A 27-year-old man is facing a possible 10 years in prison after pleading guilty recently to the Jan. 3 burglary of a Clifton home. He is Devon Sharp of no fixed address.
A 14-year-old boy was alone in his home in the 7400 block of Dunquin Court in Clifton, when the incident occurred. All was well until around 4 p.m. when he heard noises coming from the main floor. He peeked out his bedroom door and saw a man, later identified as Sharp, walking in the foyer.
The boy 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.
Fairfax County police broadcast a lookout for the vehicle and, as Sgt. Michael Shamblin was responding to the burglary, he saw the suspect driving the Lexus leaving the area. He activated his vehicle's emergency equipment and pursued the Lexus 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 then 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.
Sharp was interviewed by detectives at the Fair Oaks District Station and then taken to the Adult Detention Center. 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 — which are each punishable by as much as five years in prison. The other charges against him were dropped. Judge Jane Roush then set his sentencing for Oct. 18.