Fairfax County police are investigating a burglary at the Stohlman Automotive Subaru in Tysons.
The incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 11) at the 8433 Leesburg Pike.
“Someone broke into the dealership and stole a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta,” police said.
Image via Google Maps
A McLean man linked to a neo-Nazi group pleaded guilty today (Tuesday) to possessing firearms as a drug user and lying to buy a semiautomatic rifle
Andrew Thomasberg, a 21-year-old who is a member of the Atomwaffen Division, is accused of purchasing a semiautomatic rifle for a third party, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“He transferred that firearm to that third party after purchasing it,” the press release said. “Thomasberg also possessed at least four firearms while unlawfully using controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and opium.”
“In federal court in Alexandria on Friday, FBI Special Agent Shawn Matthews, who testified that his focus is domestic terrorism, said Thomasberg took part in the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017 with a neo-Nazi group called Vanguard America,” The Washington Post reported.
Thomasberg was arrested in September, according to The Washington Post story.
More from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:
“Lying to the FBI is a federal crime, and Thomasburg lied to hide an additional crime,” said Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI works with our partners to take criminals possessing illegal firearms off the streets.”
According to court documents and testimony, Thomasberg has association with white supremacist organizations, such as Vanguard America and Atomwaffen Division.
Thomasberg pleaded guilty to making a material false statement in relation to the purchase of a firearm and to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances…
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Thomasberg will be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2020 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Photo via Joe Gratz/Flickr
A disorderly man allegedly threw a piece of chocolate at another man’s vehicle after the owner said he wasn’t interested in selling it, according to the Vienna Police Department.
The incident occurred on Thursday, Nov. 7, around noon.
More from the police report:
A citizen advised that he was approached by a man in the parking lot of 150 Branch Road, SE. The man asked how much he wanted to sell his vehicle for, then became disorderly when he said he was not interested. The citizen advised the man threw a piece of chocolate at his vehicle before driving off.
The man was located and advised it was the citizen who became irate when he asked about the vehicle, so he immediately left the area.
Police told the citizen about the warrant process, in case he wants to pursue charges for the man.
Photo via Facebook
(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) A man was shot last night (Thursday) in a residential area off Lee Hwy in the Falls Church area, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. in the 2800 block of Pine Spring Road, which is near Pine Spring Park, the Trinity School at Meadow View and Pine Spring Elementary School. The area is surrounded by homes.
The man was shot outside and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Sgt. Greg Bedor, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
“A male reported he was outside of his home when he was approached by someone who shot him,” according to the daily crime recap. “The suspect fled; no additional description was provided.”
Bedor said that there was no threat to the public. “We think this was not a random incident,” he said.
Despite some confusion on Twitter, the incident is not related to the hit and run that killed a pedestrian in Fairfax, Bedor said.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police say that an intoxicated woman kicked and tried to bite police late last night (Wednesday) after being arrested at Tysons Corner Center.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. “Mall Security called [the] police to report two people engaged in suspicious activity,” according to a police report.
Police arrested a 43-year-old woman from Leesburg for being drunk in public. While the woman was getting into the police car, she “kicked two officers and attempted to bite a third,” the report said.
Police also charged her with three counts of assault on law enforcement.
Locals in the Falls Church area can give their input on a juvenile detention center in Northern Virginia.
The future of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center, which is a secure institution for minors who are being held by the juvenile courts of Arlington County and the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, is uncertain.
The Moss Group, a criminal justice consulting firm, will host a public forum at City Hall (300 Park Avenue) on Thursday (Nov. 14) from 7-8:30 p.m.
The feedback gathered from the event will be part of a larger study examining how the center can support the current trend of falling juvenile incarceration rates, a press release said.
People who cannot attend the meeting can fill out an online survey instead.
Options include closing the center and transferring the people incarcerated there, according to a press release.
The center is located in Alexandria (200 S. Whiting Street) and houses up to 70 kids and young adults. The center is operated by the three jurisdictions through a regional Juvenile Detention Commission, according to Arlington County.
People at the center typically have “misdemeanor or felony offenses; are at moderate or high risk; and have been determined by the court to present a significant danger to themselves or others, often having significant behavioral health, family, child welfare, and/or educational needs,” according to the City of Alexandria’s website.
Across the country, Wyoming and North Dakota have some of the highest youth incarceration rates among the 50 states, with more than 400 incarcerations per 100,000 kids, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Virginia, on the other hand, only has around 20o incarcerations per 100,000 kids.
In Virginia, kids of color are four times more likely to be imprisoned than white kids, according to the ACLU.
The ACLU also reported that the youth incarceration rate in the state fell 46% from 1997 to 2013.
