state’s medical examiner noted that Castillo died of multiple injuries.
A detective later learned that Castillo was texting with a contact named “Denis El Salvatruco” earlier that day, according to the post. The number was later traced to Hernandez’s father.
Hernandez was taken into custody on May 31 in connection with a separate stabbing that happened that day. Police found a picture of Castillo in Hernandez’s wallet, according to the Post.
Hernandez will stand trial on July 8 in connection with Castillo’s killing.
Photo via Herndon Police Department
