Loudoun :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Posted by:
Loudoun News
()
Date: June 10, 2011 07:11AM
‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Wednesday, Jun. 8
by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/68_vandals_mark_sterling_once_again123/
Car vandals hit the Sterling area once again, tagging up to a dozen cars in three locations on June 6.
The ‘68’ tag was found on cars on the 100 block of Applegate Court, 200 block of Pine Oak Court and the 700 block of East Staunton Avenue in Sterling. The cars, according to Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, were said to be tagged in the late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning.
The other areas hit include the 1900 block of East Beech Road, the 1800 block of Lisa Gay Drive, the 100 block of South Cameron Street, the 120 block of North Kennedy Road and the 200 block of Williamsburg Road in Sterling.
According to Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson investigators still don’t believe the incidents are gang-related, however the vandals are starting to tag some vehicles with references to the MS-13 gang.
“This could be in response to the fact that we said we didn’t think it was gang-related. I don’t know if they’re messing with us or someone actually thinks that they now have become a gang,” Simpson said.
Troxell also said that there is no definite answer yet to what the ‘68’ the cars are being tagged means, but it is a case that they are working hard to find answers to. There were more than a dozen cars tagged in last night’s vandalism, according to Troxell.
“We have a lot of information from the public about the meaning of ‘68’ and we’re following up on it,” spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Kraig Troxell said.
Authorities, he said, are still baffled at what the number 68 means.
“Once we’re able to make an arrest in this, and we feel confident we will, we’ll be able to find out what that means. But we don’t really have an answer for that yet,” Simpson said.
Car vandals struck in Loudoun County on May 27 and 28, tagging at least one vehicle parked in a Lansdowne apartment complex with the number ‘68.’
A Toyota truck parked May 28 at the entrance of the Camden Lansdowne apartment complex - only a few hundred yards from the Lansdowne Public Safety Center – was one in a series of incidents that have plagued law enforcement and residents throughout Loudoun since April 30.
Two other incidents over the Memorial Day weekend were also reported in Sterling and Ashburn. One on the 45300 block of Saynamkhan Court in Sterling and 20300 of Bass Rocks Terrance in Ashburn.
The Lansdowne incident comes a week after vandals struck Sterling on May 21, tagging cars with the number ‘68’, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Those cars were parked in the area of North York, West Nettle Tree and South Ironwood roads and North Amelia and South Hoga streets in Sterling. Residents reported the vandalism between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 21.
Two cars were vandalized the weekend of May 10 in Ashburn and Sterling. Prior to that, 15 to 20 cars were damaged on the weekend of April 30 in Ashburn. During the weekend of May 7, about 15 to 20 cars were damaged in Sterling.
There were also several cases reported on May 21 of slashed car tires and smashed car windows in the Sterling area. Officials are unsure if those incidents are directly related to the ‘68’ vandals.
Authorities believe the damages from May 21, May 7 and May 10 are directly related to a string of vandalism on April 30 in Ashburn that left cars with $2,200 in damage, said Investigator Vince DiBenedetto, another spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone in the public with information on the significance of the number ‘68’ to email investigators at crimeinfo@loudoun.gov .
Attachments:
Wednesday, Jun. 8
by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/68_vandals_mark_sterling_once_again123/
Car vandals hit the Sterling area once again, tagging up to a dozen cars in three locations on June 6.
The ‘68’ tag was found on cars on the 100 block of Applegate Court, 200 block of Pine Oak Court and the 700 block of East Staunton Avenue in Sterling. The cars, according to Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, were said to be tagged in the late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning.
The other areas hit include the 1900 block of East Beech Road, the 1800 block of Lisa Gay Drive, the 100 block of South Cameron Street, the 120 block of North Kennedy Road and the 200 block of Williamsburg Road in Sterling.
According to Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson investigators still don’t believe the incidents are gang-related, however the vandals are starting to tag some vehicles with references to the MS-13 gang.
“This could be in response to the fact that we said we didn’t think it was gang-related. I don’t know if they’re messing with us or someone actually thinks that they now have become a gang,” Simpson said.
Troxell also said that there is no definite answer yet to what the ‘68’ the cars are being tagged means, but it is a case that they are working hard to find answers to. There were more than a dozen cars tagged in last night’s vandalism, according to Troxell.
“We have a lot of information from the public about the meaning of ‘68’ and we’re following up on it,” spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Kraig Troxell said.
Authorities, he said, are still baffled at what the number 68 means.
“Once we’re able to make an arrest in this, and we feel confident we will, we’ll be able to find out what that means. But we don’t really have an answer for that yet,” Simpson said.
Car vandals struck in Loudoun County on May 27 and 28, tagging at least one vehicle parked in a Lansdowne apartment complex with the number ‘68.’
A Toyota truck parked May 28 at the entrance of the Camden Lansdowne apartment complex - only a few hundred yards from the Lansdowne Public Safety Center – was one in a series of incidents that have plagued law enforcement and residents throughout Loudoun since April 30.
Two other incidents over the Memorial Day weekend were also reported in Sterling and Ashburn. One on the 45300 block of Saynamkhan Court in Sterling and 20300 of Bass Rocks Terrance in Ashburn.
The Lansdowne incident comes a week after vandals struck Sterling on May 21, tagging cars with the number ‘68’, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Those cars were parked in the area of North York, West Nettle Tree and South Ironwood roads and North Amelia and South Hoga streets in Sterling. Residents reported the vandalism between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 21.
Two cars were vandalized the weekend of May 10 in Ashburn and Sterling. Prior to that, 15 to 20 cars were damaged on the weekend of April 30 in Ashburn. During the weekend of May 7, about 15 to 20 cars were damaged in Sterling.
There were also several cases reported on May 21 of slashed car tires and smashed car windows in the Sterling area. Officials are unsure if those incidents are directly related to the ‘68’ vandals.
Authorities believe the damages from May 21, May 7 and May 10 are directly related to a string of vandalism on April 30 in Ashburn that left cars with $2,200 in damage, said Investigator Vince DiBenedetto, another spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone in the public with information on the significance of the number ‘68’ to email investigators at crimeinfo@loudoun.gov .
Attachments:
Re: ‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Posted by:
bad detective
()
Date: June 10, 2011 09:47AM
So go where they didn't mark; that's where you'll find them.
Re: ‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Posted by:
snowdenscold
()
Date: June 10, 2011 11:43AM
bad detective Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So go where they didn't mark; that's where you'll
> find them.
Great, my neighborhood's next.
Of course my wife and I are the only people it seems who actually park both cars in our garage.
All these people who fill their garages with junk and eat up all the guest spots might need to look out!
-------------------------------------------------------
> So go where they didn't mark; that's where you'll
> find them.
Great, my neighborhood's next.
Of course my wife and I are the only people it seems who actually park both cars in our garage.
All these people who fill their garages with junk and eat up all the guest spots might need to look out!
Re: ‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Posted by:
Update
()
Date: June 10, 2011 02:45PM
Arrest made in Loudoun County car vandalism
Friday - 6/10/2011, 12:54pm ET
Neal Augenstein, wtop.com
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2417581
LEESBURG, Va. -- An 18-year-old who allegedly spray painted the number '68' on more than 50 vehicles in Loudoun County is under arrest.
Christopher Bolt, of Sterling, Va., is currently charged with one count of felony destruction of property in connection with vandalism on East Staunton Avenue on Monday.
However, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says Bolt faces more charges for the vandalism string that began April 30 and involved vehicles in Ashburn, Leesburg and Sterling.
Loudoun County Sheriff Stephen Simpson tells WTOP Bolt has been cooperative since being confronted. Simpson says Bolt told investigators he at first tried to paint the number '69' on cars, but it didn't look right.
He "crossed it out, wrote '68,' '68' seemed to catch," Simpson says.
In a statement, the Sheriff's office says, "The investigation revealed no significance behind the number '68' and it appears the suspect acted alone. There remains no indication these incidents were gang-related."
Friday - 6/10/2011, 12:54pm ET
Neal Augenstein, wtop.com
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2417581
LEESBURG, Va. -- An 18-year-old who allegedly spray painted the number '68' on more than 50 vehicles in Loudoun County is under arrest.
Christopher Bolt, of Sterling, Va., is currently charged with one count of felony destruction of property in connection with vandalism on East Staunton Avenue on Monday.
However, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says Bolt faces more charges for the vandalism string that began April 30 and involved vehicles in Ashburn, Leesburg and Sterling.
Loudoun County Sheriff Stephen Simpson tells WTOP Bolt has been cooperative since being confronted. Simpson says Bolt told investigators he at first tried to paint the number '69' on cars, but it didn't look right.
He "crossed it out, wrote '68,' '68' seemed to catch," Simpson says.
In a statement, the Sheriff's office says, "The investigation revealed no significance behind the number '68' and it appears the suspect acted alone. There remains no indication these incidents were gang-related."
Re: ‘68’ vandals mark Sterling once again
Posted by:
Update
()
Date: June 16, 2011 12:44PM
UPDATE: Suspect arrested in ‘68’ vandalism case
Monday, Jun. 13 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/suspect_arrested_in_68_vandalism_case123/
The car vandalism that has been plaguing the area for the past month may have been put to rest last week.
Christopher W. Bolt, 18, of Sterling, was arrested June 9 after Loudoun County authorities said he spray-painted at least one vehicle earlier this month in Sterling. However, investigators believe Bolt is connected to a string of destruction throughout Sterling, Ashburn and Leesburg that left more than 50 vehicles with thousands in damage.
Bolt is said to have tagged vehicles with black spray paint—usually scribing the number ‘68’—on April 30, every weekend in May, and June 6 and June 7, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Bolt is a senior at Park View High School in Sterling, according to Loudoun County Public Schools Spokesman Wayde Byard. Authorities said he doesn’t have a criminal record.
So far, he’s only charged with destruction of property for the vandalism of a car during the overnight hours on June 6 and June 7 on East Staunton Avenue in Sterling. A judge released Bolt from prison on June 10 with a personal recognizance bond.
The case is still under investigation with the Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney. No date has been set for a hearing for Bolt.
If convicted, Bolt could face high fines and jail time, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Office is attempting to tally up the amount of damages that occurred in the past month. The total damages on the weekend of April 30 and May 1 were more than $2,000,according to Investigator Vince DiBenedetto.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Kraig Troxell said that in some cases, most victims could wipe off the ‘68’ from their cars with graffiti remover or they contacted their insurance companies, making it difficult to gauge the amount of damage.
The series of vandalism left investigators searching for answers to the meaning of the number ‘68’ and garnered regional media attention. Upon his arrest, Bolt reportedly told investigators that the number 68 had no meaning.
“His statements were that [the number ‘68’] was random and it caught on because of the coverage [in the news],” said Troxell.
Investigators also suspect that there were copy cats in the ‘68’ tags in the area, Troxell said.
Tips from the public led investigators to Bolt, Troxell said. Deputies confronted Bolt in his home on June 9 and he cooperated with authorities, according to Troxell.
The string of vandalism, according to authorities, is said to have just occurred in Loudoun County.
“He’s been pretty cooperative,” Troxell said. “We’re not sure if anyone else is involved. I’m pretty sure there will be more charges put on him.”
Troxell also mentioned that in the last string of cars hit by the tags on the weekend of June 6 and June 7, there were other markings that could be considered gang-related. But, as Troxell said, the ‘68’ vandalism was not gang-related.
“It appears it was strictly in Loudoun County,” Troxell said. “We think he was paying attention to the coverage and because of that, he tried to throw us off and make us believe it was gang-related.”
