<sh>Bank Robbery Repeated
<bt>Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for the public’s assistance identifying the man responsible for robbing the employees of a bank in Vienna on two separate occasions.
According to a police report, on Aug. 24, 2005 around 11 a.m., a man walked into the Bank of America located at 235 Maple Ave., N.W., in the town. He approached an employee, implied he had a weapon and demanded cash. The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he fled on foot.
The second robbery occurred on March 9 around 10:30 a.m. Again, the man walked into the bank, approached an employee, implied he had a weapon and demanded cash, said police. The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he fled on foot.
In each of the robberies the suspect was described as black with a dark complexion. He was approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed about 150 to 180 pounds. In the first robbery, he had black hair worn in diagonal corn rows. He wore a button-down shirt with grey and white stripes, baggy dark pants and dark shoes. In the second robbery, he had black corn rows protruding out the back of a black baseball cap. He wore a black jacket, possibly leather, with a grey and black striped fur collar and lining, a button-down white shirt, black pants and black shoes. He wore dark sunglasses in both of the robberies. Detectives believe the same suspect committed both robberies.
Anyone with information on these robberies or the suspect involved is asked to call Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). A cash reward of $100 to $1,000 will be paid for information which leads to an arrest. As always, callers never have to give their names or appear in court.
<sh>Tax Relief Deadline Looms
<bt>The deadline for seniors and the disabled to reapply for property tax relief is set for Saturday, April 1 but will effectively be the following business day, Monday, April 3. Those applying for the first time or with a "hardship condition" that prohibits applying by April 3 have a deadline extended to Dec. 31.
In the case of a December application, a refund would be issued for the first half of the property tax bill, which is due in July. New applicants could also apply for refunds on their 2005 property taxes, but separate applications would need to be filled out for each year.
Town of Vienna residents can also apply for relief from the city's property tax under the same rules and deadlines as the county. Those applying for town tax relief must also apply for county tax relief. The county's application can be downloaded on-line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta. The Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration can be reached at 703-222-8234.
The town's application can be downloaded from the town Web site, www.viennava.com. This application is automatically sent out to anyone who qualified for relief last year, and residents can call the Finance Department at 703-255-6325 to have a copy mailed to them.
Verification of income and assets is required. An applicant's home and up to one acre of land are not included in their assets. According to Kevin Greenlief, the county's director of tax administration, proof of income could include pay stubs and/or last year's income tax return. Proof of assets generally include bank statements, stock portfolio statements, assessment notices for land owned in other jurisdictions and year-end statements for IRAs or 401Ks. The documents can be copied and mailed or hand-delivered to the Department of Tax Administration at the Fairfax County Government Center, Suite 223, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
According to Vienna Department of Finance Director Phil Grant, about 20 percent of a town resident's total property tax bills go to the town, while the rest goes to the county. Accordingly, about 20 percent of their relief from the tax comes from the town.
Grant said that last year a total of 256 town residents qualified for property tax relief, 224 of whom qualified for 100 percent exemption.
<1b>— Mike DiCicco