When three juveniles are walking in the southwest quadrant of Vienna in the dead of night on a weekday, it arouses the suspicion of the police. That was how Vienna police were able to arrest three juveniles on thefts that occurred on Oct. 15.
"On a Wednesday, weekday school night, how many juveniles are out there loose?" said Vienna MPO Virginia Palmore.
The juveniles, ages 13, 14 and 16, had entered into a number of vehicles between midnight and 6 a.m., taking many items, including cash, cell phone chargers and other valuables. There were 24 charges, with each juvenile being charged with five counts of tampering with vehicles, two counts of petit larceny, and one count of grand larceny.
None of the juveniles live in the southwest quadrant. Police were on the lookout for them because earlier that evening, one of the juveniles had an argument with his mother. Fairfax County police were called to the home, but the juveniles had already left, according to Palmore.
While this incident was an isolated one, the quadrant had seen its share of criminal activity before. In August 2002, vandals punctured 102 tires on 40 cars.
We've definitely had problems up there in the southwest area," Palmore said, adding that she couldn't attribute any reasons for the activity in the area.
Anne Rose, the most recent president of the Southwest Citizens Association, was relieved that the criminal activity was an isolated incident.
"We try to connect with the police and have them connect with us if there is a trend," Rose said.