Safety Seat Clinic
<bt>The Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue Services will conduct a child safety seat inspection clinic Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., in the parking lot of the Baby Depot at the Burlington Coat Factory located in the Sugarland Crossing Shopping Center in Sterling. This free clinic, which is sponsored by Baby Depot, is open to anyone wishing to have their child's safety seat inspected to see that it is properly installed. No appointments are necessary.
For additional information on child passenger safety, contact Joy Brown Dotson, public education manager with the Loudoun County Department of Fire-Rescue Services at 703-777-0333.
<sh>Center Groundbreaking
<bt>The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Dulles South Public Safety Center at noon, Friday, Sept. 16, at 25216 Loudoun County Parkway, at
the intersection with Tall Cedars Road in South Riding.
The Dulles South Public Safety Center will house operations for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management in partnership with the Arcola-Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company.
The planned 29,980-square-foot building will be located on 4.5 acres proffered by Toll Brothers, the South Riding developer. The facility will include 11,253 square feet for Fire and Rescue operations, 11,890 square feet for a Sheriff's Office substation and an 840-square-foot community room. The center's design features a single physical plant
with central public access.
In 1999, Loudoun County voters approved the sale of general obligation bonds to fund the design, construction and equipping of the public safety center. In 2005, the Board of Supervisors authorized the awarding of a $5.9 million contract to Milestone Construction Services of Sterling for the project. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by July 2006.
<sh>Employee Charged
<bt>A former preschool employee was charged Monday, Sept. 12, with allegedly assaulting two children, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Carie Beth Baker, 32, of Ashburn, is accused of assaulting the two children, both of whom are under the age of 3, while she was an employee at the Mulberry Child Care & Preschool on Railstop Terrace in Ashburn, according to the report. The incidents allegedly occurred in late July; neither of the children required medical treatment from the incidents.
The Sheriff's Office began investigating the incidents in August when members of Child Protective Services alerted Sheriff's Investigators of the allegations.
Baker is charged with two counts of simple assault and battery and was released by a Loudoun Magistrate on a personal recognizance bond.
<sh>Third Cyclist Killed
<bt>A cyclist struck by a box truck the morning of Sept. 8, near the Loudoun-Fairfax County line died this weekend, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. This is the third fatal accident in Loudoun County involving a bicycle and a vehicle in two weeks.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the cyclist, Jose Santos Montoya Henriquez, 21, of Herndon, was riding his mountain bike on Oakgrove Road in Sterling shortly after 6 a.m. when a box truck driven by Stuart Michael Wampler, 47, of Manassas Park, struck him.
The 2000 Isuzu truck was northbound making a left into a business complex in the 110 block of Oakgrove Road when the vehicle hit Henriquez, who was heading south down the roadway. Henriquez was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he passed away Saturday afternoon.
This is the third accident involving a bicycle and vehicle in recent weeks. According to the Sheriff's Office, on Aug. 24, Eugenio Lucini, 57, was riding his mountain bike on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail around 4:15 p.m. when he attempted to cross Route 704 without yielding or stopping and was struck by a car. Inova Aircare airlifted Lucini, who was wearing a bicycle helmet, to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he passed away as a result of the injuries sustained in the incident.
Two days later approximately a 1/2-mile up the trail an Ashburn teenager lost his life in an accident at a crossover also at the W & OD Trail. According to the Sheriff's Office, Ryan Bickel, 17, was riding his mountain bike west on the W&OD Trail near the town of Hamilton shortly before 10 a.m. when he apparently went through a stop sign at the intersection with Ivandale Road and struck the side of a commercial truck. Bickel, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Crash Investigators with the Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Unit determined that speed was not a factor in either of those accidents and no charges were filed against either of the drivers.
<sh>Victim Charged for False Report
<bt>A pizza delivery man who told authorities in July he had been robbed at gun point was charged Friday, Sept. 9, with filing a false police report and embezzlement, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Investigators determined statements made by Jagatia Leaudus Echols, 29, of Sterling, that he had been robbed as he was going to deposit money into the BB & T Bank were false. Echols, who was a shift manager at the Dominos Pizza in Sterling, is alleged to have taken more than $1,800 in cash
and checks.
On July 3, Sheriff's deputies responded to the Dominos Pizza where Echols claimed an unknown suspect approached him from behind and robbed him as he walked to the bank, which is located in the same shopping center as Dominos on Davenport Drive. Echols told investigators the suspect had stuck an object into his back, which he believed to be a gun.
A Loudoun Magistrate released Echols on a personal recognizance bond.
<sh>Fire Destroys Two Homes
<bt>The Loudoun County Department of Fire-Rescue Services' Fire Marshals Office is investigating a fire that resulted in $1,000,000 damage to three homes in Ashburn Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a call around 9:20 a.m., for a structure fire in the 21000 Block of Hyde Park Drive in Ashburn. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the house at 21971 Hyde Park Drive was well involved. The fire had spread to the homes on either side and was quickly consuming the residence at 21967 Hyde Park.
Due to the extent of the damages to the residence at 21971 Hyde Park Drive, firefighters were forced to a defensive attack. Damages to the residence at 21975 were confined predominantly to the exterior of the home. Damages to the residence at 21967 Hyde Park were extensive.
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office reported that this is the second fire at 21971 Hyde Park. On March 6, fire and rescue personnel responded to 21971 Hyde Park for a structure fire. The fire, which was determined to be accidental, resulted in an estimated $350,000 to the home. The family, who has been displaced since the March 6 fire, was in the process of rebuilding their home when the fire broke out this morning.
As a result of the latest fire, two additional families have been displaced. The family of four who resides at 21975 Hyde Park will be staying with family and friends pending repairs to their home. The family of six who reside at 21967 Hyde Park have been provided temporary housing and assistance through the Loudoun County After the Fire Program and the American Red Cross pending repairs to their home. There were no injuries as a result of this fire.
<sh>More Charges for Spree Suspects
<bt>Further charges have been brought against two men and a third accomplice has been charged in a crime spree last month that ran from Purcellville to Sterling.
According to the Sheriff's Office, David Owen Smith Jr., 26, of Leesburg, is charged with attempted robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of burglary tools.
Smith is also charged with resisting arrest and simple assault and three capiases [bench-issued warrants for failure to appear in court]. Also according to the Sheriff's Office, William Russell Gibson, 33, of Front Royal, is charged with attempted robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of burglary tools. He was also charged on previous warrants for two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and two counts of forgery.
Smith and Gibson are also being held on federal charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the robbery of the M&T Bank Aug. 24 in Leesburg, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Warrants were served on the two men last week and they have been charged with burglary, grand larceny, possession of stolen property after they were connected to the burglary of a Purcellville home Aug. 24. The two men and a female, identified as Melissa Lee Smith, 25, of Leesburg, are accused of entering a home on Nixon Road and removing several items including a firearm, a pellet gun and jewelry, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Gibson was also charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle after he borrowed a car from a co-worker that was used in the robbery attempt.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Melissa Lee Smith has been charged with burglary, grand larceny, possession of stolen property and four counts of child endangerment.
The child endangerment charges come after it was learned that her two children were in the vehicle during the course of the burglary and while driving with weapons and alcohol in the vehicle.
Both men remain held at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center without bond. Melissa Smith remains held on a $40,000 bond.