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 review panel charged with providing community oversight of local law enforcement has challenged the results of an investigation by the Fairfax County Police Department for the first time since it was formed in 2016.
The Fairfax County Civilian Review Panel delivered a report in October that disputed the FCPD’s findings that racial bias did not play a role in an interaction between a Reston District Station police officer and an African American man that took place in Herndon in 2019.
Because six of the nine-member panel disagree with the outcome of the police investigation, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed the police department to address the panel’s requests for the next steps. The matter was discussed at a board meeting on Tuesday.
The panel received a complaint of racial profiling in May 2019 from a man who said he felt that he had been targeted by a Fairfax County police officer and suspected of trespassing “for no reason at all.”
According to the investigation file, the officer began following the man’s car when he turned at a red light in Herndon and stared at the officer. When he ran the car’s license plate and it matched with a woman in Virginia Beach — what he knew to be “a source city for illegal substances” in Fairfax County — his suspicions grew and he followed the man into his apartment complex in Herndon.
The officer approached the man and asked him for his identification, where he lived, and other identifying information. In the complaint submitted to the county, the man said he was shaken by the encounter, which he recorded on his cell phone, and was “extremely frightened and nervous.”
According to the report, the officer stayed in the parking lot for a few more minutes after he verified the man’s identity and ran the license plate again.
The man, whose name was not released, said he felt the incident was racially motivated because the officer believed he did not live in the apartment complex and stood in a manner that hindered his ability to get out of his car. No force was used in the incident.
In official comments to the panel, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said that while the officer exhibited a series of “poor, cascading assumptions and judgments that were wrongly based on his training,” there is no evidence that race was a factor in the incident.
He acknowledged that FCPD said the encounter indicates that there are some elements that need to be “train[ed]-away.”
“We can’t just keep going to proactive patrol training,” Roessler told the civilian panel during the course of its investigation. “I pray that you are understanding that, as your chief, I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.” Read More
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
David Rohrer, deputy county executive for public safety, will take over as interim police chief for the Fairfax County Police Chief on Feb. 1.
The appointment was made by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday) as Edwin Roessler, the current police chief, retires next month.
It isn’t the first time Rohrer has worked for the Fairfax County Police Department. From July 2004 to October 2012, Rohrer served as the first-ever deputy county executive for public safety.
He jumpstarted his career in 1980 as a patrol officer in Fairfax County. During his 32-year tenure, he worked his way up to several ranks of the department as captain, major, and deputy police chief.
In a statement, Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill said he expects the transition to be “seamless.“
“I work closely with Deputy County Executive Rohrer on a daily basis and I could not be more confident in his ability to see the Police Department through this period while we search for a new chief,” he said.
As the deputy county executive for public safety, Rohrer currently oversees the police, Fire and Rescue Department, the Department of Public Safety Communications, the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Animal Sheltering, and the McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center.
Meanwhile, a nationwide search is underway to select the next new police chief. The county is working with POLIHIRE to conduct the search. A community survey to identify key skills, characteristics, and traits for the new hire is open through Saturday (Jan. 30).
Photo via Fairfax County Government
With downtown D.C. transformed into a heavily guarded “Green Zone” for the past week, President Joe Biden’s inauguration unfolded on Wednesday without disruption, but the D.C. region was not entirely free of disgruntlement over perceived acts of betrayal.
A resident of DeSale Street SW reported to Vienna police at 4:10 p.m. on Jan. 14 that he had observed three men walking around his neighbor’s house and looking in the windows.
When the man confronted the trio, they said “they were looking for a traitor, and then walked away,” according to the Vienna Police Department’s weekly crime highlights.
That suspicious event was followed on Jan. 17 by a report from a DeSale Street resident who told police he saw a person spray-paint the word “traitor” on the asphalt roadway in front of his neighbor’s house. The VPD report does not indicate whether it was the same resident who called in the Jan. 14 incident.
The act of vandalism was reported again the following day.
Vandalism 21-000335
DeSale Street, SW
January 18 7:52 p.m.
Someone used spray chalk to write “traitor” on the roadway in front of a residence.
The Vienna police did not return Tysons Reporter’s query regarding whether there are any indications that the incidents were political in nature by publication time.
“This investigation is continuing,” the department said in its report.
Other unusual incidents from the past week include pranksters who concocted a fanciful vision of Vienna being overrun by big cats for the Vienna Police Department:
Suspicious Event 21-000380
Vienna Police Station
215 Center Street, South
January 20 8:56 p.m.
Unknown individuals began making prank calls to the police department, reporting tigers on the loose in town.
A Town of Vienna employee also reported on Jan. 15 that profanity had been written on the turf of the ballfields next to the Vienna Community Center at 130 Cherry Street SE.
Photo via Vienna Police Department/Facebook
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 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 Fairfax County Police Department is preparing for Inauguration Day tomorrow (Wednesday) with a heightened police presence throughout the county.
In a statement to Reston Now, Tysons Reporter’s sister site, FCPD said the department’s focus is safeguarding the community, major thoroughfares, critical infrastructure, and transit hubs.
FCPD has also staffed its civil disturbance unit, neighborhood patrols, and operational support units if they are needed in an emergency situation.
“Community members can expect to see an increased and vigilant police presence and if they have any concerns or observe any suspicious or. concerning activity, we encourage them to report it to an officer or call 911,” FCPD wrote in a statement.
The department noted that the county had an increased presence in past inaugurations.
FCPD deployed officers to D.C. on Jan. 6 to help law enforcement agencies to quell the U.S. Capital riots, which were started by a mob of Donald Trump supporters.
No Fairfax County police officers were seriously injured earlier this month. The FCPD has not commented yet on whether there are plans to formally deploy any officers to D.C. during the inauguration.
A number of bridges connecting D.C. to Arlington are either completely shut down or have severely altered traffic patterns. Memorial Bridge is now closed through Thursday morning at 6 a.m. It was closed and then reopened over the weekend.
D.C.-bound lanes on Roosevelt Bridge, I-395 Bridge, and 14th Street Bridge will also be closed until Thursday morning, but lanes leaving the city “will flow normally” according to the Metropolitan Police Department traffic advisory. There are also a host of D.C. road closures.
Key Bridge will remain open, but there’ll be no access to Whitehurst Freeway and only local traffic may turn right on M Street. Thru traffic can only turn left onto Canal Rd/MacArthur Blvd, this also according to the advisory.
Chain Bridge in McLean will remain open in both directions, as will the Wilson and American Legion Bridges connecting Virginia to Maryland.
Matt Blitz contributed reporting to this story.
Photo via FCPD
Fairfax County police received multiple reports of robberies and larcenies in the McLean District this week.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department’s weekly recap, two men shoplifted merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue (2051 International Dr.) at Tysons Galleria around 4:04 p.m. on Jan. 10. When leaving, they threatened to assault a store employee.
Then, at 8:15 p.m. on Jan. 14, a man and a woman took two carts of merchandise without paying from Safeway on 6244 Old Dominion Dr. in McLean. They reportedly assaulted two employees while leaving the grocery store.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
The FCPD also confirmed today that it received two separate reports of larceny on Jan. 13 from people whose vehicles were robbed at Clemyjontri Park in McLean around 5 p.m. that day. In both cases, the vehicle windows were broken, and personal items were taken.
“We would like to remind our community members to hide valuables that must be left in a vehicle, even if you are stepping away for just a few minutes,” FCPD Sgt. Tara Gerhard said.
Fairfax County police suggest placing purses, laptop bags, and larger items in the trunk of the vehicle and hiding loose change, phones, or other small valuable items “that could make your vehicle an easy target for a criminal.”
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
