The woman who was killed in a hit-and-run crash yesterday has been identified as 81-year-old Raymunda Garcia-Hernandez of Falls Church, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

The crash occurred in the 7200 block of Lee Highway in Falls Church, not the 7300 block as previously reported. After receiving a report of a person lying in the roadway just prior to 9 p.m., police officers arrived on the scene to find Garcia-Hernandez in the westbound lanes.

Rescue personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. The crash required a closure of westbound Route 29 at Graham Road that lasted until around 4 a.m. on Thursday.

Detectives have determined through a preliminary crash investigation that Garcia-Hernandez was crossing Lee Highway outside of a crosswalk when she was struck by an unknown vehicle that did not stop.

With the vehicle still not located, FCPD is seeking witnesses for its investigation, which remains ongoing. Anyone with information can contact the crash reconstruction unit at 703-280-0543 or submit tips anonymously.

Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Solvers by web, phone (1-866-411-TIPS), and text (type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411). The FCPD also has a mobile Tip411 app called “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.” Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.

This is the first pedestrian fatality of 2021 for Fairfax County. The county recorded 127 vehicle crashes involving pedestrians in 2020, resulting in 15 deaths and 134 injuries, according to preliminary data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Fairfax County has been developing a countywide pedestrian and bicycle safety initiative and implementing other measures, such as a lane closure pilot project, in an effort to reduce fatalities and crashes.

A fatal hit-and-run crash forced the Falls Church section of westbound Lee Highway at Graham Road to closed for hours last night (Wednesday).

Fairfax County police officers responded to the 7300 block of Lee Highway before 10 p.m. An adult woman was pronounced dead at the scene. No description of the suspect vehicle has been released yet.

All of westbound Route 29 was closed in the surrounding area, leading to delays as traffic was diverted onto Graham Road, according to an emergency traffic alert from Fairfax County.

Lee Highway reopened around 4 a.m. today, but the Fairfax County Police Department says detectives with its crash reconstruction unit are still investigating the crash, which involved a pedestrian.

Detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit are continuing to investigative this fatal hit and run crash involving a pedestrian. Lee Hwy is now open. Updates will be posted to our blog, https://t.co/lhGv3NDvYs, when available.https://t.co/3xQVbAwcod

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 28, 2021

Broad and Washington Project Unanimously Approved — “A major mixed use development project at the City of Falls Church’s central intersection of Washington and Broad Streets (Rts. 29 and 7) to feature a huge new Whole Foods grocery was approved unanimously by the F.C. City Council Monday night.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Bloomingdale’s to Experiment with Downsized Store at Mosaic District — “The retailer’s small-format concept, dubbed Bloomie’s, is set to open this fall in Virginia’s Mosaic District shopping complex, reported FN’s sister publication WWD. It’s expected to span roughly 22,000 square feet — a departure from the chain’s average department store size, which measures about 200,000 square feet.” [Footwear News, Mosaic District/Twitter]

Virginia Extends COVID-19 Restrictions Through February — Gov. Ralph Northam has extended mask requirements and restrictions on social gatherings through the end of February. He also announced that the state will get a greater supply of vaccine and addressed questions about a gap between doses distributed and doses administered in a news conference on Wednesday. [Patch]

First Responders Flash Lights for Kids at Inova Children’s Hospital — “Tonight, we were honored to participate in a “flashlight salute” at @InovaHealth Children’s Hospital along with @DLVFRD and @FairfaxCountyPD. We turned on our emergency lights and shined our flashlights at the kids and they returned the favor!” [Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter]

Virginia Makes COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standards Permanent — “The new regulations, approved last week by Gov. Ralph Northam, require all employers in the state to provide personal protective equipment when workers can’t physically distance, close or control access to common areas like lunchrooms, develop safe “return to work” plans for workers recovering from COVID-19, and regularly clean areas with heavy foot traffic, among other measures. Employees who interact with the public must wear masks.” [DCist]

Photo via Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter

Home Depot Buys Tysons Property But Plans Are Unclear — “The Atlanta-based home improvement giant paid $35.9 million for 2000 Chain Bridge Road, a 7.08-acre site at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Leesburg Pike, according to public records.” [Washington Business Journal]

Bridge Work Reduces I-66 Approaching Cedar Lane to One Travel Lane — “Overnight lane closures and traffic stoppages are planned on I-66 East and West in Vienna area Monday, January 25, through Friday, January 29, for overhead bridge work at Cedar Lane. This work is part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]

Vienna Storage Room Fire Still Under Investigation — The cause of a storage room fire that occured on Dec. 19 at the 9300 block of Lee Highway remains under investigation. Fire investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying three persons of interest and getting information about vehicles that may have been damaged at the time. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]

Walmart Partners with Tysons Startup on Home Deliveries — Walmart announced on Jan. 12 that it will partner with the Tysons-based startup HomeValet on a pilot project to test temperature-controlled smart boxes that could allow groceries to “be delivered, contact-free, to the secure box and kept cold at any time — even if the customer isn’t at home.” [TechCrunch]

Tysons Tops D.C. Suburbs in Number of New Apartments — “According to RENTCafé, 2,562 new units have been completed in Tysons in the past five years, putting the locale tenth nationwide for the most suburban apartment construction.” [DC UrbanTurf]

Major Falls Church Developments Seek Changes — The City of Falls Church is considering proposed revisions to its agreements with developers on the Gateway, Founders Row, and Broad and Washington projects. The city council will vote on the latter two tonight (Monday). [Falls Church News-Press]

Staff Photo by Jay Westcott

A longtime Falls Church City resident who was a familiar presence in the local culinary scene joined the hundreds of COVID-19 victims in the Fairfax County area earlier this week.

The family-owned restaurant Thompson Italian announced on Tuesday (Jan. 19) that its “beloved team member,” Jose Rogelio Martinez Alvarenca, died on Sunday (Jan. 17) after “an extensive battle” with COVID-19.

“He was a true fixture in the Falls Church community,” Thompson Italian said. “He worked in neighborhood restaurants for decades, and seemed to know everyone who walked in our door. He had a ready smile, lots of swagger, and unparalleled enthusiasm.”

Martinez had not been working at Thompson Italian since the restaurant temporarily closed in March due to the pandemic, but the management team says it had “looked forward to welcoming him back in the spring.”

“Nights were better for everyone when Jose was working, and he will be sorely missed by our staff and our guests,” the team said.

Survived by his wife, Ana, and five children – Jessica, Joseph, Gary, Jose “Junior,” and Kiara — Martinez came to the U.S. from El Salvador in 1979 and had lived in the City of Falls Church for the past 30 years.

Prior to joining Thompson Italian, which opened in Falls Church in 2019, Martinez worked at Ireland’s Four Provinces for nine years.

He contracted COVID-19 in November and was hospitalized until his death on Jan. 17, according to his children.

His family started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to assist with costs for medical care and memorial and funeral services, which will be held on Monday (Jan. 25). The fundraiser has more than doubled its goal of $15,000, with 416 donors contributing more than $36,000 as of 8:30 a.m.

Jessica and Joseph Martinez describe their father as someone who was passionate about working with people in his community and enjoyed working in the food industry as a way to connect with neighbors.

“He was very well-known in the community and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support by neighbors, friends and family,” they told Tysons Reporter. “We created the GoFundMe fundraiser as so many people that knew Jose reached out and wanted to help.”

They added that the goal of the fundraiser is “to ease the burden for funeral and memorial costs to keep his memory alive and bury him with dignity, so he can be at peace.”

As of Jan. 21, 758 people in the Fairfax Health District have died from COVID-19, including six people in the City of Falls Church.

Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Arrested for Sexual Assaults — A teacher who has worked for FCPS for 29 years was arrested on Wednesday (Jan. 20) for allegedly sexually assaulting a student in 1994 and 1995. He taught at Barden Elementary School in Fort Belvoir at the time of the assaults. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Vienna Firefighters Assist with Inauguration Emergency Response — “Yesterday, our volunteers were honored to help DC Fire and EMS support the Presidential Inauguration. 9 other volunteer ambulances from Fairfax County also provided assistance.” [Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter]

Dranesville Elementary Student Raises Money to Feed National Guard — Third-grader Mache raised $1,700 to help chef Spike Mendelsohn’s restaurant We, the Pizza feed National Guard troops who provided security in D.C. on Inauguration Day. The restaurant matched Mache’s donation and invited her to help distribute the pizzas. [FCPS]

