All alone in his home, a 14-year-old Clifton boy was terrified last January when an unknown intruder broke into his home and burglarized it. Last Friday in Fairfax County Circuit Court, the man responsible was sentenced to five years in prison.
The incident occurred Jan. 3 in the 7400 block of Dunquin Court in Clifton. The boy was in his bedroom, around 4 p.m., when he heard noises coming from the main floor. Peeking out his door, he saw a man walking in the foyer.
The teen then locked himself in an upstairs bedroom and called 911. He described the suspect and said that a gold Lexus, parked in his driveway, had not been there when he arrived home. However, when officers arrived on the scene, both the Lexus and the suspect were gone.
Police broadcast a lookout for the vehicle and, as Sgt. Michael Shamblin was responding to the burglary, he saw the suspect driving the Lexus away from the area. He activated his cruiser's flashing lights and siren and pursued the car as it fled from him at a high rate of speed.
Meanwhile, a county police helicopter kept visual contact with the Lexus and advised Shamblin of its whereabouts. The sergeant than saw the Lexus sliding out of control at the deadend of Balmoral Forest Road and saw the driver run from the car. Shamblin pursued him on foot and apprehended him.
He was identified as Devon Sharp, 27, of no fixed address. Police charged him with burglary, possession of burglary tools, speeding to elude, grand larceny and felony destruction of property.
He appeared Aug. 21 in Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to burglary and grand larceny. The other charges against him were dropped. Sharp returned to court last Friday, Nov. 15, for sentencing, and Judge Jane Roush gave him the maximum punishment possible — 10 years in prison on each charge.
However, she suspended five years of each sentence and ordered the sentences to run concurrently, leaving Sharp with five years total to serve. She also placed him on three years probation upon his release from prison.