<sh>Crime Solvers Seeks Suspect
<bt>Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 21-year-old Ahmed Izzelden Osman, who is currently wanted on two outstanding felony warrants for a shooting that occurred in the Merrifield area on the evening of May 24. A group of people was standing in the 2700 block of Hollywood Road when a car drove near them, and the passenger in the car shot one round into the group of people. An 18-year-old Falls Church-area man was shot in the upper body and was later treated for non life-threatening injuries.
An investigation led police to charge Osman in the shooting. Currently, he has outstanding felony warrants for aggravated malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered, and Osman should be considered armed and dangerous. Osman is known to frequent the Falls Church area and Washington, D.C. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on the shooting or the whereabouts of Osman is asked to call Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). A $100 to $1,000 cash reward will be paid for information which leads to an arrest. Callers need not give their names or appear in court.
<sh>Police Seek Public's Assistance
<bt>Vienna Police officers responded to the 100 block of Patrick St., S.W., on Friday morning, June 9, for a report of an assault, and encountered a man threatening to blow up his own house. Fairfax County Police EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) was called out and found no explosive material. Charges are pending against the suspect while the investigation continues. Anyone witnessing the incident or coming into contact with the suspect is asked to call Vienna Police Investigator Gary Lose at 703-255-6313.
<sh>$43,000 for Best Buddies
<bt>A team of bike riders, composed primarily of Vienna women in their 40s and 50s, raised over $43,000 to support Best Buddies Virginia, an organization dedicated to building friendships between special-education and "regular-ed" students. On May 20, the team rode 90 miles, from JFK Library in Boston to the Kennedy Compound in Cape Cod, in the Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge. Out of the team of 20, two members ended up being unable to go, and one member did not finish the ride due to neck problems, but the remaining 17 completed their goals. One member had only planned on the 20-mile alternate course, which she completed.
<sh>VDOT Employees Robbed
<bt>Two Virginia Department of Transportation employees were transporting a large sum of cash on Saturday, June 3 at approximately 8:40 p.m. They drove eastbound on Dulles Toll Road and exited onto Spring Hill Road where they passed through the toll booth and stopped at a red light. A man approached the driver’s side door, brandished a handgun and demanded money. The passenger relinquished the cash, and the suspect fled.
The suspect was described as black, 20 to 25 years old, approximately 6 feet tall and about 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt and shorts. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.
<sh>July 4th Booth Deadline
<bt>June 23 is the deadline to apply for booth space at the Town of Vienna's July 4th celebration. Applications are available at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., S.E., and online at www.viennava.gov. Call 703-255-6360 for more information. Space is available for nonprofit organizations, commercial food vendors and private and commercial arts and crafts vendors. The celebration will be Tuesday, July 4 on the Community Center grounds, where booths will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
<sh>Checkerspot Butterflies Arrive
<bt>Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) butterflies were released into the wild on Sunday, June 11 at a ceremony at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. The Baltimore Checkerspot (like the Baltimore oriole) was named for the orange and black colors of the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore and is Maryland's state butterfly. This butterfly has seen its numbers diminish in Maryland in recent years through loss of habitat (it prefers damp meadows) and because growing herds of deer enjoy browsing on its favorite host plant, the native turtlehead (Chelone glabra).
In 2004, the Gardens submitted a formal application to the U.S. government to bring larvae across state lines for raising in Virginia. Formal permission was granted in 2005, and the first caterpillars were delivered in April 2006. It will take many years before a local population can successfully become established at the gardens.