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Says More COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Needed — In a letter to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Jeff McKay said that the state would need to increase the number of vaccine doses provided to Fairfax County if it plans to expand eligibility requirements again. The county has been averaging 10,000 doses a week, but the waitlist for appointments has grown to 115,000 people. [@JeffreyCMcKay/Twitter]

Deadline for Fairfax County Police Chief Survey Extended — A community survey seeking public input on the search for Fairfax County’s next police chief will now be open through Saturday, Jan. 30. [Fairfax County Government]

Falls Church Petco to Close — “The Petco located at 7395 Lee Highway in Falls Church is closing Saturday, Jan. 23, after almost 10 years at that location. Pet food, toys, and supplies in the store are available at up to 70 percent off retail prices.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo via Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter

(Updated on 1/22/2021) Several restaurants in the Tysons area will take part in Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week starting next Monday (Jan. 25).

For two weeks through Feb. 7, restaurants around the D.C. region will offer prix fixe meals for two or four people. Takeout and delivery options are available, with some venues offering only “to go” meals.

Lunch and brunch meals for one cost $22. There are two dinner menus: one for $35 (or $60 for two people and $120 for four), and one for $55 ($100 for two, $200 for four).

Organized by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the annual restaurant week was originally scheduled to launch this week but got delayed by one week “in consideration of the fluid nature of activities and regulatory measures” affecting the area, according to RAMW website.

The following local restaurants will take part in the promotional week:

Tysons

• Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks: lunch and $55 dinner menu (no takeout)
• Founding Farmers: lunch, $35 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining available)
• Chima Steakhouse: $35 and $55 dinner menus (no takeout, delivery, or outdoor dining)
• Fogo de Chao: two dinners for $60 (takeout and delivery only)
• Wildfire Tysons Galleria: lunch, $35 and $55 dinner menus, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout and delivery only)
• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood: $35 dinner menu only (takeout and delivery only)
• American Prime: lunch and $55 dinner menus, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout and outdoor dining available)
• Agora Tysons: $35 and $55 dinner menus, cocktail and wine pairings (indoor and outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery available)

Vienna

• Maple Ave. Restaurant: $35 dinner menu only (takeout only)
• Caboose Brewing Company: lunch and $35 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery available)
• Blend 111: brunch, lunch, $35 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout and outdoor dining available)

McLean

• The Capital Grille: lunch and $55 dinner menu (takeout and delivery available for Restaurant Week to-go dinner orders)
• J. Gilbert’s: lunch, $35 and $55 dinner menus, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout and delivery available)

Falls Church

• 2941 Restaurant: $55 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (dine-in, takeout, and delivery available)
• Trio Grill: $55 dinner menu only (outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery available)

Mosaic District

• Alta Strada: brunch, lunch, $35 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery available)
• Matchbox Pizza: $55 dinner menu, cocktail and wine pairings (takeout only)

Tysons area restaurants could get another boost this spring, when the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce is planning to host a second Tysons Restaurant Week after the inaugural one proved to be a success in October.

Correction: This article has been updated to note that 2941 Restaurant and Agora are offering their Restaurant Week menus for dine-in customers as well, not just for takeout and delivery as previously stated.

Fatimah Waseem contributed to this report.

Staff photo by Ashley Hopko

(Updated at 5:45 on 1/21/2021) A Falls Church resident who reportedly shot a teenager and had an armed confrontation with police last month has been indicted on two counts of attempted capital murder.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced yesterday (Tuesday) that a grand jury also indicted Glenn Allen Meyer, 61, on two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

“My top priority as Commonwealth’s Attorney is to keep our community safe in a manner that accords with our values,” Descano said in a statement. “I will therefore always act to hold individuals who needlessly attempt to take the lives of others accountable.”

Fairfax County police arrested Meyer on Dec. 19, two days after responding to a report that a 17-year-old boy had been shot in an apartment on Peach Orchard Drive in Falls Church. Upon entering the apartment, two police officers exchanged gunfire with Meyer, ultimately shooting him.

A member of the police SWAT team was also struck by a bullet in the exchange, according to Descano’s statement.

Both Meyer and the teenager were transported to a local hospital and survived their injuries. Meyer is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Upon announcing the indictment, Descano also said that his office “found no violations of criminal law” by the police officers who fired their weapons.

Identified as Master Police Officer Lance Guckenberger and Police Officer First-Class Matthew Grubb earlier this month, the officers were put on administrative leave for the duration of the criminal and administrative investigations into the incident.

