Top 20: Walgreens, 7-Eleven Not Welcome, Babysitter Indicted, Affordable Housing, DNA in Crimes and a Long, Happy Marriage

Top news of the week from our Patches around Virginia and DC.

Patch has 31 community sites in Virginia and D.C. Here are some of the top stories from around the region over the past week. 20. Affordable housing continues to be a major topic of discussion in Alexandria. The Virginia Department of Transportation sold Hunting Point, two eight-story apartment buildings, to a realty firm. Alexandria's City Council had asked that any purchaser not turn the buildings into luxury apartments that could displace its current tenants who require more affordable housing. That message was passed on to the new buyers, according to VDOT, but was not a condition of the sale. 19. On the west side of Alexandria, the City Planning Commission gave the go-ahead to major rezoning in the Beauregard area that will tear down …

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James

4:44 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I remember that 7/11 on Crestview got robbed pretty recently.   more ›

Police Arrest Three in Thefts from Autos

Men suspected of more than 60 car break-ins in area.

Fairfax County Police have made three arrests in connection with a series of over 60 thefts from autos that occurred in the Reston District in recent weeks. Police said they conducted a lengthy and complex investigation involving school resource officers, the neighborhood patrol unit, station detectives and patrol officers. The investigation is ongoing and there may be additional charges as well as additional suspect arrests forthcoming, said police. Arrested were Alexander Jovel Guillen, 18 of no fixed address; Angel Hernandez Medrano, 19, of Herndon; and Santos Acevedo Jovel, 22 of Reston. All were each charged with Conspiring to commit Grand Larceny. Jovel Guillen was also charged with fraudulent identification and Acevedo Jovel was …

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Mike M

5:26 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013

Joe, Odds are he and/or his ancestors were legal. Mine were. Does the law not matter to you? Is illegal activity just as valid as illegal activity?   more ›

Reston Police Report: Party Ends with Assault

Two men charged with malicious wounding after fight on North Shore.

Fairfax County Police have charged two men with assault after a fight at a party last weekend. Osman Arriaga Rodriguez, 27, of Reston, and Juan Rodriguez Perez, 34, of Maryland, were each charged with malicious wounding after a 43-year-old man at a party told police he was assaulted. The incident took place Feb. 9 at 11:45 p.m. In separate and unrelated incidents: GRAFFITI, Glade Drive/Twin Branches Road, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m. Spray painted images were found on several power boxes near the Lake Audubon Pool. A notice of removal was sent. BURGLARY, 2400 block of Centreville Road, Feb. 10, 7:35 a.m. A passer-by reported that business’ front door was smashed. Several cell phones were stolen. BURGLARY, 13300 block of Shea Place, Feb. 12, 8:30 p.…

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Routine Traffic Violation Ends in Police Chase Near Herndon High School

The driver of an SUV fled after Herndon police tried to pull them over, eventually striking another car.

An SUV led a Herndon police officer on a pursuit in the Herndon Parkway and Dranesville Road area after the officer attempted to stop the driver for a routine traffic violation at about 7:15 this morning.  The pursuit ended in the area of Herndon High School. The SUV drove northbound at a high rate of speed, running a red light at the intersection of Dranesville Road and Wiehle Avenue, striking a vehicle at the intersection.  The driver of the SUV lost control, rolling the vehicle several times before coming to a stop. The driver and a passenger in the SUV were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. No one else was injured in the accident.  Herndon High School Principal William Bates sent out a notice to HHS parents letting them know…

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Douglas Manuel

11:33 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013

Okay, riddle me this, why is the name of the driver who is to blame for this instance apparently shielded from having his/her name released? We hear lots of talk of protecting the public, yet it appears we are not allowed to know who the actual threat is. Wouldn’t a good first step be to make these people accountable for their actions?   more ›

Reston Police Blotter

Man charged with after fight at party; dog owner punched at dog park.

