A serial burglar is still at large in the Northern Virginia area after over two months and 105 incidents, as of Oct. 20. Many of the incidents have been occurring within McLean and Great Falls.
According to the Fairfax County Police, “The suspect mainly enters occupied homes through unlocked or open doors and windows.” He mostly steals cash, purses and property sitting out in the open and these particular incidents have directly affected students at Langley.”
“He stole my wallet and took my mom’s GPS out of my unlocked car outside of my house. Another night he tried to rob my dad’s car, but by the time the alarm went off and we went outside, he was gone,” said junior Jack Frix. “I thought I felt safe in the security of my own home.”
Freshman Katie Gilbert has a neighbor who was robbed as well. At about 3:00 a.m., the suspect went into her neighbor’s basement while a babysitter was upstairs. “He was smart and took only cash, no credit cards or anything [that could have been traced,]” said Gilbert.
The fact that he steals mostly cash has been part of the challenge of catching this suspect who, according to the police, is between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and 150-175 lbs. In order to decrease the chances of getting robbed, police urge everyone to make sure doors, windows, and cars are locked before leaving them unattended.
“We’re serious about keeping doors and windows locked. And my mom doesn’t leave her purse out at night,” said sophomore Sarah Kinniburgh.
The Great Falls Citizens Association is even setting up neighborhood watch groups in an attempt to help the police identify the subject. Junior Audrey McNicholas’s family is “being extra careful at closing and locking doors even when inside the house. We are extra aware of what is happening around our house, because we were robbed one or two years ago.”
In the past two months, some of the major incidents within McLean and Great Falls have occurred at Hunting Hill Lane, Walker Road, Mirador Place, Weller Avenue, Brook Road, Daleview Drive, Kirby Road, Greensboro International Drive and Arlington Boulevard. If you know anything about the suspect or a burglary, police urge you to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Additional reporting and writing done by Annie Cross