Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Man arrested for immigration scam at Landmark Plaza

Kamara Fairfax County police have arrested man who approached women at Landmark Plaza and promised to help them obtain citizenship and provide immigration assistance for their relatives abroad. Ousseynou Kamara, 41, of 3707 Pogonia Court, Hyattsville, Md., was charged with six felony counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, two counts of forgery, and identity … Continued

FXCO police shoot child porn suspect

A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a suspect involved in child pornography May 19 at the Chelsea Square apartment complex on Backlick Road in North Springfield. The following information is from the Fairfax County Police Department: The suspect had seven outstanding warrants: Three felony counts of producing child pornography, three felony counts of … Continued

Antique coins, bank notes stolen from Annandale couple’s car

An elderly couple who live on the 3800 block of Stuart Court in Annandale’s Broyhill Crest neighborhood are devastated by the theft of their collection of antique coins and bank notes valued at $300,000 to $500,000. They had just returned home after attending a coin show in Charlottesville Saturday, April 14, at around 7:20 p.m., and … Continued

Cop school: the K9 corps

MPO Harford and Scout The K9 corps plays a key unit of the Fairfax County Police Department, tracking suspects, victims, evidence, and lost children, Master Police Officer Rob Harford told participants at a recent session of the Fairfax County Citizens’ Police Academy. Harford works with Scout, a black German Shepherd, who can track human odors … Continued

Cop school: the bomb unit

MPO Tom Eggers with the EOD unit’s robots. When a bomb threat was called in to Annandale High School and a suspicious package was left there March 30, the Fairfax County Police Department’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit brought its robots to investigate. X-rays conducted by the robots found the contents “completely innocuous,” says Master … Continued

Cop school: The SWAT team

Sgt. Reiff describes the SWAT team uniform If your neighborhood is swarming with police officers running around in heavy jumpsuits and helmets, chances are there’s a SWAT team operation in progress. They could be dealing with a barricade situation, home invasion, or some other type of tactical mission. The officers won’t have time to chat … Continued

Elderly people with memory loss targeted by home repair scammers

What do Gypsies, Irish Travelers, and woodchucks all have in common? They’re prowling the streets of Annandale looking for people they can rip off, especially elderly people with mental deterioration. Det. Ryan Young of the Mason Police District spoke at a recent Citizens Advisory Committee meeting about how these scammers are operating unscrupulous home improvement … Continued

Cop school: the Helicopter Division

You might have heard a big commotion in Lincolnia about a week ago. A drunk driver crashed an SUV into the gas pumps at the Sunoco station on Little River Turnpike and Beauregard Street and fled the scene. She was eventually located and arrested for hit-and-run among other charges. “Fairfax 1,” the Fairfax County Police … Continued

We remember Virginia Tech

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. On April 16, 2007, a student at the university in Blacksburg went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people and wounding 25 others. Among the victims was Mary Read of Annandale, a 19-year-old freshman who graduated from Annandale High School in 2006. Friends and … Continued

Cop school: Gangs still pose a threat in FXCO

The following report about gangs in Fairfax County is based on a presentation by a police detective in the gang unit at the April 5 session of the Citizens Police Academy. The detective often works undercover so he prefers to remain anonymous. Gang graffiti in Fairfax County “The gang problem is not as bad as … Continued

Police address community concerns on assaults

Hill About 120 people came to a community meeting Monday evening at Robinson Secondary School to learn more about how the police are responding to two recent sexual assaults in Fairfax and how to avoid being a victim of a similar attack. Sgt. R.M. Thiel of the West Springfield Police Station outlined the basic facts … Continued