(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Fairfax County Police have arrested Megan Hargan for the murder of her sister Helen Hargan and mother Pamela Hargan in McLean in 2017
Palema and Helen Hargan were murdered on July 14, 2017 in their home at 6708 Dean Drive. Police had initially suspected a murder-suicide, but as the investigation continued police began to suspect double homicide.
A search warrant revealed that police believed the scene had been staged by the suspect. Suspicion turned to Pamela’s daughter Megan, who had attempted fraudulent wire transfers from her mother’s account.
Megan, 35, was arrested this morning in West Virginia is being interviewed by detectives, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. More details were released at an afternoon news conference.
More from an FCPD press release:
A 35-year-old woman is facing charges in the murder of her mom and sister. On July 14, 2017, 23-year-old Helen Lorena Hargan and her mother, 63-year-old Pamela Denise Hansen Hargan were found dead in a home in the 6700 block of Dean Drive in McLean. They had both been shot. This morning, detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau arrested Megan Hargan near her home in Monongalia County, West Virginia for their murders.
The bodies were discovered by officers, after a 9-1-1 call reporting someone in the home might have been killed. The scene was secured and meticulously processed over several days by our Crime Scene Section. Detectives determined early in the investigation that the scene was staged to appear to be a murder-suicide. Due to the complexity of the evidence, a reconstruction of the crime scene was completed by an independent company. Our investigation and forensic findings led us to Megan Hargan, and our Major Crimes Bureau remained vigilant while pursuing every investigative lead. We interviewed Megan Hargan on July 14th, and then again a few days later. Megan Hargan attempted fraudulent money transfers from her mom’s bank account on the day of the murders, as well as the day before. Megan Hargan was indicted by a multi-jurisdictional grand jury yesterday for two counts of 1st degree murder and two counts of using a firearm in committing a felony.
“This is a tragedy, domestic violence at its worst,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Major Crimes Bureau. “Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Helen Hargan and Pamela Hargan. Know that justice always leads to the truth, and today the criminal justice process on this case continues.”
Our detectives are still in West Virginia, as the case remains active. We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their cooperation on this complex case, including the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office.
UPDATE: Woman arrested in 2017 murder of mom and sister. #FCPD #FairfaxCountyhttps://t.co/bi7AlGMGeC pic.twitter.com/VzGYW6dsty
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 9, 2018
Photo via Twitter
Nearly one year after the shooting, there are no answers in the investigation of McLean resident Bijan Ghaisar’s death at the hands of U.S. Park Police.
In addition to a resolution on VDOT’s ramp closure proposal, the McLean Citizens Association’s (MCA) Board of Directors is scheduled to vote tonight on a resolution to pressure Park Police and the FBI to release more information about the shooting of Ghaisar.
Ghaisar, a 25-year old accountant who lived in the Tysons area, was shot on Nov. 17, 2017 by two U.S. Park Police officers who fired into his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Ghaisar died at Inova Fairfax Hospital on Nov. 27.
The incident started when Ghaisar was rear-ended by an Uber driver and the driver contacted police. Park Police located Ghaisar’s Jeep and signaled for him to pull over, and on two occasions he did — before then driving off. Finally, on the GW Parkway south of Alexandria, Park Police officers moved in front of the Jeep and when Ghaisar tried to maneuver around, the two officers opened fire.
In December 2017, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. released a dashboard camera video showing the pursuit and the shooting. After this, federal investigators took over the case.
Since the FBI and Justice Department took over the case, little new information about the case has emerged.
The resolution from the MCA urges the Park Police and FBI to disclose the reasons for the shootings, the identities of the police officers involved, and other results of the investigation. The resolution also commends Roessler for releasing the video of the incident in a timely manner.
The MCA Board of Directors meetings are open to the public. The meeting is scheduled to be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) in the McLean Government Center (1437 Balls Hill Road).
Image via Fairfax County Police Department
A man accused of threatening to blow up the Starbucks in the Yorktowne Shopping Center, in the Falls Church section of Fairfax County, is due in court for a preliminary hearing next month.
David Velasquez, 28, is facing a felony charge of making a bomb threat in connection with the Saturday afternoon incident, which prompted the evacuation of the cafe and surrounding businesses. His preliminary hearing for the bomb threat charge is scheduled for Dec. 19, court records show.
If convicted on that charge, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Velasquez is also charged with being drunk in public. It’s the 10th time he’s been arrested and charged with being drunk in public in Fairfax County so far this year, according to General District court records.
More on the bomb threat from a Fairfax County Police Department press release:
A 28-year-old Fairfax man is facing charges for threatening to bomb a Starbucks in the Yorktowne Shopping Center around 4 p.m. on Saturday. David Velasquez was drunk and passed out inside the Starbucks, located at 8104 Arlington Boulevard when an employee woke him and asked him to leave. Velasquez refused and said he had a bomb in his backpack that would explode in two minutes. He then went inside the bathroom and would not come out.
Employees immediately evacuated the business and called 9-1-1. Our officers arrived and asked adjoining business to evacuate as a precaution. Negotiations were attempted for almost 70 minutes before Velasquez finally walked out of the front door and was arrested. Due to his level of intoxication, Velazquez was taken to an area hospital to be medically treated. Velasquez was then taken to the Adult Detention Center, where he was charged with threats to bomb or damage buildings , and being drunk in public. He was held on no bond. Our Explosive Ordinance Division responded and examined the backpack, which did not contain any hazardous items.
Fairfax County Police are looking for a man who lured a woman into his car with the offer of a ride home, then pulled over and groped her instead.
The alleged crime happened just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday night on Shady Lane in the Falls Church area.
“The victim was walking home when a dark colored car pulled up next to her,” FCPD said in a crime report. “The driver offered her a ride home and she accepted.”
“A few moments later, the driver pulled the car over to the side of the road and began touching himself and the victim inappropriately,” the crime report continues. “The suspect was described as a middle eastern man, approximately 26 years old, 6′ 0″ with black hair.”
Pedestrian Deaths Now Double Last Year — “On Oct. 25 and 26, there were two pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County. So far in 2018, there have been 100 pedestrian crashes and 10 fatalities. In 2017, there were 189 pedestrian crashes with five fatalities.” [Fairfax County]
A Look Inside the New Capital One HQ — “The 940,500-square-foot structure… is jam-packed with other amenities — commissioned artwork, a full-size basketball court, a FedEx store, a Power Up technology bar, outdoor terrace and market cafe inspired by the likes of Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market. It’s got pretty much everything but a place for employees to bed down for the night, but no worries, a corporate hotel’s part of the project’s next phases, along with a performing arts center, an urban-format Wegmans and a third office building set to break ground early next year.” [Washington Business Journal, Bisnow]
Medicine Cabinet Clean-out Results — The Fairfax County Police Department’s 2018 Medicine Cabinet Clean-out drive collected more than 2,200 pounds of expired or unwanted medications, including 351 pounds collected at the McLean District Station alone. [FCPD]
A D.C. man was arrested Wednesday morning after an altercation at the Tysons Corner Metro station and a brief police chase.
Fairfax County Police say 31-year-old Jaron Ulmer was getting off a train at the station just before 7 a.m. when he turned around and accused a man of following him. Ulmer then punched the man several times, according to police.
“Ulmer ran away but was arrested after a short foot pursuit by responding police officers,” said an FCPD crime report. “Ulmer was charged with malicious wounding, public intoxication and obstruction of justice.”
A malicious wounding charge suggests the victim’s injuries were serious enough to make the crime a felony, as opposed to a less severe assault charge.
Veronica Youngblood, accused of murdering two children in Tysons, is scheduled to go to trial this Friday (Nov. 2).
Youngblood was arrested in Loudoun County and charged with murder after police entered an apartment in the 1500 block of Lincoln Circle and found two children with gunshot wounds.
One, a five-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was taken to the hospital where she later died.
While authorities did not release the names of the victims, in accordance with Virginia law, it was widely reported that Youngblood was the mother of the children.
Because the case involved crimes against children, it will be prosecuted in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, according to an employee in the clerk’s office.
Youngblood will be represented by a public defender. Whether the case is open to the public will be at the discretion of the presiding judge.
Photo courtesy FCPD
Fairfax County Police arrested a 20-year-old Maryland man early Saturday morning on charges of trying to hit an officer.
The incident started when police were called to the 6800 block of Dillon Avenue in McLean just after midnight for a report of a loud party.
“When officers walked towards the backyard, a man, Michael Wade, 20, of Maryland, became belligerent and tried to hit our officer,” FCPD said in a crime report. “When officers searched him, alcohol was discovered. Wade was arrested and charged with attempted assault on a law enforcement officer and underage possession of alcohol.”
Photo courtesy FCPD
It wasn’t nearly as contentious as the preceding vote, but the Vienna Town Council voted on Monday (Oct. 29) to authorize a $1.6 million contract to design a new police station. The new station will likely be triple the size of the current one.
The contract was awarded to architecture firm Dewberry. The company previously designed the Fairfax Criminal Justice Academy and several government buildings across the county.
The current police station is a 9,800 square foot building at 215 Center Street South. It was built in 1994 and houses the administrative, operations and communications divisions of the department, while the criminal investigations section works out of an office inside the Vienna Town Hall.
A needs assessment in 2013 determined that the department would need a roughly 30,000 square foot building to house all of the police operations. The project will likely involve renovating the current building and constructing a new facility on the adjacent property at 144 Locust Street, which is owned by the town.
The total cost of the new police station’s construction is estimated to be $15.8 million. According to the Town of Vienna CIP review, the project is being financed through general obligation bonds. Construction is expected to begin in 2020.
According to the proposal, the new building will also have offices for other Town of Vienna departments as well as public spaces. Vienna Police Chief James Morris said it was important that the new building be a “community space” in addition to a police department.
“We do community policing all the time so that’s really important,” Mayor Laurie DiRocco agreed. “It’s nice to have people enter the police station for reasons other than negative reasons.”
Photo via Facebook
Halloween Safety Tips — The Fairfax County Police Department has a number of Halloween safety tips for parents, drivers, seniors and pet owners. If you’re planning on bringing the little ones trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, this post has additional tips and info. [FCPD]
Vienna Council Approves New Contracts — “Citing difficulties in arranging for Vienna’s general on-call maintenance and roadway contractor to handle small work orders, the Vienna Town Council on Oct. 29 voted 7-0 to spend up to $617,745 with U.S. Concrete and Paving Inc. to handle those tasks.” [InsideNova]
Falls Church Resident Hits the Jackpot — “When Michael Kraemer discovered he’d won the $4 million top prize in the Virginia Lottery’s Hot Millions Multiplier game, he didn’t immediately tell anyone. The Falls Church man simply drove off in his car and went to work as usual.” [Fairfax Times]