The City of Falls Church with @AlexandriaVAGov & @ArlingtonVA invite you to share your thoughts on the future of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center (NVJDC) at three meetings or an online survey: https://t.co/Cnj85FMX6o pic.twitter.com/1Zw3EUNje5
— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) November 6, 2019
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating burglaries in Tysons Galleria that have left two jewelry stores with smashed windows.
The incident happened around 4 a.m. today (Nov. 5), Sgt. Greg Bedor, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
The police department used its helicopter to search for “several suspects,” Bedor said.
Tysons Reporter spotted smashed windows at the David Yurman and Liljenquist & Beckstead Swiss Watches stores this afternoon. Both stores are closed.
The rest of the stores in the mall appeared to be open.
Bedor confirmed that two stores were burglarized. Police cleared the mall (2001 International Drive) around 11 a.m., Bedor said.
Bedor said that Tysons Galleria is not open 24/7 — the hours listed on the mall’s website indicate that the mall opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, with different hours on Sundays.
“Detectives are reviewing security camera footage for possible suspect information,” Bedor said, declining to provide more information on the suspects.
Kalina Newman contributed to this story.
Painted wooden benches raised thousands of dollars for the Vienna Arts Society during a recent auction.
The benches were auctioned off on Saturday (Nov. 2).
“Vienna Arts Society Auction brought in a capacity crowd,” Lu Cousins, the director of the art group, posted on Facebook. “My sincerest thanks goes out to the community for your support and of course to the artists, their families and the team that worked so hard to make this happen.”
Cousins told Tysons Reporter that the auction raised “well over $50,000.”
The funds will go toward the Vienna Arts Society’s Art Center and outreach activities.
Before the auction, the colorful benches adorned local businesses to mark the Vienna Arts Society’s 50th anniversary. Local businesses sponsored the cost of the Amish-built benches.
During the summer, two of the 42 benches were stolen, leading to extra security measures from the arts group and Vienna Police Department. One of the artists was able to paint another bench, letting Vienna Arts Society auction off 41 benches.
Cousins highlighted one bench in particular — Doré Skidmore’s bench, which features books, will honor Abby — “a beloved pup who enjoyed listening to children reading to her,” Cousins said.
“The public interest story goes out to Lamar Collier who — together with The Friends of Patrick Henry Library — had the winning bid for the bench to be placed at the library in honor of her precious dog Abby and the Read to a Dog, Woof and Paws program,” Cousins told Tysons Reporter.
At the Vienna Town Council meeting on Monday, Mayor Laurie DiRocco lauded the Vienna Arts Society, artists and local businesses that helped with the bench art.
“It was fantastic to see the benches all around town for the six months they were there,” DiRocco said, adding that several benches will stay on display in the town.
The mayor added that she also got a bench with her husband. “We’re going to put it by the Freeman Store,” she said.
Oh no, Take a Seat, Vienna benches created by Vienna Arts Society members are about to go away. But wait…don't despair! You can snag one (or more) of these unique benches at a live auction November 2. Tickets available at VAS, 243 Church St NW, or https://t.co/D9z2HfNHnd. pic.twitter.com/2rcq92eL8P
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) October 19, 2019
Could it be a Berner and Yellow lab? #ViennaVA #ViennaArtsSociety #ViennaBenches #BerneseMountainDog #labradorretriever @TownofViennaVA # pic.twitter.com/ZcIpjCgqHK
— Msonmac (@msonmac) June 8, 2019
Spotted by the Ben & Jerry’s in Vienna pic.twitter.com/kBHL1VhPjf
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) May 6, 2019
Photo courtesy Lu Cousins
The Vienna Police Department received a call last week about a man who allegedly threw a martini glass that cracked one of Ristorante Bonaroti’s windows.
“An employee reported that a customer was sitting outside of the restaurant when he became irate and threw a martini glass,” according to the police report. “The glass cracked an exterior window of the restaurant.”
The incident occurred around noon on Sunday (Oct. 27) at 428 E. Maple Avenue.
“When employees began to call the police, the customer became more upset, making vague threats regarding the police,” the report said.
The man was gone before officers arrived.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police received reports of nearly two dozen airbags stolen from cars in a residential area in the Old Courthouse neighborhood.
“Upwards of 22 airbags” were taken from vehicles — mainly Honda Civics and Accords, Sgt. Greg Bedor, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.
The incident occurred between 10:30 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 27) and 5 a.m. on Monday (Oct. 28) in the 2100 block of Tannin Place, Bedor said. The area is mostly apartment buildings, including The Reserve at Tysons Corner, and condos.
Bedor said that the vehicles had smashed windows or were unlocked.
Police are “looking for security footage,” Bedor said.
Image via Google Maps