A man was charged with malicious wounding after he hit an acquaintance at a party on Dec. 22, Fairfax County Police said. The man, Jordan Medina, 20, of Arlington was also charged with underage possession of alcohol. Police said the victim and suspect were at a party in the 12000 block of Greywing Square about 1:55 a.m. on Dec. 22 when the suspect allegedly hit the victim following a misunderstanding. In other crime news for the week ending Dec. 28: ROBBERY, North Shore Drive/Sunder Court, 7:10 p.m. Dec. 22. A 21-year-old victim told police he was walking home and heard two people following him. They caught up to him and demanded his wallet. They struck him several times with a chain, took his cell phone, and fled. The victim was treated …

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Holiday Cheer For Reston's First Responders

Personnel at Fairfax County Police's Reston District Station and nearby fire stations were treated to an annual holiday celebration lunch on Tuesday. The lunch is organized by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and the office of Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, with food and drinks donated by Reston businesses. Two first responders were honored as Firefighter and Officer of the Quarter. Billy Coburn from Reston's Fire Station 39 (Northpoint) earned Firefighter of the Quarter for a smokehouse he constructed for the Fire Prevention Week Open House in October. The smokehouse was used for demonstrations, and then later in the month became a haunted house to entertain the public and then a training prop for firefighters. Officer …

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Hundreds Attend Vigil for Peterson Family

Floris United Methodist Church holds candlelight vigil Wednesday for four Herndon residents found dead this week.

Floris United Methodist Church was filled Wednesday evening with area students from Rachel Carson Middle School and Westfield High School as the community mourned the loss of the Peterson family. The Petersons, father and mother Albert and Kathleen and sons Matthew and Christopher, were found dead in their home Tuesday afternoon in what police have determined was a murder-suicide. “We’re here for a prayer vigil,” FUMC Rev. Tom Berlin said. “We’re not here for a memorial service. We’re not here to figure everything out.” For those who came to the vigil — many of whom were students, wearing Westfield's signature black and yellow, sports gear or clothing bearing messages like "Rest in Peace" — it was hard to make sense of what happened to a …

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Police: Herndon Deaths Ruled Murder-Suicide

Husband kills sons and wife before turning gun on himself in Point Rider Lane home, police say.

The family of four found dead Tuesday inside a home on Point Rider Lane in Herndon was killed in a murder suicide, police said Wednesday. A Fairfax County Police Department investigation revealed Albert Peterson, 57, killed his wife, Kathleen Peterson, 52, and their children, Matthew, 16, and Christopher, 13, before taking his own life. The Virginia Office of the Medical Examiner determined the cause of death for each of the four family members was gunshot wounds to the upper body, according to police. [Follow Herndon Patch on Facebook.] Yesterday neighbors gathered throughout the neighborhood as police and press descended on the property after the initial report. A coworker of one of the adults called the police to ask for a welfare check…

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Fairfax County Crime Rate Drops

Police see decrease in all crimes last year except robberies.

Crime in Fairfax County dropped across the board last year in every category except one — robbery — according to statistics from the Fairfax County Police Department. There were 1,244 fewer crimes in 2011 than in 2010, according to data released to Patch this week. "It is a nationwide trend," said Lucy Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department. "We hope one factor is that each district station takes a close look at trends in their area and they keep a close look." Caldwell said residents reporting crimes quickly and sending in tips is another factor in the lower crime rate. "We can't do it without the public's help," she said. The only crime category that increased last year? Robberies. There were 29 more robberies …

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Man Found Dead at Lake Newport Soccer Fields

Fairfax County Police called to unattended death Monday morning.

A man was found dead in his car at Lake Newport Soccer Fields in Reston on Monday morning about 7 a.m. Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Shelley Broderick said the man died in his car. No foul play is suspected and the death is a suspected suicide, police said. The body was taken to the medical examiner's office. Police did not offer other details, such as the man's identity or cause of death.

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