The City of Falls Church Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify suspects linked to an assault and robbery at a lens and eyewear store.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m. yesterday (Thursday), three males “immediately began collecting displayed eyeglass frames in an apparent theft” at For Eyes Optical (444 W. Broad Street), police said.
Police said one employee at the store was assaulted and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspects fled across W. Broad Street and drove off in a vehicle, police said.
“The suspects are described as three black males, all over 6′ tall, wearing dark sunglasses, two wearing black hoodies, and one wearing a bright orange jacket,” police said. “The vehicle is an early 2000’s blue/green sedan that is missing a passenger hubcap.”
Anyone with information can contact Falls Church police at 703-248-5053.
“There are no surveillance photos or video available at this time,” police said.
A driver arrested for allegedly striking and killing a woman in the West Falls Church area is now facing additional charges for homicide and drug possession.
In August, Betty Ana Bernstein-Zabza, a Falls Church resident who worked for the State Department, was fatally hit by a truck near the intersection of Shreve Road and Hickory Street — less than a mile away from her home.
Zabza was walking near the busy W&OD Trail with a child, who was treated for minor injuries after the crash, according to Fairfax County police.
“They entered a crosswalk that connected the pathway to a sidewalk when they were hit by a stolen 2013 Nissan Titan pickup truck,” police said.
Shortly after the crash, police arrested the driver of the truck, 46-year-old South Riding resident David Alan Francis and charged him with one count of felony hit and run. At the time of the arrest, police said that Francis fled the scene uninjured and that “both speed and drugs appear to be factors.”
The police department announced today (Tuesday) that Francis faces additional charges of felony homicide, felony hit and run, aggravated involuntary manslaughter, possession of schedule I/II narcotics and driving under the influence of drugs.
“On Monday, evidence was presented to a grand jury who indicted David Alan Francis,” police said of the new charges.
Since 2009, Francis has faced 30 charges including many traffic-related ones like driving under a revoked or suspended license, operating an uninsured vehicle, speeding and improper driving, according to court records.
Francis is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond, police said.
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Wednesday (Nov. 20)
- Holiday Extravaganza — 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) — This event combines networking with shopping and holiday spirit. The event will feature food, drinks, keynote talks and booths with shopping opportunities. Tickets start at $75.
Thursday (Nov. 21)
- Canning at Caboose Commons — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — People can learn about canning Caboose’s Fog and Citra Session IPAs.
Saturday (Nov. 23)
- Christmas Market — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church (1301 Trap Road) — At this market, people will be selling various items including baked goods, candles, wreaths and various gifts. Gift wrapping is available on-site and Santa will make an appearance for photos as well.
- 50s’ Sock Hop — 7 to 9 p.m. at Vienna Community Center, Auxiliary Gym (120 SE Cherry Street) — This event invites community members to come together for a friendly evening of dancing. Admission is $5 at the door and free for kids under 5.
- Apple Brandy Bottling Party — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street) — This party celebrates the release of the distillery’s new batch of Apple Brandy. This event is free but organizers ask that attendees RSVP through email.
- Winter Walk of Lights — 5 to 10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) — This event allows community members to enjoy holiday lights at the gardens. Hot drinks and smores are available for purchase on-site. Tickets are $14 and $8 for kids.
Sunday (Nov. 24)
- Sensory-Friendly Santa — 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Tysons Galleria (2001 International Drive) — Autism Speaks partnered with Tysons Galleria to invite children of all abilities to enjoy the Christmas festivities. The event page said that this will provide a calm environment for kids to meet Santa.
- Sutton Foster at Wolf Trap — 6:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road) — Tony Award-winning singer Sutton Foster will take the stage as one of Wolf Trap’s last performances for November. Tickets to her performance start at $67.
- Hope Family Fun Festival — 2 to 5 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S. Oak Street) — This festival allows community members and families to come together for an afternoon of face painting, moon bounces, yoga lessons, games and prizes for kids.
Photo via Falls Church Distillers LLC/Facebook
New Route 7 Rapid Bus System Plans — “A new conceptual engineering report lays out 18 specific bus rapid station locations from Tysons to Alexandria. It also details the spots where buses would have their own lanes in the middle of the road or on the outside of the road, and where buses would share lanes with car traffic.” [WTOP]
Update on Park Police Shooting of Tysons Man — “The two U.S. Park Police officers who fatally shot unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar in 2017 will not be charged with any crimes in connection with the incident, federal prosecutors said Thursday. The decision came just days before the second anniversary of the slaying.” [Washington Post]
Orange Line Work Next Year — “Orange Line trains could run on a single-track at West Falls Church, and Orange and Silver Line trains could pass through East Falls Church without stopping. The closures would run as long as May 23 (Memorial Day weekend) through about Aug. 28 (before Labor Day weekend).” [WTOP]
Residents Displaced From Falls Church Fire — On Saturday, firefighters battled a “fire in a garden-style apartment building in the 7300 block of Lee Highway in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. Multiple people have been rescued.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]
Questions About American Legion Bridge’s Reconstruction? — The Washington Business Journal has answers about how much the bridge work will cost, who is paying for it and more. [Washington Business Journal]
Meetings to decide the fate of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center kicked off last night in Falls Church.
