Forget the snow — the real story from the past week was a slew of odd cases worked by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office ranging from weapons brandished at a small child to puppy theft.
A SHARP sheriff's deputy and a German shepherd helped apprehend Malachi Elijah Savid, 25, on Feb. 24. Savid was under investigation for credit card fraud after the Sheriff's Office learned that someone from his apartment complex, Saddlebrook Apartments on Coltsfoot Terrace, had used a stolen card to order food delivery from an Ashburn restaurant.
A Sheriff's Deputy on routine patrol recognized Savid from a description as he entered a car, according to spokesman Kraig Troxell. Savid fled when a second deputy attempted to stop him. By the time deputies caught up with the car on Big Trail Terrace, it was empty — Savid had fled on foot.
With a crew of canines in tow, deputies tracked Savid until, with the help of a thermal imager, he was spotted near the intersection of Ashburn Village Boulevard and Route 7. Savid took off — and was apprehended around 11 p.m. as he attempted to enter a building under construction, Troxell said. Savid was taken to Loudoun Hospital Center where he was treated for minor injuries.
Back at Savid's home, investigators found what Troxell called "burglarious" tools — things like bolt cutters that showed Savid may have had criminal plans. He has been held without bail. The credit card fraud portion of the case remains under investigation, and anyone with more information should contact Investigator D. Taylor at 703-777-0475.
INVESTIGATORS are closing in on a suspect in another Ashburn case: on Feb. 23, a 9-year-old Ashburn boy and his 4-year-old sister were walking down a bike trail near Westwind Drive when, they say, a man "inappropriately touched" the girl, Troxell said. The man was described as possibly being Hispanic and was in a wheelchair.
"They have a pretty good idea who this person is," Troxell said. The subject most likely lives in the children's neighborhood, he added. The Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case.
A PUPPY that was pinched from the Fins and Feathers Pet Store in Broadlands wasn't just any pooch: it was a Boston terrier worth $850. On Feb. 27, at about 2:30 p.m., three white male suspects entered the store, all around 6 feet tall and in their late teens. All three wore jeans, baggy jackets and baseball hats. As for the puppy, it wore its usual black and white outfit, complete with black around one eye and white around the other, according to Troxell.
ELSY ISABEL Rivera Hernandez, 30, of Sterling, allegedly approached a 38-year-old Leesburg man on Feb. 25 at Ultrazone, a laser tag facility, and asked for his wallet. She was a police officer, she said, but the victim didn't buy it, according to Troxell. Upon asking for identification, Rivera Hernandez's accomplice, Kevin Lee Porter, 23, also of Sterling, exited a vehicle and struck the victim. After being apprehended by Sheriff's deputies, Porter was held on a $20,000 bond and charged with assault, attempted robbery and obstruction of justice. He was held without bond for an outstanding Fairfax County charge. Rivera Hernandez was held on a $5,000 bond.
A NATIONWIDE hunt is on for a Sterling man who investigators allege abducted his ex-girlfriend last week.
According to the 20-year-old victim, Inocente Dionicio-Gama picked her up at 4 p.m. in Leesburg on Feb. 16. He then drove to a home in Sugarland Run, where he forced the victim into a townhouse in the 100 block of Hayloft Circle.
Around 1:30 a.m., according to the victim, Dionicio-Gama pointed a firearm at her when two other residents of the home came into the house. A scuffle with two other residents of the townhouse resulted in the gun discharging, but no one was hurt. In the melee, the victim was able to flee as the residents distracted her alleged captor.
Warrants are out for Dionicio-Gama for abduction, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, felony reckless discharge of a firearm and assault and battery.
"He could still be in the area," Troxell said, but added that Dionicio-Gama had ties in South Carolina and on the West Coast.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Dionicio-Gama is asked to contact E. Ankers of the Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at 703 777-0475.
AN 8-YEAR-OLD Ashburn boy is the only witness to the alleged brandishing of weapons by two male suspects. Around 4:30 p.m., on Feb. 22, the boy told deputies that he was approached by two Hispanic men in the 20400 block of Baseline Terrace in Ashburn. The men asked if he wanted candy. Upon the boy's answer — no — one of the suspects brandished a firearm, according to the boy. The second suspect allegedly revealed a knife.
Other Ashburn residents witnessed the two men driving away in a white, pickup truck with lettering on the side, according to Troxell. One suspect is described as being in his 20s, 5 feet 9 inches and about 170 pound. The second suspect is described as being in his 30s, 6 feet tall and about 230 pounds.
The Sheriff's Office has increased patrols in the area, but Troxell admits to being a bit stumped.
"We haven't had anything similar to this case in the past year or anything," he said. "It's not a very common occurrence in Loudoun County."
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Investigator A. Harper of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475.