A man who was caught on camera entering and leaving a room in a Chantilly hotel — and then captured, red-handed, with items he'd stolen from that room — has pleaded guilty to grand larceny. He is Raul R. Vallejos, 45, of 3509 Soffit Place in Woodbridge.
In a Nov. 19, 2005 affidavit for a warrant to search Vallejos' red, 1992 Honda Civic hatchback for possible evidence, Police Officer 1st Class Michael Scanlon of the Fair Oaks District Station explained the case against him.
HE FURTHER described the car as having gray, primer paint on its right rear quarter panel and the words, "Switchin Lanes," in white letters on the rear window and both rear, side windows. And he stated that, on Nov. 18, at 8:39 p.m., this particular vehicle was used in a larceny at the Wingate Inn at 3940 Centerview Drive in Chantilly.
"The subject was seen via surveillance cameras entering the establishment and [was] recognized by the front-desk clerk as being there on previous dates and involved in grand larcenies from [a] patron's room," wrote Scanlon. "During this incident [on Nov. 18], the subject was seen in the second-floor hallway and then entering into a room and leaving shortly after, through the rear stairwell leading to the parking lot."
Scanlon wrote that he stopped this person in the parking lot, exiting that same stairwell, and he matched the physical description of the intruder given by witnesses. He was identified as Vallejos.
The officer noted that, when he detained Vallejos, he had in his possession a green backpack with a Chinese Visa belonging to someone else. He wrote that this person had been staying on the second floor of the hotel and reported to responding officers the theft of her purse and belongings. Furthermore, stated Scanlon, Vallejos had the keys to the Honda hatchback.
Police charged Vallejos with grand larceny and, on Nov. 21, the grand jury indicted him. He was initially scheduled for a Jan. 23 jury trial in Circuit Court, but instead decided to plead guilty.
Before accepting Vallejos' plea, Judge Stanley Klein made sure that he was pleading guilty freely and voluntarily, and because he was, in fact, guilty of the charge of which he's accused. Klein then set Vallejos' sentencing for March 17. Grand larceny is punishable by as much as five years in prison.