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

Uptick in burglaries reported in Mason

There has been an increase in residential burglaries throughout the Mason District in recent weeks, reports Brendan T. Murphy, crime prevention officer in the Mason District Police Station. “Most of them have been during the day, and items like electronics and jewelry seem to be the goodies of choice,” he says. The Police Department provides free … Continued

Apparent murder suicide under investigation

3800 Forest Grove Drive UPDATED March 28: Mason District police are investigating an apparent homicide/suicide that occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 27. The victims were identified as John Jackson, age 40, a former sergeant in the Fairfax County police force and, his 13-year-old daughter, Alexis Jackson, a student at Glasgow Middle … Continued

Cop school: The jail tour

The Adult Detention Center in Fairfax [No photos allowed inside.] The young women were sitting on the floor playing cards and laughing. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. But they weren’t at a slumber party—they were doing time at the Fairfax County Adult  Detention Center (ADC). The field trip to … Continued

Cop school: Life on patrol

Kottemann Greg Kottemann wanted to be police officer since he was a child, and his enthusiasm for the job was clear, as he offered a close-up look at the life of a patrol officer during last week’s session of the Citizens Police Academy at the Mount Vernon District Police Station. Kottemann, a master police officer … Continued

Girl assaulted on the way home from Woodson High School

Police are investigating a report of a 16-year-old girl who was reportedly grabbed in the woods around 4 p.m., Monday, March 19, while walking home from Woodson High School. The girl had just entered a path at the end of Pickett Road when “a man approached her from behind, grabbed her neck, and assaulted her,” … Continued

Cop school: Domestic violence

Week 3 of the Fairfax County Citizens Police Academy included several presentations at the Mount Vernon Police Station. Heath and Wallace “My dad is drunk. He’s kicking my mom in the head,” said the 14-year-old girl on the 911 call, as her younger sister was screaming in the background. The police dispatcher helped the girl remain … Continued

Man charged with vehicular death of 8-year-old boy

An 8-year-old boy, Brian Hernandez-Chavez, died after being struck by a car while he was standing on the side of Duke Street in Lincolnia Jan. 15, and the driver, Victor M. Aldana, 22, was charged by Alexandria Police with DUI manslaulghter, DUI maiming, reckless Driving, and not having an operator’s license, WJLA reported Jan. 16. … Continued

Blog sign stolen

Someone stole the Annandale Blog sign from the grassy area at the intersection of Gallows Road and Columbia Pike sometime between 8:15 a.m. on Dec. 29 and 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 30. I don’t think it was the wind, as signs advertising massages and other things are still up in the Columbia Pike median.

FXCO massage parlors searched for human trafficking violations

The Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force—which includes officers from local, state, and federal agencies—carried a coordinated inspection operation Dec. 14 targeting massage parlors. They didn’t find any human trafficking violations, reported Lt. Chris Marsh, assistant commander of the Fairfax County Police Organized Crime and Narcotics Division. But they did place 17 charges, the vast … Continued

CSI: Fairfax

The Fairfax County communications center where 911 calls are answered Hardy “No matter how hard you try to clean up a crime scene, we’ll find evidence,” says Fairfax County Det. Derek Hardy. Hardy explained how crime scene investigators use state-of-the-art gear to analyze evidence and reconstruct crime scenes to members of the Mason District Police … Continued

Ohio man faces sentencing for murder of Annandale woman

Auh Danny Kim, a home renovator, pleaded guilty Nov. 9 to the July 2009 murder of Annandale acupuncturist Chung A. Auh in Fairfax County Circuit Court, the Washington Post reported. Auh, 53, had operated a holistic healing business in her home at 4119 on Hummer Road, next to Yechon restaurant. The murder had shocked the … Continued