The Fairfax County Police Department told Tysons Reporter that both officers have returned to full-duty status following the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s declaration that there was no basis for criminal liability. The department’s internal administrative investigation is still ongoing.

City of Falls Church police do not anticipate any “direct threat” to the city or Northern Virginia as a whole in connection to today’s presidential inauguration, Chief of Police Mary Gavin told the city council during a virtual work session Tuesday night.

Even with no active threat, however, Gavin clarified that the police department is still taking precautions with potential threats stemming from the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in D.C.

“As a region we have worked each and every day, and every day of the week trying to fortify the Commonwealth,” Gavin said. “Every chief and sheriff have met face to face throughout the week on different aspects of the regional position and posture.”

Gavin also noted that there was “chatter and discussion” around Jan. 6 and in the following days from extremist groups about potentially disrupting transportation into the District and disrupting the inauguration.

She stated that she and other law enforcement officials in the region are working in collaboration with Arlington County and Virginia State Police to close roadways and enhance security at local airports. Each official is also receiving several intelligence briefings per day regarding safety measures related to the inauguration.

Gavin also said focal points of concern from intercepted chatter revolved around government facilities, including federal, state, and some local buildings. However, she clarified that there was nothing specifically mentioned and law enforcement has fortified traffic patterns.

The City of Falls Church Police Department is doubling the number of officers and sheriffs on the street and around city hall throughout the day and night on Wednesday.

“Each and every police department and sheriff’s office throughout this region has taken a posture of up staffing for [Wednesday],” Gavin said.

Gavin added that high-profile surveillance will be provided at the high school, hotels, shopping centers and special landmarks throughout the city. She also said there will be response teams ready in case of “any type of assaults, protests or any assemblies.”

She also said that while there has not been any specific chatter or threats to private businesses, there will be resources in the community to watch and secure the business district.

Photo via City of Falls Church Government/Facebook

The next week promises to be an unusual one, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day prompting government buildings and services in the Tysons area to close or change their operations.

With the Washington, D.C., region bracing for potential violence before President-elect Joe Biden gets sworn into office, the City of Falls Church is taking the most aggressive approach, closing public facilities from MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 18) through Inauguration Day (Wednesday, Jan. 20) Jan. 18-20.

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will not provide curbside pick-up services starting on Sunday through Wednesday, but the community center will still hold scheduled activities and programs on Tuesday.

“Closing City facilities to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday is out of an abundance of caution for the Inauguration Day activities,” Falls Church City Police Chief Mary Gavin said. “Doing so allows our officers to prepare and react to events within the City and the region, if a response is needed.”

Fairfax County and the Town of Vienna will both close government offices, including the Vienna Community Center, on Monday and Wednesday, but operations will be normal on Tuesday. Waste collection services will also continue as usual for both county and town residents.

Fairfax County Public Schools is observing MLK Day and Inauguration Day as holidays with no classes or meal service for students who get food through the school system. Bus routes and Grab and Go locations will provide three days of meals today and two days’ worth on Tuesday, when meal kit sites will also be open.

While the McLean Community Center will be closed on MLK Day as well as Inauguration Day, MCC has been commemorating the civil rights leader with its annual MLK Day Celebration, which is taking place online this year with a book talk, podcast discussion series, and storytelling community service project.

People looking for more active ways to mark the MLK Day holiday can visit a Fairfax County RECenter or park, which will be open with the exception of historic sites, the Frying Pan Farm Park visitor center, and the Green Spring Gardens historic house.

The National Park Service is also holding its first fee-free day of the year on Jan. 18, providing free admission to all of its venues, including Great Falls Park in McLean.

The two occasions will affect transit service as well.

Fairfax Connector will operate according to a holiday weekday schedule on Jan. 18. The county bus system announced on Wednesday that it is temporarily suspending service for two routes that go into downtown D.C. through Jan. 20 due to road closures related to the presidential inauguration.

For MLK Day, Metro will operate rail and buses on a Saturday schedule. Trains will run every 15-20 minutes on all lines except for the Red Line, which will have trains every 12-15 minutes. Stations will be open from 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day, and parking will be free at all facilities.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced on Jan. 13 that it will close several stations and detour bus routes in downtown D.C. starting today through Jan. 21 to accommodate a security perimeter for the inauguration.

Photo via René DeAnda on Unsplash