Teens Charged in Robberies
Fairfax County police on Tuesday charged four Centreville boys — all taken into custody at Westfield High — with a series of five robberies committed since Jan. 8. Two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds were taken to the Juvenile Detention Center on Feb. 20, and each was charged with 13 criminal offenses.
Police say two people were robbed separately Jan. 8 in the 3300 block of Willow Crescent Drive in Fairfax, and two people were robbed together Jan. 22 in the 3300 block of Willow Crescent Drive. Individual robberies also occurred Jan. 22 in the 3100 block of Parkwood Terrace in Falls Church, and Jan. 22 in the 9800 block of Kingsbridge Drive in Fairfax.
Each teen-age suspect was charged with: Three counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery, five counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, credit-card theft, credit-card fraud and credit-card forgery. Most of the robberies occurred in the evening and nighttime hours, and police said the suspects allegedly robbed people as they were walking on the streets.
<sh>Grand Jury Indicts Choi
<bt>A Centreville man was indicted last week by a Loudoun County grand jury. He is Andrew Choi, 28, of 5354 Sammie Kay Lane, and he's accused of stealing computer hardware from a Sterling electronics store.
According to Investigator David C. Orr of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Choi was arrested Sept. 22 in Sterling for reportedly "making fraudulent returns to the service desk at the Best Buy" there. He also stated that Choi reportedly admitted to the store manager that he'd stolen particular computer hardware from that Best Buy.
He was charged with one count of grand larceny and, last Monday, Feb. 12, the grand jury indicted him on this charge. He is scheduled to enter a plea March 26.
<sh>Drug Charge is Dropped
<bt>In April 2006, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office charged Raymond Dragon, now 32, of the Post Corners apartments in Centreville, with possession of crystal methamphetamine. On Feb. 7, in Fairfax County General District Court, Judge Mitchell Mutnick dropped the charge against him.
<sh>Free Carseat Inspections
<bt>Certified technicians from the Sully District Police Station will perform free, child safety carseat inspections, Thursday, Feb. 22, and Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 5-8:30 p.m. each day, at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. They’ll make sure the carseat is correct for the child’s age, height and weight, the child is securely placed in the seat, and the seat is properly installed in the vehicle. No appointment is necessary, but residents should first install the child safety seats themselves.
<sh>Public Workshop Set re Zoning for 'Big-Box' Retail
<bt>Fairfax County is proposing a zoning-ordinance amendment so that commercial businesses larger than 80,000 square feet would have to obtain special-exception permits before they could be approved. Doing so would allow the public and county officials to comment on what's proposed and, hopefully, mitigate any potentially adverse impacts such a large facility might have on its surroundings.
Toward that end, the county will hold a workshop on the proposed amendment next Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m., in rooms 4 and 5 of the county Government Center. The public is encouraged to attend and provide input.
<sh>Centreville Community Foundation
<bt>The Centreville Community Foundation (CCF) — which puts on the annual Centreville Day celebration — will meet Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. Call Marvin Powell at 703-201-4267.
<sh>Sully District Council Meeting
<bt>The Sully District Council of Citizens Associations and its Land-Use Committee will meet Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m., in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. Call Jeff Parnes, 703-904-0131, evenings. Agenda items are as follows:
* A representative from the Office of Management and Budget will discuss the Fairfax County Fiscal Year 2008 budget.
* The panel will also talk about what will happen to the Chantilly Cash & Carry, at the Route 28/Walney Road/Route 50 intersection, now that a bank is proposed for that site.
<sh>Park Authority to Meet
<bt>The next meeting of the Fairfax County Park Authority will be Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m., in the Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 900, in Fairfax. Call Judy Pedersen at 703-324-8662.