Fairfax County police are investigating a “smash-and-grab” jewelry store robbery at Tysons Corner Center.
The suspect used a hammer to smash display cases at Elite Jewelers, which is on the mall’s first floor near Macy’s, the Fairfax County Police Department reported at 5:53 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 1).
Police say the suspect was a man wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Surveillance footage shared by the department show the man wearing a disposable blue surgical mask and sneakers. In a couple of images, he appears to be talking on a cell phone.
The sound of the cases being smashed evidently prompted another unfounded panic about a shooting at Tysons Corner Center, though the FCPD confirmed that there were no shots fired.
Officers are on scene of Elite Jewelers in Tysons Corner Center for a robbery. Suspect smashed jewelry cases with a hammer. NO shots were fired. Male suspect, white hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans. Call 703-691-2131 with info. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/869qcwoJ36
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 1, 2023
As reported by ABC7, Daily Beast reporter Zachary Petrizzo said “mobs of people began running yelling about a shooter,” adding later that he hid in the mall’s North Face store before evacuating.
Maria Leaf, a reporter for the radio station WMAL DC, said she was getting her nails done when “when all of a sudden there were people running, screaming and what sounded like gunshots.”
“I yelled to my nail tech to shut the doors and turn the lights off,” she said after reporting that the incident sounded like a robbery. “Everyone here was shaken. Mall was packed due to it being a holiday. Supposed to be open till 7.”
Currently hiding out in a North Face store.
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) January 1, 2023
I am safe. Locked in a dark salon. Sounds as if it was a robbery. Fairfax Co. police are here.
— Maria Leaf (@MariaLeaf) January 1, 2023
Anxiety about the potential for gun violence has been high at the D.C. area’s biggest mall since three shots were fired on June 18, sparking a panicked evacuation that injured three people. D.C. resident Noah Settles was indicted for that incident in September.
A shattering light fixture prompted another evacuation on Aug. 7 after the sound was mistaken for gunshots, and rumors of gunfire spread on social media last month when police chased a trio of men wanted for a robbery in Arlington. Police found a gun on one of the suspects, a teenager, but no shots were fired.
Regarding the jewelry store robbery, the FCPD said this morning that it had no updates to share, but its “detectives continue to investigate and ask for information.”
The department advises anyone with information to contact its non-emergency line at 703-691-2131.
Fairfax County Police Department’s in-car radio system (via FCPD/Facebook)
The new year got off to an awkward start for one Fairfax County police officer whose decidedly not-safe-for-work choice of late-night entertainment got some professional airtime.
The police radio channel picked up about eight minutes of pornographic sounds shortly after midnight on Sunday (Jan. 1), local public safety watcher Dave Statter reported. Statter observed that the noises suggested that someone was having sex or watching porn.
As it turned out, the latter theory was more accurate. The errant broadcast came from an off-duty police officer who was listening to “audio porn” while driving in his personal vehicle, the Fairfax County Police Department confirmed.
“Our investigation revealed that the off-duty officer was listening to ‘audio porn’ over his Bluetooth in his vehicle, which was captured on his activated police radio,” the department said. “The ‘audio porn’ in question has been positively confirmed as the same file broadcast over our police radio system.”
NEW: Steamy start to the new year for @FairfaxCountyPD & it wasn’t the humidity. For 8 mins this morning a stuck radio microphone gave a very strong impression someone, somewhere was having sex or watching porn. Will pass along any details from either #police or 911 as available. pic.twitter.com/Zz3QRJL7ra
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 1, 2023
The officer in question was interviewed by the FCPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Police determined that the officer forgot to turn off a portable radio left in the car’s trunk and that it “inadvertently activated” while he was driving, according to the news release. There was no one else in the car at the time.
The unnamed officer isn’t the first law enforcement official to land in hot water after accidentally broadcasting sexual activities over police air waves.
A sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles came under scrutiny last month when a hot mic caught her getting busy with a partner during a work break. The sheriff’s department rules meant the woman could be suspended or fired for the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The FCPD said its internal investigation into the New Year’s Day misconduct is still ongoing. The department declined to comment or speculate about any potential discipline the officer could face.
Its general orders allow for anything from oral or written reprimands to termination, depending “upon the severity of the misconduct and the employee’s previous disciplinary history.”
Photo via FCPD/Facebook
EEOC Finds Support for Sexism Claims Against Fire Department — “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wrote a letter [last] month supporting [Kathleen] Stanley’s 2018 claim that the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department retaliated against the battalion chief by changing the terms and conditions of her employment after she stepped down as the interim women’s program officer.” [The Washington Post]
Man Fatally Shot on New Year’s Eve in Lorton — Fairfax County police are investigating a homicide that occurred Saturday night (Dec. 31) in the 9500 block of Unity Lane in Lorton. Police say they found Nahom Beyene, 42, of Lorton, in the threshold of a doorway with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. He died at the scene. [FCPD, WTOP]
Fair Oaks Chick-fil-A Closed — Chick-fil-A closed its location in Fair Oaks Mall on Friday (Dec. 30) after 22 years of operations. The fast-food company didn’t explain its decision, which was announced just one day earlier on Facebook, but there are still other locations in the area, including in Fairfax City, Fair Lakes and Vienna. [Patch]
Lorton Community Center Gym Now Open — “The new Lorton Community Center and Library were unveiled to the public at a highly attended ribbon-cutting ceremony in mid-October officiated by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. The facility’s gymnasium remained closed to the public at that time since its flooring was installed incorrectly.” [On the MoVe]
Postmodern Belgian Writer Dies in Reston — “Claude Krijgelmans, Belgian postmodern Flemish writer, died in his sleep on Dec. 5, 2022, at his home in Reston. He was 88. Known for illustrative prose and experimental language, producing his first book at 19, Krijgelmans published some 16 works.” [Patch]
How Fairfax County Became a Tech Hub — “While government contracting has been a boon for the region, Fairfax County has also grown to attract commercial technology companies, Taylor adds. In the county alone, there are 44,000 open jobs, about 30% of which are in the tech industry, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).” [Virginia Business]
McLean Historical Society Nears 30 Years — “The McLean Historical Society will celebrate its 30th anniversary Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. There will be several speakers who will offer brief vignettes of early McLean, including Palmer Robison, Dan DuVal, Lindesay Aquino and Carole Herrick.” [Sun Gazette]
Get Preview of 2023 General Assembly Session — “Before Virginia’s 2023 legislative session convenes on January 11, get a preview from area State Senators Chap Petersen (Dist. 34) and Jennifer Boysko (Dist. 33) on January 4. The 7:00 pm program will be held via Zoom hosted by the Patrick Henry Community Library and Vienna Area and Reston-Herndon AAUW Branches.” [FCPL]
It’s Tuesday — Possible light rain overnight. High of 66 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, closing out an exciting first year for FFXnow.
Since officially launching on Feb. 22, the new home of Tysons Reporter and Reston Now has pushed to bring the local news reporting from those sites to other corners of Fairfax County, from Chantilly to Huntington, while maintaining their focus on the Tysons and Reston areas.
2022 had more than its fair share of challenges. Pedestrian fatalities reached heights not seen in at least a decade, and gun violence by both community members and police was a recurring concern. Meanwhile, Covid continued to ebb and surge, as remaining pandemic health measures like mask requirements and mass vaccine clinics disappeared.
However, this year also brought some key milestones, from the long-awaited opening of Metro’s Silver Line extension into Herndon and beyond to the relegation of Lee District and the names of two highways to history.
In quirkier news, the county welcomed its first medical cannabis dispensary and a pack of rescued beagles. Colby the llama got lost and found, and remember those tornadoes that touched down in Tysons and Centreville?
