Tysons Reporter is back with its monthly crime map showing where the incidents occurred in Fairfax County Police Department’s McLean District Station.
We went ahead and pulled together all of the incidents noted for the McLean District Station in FCPD crime recaps from Dec. 1-31, weeded out the ones that are not in the Tysons Reporter coverage area and plotted them in the interactive map above.
The McLean District Station covers crime in Merrifield, Dunn Loring, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons and Great Falls.
The map only includes information from FCPD and does not include reports to the police departments in the Town of Vienna or the City of Falls Church.
Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle between the various types of crimes displayed.
Fairfax County’s weekday police recaps are not comprehensive lists of every incident and the addresses are approximate. FCPD also notes that information in the recaps “is generally based on initial reports made to the police department.”
Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477).
Vienna police say Skorpio’s Maggio’s Greek Family Restaurant was vandalized several times during the holidays.
The first incident happened between Dec. 28 at 11 p.m. and Dec. 29 at 4 a.m. at 421 Maple Avenue E.
“An unknown person smeared ketchup on the windows of the restaurant and the restaurant’s van,” according to the police report. “There was also profanity written on the windows and sidewalk.”
Police said that they also observed additional vandalism to holiday decorations after the initial report.
In a separate incident that happened sometime on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, “an unknown person threw an unknown liquid on the front window of the restaurant.”
A spokesperson for the police department told Tysons Reporter that “it is too early to tell” if the incidents at the restaurant are related.
Image via Google Maps
Updated on 11/16/20 — Prosecutors dropped charges against Hou in October. A reason was not given. The prosecutor’s office declined comment, noting that charges could be re-filed within a year.
Earlier: Fairfax County police arrested a man who offers private music lessons in the Tysons area for allegedly inappropriately touching a minor.
Vienna resident Jun Hou, 56, runs Jun Hou Classic Music LLC (8850 Lee Hwy), which provides private music lessons, mostly to children, and music camps in the summer, police said.
Police arrested and charged Hou with aggravated sexual battery on Monday (Dec. 23). “He was released on Dec. 30 after posting $10,000 bond,” police said.
Fairfax County detectives said they would like to hear from anyone who is concerned their child may have had inappropriate contact with Hou.
More from FCPD:
The investigation began in September when a juvenile disclosed being inappropriately touched by Hou. Our detectives worked to corroborate the allegations and received authorization from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to obtain warrants…
Victim specialists from our Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure that the identified victim receives appropriate resources and assistance.
Detectives are asking for anybody with information about this event to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
Fairfax County police said gang activity may be behind the New Year’s Day shooting that injured three people in the Spring Hill area.
In an update today (Thursday), police said that two men and one woman had gunshot wounds after a shooting in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive early in the morning on New Year’s Day.
The three people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from a local hospital, police said today.
John Lieb, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter that one scene was located in the parking lot of the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, while another was in a breezeway of the buildings.
Lieb was not able to confirm if any of the people involved in the shooting had been staying at the hotel.
“The suspects were described as black males,” police said. “Detectives believe this shooting is gang-related.”
Map via Google Maps
(Updated at 8:40 a.m.) Fairfax County police say three people were injured after a shooting this morning near the Walmart in Tysons.
Police tweeted that they were on the scene in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive shortly after 5 a.m. today (Wednesday).
Three young adults were injured in their lower bodies from the shooting at the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, NBC4 reported.
“Three people have been taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening,” police tweeted. “No suspect information is currently available.”
Officers are in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Dr in Tysons Corner for a shooting investigation. Three people have been taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening. No suspect information is currently available. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/tpQSVYP57V
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 1, 2020
Map via Google Maps
After being stabbed in his own home, a 61-year old man from Vienna died yesterday at the hospital, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The victim, Mohammed Hemmatian, was found by first responders at 2900 Edgelea Road with upper body trauma on Sunday morning (Dec. 29) around 8:30 a.m., according to a police report.
Another man, 27-year old Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda, was on the scene after the incident and is now facing murder charges, police said. Toshpulodzoda was originally taken to the hospital for an evaluation but was not injured; police say he later suffered a medical emergency at the hospital.
Both men lived at the address, in the Vienna area, according to FCPD.
The events leading up to the violence are still unclear.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the police by calling 703-246-7800 or submitting an anonymous tip. FCPD says this was the 13th homicide of the year so far in Fairfax County.
Homicide investigation underway after fatal stabbing in Vienna. #FCPD #FairfaxCounty https://t.co/EGezNRBeGH pic.twitter.com/rFCqPQ5ZL1
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 29, 2019
(Updated at 11:05 a.m.) A robbery happened at the CVS pharmacy in the Town of Vienna, local police say.
The incident occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. last Monday (Dec. 16) at 337 Maple Avenue E.
Vienna police said a woman dressed in black clothing and a head covering went up to the cashier at the CVS pharmacy “in a very aggressive manner and demanded all the money from the register while reaching into her jacket pocket.”
“The cashier, fearing that she may have a weapon, surrendered all the money from the register and the suspect left the scene,” police said.
More from the report:
Police officers, detectives, and a K-9 unit responded and searched the area but were unable to find the suspect. Officers and detectives on the scene obtained vital information that was broadcast to surrounding jurisdictions. Shortly after this robbery, a suspect fitting the same description committed another robbery in Fairfax County and was apprehended after leaving the scene of the second robbery.
In a separate incident, three roommates in the 600 block of Tapawingo Road SW reported to the Vienna Police Department that their parked vehicles’ tires were slashed with a sharp instrument between the night of Dec. 16 and the morning of Dec. 17.
Photo via Facebook
Vienna police say that a man said his credit card was charged for a larger amount than what he ordered at Hunan Delight.
The man got food delivery from the restaurant at 276 Cedar Lane SE on Dec. 11, police said. “He paid for the food with a credit card and gave the delivery driver a cash tip,” according to the report.
More from the police report:
A few days later he noticed the total for the order on his credit account was higher than what he had authorized. The restaurant provided the citizen with a copy of the receipt. The citizen advised that the receipt was not the same receipt that he had signed and that his signature was forged on the receipt they had.
Image via Google Maps
The police departments for the Town of Vienna and City of Falls Church want people to be careful about phone scammers — especially ones pretending to be local police.
Falls Church officials put out a press release in late November warning locals of “a recent phone scam trend that spoofs, or fraudulently displays, actual Falls Church Police Department phone numbers on caller ID.”
“To further convince the recipient that the caller is a representative of the Falls Church Police Department, the scammer impersonates an actual Falls Church Police Department official and advises the victim to look up the phone number where the call is originating from,” the press release said. “The scammer then uses intimidation tactics, such as the threat of arrest, to demand payment of money purportedly owed to the government.”
Vienna police have also been dealing with the same issue.
“It is very strange,” Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.
Since people are becoming more aware of the IRS phone spoofs, Vazquez said that scammers have realized that those calls aren’t as effective. The fraudulent police calls “are another variation of the same thing,” he said.
Vazquez said he doesn’t know how scammers get the police department numbers to display as the caller ID.
Fishy Phone Calls
A review of the weekly crime highlights from the two police departments found several reported cases of residents receiving calls from people saying they were with the local police department.
In late November, Falls Church police received a report of “unknown suspect(s) purporting to be a retired Falls Church police officer called community members and falsely stated that they had outstanding warrants and demanded money.”
A man came to the Vienna Police Station in September “advising he was on the phone with someone claiming to be a Vienna Police Officer and they were attempting to defraud him of money,” according to a crime report.
“An officer attempted to speak to the caller; however, the caller hung up when the officer identified himself,” the report said. “The phone number the call initiated from was the Vienna Police non-emergency number.”
How to Stay Safe From Scammers
Vazquez advised that if people get a suspicious call claiming to be from the police department, Social Security Administration, IRS or other entity that they ask for the caller’s name, then hang up and call the organization the caller says they’re from to ask to speak to the caller. That way, the person can verify whether or not the person works there.
Falls Church police advise a similar strategy, urging people to call the Falls Church police’s non-emergency number 703-241-5050 (TTY 711) to confirm if the caller is a legitimate official.
“Indicators of scam calls are threats, orders to not hang up and other statements about immediacy,” Falls Church police say. “Never give out personal information — such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, or passwords — in response to unexpected calls if you are at all suspicious.”
Both police departments have said they do not make calls in an attempt to collect money.
“The City of Falls Church Police Department will never call and request payment for fines, traffic tickets, or bail over the phone,” the Falls Church press release said. “All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Police will also never call an individual to threaten arrest or remove an arrest warrant.”
More from Falls Church police:
Caller ID spoofing is a scam that deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise the scammer’s identity as well as appearing as an official organization or entity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
Scammers will oftentimes know the victim’s full name and their extensive background, such as birth date and names of family members.
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed.
People who receive suspicious calls can file a report about attempted fraud with the Fairfax County Police Department and visit the Federal Communications Commission’s “Caller ID Spoofing” webpage for information on spoofing scams.
Photo via Facebook
Haycock Elementary School recently told families who will head the school for the time being after the school’s newly hired principal faces charges related to alleged abuse of students at a different school.
Scott Bloom was hired as the principal for Haycock Elementary School in Falls Church in August and was placed on leave in September involving a personnel matter.
Bloom, a 39-year-old Reston resident, was indicted for allegedly failing to report assaults on students with intellectual disabilities during his time as the principal at Freedom Hill Elementary School in Vienna.
August Frattali became the interim principal in September.
In a letter to Haycock families on Monday (Dec. 16), Region 2 Assistant Superintendent Fabio Zuluaga said that Frattali will continue that role.
“We are in the process of updating the policy and regulation that covers the procedures for reporting cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to ensure that all of us understand our reporting obligations,” Zuluaga said in the letter.
More from the letter:
FCPS Administration was made aware of these allegations in September, following Mr. Bloom’s appointment at Haycock. Staff members under investigation were immediately removed from their positions and placed on leave for the duration of the investigation.
We are saddened and distressed by these allegations involving our employees. There is no greater responsibility of a school system than the safety and well-being of our students and, as a result of these incidents, we have learned that we need to do more. Our teachers and staff have been trained annually in best practices and legal requirements regarding mandated reporting of suspected abuse and received additional training this year to reinforce reporting requirements.
Image via Google Maps, photo via FCPS
