<sh>House Fire Displaces Eight
<bt> Eight people were displaced after a June 5 duplex fire in Sterling. Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a 9-1-1 call for a structure fire in the 200 block of N. Lincoln Avenue at about 11:33 a.m. Saturday. Fire and Rescue personnel from Sterling and Fairfax County were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in a matter of minutes, confining the bulk of the fire damage to one room. The fire, which resulted in approximately $8,000 damage, spread smoke throughout the rest of the home. The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office stated that the fire started when clothing and other combustibles stored in a closet came in contact with a light that had been left on. The heat from the light ignited the combustibles and quickly spread into the room. The eight residents of the duplex were displaced as a result of this incident. The American Red Cross was assisted with temporary housing pending repairs to the home. There were no injuries.
<sh>Firefighter Charged with Obstruction
<bt>An Ashburn Volunteer Firefighter is under investigation for indecent liberties with a juvenile, and has been charged with obstruction of justice, police said. Michael Dennis Morisi, 44, of Sterling, was charged Wednesday for sending what police have deemed to be an intimidating email to the victim in the case. The victim, who is now 19 years old, told authorities in February of this year that she and Mr. Morisi had inappropriate contact while she was a volunteer at the Ashburn Fire Station. The victim was 17 years old at the time of the incidents, which are alleged to have occurred between July and December of 2002. The investigation into the inappropriate contact continues and further charges are possible. A Loudoun magistrate released Morisi on a personal recognizance bond.
<sh>Woman Loses Life in Accident
<bt>A single-vehicle accident Saturday, June 12, took the life of a Falls Church woman and injured three others. Sandra Lentz, 49, was heading northbound on Route 28 approaching Commercial Drive shortly after 3:30 p.m. when, according to witnesses, she attempted to merge into the center lane. Witnesses say there was a vehicle in the lane she was trying to merge with and the 1999 Ford Explorer Lentz was driving appeared to overcorrect, causing the vehicle to roll several times. Lentz, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 13-year-old rear seat passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown from the vehicle in the accident. She was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. A 19-year-old male passenger, who was seated in the front seat, and another 13-year-old rear seat passenger were both taken to Loudoun Hospital with minor injuries. The 19-year-old was wearing a seatbelt but the 13-year-old was not. This weekend's accident marks the 13th fatality on Loudoun's roadways this year, police said. During the same time period last year there were nine fatalities.
<sh>Suspicious Package Found at School
<bt>A suspicious package discovered the morning of June 9 inside Harmony Intermediate School in Hamilton has been determined by emergency responders to be harmless. Shortly before 9 a.m. the item was discovered in the boys shower area of the school. Members of the Loudoun County Bomb Squad and the HazaMat Team cleared the scene shortly after 2 p.m. when it was determined the package was harmless. The incident remains under investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
<sh>Checkpoint Becomes Saturation Patrol
<bt>A scheduled sobriety checkpoint June 3 turned into saturation patrols due to the inclement weather.
Sheriff's deputies roamed the eastern end of the county arresting three motorists for driving under the influence. One of the drivers was arrested on Route 50 near Fleetwood Road with the two others arrested along Route 7. One of the impaired motorists was pulled over near Belmont Ridge Road with the second driver arrested near Ashburn Road.
The Sheriff's Office initially planned to hold the checkpoint on Church Road at Cascades Parkway. Because of the slick conditions from the rain, a decision was made to use saturation patrols for DUI enforcement.
Deputies conducting a saturation patrol concentrate DUI enforcement in one geographic area and stop any driver suspected of driving under the influence or for any motor vehicle violation.