Before you start writing up new year’s resolutions or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s close out 2022 by revisiting FFXnow’s 10 most-read stories of the year:
- Three people injured while evacuating Tysons Corner Center, now closed after gunfire
- McLean ride-share startup seeks to challenge Uber and Lyft by putting drivers in control
- Fairfax County approves fines for running bamboo, starting next year
- Black bear filmed strolling by Adaire Apartments in Tysons
- Silver Line extension opening date pushed once again to summer 2022
- JUST IN: Wegmans announces opening date for Reston location
- Here’s a ‘LOOK’ at what’s replacing Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston
- Here’s what will replace Clyde’s in Reston Town Center
- BREAKING: Bow Tie Cinemas to leave Reston Town Center
- Trash troubles persist in Fairfax County, with residents reporting missed pick-ups
We hope you enjoyed reading FFXnow this past year and hope to bring even more timely, comprehensive coverage of everything Fairfax County in 2023. As always, you can share tips, photos and general feedback at [email protected] or our anonymous tip form.
A Texas-based technology education company has branched out into Vienna.
The school iCode launched its first Virginia franchise in the town earlier this month and is now hosting camps on game building, robotics and other tech skills for students out on break for the winter.
Located in a former Apple Federal Credit Union at 419A Maple Avenue East, iCode Vienna will get a grand opening at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 10.
“As parents living and working in Fairfax County, we saw a need to provide our children earlier exposure to technical education,” franchise co-owner David Dilly said in a statement. “…We realize children love gaming, so why not provide a positive outlet for their desires by learning to understand how their favorite games work?”
Founded in 2015 by Abid Abedi, iCode has close to 50 franchises around the U.S., along with two in Asia. All of the locations follow a curriculum developed by the company’s corporate office in Frisco, Texas.
The Vienna campus is the first of several planned for Virginia, specifically in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Next up, a school in Burke will open in spring 2023, according to Dilly.
In addition to camps, the school offers three tiers of programs, from one designed for flexibility where students build their own video game to classes focused on specific science, technology, engineering and math topics.
The most popular is a “Belt” program, which is intended to provide a “comprehensive” education in STEM subjects and the arts, iCode Vienna Director Toni Escobedo says. Covering ages 5 through 15, the program teaches a total of seven programming languages with each course building on the previous one.
Escobedo says iCode tailors its class and camp offerings to students’ interests, grouping classes based on age and skill level. The school is equipped with tablets, desktops, drones, robotics, 3D printers, an e-sports gaming lounge and more, with no outside technology needed.
She says the school distinguishes itself from other coding programs by emphasizing the full-time involvement of instructors in all classes and incorporating “soft skills” like project management and collaboration into the curriculum.
“These skills help students succeed not only academically but in their relationships and future careers,” she told FFXnow.
Metro Rides Free for New Year’s Eve — “Take the train, bus or paratransit service starting at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31, and #YourMetro ride will be free of charge. As a bonus, service is being extended. Metrorail will run until 2 a.m. and late-night Metrobus service on selected routes will operate until 3 a.m. for customers connecting from train to bus.” [WMATA]
McLean Company Faces Bankruptcy and Lawsuit — McLean cybersecurity company IronNet Inc. is struggling with a plethora of crises as a loss of $77 million and 35% of its staff pushes it toward potential bankruptcy. The public company also may be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after failing to file a required financial report, and a class action lawsuit alleging executives misled investors is pending in federal court in Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]
Pizza Restaurant Opens in Fairfax City — Marco’s Pizza had a soft launch yesterday (Thursday) that will continue from noon to 8 p.m. today. Located at 10160 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 100, the franchise is is the second that owner Niten Sabharwal and his wife Sonia have opened in Northern Virginia, joining a location in Fairfax Station. The chain is also planning an expansion to the Reston area next year. [Patch]
Get Ready for More Express Lanes Work in 2023 — Work will continue next year on the I-495 widening and the I-66 Trail, which the Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to complete by Bike-to-Work Day on May 19. VDOT is also studying whether to allow two-way travel on the I-95 Express Lanes from Springfield to Dale City and whether to extend toll lanes on the south side of I-495 to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. [The Washington Post]
County’s Sewage Plant Helped Preserve Electrical Grid — “During the generational Christmas Eve Cold Snap, the PJM electrical grid that serves the District of Columbia and 13 Mid-Atlantic states, which includes Northern Virginia, became severely overloaded…So, when PJM called Noman Cole at 4:20 a.m., staff answered.” [DPWES]
State Laws to Take Effect With New Year — “The minimum wage in Virginia will bump up to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, up from $11. The increase is dictated by legislation passed by Democrats in 2020 that pushes the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.” Other scheduled changes include a decrease in Virginia’s grocery tax rate and the addition of a 5-cent plastic bag tax in Fairfax City. [DCist]
American Legion Bridge Traffic Headaches Persist — “The American Legion Bridge, a chronic source of misery for thousands of D.C.-area drivers, marks its 60th anniversary Saturday, highlighting the aging span’s pivotal role in the region’s crushing traffic congestion…Mounting maintenance needs have forced a debate about when the Beltway bottleneck should be rebuilt and how any expansion should jibe with broader traffic-relief efforts.” [The Washington Post]
McLean HS Student Chosen for Senate Leadership Program — “Only two students from each state are selected each year for the United States Senate Youth Program. This year, one of the Virginia delegates is from McLean High School. Congrats, Saehee Perez!” [FCPS/Facebook]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 34. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
A new dashboard looking at transit around the region illustrates Fairfax Connector’s slow climb back to pre-pandemic ridership levels.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission recently released an interactive website that lets users break down ridership at various local transit services and compare and contrast those figures.
For Fairfax Connector, data from the last year of ridership shows a stark upswing that started in June and has gradually brought the system back up to pre-pandemic levels.
The bus system had a promising start to 2020 with 669,501 riders that January — higher than numbers for that month in previous years. Those numbers dove over the next two months as the Covid pandemic kicked into gear, dropping to a low of 248,866 riders in April.
Ridership only marginally recovered through the rest of 2020 and 2021, but the pace of recovery picked up in 2022 and shot up from June to July, reaching a post-pandemic high of 738,968 riders in August 2022. In September, Fairfax Connector surpassed pre-pandemic ridership for the same month for the first time since February 2020.
The Connector isn’t alone in this recovery. DASH in Alexandria and the CUE bus in the City of Fairfax saw similar recoveries in the second half of 2022.
In Alexandria, DASH’s dramatic uptick in ridership seemed fueled in part by switching to a fare-free system. Fairfax County was considering a similar move for the Connector, but that was tabled by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month in favor of a discounted rate for low-income passengers.
Overall transit ridership in the area, though, remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels — in large part due to Metro accounting for more than 78.6% of the region’s ridership.
Metro didn’t have quite the same dramatic return to pre-pandemic ridership in Virginia that Fairfax Connector experienced.
While Metro’s combined ridership for rail and bus was higher every month in 2022 than it was in 2021, it’s still half what it was in 2018 and 2019. In Virginia, Metro’s ridership for September was roughly 4.1 million — less than half of the 9.2 million riders in 2019.
Fairfax County doesn’t have the same high percentage of access to transit — around 61.3% of the total population — compared to neighbors like Arlington and Alexandria, but that’s to be expected given that it’s significantly larger with less urbanized areas.
A portion of the new Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run near Vienna is expected to open for traffic this week.
Vehicles will shift onto one lane of the new bridge between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road starting around 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced yesterday.
“One lane of alternating traffic will travel across the newly constructed portion of the bridge while the existing bridge is demolished and the remaining portion of the new bridge is built,” VDOT said in the news release. “The alternating traffic will continue to be controlled by temporary signals.”
The traffic change had initially been anticipated on Wednesday, Dec. 21, but warnings of gnarly winter weather led VDOT to postpone the date. Tomorrow’s opening is dependent on weather as well.
Update: This is now scheduled for Fri 12/30 at 2PM. https://t.co/wsExiAvlq0
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) December 28, 2022
Expected to finish this coming spring, the Colvin Run bridge project is replacing a one-lane structure that was originally built in 1974 and could only hold up to 10 tons.
The new bridge will consist of two travel lanes separated by a median and abutments to set the stage for a trail crossing to the south, though the trail bridge will be built “at a future date” by Fairfax County.
Construction on the bridge replacement began in August 2021. Work ramped up this past September with the addition of some temporary traffic signals and Driveway Assistance Devices (DADs) to help manage thru, residential and construction traffic on the one-lane bridge.
Holiday shoppers have flocked over the past week to a new coffee shop in Tysons Galleria from an unexpected source.
Ralph Lauren, the fashion company known for its polo shirts, opened Ralph’s Coffee on Dec. 19, just in time to take advantage of the final Christmas shopping rush.
“I think that’s what really brought the foot traffic in the mall because of the holiday time,” store manager Danica Little told FFXnow. “Everyone’s looking, they’re seeing something new, and they want to try it, so we’re excited. It was perfect timing for us.”
Replacing a shuttered Starbucks, the shop is located next to Ralph Lauren’s store, which recently moved from Tysons Galleria’s third floor to the first floor near Neiman Marcus. An internal doorway allows visitors to walk back and forth between the two businesses.
This is the first Ralph’s Coffee in the D.C. area, Little confirmed. The concept began as a pop-up truck in New York City, where Ralph Lauren has its headquarters, before a brick-and-mortar location overlooking Fifth Avenue opened in 2014.
Since then, Ralph’s Coffee has expanded to four locations in New York, one in Miami and one in Chicago, along with two shops in Europe and several in Asia. Ralph Lauren is also dabbling in the food service industry with restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Italy, France and China.
According to its website, Ralph’s sells special roast, decaf and espresso blends that use coffee beans grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The beans are roasted and packaged by La Colombe, a Philadelphia-based roaster that says it uses sustainable, equitable trade practices.
In addition to coffee, the menu includes hot and cold teas, hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods and pastries. The brownie got an approving shoutout from at least one TikTok foodie who visited the shop on its opening day.
While not aware of any specific plans for other locations, Little says Ralph Lauren intends to expand its coffee services. The company has other stores in the D.C. area, including in downtown D.C., Silver Spring, and Woodbridge, but Tysons Galleria is the only Fairfax County location.
Ralph’s Coffee follows the mall’s operating hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Tysons Galleria’s hours are slightly different for the winter holidays until Feb. 1.
“We’ve been open for just a few days…It’s been very successful, and we’ve been really happy with all the turnout,” Little said.
Fairfax County’s trails are ready for their close-up.
With 2023 right around the corner, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Foundation are once again inviting community members to take a hike and submit their best snapshots for potential prizes.
The annual First Hike Fairfax photo contest will return this weekend, encouraging both professional and amateaur photographers to capture the scene at any park authority-owned trail.
“The contest joins countless First Day Hike programs throughout America’s state parks and is open to hikers and photographers of any age and skill level,” the FCPA said in a news release. “It’s a great way of getting out and enjoying the new year with friends, neighbors and family.”
A link for submissions will go live on the contest website at 5 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 31) and close right at midnight on Monday (Dec. 2).
Prizes will be given in seven categories:
- People’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Judges’ Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Director’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Scenery/Landscapes): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (People): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Wildlife): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Pets): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
Each person can only submit one photo, though families or groups can send in individual submissions. Photos must be provided as a JPG or PNG, and they should include a date and the park or trail where they were taken, according to the FCPA.
The park authority oversees over 334 miles of trails, not including regional facilities like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