About two dozen people gathered last night at the Falls Church City Hall (300 Park Avenue) for the first of three regional meetings to get input on what should happen to the facility.
The center currently serves Falls Church, Arlington and Alexandria as a detention facility for kids deemed a flight risk while awaiting trial or a danger to themselves or others. But since juvenile incarceration rates have fallen more than 72% since 2006, according to a spokesperson for the Moss Group, the center no longer fills its 70-bed capacity.
Community leaders commissioned a study by the Moss Group to evaluate the efficiency of the center and options for its future.
Currently, there are 27 kids held in the facility, Johnitha McNair, the executive director of the center, said. Options include closing the center, remodeling it or simply cutting down on staff and bed size.
Attendees included curious community members from Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church, board members who run the center, representatives from the NAACP, members of the Falls Church City Council, an American University student and professional child advocates.
A spokesman from the NAACP said he is concerned about what will happen if the center is closed, noting that the numbers may rise and fall throughout the years, potentially leaving the three cities in a conundrum if incarceration rates rise again.
Several attendees brought up issues not with the capacity issues of the facility, but rather with how the facility is run and how the physical design might impact the kids being held within.
Attorney Juliet Hiznay, who has been practicing law in the realm of education law and has experience helping children with special needs, said she toured the facility in 2018 and was disheartened by what she saw. She said she doesn’t think that the detention center can be repurposed without extreme structural changes.
“My concern is not about the goodwill of the people running the facility, but the physical limitations of the facility itself,” she said, adding that the cell-block structure of the center is poorly designed for kids. “I find it hard to believe it could be repurposed for any type of therapeutic intervention.”
Hiznay said there were few windows in the facility that allowed for suitable sunlight, limited mobility within in the center, very few opportunities for kids to get exercise and fresh air and that the kids she interacted with seemed desperate for attention.
McNair, the center’s director, countered a few of Hiznay’s statements through, saying that kids in the detention center have “ample” time to play outside and interact with one another. NcNair also said that there are at least two 12″ by 48″ windows in each cell room and that kids are kept busy throughout the day with activities such as group therapy, social rehabilitation programs and reentry initiatives.
There was discussion throughout the evening about redesigning the center to include a more open “dorm-style” floor plan that are seen in other detention facilities, which would stop queuing when kids try to enter new rooms, but experts at the meeting expressed potential security concerns around this idea.
Moss Group representatives at the meeting said they work with an architect who can advise city officials on their options to remodel the center.
“We work very hard to recognize that our clients are children,” McNair said at last night’s meeting, adding that she hopes to keep the center in operation and is open to structural changes that would allow the center to rethink its approach by making programs more focused on mental health and constructive development.
Mental health and the ability to better assist kids that walk through the center’s doors came up several times throughout the meeting.
McNair said that the staff noticed that a lot of the young women were acting up around 8 p.m. when they were supposed to go to bed. After some thinking, they realized that this was because bedtime was when a lot of the girls in the center experienced abuse at home and were possibly experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
“We already know the percent of kids going into these facilities with trauma and mental health issues are very high,” Hiznay told Tysons Reporter in an interview after the public hearing.
Now, two more similar public hearings will be held in Alexandria (Lee Center Exhibit Hall, 1108 Jefferson Street) next Wednesday (Nov. 20) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and in Arlington (Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy Street) next Thursday (Nov. 21) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
People who cannot attend the meeting can fill out an online survey.
The final report from the Moss Group is set to come out in January. The Alexandria, Falls Church and Alexandria governments will review it in February and March. It is unclear when a final plan for the center will be announced.
Fairfax County police are looking for the three men who allegedly pointed handguns at a man while robbing him in a residential area of Falls Church.
“The victim was approached by three suspects,” police said. “Two of the suspects pointed handguns at the victim while his personal property was taken.”
The incident occurred shortly before 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 13) in the 7600 block of Savannah Street — the same block that houses the Falls Church Gardens Condominium.
“The suspects were described as black men in their mid-20s,” police said.
Image via Google Maps
The City of Falls Church is looking for volunteers to help with habitat restoration at Crossman Park.
The city needs people to help install native plants between 10 a.m.-noon next Saturday (Nov. 23). People are encouraged to enter the park adjacent to 501 Van Buren Street and follow the gravel path into the park.
“Tools, gloves, water and snacks will be provided,” according to the city. “No need to register unless your group is five or more people… This is appropriate for children, but direct parental supervision is required.”
Located at 535 N. Van Buren Street, the park is heavily wooded and has a stream running through it.
People interested in helping out can contact Green Space Manager Jeremy Edwards at [email protected] and can register for the event by calling 571-238-5178.
Image via Google Maps
The City of Falls Church is moving ahead on several efforts to address flooding issues.
City Manager Wyatt Shields told the City Council on Tuesday (Nov. 12) that 16 people have applied for the stormwater task force that the council approved back in October.
“We have had a very strong response to that,” Shields said about the advertisement for the task force, which can have up to seven members.
The deadline to apply is this Friday (Nov. 15), Shields said.
“We are looking for geographical diversity on this panel and the ability to have a city-wide perspective,” Shields said.
In response to residents’ comments that the task force should include sanitary sewer, Shields said that the rationale for not including that is because it is a different engineering problem, skillset and solution.
“To keep this work focused on stormwater was by decision,” Shields said.
When the task force is ready, Shields said that there will be an organizational meeting about the scope of the group.
Shields also pointed out some “big improvements” recently with stormwater management, including work on the washed-out flood wall at Tripps Run.
He added that work is underway to add water-tight man-hole covers in areas where water pools in the streets.
The city may also implement a program — similar to the one in Alexandria — to help homeowners considering a backflow device in their homes, Shields said.
“That would be a targetted program for areas where we have documented backflow where we can provide that assistance,” Shields said.
The program would need approval from the City Council, Shields said.
“That’s not the solution, but it does provide some additional resilience for homeowners,” Shields said, adding that he hopes the program will be available by the end of the calendar
A meeting tomorrow night is set to give locals an update and a chance to comment on proposed changes to Magarity Road.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is gearing up to make walkway improvements to Magarity Road, which creates the border of where East Side neighborhood of Tysons stops and the Falls Church area of Fairfax County begins.
The project is set to provide a continuous curb and gutter and an 8-foot-wide asphalt walkway along the south side of Magarity Road and in front of Westgate Elementary School, along with new crosswalks across the road at Tremayne Place, Cherri Drive and Ware Road, according to county documents.
The project also plans to make the drop-off and pick-up turning movements at the school safer and relocate several bus stops.
More from Fairfax County about the project:
Residents of Pimmit Hills, the neighborhood south of Magarity Road, and the Westgate Elementary School requested a walkway on the south side of the street to allow more children to walk and bike to school safely.
The project will provide connectivity to the school, with other area planned trail projects, and to the McLean Metrorail Station.
The meeting is set to take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 13) at the cafeteria at Westgate Elementary School (7500 Magarity Road) in Falls Church.
At the meeting, FCDOT staff will give an update on the scoping and design changes since the June 2018 meeting.
People have until Nov. 27 to provide feedback and can submit comments online or in writing to FCDOT.
Map via Google Maps
Little City Incumbents Celebrate Reelection — “All four incumbents won handily in Tuesday’s City of Falls Church City Council and School Board elections and their success was touted as a ‘vote of confidence.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Tysons Building Off The Market — Rubenstein Partners and Griffith Properties “completed the sale of Centerstone at Tysons, a six-story office building located at 1550 Westbranch Drive… The sale follows the announcement earlier in 2019 that Centerstone at Tysons was brought to full occupancy through a single 150,000-square-foot lease at the property.” [Cision]
French Cuisine Coming to Mosaic Soon — “Parc de Ville, a French bistro set to feature classic cuisine for brunch, lunch and dinner… is set to open for dinner service on Monday, Nov. 18.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Women-Owned Businesses Booming in Falls Church — “Across the Washington metropolitan area, the highest rates of business ownership for are in Falls Church City, and Prince George’s County, as 12 percent of establishments. In Falls Church City, 12 percent of workers work at business establishments owned by women.” [DC Policy Center]
Vienna IT Firm Working With Defense Department — “Vienna IT consulting firm Rightstar Inc. secured a spot on a $820.45 million blanket purchase agreement (BPA) Friday [Nov. 1] to supply the Department of Defense with commercial-off-the-shelf software.” [Washington Business Journal]
Former Falls Church City Attorney Dies — “Paul Terrence ‘Terry’ O’Grady, age 81, formerly of Falls Church, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Soaking Up The Sun in Vienna — “Vienna’s zip code is the top place for solar energy system installations in Northern Virginia, according to numbers from the Solarize NOVA program.” [Patch]
