OAKTON HOUSE FIRE CAUSES $300,000 IN DAMAGE: On April 17 at 8:54 a.m., units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and its mutual-aid partners from the City of Fairfax Fire Department were dispatched to a house fire in the 3000 block of Steven Martin Drive in Oakton.
Arriving units found a two-story, single-family home with fire showing from the deck. Crews quickly contained and extinguished the fire.
Despite the presence of smoke alarms, there was no indication they had activated during the incident. Rescue personnel transported one occupant of the house to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No firefighters were injured during the incident.
Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation indicate the fire was accidental and caused by improperly discarded smoking materials on the house’s deck. The fire caused about $300,000 worth of damage.
DRIVER INVOLVED IN VIENNA ACCIDENT CITED ON SUSPENDED-LICENSE CHARGE: Vienna police on April 16 between 11 and 11:30 a.m. dispatched an officer to an accident with injuries involved at Nutley Street and Courthouse Road, S.W. One of the drivers involved, who reportedly had a suspended license was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The responding officer on April 20 visited the Fairfax County Magistrate’s office, where he obtained a summons against the motorist for driving with a suspended license and subsequently served the driver with the summons.
VIENNA STUDENT’S SCHOOL-ISSUED LAPTOP STOLEN FROM BACKPACK IN UNLOCKED VEHICLE: A woman living in the 1200 block of Drake Street, S.W., told Vienna police that sometime between April 17 at 6 p.m. and April 18 at 8 a.m. an unknown person had entered her unlocked vehicle and stolen her son’s backpack, which contained his school-issued laptop computer.
VIENNA MAN, 24, CHARGED WITH ASSAULT-AND-BATTERY AFTER DOMESTIC DISPUTE: A Vienna police officer responded April 19 at 12:30 a.m. to a domestic-dispute call on Westview Court, N.E. During the investigation, police determined an assault had taken place and arrested a 24-year-old Vienna man on an assault-and-battery charge involving a family member.
Police took the man to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, obtained an arrest warrant from the magistrate and served it to the suspect. Authorities released the man on an unsecured bond.
FALLS CHURCH MAN CITED FOR DRIVING ON DWI-RELATED REVOKED LICENSE IN VIENNA: During a traffic stop on April 20 at 7:31 a.m. at Lawyers Road and Holmes Drive, N.W., a Vienna police officer was informed that the driver allegedly had a DWI-related revoked license.
Police arrested the 44-year-old Falls Church man, took him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and met with a magistrate, who issued an arrest warrant against the man for driving with a revoked driver’s license (DWI-related).
The magistrate issued a $5,000 unsecured bond and authorities released the man on his signature.
VIENNA POLICE ARREST 6-PACK OF PEOPLE ALLEGEDLY DRINKING IN PUBLIC: A Vienna police officer on April 20 at 7:31 p.m. observed six men who allegedly were drinking alcohol in front of the 7-Eleven store at 8616 Park St.
The officer advised the men that this was illegal and gave each a summons for drinking in public.
Authorities released the suspects – a 56-year-old Vienna man, 27-year-old Vienna man, 52-year-old Vienna man, 33-year-old McLean man, 53-year-old Vienna man and 44-year-old Vienna man – on their signatures.
MIFFED PEDESTRIAN POUNDS ON HOOD OF CAR BLOCKING HIS PATH: Sometimes you’ve got to pound the table, but other times a car will suffice.
A motorist was pulling out from a business at 362 Maple Ave., E., on April 16 at 4:08 p.m. and the vehicle blocked the sidewalk, Vienna police said.
A pedestrian, who was passing by at the time, reportedly struck the vehicle’s hood with his hands, police said.
VDOT CAUTIONS PEOPLE OF TOLL-RELATED TEXT SCAM: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is encouraging people to be on alert for a text-message scam, also known as “smishing,” that is sending requests for payment of outstanding toll charges.
The FBI recently issued a warning about the scam, which has occurred in various states and does not specifically target E-ZPass customers.
Since March, people across the country have submitted complaints to the FBI about receiving text messages representing toll-road collection services that claim they owe money for unpaid tolls.
The link in the text message impersonates a toll facility’s or collection service’s name, and phone numbers appear to change between states. By clicking on the link, people could risk giving away sensitive data, including credit-card information.
To date, VDOT is not aware of any Virginia residents who have received these smishing messages. Should people receive an unsolicited text message suggesting it is from E-ZPass Virginia or a specific toll facility in Virginia, they should not click on the link, officials warned.
Anyone receiving these text messages should reach out directly to appropriate facility to verify authenticity. E-ZPass account holders and toll customers can check their accounts and pay tolls by going to tollroadsvirginia.com or ezpassva.com.
People also may visit tollroadsvirginia.com/home/contact for the appropriate facility to validate their toll balance, along with upcoming or past-due payments.
Those who believe they received a smishing text about past-due tolls can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Complainants should include the phone number of the text message as well as the Web link listed within the text.
FAIRFAX CIRCUIT COURT CLERK ISSUES ‘PHISHING’ SCAM ALERT: Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk Chris Falcon on April 23 issued a warning about a scam e-mail being sent to area residents and businesses.
The e-mail claims to be from the “Florida County Circuit Court” and states that the recipient has been named as a defendant in breach-of-contract case No. 2024-CD-0061987, with a requested appearance in Fairfax County Circuit Court on May 14.
This e-mail is false and part of a “phishing” scam, Falcon said. The e-mail also indicates that the recipient should click on documents in an attachment.
Falcon advised those who receive the e-mail to delete it and not open its attachment. The Clerk’s Office has contacted the Fairfax County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Office of Public Affairs to inform them of this scam.
Officials think the e-mail’s recipients have been chosen randomly and have no relationship to any pending cases in the Circuit Court.
