Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a rear-end collision in the northbound lanes of Route 28. As personnel were clearing the scene, a Loudoun County Volunteer Fire Fighter observed what appeared to be a grenade in one of the vehicles involved in the accident. The item was ultimately determined to be a replica grenade and deemed harmless but the investigation closed the major roadway for several hours.

Route 28 was reopened in both directions shortly after 9:30PM. The driver of one of the vehicles, Matthew D. Suzuki, 28 of Gainesville, VA was charged with driving under the influence of drugs.

The incident remains under investigation.

Patricio-Cruz, 30, of Sterling has been charged with murder in the death of her daughter. The investigation began on August 13, 2005, after a 20-month-old female passed away due to unknown reasons. The child was brought to a local Fire-Rescue station in South Riding by the family before being taken to Fair Oaks Hospital. The child passed away that same evening.

Recent follow-up by detectives with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division has confirmed the cause of death of the baby, Jocelin Gutierrez, to be blunt force trauma.

This investigation was conducted in concert with the Office of the Loudoun Commonwealth Attorney.

“I’m proud of the tireless effort put forth by every member of the sheriff’s office involved in this case,” said Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman. “Make no mistake, we will leave no stone unturned in our investigations,” Chapman added.

Patricio-Cruz was arrested March 5, 2012 and remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.

No further details are being released on the case due to upcoming court proceedings.

The driver identified as Jessica K. Peck, 21, of Springfield, VA. Peck was charged with felony eluding, possession of marijuana and driving under the influence of alcohol. Peck remains held on a $5000 bond.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.

Cinnamon pled guilty to murder for hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2012.

According to court records, in August 2011 Cinnamon contacted a man to ask his help in hiring someone to murder an individual that she described as her boyfriend’s “mistress.” From that time through October 2011, Cinnamon took steps to carry out the murder, including offering to pay $500 to the hit man, paying $100 as a down payment and planning her alibi.

Court records indicate that the man she contacted brought the request to the attention of the FBI, and his interaction with the defendant was closely monitored by law enforcement. Cinnamon was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 20, 2011, following a meeting she had with the man in a Great Falls shopping center, where they discussed the murder plot and the plan for payment.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Fahey and Special Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Pientka are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office became aware of the January 23, 2012 attempted robbery and assault after a witness c…ontacted the agency reporting a possible crime. The witness reported that approximately one hour before he called the Sheriff’s Office, he saw a female being assaulted in the 100 block of East Holly Avenue. The incident reportedly occurred around 8 PM on Monday. As the witness approached the victim, the male subject fled the area.

The victim was later identified and located by Loudoun Sheriff’s Deputies and told investigators the suspect attempted to take her money and groped her. As investigators gathered evidence in the case, they were able to identify a possible suspect as a 15-year-old from Sterling, Virginia. He was located by investigators on January 25, 2012.

The suspect was also connected to an incident that occurred on January 17th in the area of E. Furman Drive and Auburn Drive in Sterling. In that case, a 32-year-old Sterling woman was in her car around 7 PM when an unknown subject approached her and grabbed her through the open driver’s side door. The victim screamed and the subject fled on foot.

The 15-year-old is facing juvenile petitions for sexual battery and attempted robbery in the January 23rd incident and attempted robbery in connection with the January 17th incident. The name of the teenager cannot be released due to the fact that he is a juvenile.

Members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jose L. Rivera-Laboy on Thursday, January 19, 2012 and charged him with kidnapping, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, brandishing a firearm and two counts of impersonating a police officer.

The arrest stems from the investigation into a December 14, 2011, incident where a 16-year-old female was walking in the area of E. Dartmouth Drive around 4 p.m. when she and a friend were approached by two known teenaged females and an unknown male. The 16-year-old victim had been involved previously in an altercation with one of the two teenaged females. During the encounter the subject indicated he was a cop and at one point exposed a firearm that he was carrying in his waistband.

Later, the subject went into the residence with the victim’s friend and also claimed to her mother that he was a police officer from Maryland.

During the course of the investigation the subject was identified as a boyfriend of one of the two known teenaged females. Rivera-Laboy was apprehended near his home last Thursday and remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Cesar A. Pisconte, Jr., 21, was charged January 10, 2012 by Loudoun County Sheriff’s Investigators with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and participating in a criminal act to benefit a gang. The teenager, a 15-year-old, was apprehended on Friday and charged as a juvenile with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and participating in a criminal act to benefit a gang. The name of the teenager cannot be released due to the fact that he is a juvenile.

Pisconte has also been charged with an assault that occurred on January 7, 2012 at a McDonald’s in the 20800 block of Pidgeon Hill Drive in Sterling, Virginia. Around 4:30 a.m. Pisconte threw a glass bottle at an employee in the drive thru of the fast food restaurant. The employee received minor injuries during the incident but declined medical treatment. For the assault, Pisconte has been charged with assault, participating in a criminal act to benefit a gang and throwing a missile at an occupied dwelling.

During the December 2011 robbery, the two suspects entered the lobby of the hotel around 2 a.m.; one of the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded cash from a hotel employee.

Pisconte remains held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. The teenager remains held at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center.

The investigation involved the execution of multiple search warrants in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, and involved the coordination of members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit, the Loudoun Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (S.E.R.T.- Loudoun Sheriff’s Special Operations Division), and personnel from the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force.

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Thomas E. West, 53, of Ashburn, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated malicious wounding. He remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond. The victim remains hospitalized in serious condition.

The driver initially complied and stopped the vehicle stopped but then began slowly moving away. The vehicle subsequently  left the roadway and struck a tree.

The driver was charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Police said further charges are likely.

The device was taken to the range at Dulles Airport for disposal.

The Fire Marshal’s office is handling the case.

The sobriety checkpoint will be held from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office designed the checkpoints to raise public awareness and to discourage impaired driving.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary Unit and volunteers from the Loudoun Chapter of MADD will assist with the checkpoint.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office offers advanced publicity of sobriety checkpoints as it is a “best practice” based on various court rulings, and getting the word out to the public in advance adds to the main objective of holding the checkpoints, which is to discourage impaired driving.

The hit and run occurred around 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13, 2011, in the area of S. Cottage Road and S. Fox Road in Sterling, Virginia. The vehicle, a burgundy minivan, possibly a Toyota, struck the adult male victim as he was riding a Yamaha Nouvo. The driver of the minivan pulled over before fleeing the scene.

The minivan should have damage to the driver’s side front-end, including damage to the headlight area.

The motorcyclist was taken to Reston Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

If you have any information regarding this incident or the suspect vehicle, you are asked to contact DFC J.M. McClintic of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-771-5798. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they are asked to call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information leads to an arrest and indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000.

The new section of roadway, from Magnolia Road to Church Road, will open to traffic in time for Wednesday morning’s rush.

“This short segment provides an important connection to help reduce Route 28 traffic,” said Susan Shaw, VDOT’s Route 28 program manager. “Atlantic Boulevard significantly improves options for local motorists.”

The new roadway has four lanes, a raised median, and an asphalt multi-purpose trail on the east and a concrete sidewalk on the west. It also features a single-span bridge over the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail with connections to the trail.

The total cost, including preliminary engineering, right of way acquisition, utilities and construction is $24 million.
Although the extension was constructed under the Route 28 PPTA design-build contract, it is state-funded and will be maintained by VDOT when complete. The contractor is Route 28 Corridor Improvements, LLC.

A 15-year-old from Sterling was in a fast food restaurant when he was approached by several Black males. One of the subjects, described as a Black male, 18-19 years of age, 6’ tall, with a slender build and facial hair, pulled cash from the victim’s jacket and took his hat. The subject implied he had a weapon an then left the area on foot.

At Towncenter Plaza a 23-year-old Herndon man and a 26-year-old Gainesville woman reported they were assaulted by unknown subjects during an altercation at a restaurant. The victim’s were both met by deputies at the Emergency Room at the Lansdowne Campus of INOVA Loudoun Hospital.

The suspect fled the bank on foot in the direction of Route 7.

Members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office are currently canvassing the area and are interviewing witnesses.

If you were in this area around the time of the reported robbery and saw any suspicious activity possibly related to this robbery, you are asked to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center at 703-777-1021.