A 7-year-old girl was scared by a dog barking in the Burke Manor neighborhood on Tuesday, July 20, so a man came up to prevent her from going near the dog. He then inappropriately touched the girl, the girl's mother said.
"He pretended to be nice and told her not to go near the dog," said the girl's mother, who chose not to have her name used.
"She came over and told me," the Burke Manor woman said.
According to Fairfax County Police, this incident took place at 5:30 p.m., near the intersection of Burke Manor Court and Packard Way. The man was described as Hispanic, in his 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
The girl's mother said that her children used to play on their own in the neighborhood, but now she has instituted a new set of rules.
"Now I have to watch," she said. "I told them, 'I have to see you guys.'"
Cecile Williamson lives around the corner and watches a few neighborhood children during the day. She also has three boys of her own.
"I have to keep checking them periodically. That's scary," Williamson said.
She saw police officers in the neighborhood on Tuesday evening but heard about the incident only through word of mouth.
"They questioned some guy on the other side," said Williamson, pointing to the next street over.
The mother of one of the children Williamson watches was alarmed by the incident.
"She's upset because the homeowners association hasn't put out a notice," Williamson said.
According to Fairfax County Police spokesperson Jeff Hairston, the police have questioned a few people in the neighborhood, but they have no suspects. The case is still under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777.