In October, Makubani S. Reel broke into the apartment of a 28-year-old Centreville woman and her 5-year-old son, while they were sleeping, and assaulted the woman.
He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with burglary, abduction and assault and battery. He's already been sentenced for the assault; and Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court, he pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny.
According to Fairfax County police, the incident occurred Oct. 6, around 4 a.m., in the 6400 block of Paddington Lane in the Lee Overlook community. The woman awoke to find Reel, whom she knew, in her bedroom. And he was armed with a knife.
Police rushed to the scene after a neighbor heard the woman scream and called them. They responded to find the woman and her child running out of the apartment. Meanwhile, Reel, 25, of no fixed address, fled, and officers pursuing him on foot apprehended him nearby.
On Nov. 7 in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Reel was convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to two months in jail. The abduction charge was dropped.
At the same time, his burglary charge was amended to attempted grand larceny. After being indicted Nov. 21 by the grand jury, he appeared Monday in Circuit Court to enter his plea.
After ascertaining that Reel was pleading guilty, freely and voluntarily, and because he was, in fact, guilty as charged, Judge Kathleen MacKay set his sentencing for Feb. 17.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs