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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.
Four Charged For Entering Cars, Stealing
Posted by:
McGruff
()
Date: September 15, 2011 06:25AM
Four Charged For Entering Cars, Stealing
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 3:18 pm | Updated: 4:05 pm, Tue Sep 13, 2011.
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_b6ca93c8-de3e-11e0-9478-001cc4c002e0.html
A 24-year-old and three teenagers have been identified as those involved in a series of larcenies in the Lowes Island/Great Falls area of eastern Loudoun.
Photos discovered on a stolen camera of possible suspects were sent out to the community through the county alert system, and investigators fielded many tips stemming from those photos, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Four suspects, Omar C. Cortez-Ayala, 24, Melvin V. Cortez, 18, a 15-year-old female and a 16-year-old male were identified by investigators.
Cortez-Ayala was charged with grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and two counts of receiving stolen property. He is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $6,000 bond.
Cortez was charged with petit larceny, grand larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The 16-year-old male is facing charges of two counts of petit larceny, three counts of grand larceny and distribution of stolen property. The 15-year-old female is facing charges of two counts of petit larceny and two counts of grand larceny. The names of the younger teens were not released because of their age.
All four suspects are from the Sterling area.
The suspects allegedly were involved in a series of larcenies from vehicles that occurred between Aug. 14 and Aug. 18. Numerous items were reported taken including electronics and personal items. Vehicles were entered in the area of Tappahannock Place, Swan Creek Court, Banbury Square and Woolcott Square. Most of the vehicles entered were left unlocked.
Larcenies from automobiles, or ‘car hopping', involves suspects seeking out unlocked vehicles within a small area to enter and steal any valuables located inside. While there are some vehicles entered by force, such as breaking a window, many more are entered through unlocked doors, according to the sheriff's office, and it takes multiple 'car hopping' reports from throughout the county each day. Thieves typically target items like GPS's, small electronics like mp3 players, tools, sunglasses, wallets and loose change. Most of these items are left in plain view. As always, residents are encouraged to lock their vehicles and remove or hide any expensive items.
As part of an ongoing initiative called Operation Inventory, the sheriff's office is asking residents to properly document information about their valuable personal property. The information should be stored in a safe location, so it can be given to law enforcement in the event it is stolen. When citizens have accurate and critical information about their belongings it increases the chances that a thief will be caught and prosecuted, according to the sheriff's office.
An Operation Inventory brochure and property form can be downloaded at www.loudoun.gov/operationinventory.
Attachments:
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 3:18 pm | Updated: 4:05 pm, Tue Sep 13, 2011.
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_b6ca93c8-de3e-11e0-9478-001cc4c002e0.html
A 24-year-old and three teenagers have been identified as those involved in a series of larcenies in the Lowes Island/Great Falls area of eastern Loudoun.
Photos discovered on a stolen camera of possible suspects were sent out to the community through the county alert system, and investigators fielded many tips stemming from those photos, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Four suspects, Omar C. Cortez-Ayala, 24, Melvin V. Cortez, 18, a 15-year-old female and a 16-year-old male were identified by investigators.
Cortez-Ayala was charged with grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and two counts of receiving stolen property. He is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $6,000 bond.
Cortez was charged with petit larceny, grand larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The 16-year-old male is facing charges of two counts of petit larceny, three counts of grand larceny and distribution of stolen property. The 15-year-old female is facing charges of two counts of petit larceny and two counts of grand larceny. The names of the younger teens were not released because of their age.
All four suspects are from the Sterling area.
The suspects allegedly were involved in a series of larcenies from vehicles that occurred between Aug. 14 and Aug. 18. Numerous items were reported taken including electronics and personal items. Vehicles were entered in the area of Tappahannock Place, Swan Creek Court, Banbury Square and Woolcott Square. Most of the vehicles entered were left unlocked.
Larcenies from automobiles, or ‘car hopping', involves suspects seeking out unlocked vehicles within a small area to enter and steal any valuables located inside. While there are some vehicles entered by force, such as breaking a window, many more are entered through unlocked doors, according to the sheriff's office, and it takes multiple 'car hopping' reports from throughout the county each day. Thieves typically target items like GPS's, small electronics like mp3 players, tools, sunglasses, wallets and loose change. Most of these items are left in plain view. As always, residents are encouraged to lock their vehicles and remove or hide any expensive items.
As part of an ongoing initiative called Operation Inventory, the sheriff's office is asking residents to properly document information about their valuable personal property. The information should be stored in a safe location, so it can be given to law enforcement in the event it is stolen. When citizens have accurate and critical information about their belongings it increases the chances that a thief will be caught and prosecuted, according to the sheriff's office.
An Operation Inventory brochure and property form can be downloaded at www.loudoun.gov/operationinventory.
Attachments: