The sounds of glass breaking and a car speeding away shatter the silence of a slumbering Chantilly neighborhood in the wee hours of the night. Another vehicle is vandalized.
This scenario has become all too common, lately, in two local residential areas. Just last Wednesday, July 2, at 2 a.m., a neighbor saw a tan car containing three males leaving a Brookfield street after two more incidents.
"Our minivan is one of two that they vandalized by smashing in the windows," said Brookfield resident Tom Hurt. "The rear window was smashed in on our vehicle, while our neighbor's minivan suffered even more breakage and vandalism."
According to Fairfax County police, these incidents are among 31 similar crimes that have occurred in the Chantilly communities of Brookfield and Greenbriar between June 1 and July 8. In Brookfield alone, there have been three auto thefts, 14 vehicle tamperings, three vandalisms and one report of graffiti.
Greenbriar residents have been the victims of five vehicle tamperings, four vandalisms and one graffiti incident. Police spokeswoman Julie Hersey advises residents to park in lighted areas, if possible.
She also said police have been alerted about these crimes. Said Hersey: "We pass on the information to the bike team and patrol-area units to keep an eye on these areas."
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs