A Woodbridge man is suspected of thefts from hotels in Chantilly and Springfield. He is Raul R. Vallejos, 45, of 3509 Soffit Place, and a Fairfax County grand jury has indicted him on one count of grand larceny.
In a Nov. 19 affidavit for a warrant to search Vallejos' red, 1992 Honda Civic hatchback for possible evidence, Police Officer 1st Class Michael Scanlon of the Fair Oaks District Station explained the case against him.
HE FURTHER described the car as having gray, primer paint on its right rear quarter panel and the words, "Switchin Lanes," in white letters on the rear window and both rear, side windows. And he stated that, on Nov. 18, at 8:39 p.m., this particular vehicle was reportedly used in a larceny at the Wingate Inn at 3940 Centerview Drive in Chantilly.
"The subject was seen via surveillance cameras entering the establishment and [was] recognized by the front-desk clerk as being there on previous dates and [allegedly] involved in grand larcenies from [a] patron's room," wrote Scanlon. "During this incident [on Nov. 18], the subject was seen in the second-floor hallway and then entering into a room and leaving shortly after, through the rear stairwell leading to the parking lot."
Scanlon wrote that he stopped this person in the parking lot, exiting that same stairwell, and that he allegedly matched the physical description of the intruder given by witnesses. He was reportedly identified as Vallejos.
The officer noted that, when he detained Vallejos, he discovered that Vallejos reportedly had in his possession a green backpack with a Chinese Visa belonging to a person Scanlon identified as Victim One. He wrote that she'd been staying on the second floor of the hotel and reported to responding officers the theft of her purse and belongings.
FURTHERMORE, stated Scanlon, Vallejos also reportedly had the keys to the Honda hatchback in his possession, as well as that vehicle's alarm pad. Then, during the follow-up investigation, a Det. Burke from the Franconia District Station told Scanlon that the Comfort Inn at 6560 Loisdale Court in Springfield had just experienced a similar grand larceny at 8:05 p.m.
A man Scanlon called Victim Two reported this offense, telling police that someone had stolen a black tote bag, a Nikon digital camera with black carrying case and personal identification from him. Scanlon then noted that he remembered seeing a similar camera and tote bag in the rear seating area of the Honda hatchback and "believes the camera and tote bag to be the same" as those stolen from Victim Two.
Police executed the search warrant Nov. 19 at 2:26 a.m., seizing from Vallejos' vehicle a Nikon Coolpix digital camera, a black tote bag with "New York" painted on the front and five 100-yen bills. And they charged him with two counts of grand larceny.
Both charges were later dropped during Vallejos' arraignment. But on Nov. 21 in front of the grand jury, police straight-indicted him on one count of grand larceny. He's now set for a Jan. 23 jury trial in Circuit Court.