Last week Sheriff Simpson was in front of the Board of Supervisors for the agency’s monthly Significant Incident Report presentation.
Simpson told Board members that the previous weekend there were a number of vandalism cases which included the number ‘68’ and references to a gang. He further told Supervisors that investigators believed that this recent activity was in response to the Sheriff’s Office’s statements that the incidents of vandalism were not gang-related.
Rick Christoff/Special to the Times-Mirror
Vandals tagged this Toyota truck with the number ‘68’. The truck was parked at the entrace to the Camden Lansdowne apartment complex—less than a few hundred yards away from the Lansdowne Public Safety Center. Now, a suspect has been caught.
Attachments:
Monday, Jun. 13 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/suspect_arrested_in_68_vandalism_case123/
The car vandalism that has been plaguing the area for the past month may have been put to rest last week.
Christopher W. Bolt, 18, of Sterling, was arrested June 9 after Loudoun County authorities said he spray-painted at least one vehicle earlier this month in Sterling. However, investigators believe Bolt is connected to a string of destruction throughout Sterling, Ashburn and Leesburg that left more than 50 vehicles with thousands in damage.
Bolt is said to have tagged vehicles with black spray paint—usually scribing the number ‘68’—on April 30, every weekend in May, and June 6 and June 7, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Bolt is a senior at Park View High School in Sterling, according to Loudoun County Public Schools Spokesman Wayde Byard. Authorities said he doesn’t have a criminal record.
So far, he’s only charged with destruction of property for the vandalism of a car during the overnight hours on June 6 and June 7 on East Staunton Avenue in Sterling. A judge released Bolt from prison on June 10 with a personal recognizance bond.
The case is still under investigation with the Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney. No date has been set for a hearing for Bolt.
If convicted, Bolt could face high fines and jail time, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Office is attempting to tally up the amount of damages that occurred in the past month. The total damages on the weekend of April 30 and May 1 were more than $2,000,according to Investigator Vince DiBenedetto.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Kraig Troxell said that in some cases, most victims could wipe off the ‘68’ from their cars with graffiti remover or they contacted their insurance companies, making it difficult to gauge the amount of damage.
The series of vandalism left investigators searching for answers to the meaning of the number ‘68’ and garnered regional media attention. Upon his arrest, Bolt reportedly told investigators that the number 68 had no meaning.
“His statements were that [the number ‘68’] was random and it caught on because of the coverage [in the news],” said Troxell.
Investigators also suspect that there were copy cats in the ‘68’ tags in the area, Troxell said.
Tips from the public led investigators to Bolt, Troxell said. Deputies confronted Bolt in his home on June 9 and he cooperated with authorities, according to Troxell.
The string of vandalism, according to authorities, is said to have just occurred in Loudoun County.
“He’s been pretty cooperative,” Troxell said. “We’re not sure if anyone else is involved. I’m pretty sure there will be more charges put on him.”
Troxell also mentioned that in the last string of cars hit by the tags on the weekend of June 6 and June 7, there were other markings that could be considered gang-related. But, as Troxell said, the ‘68’ vandalism was not gang-related.
“It appears it was strictly in Loudoun County,” Troxell said. “We think he was paying attention to the coverage and because of that, he tried to throw us off and make us believe it was gang-related.”
Last week Sheriff Simpson was in front of the Board of Supervisors for the agency’s monthly Significant Incident Report presentation.
Simpson told Board members that the previous weekend there were a number of vandalism cases which included the number ‘68’ and references to a gang. He further told Supervisors that investigators believed that this recent activity was in response to the Sheriff’s Office’s statements that the incidents of vandalism were not gang-related.
Rick Christoff/Special to the Times-Mirror
Vandals tagged this Toyota truck with the number ‘68’. The truck was parked at the entrace to the Camden Lansdowne apartment complex—less than a few hundred yards away from the Lansdowne Public Safety Center. Now, a suspect has been caught.
Attachments: