City of Falls Church police arrested a man for allegedly setting a marked sheriff’s vehicle on fire outside City Hall.
Falls Church police and the Arlington County Fire Department responded to a call for a vehicle fire around 6 a.m. yesterday (Monday).
“The fire was extinguished without injuries or damage to city buildings,” according to a Falls Church press release. The cruiser was totaled in the blaze, police said.
Police charged a 23-year-old man for arson near the scene of the fire. Police said “any additional charges are pending.”
The incident prompted an investigation by the Fire Marshall.
At a City Council meeting last night, City Manager Wyatt Shields said that “it was very startling… for employees who were coming to work this morning, they came by this burnt vehicle.”
While the police investigation is ongoing, Shields said, “We do not think there was any real rationale behind this arson. I think it was a random event.”
Shields said that the loss of the vehicle is covered by insurance.
Fairfax County fire investigators are trying to identify a woman seen lighting a trash can on fire in Tysons early Monday morning.
Authorities say the woman tried several times to start a fire in the garbage can before finally succeeding at starting a small trash fire. It happened around 3:40 a.m. outside of an office building at 8065 Leesburg Pike, near the Chef Geoff’s restaurant in Tysons.
More from the Fairfax County Fire Department:
Fire investigators are asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest in a recent fire.
On March 11, at approximately 3:40 a.m., a woman ignited the contents of a trash can in front of 8065 Leesburg Pike in the Tysons area of Fairfax County. It took her several attempts to start the fire.
The person of interest is a female who was last seen wearing black pants, grey hooded pullover, black sneakers, carrying a large black shoulder bag, shoulder length hair and dark framed glasses.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator John Sherwood at (703) 246-4801 or [email protected].
Shoppers Pack Local Malls — Despite the popularity of online shopping, the holiday season is still a busy one for local malls. Shoppers packed Tysons Corner Center on Friday, and National Public Radio was there interviewing mall-goers about why they decided to brave the crowds rather than shop in the comfort of their own home. [NPR]
Teens Suspected of Marco Polo Arson — Police believe a pair of teens deliberately set the empty former Marco Polo restaurant in Vienna on fire. The teens are also suspected of separate acts of vandalism, arson and making fake bomb threats, according to WJLA’s Tim Barber. [Twitter]
Council Worried About Bike Corral Taking Up Parking Space — Members of the Vienna Town Council “voted unanimously Nov. 19 to table their decision about potentially relocating a bicycle ‘corral’ on Church Street until other alternatives become available,” because the proposed place for the corral to be relocated would eliminate a parking space. [InsideNova]
More on Falls Church Murder-Suicide — “Officers responded to the 7300 block of Parkwood Court at 10:48 after a relative discovered 51-year-old Judith Garcia Gonzales de Gudiel and her husband 60-year-old Ever Gudiel dead. Preliminarily, it appears Gudiel attacked Garcia, causing trauma to her upper body before hanging himself.” [FCPD]
