Crime Report for September 13 – 19
By FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT
September 20, 2011
NOTE: This report is not a definitive list of all criminal activity and is subject to change upon investigation.
Larceny from Building, 201 N. Washington St. (Kaiser Permanente). On Sept. 13, victim reported unknown suspect(s) stole a large dismantled stainless steel cage from a loading dock sometime between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12.
Larceny from Building, 6763 Wilson Blvd. (Planet Fitness). On Sept. 13, unknown suspect(s) stole personal property from three victims by cutting the locks on their lockers sometime between 6 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.
Public Drunkenness, 1000 block W. Broad St. On Sept. 13, a Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.
Possession of False ID, 200 block Douglas Ave. On Sept. 15, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver was wanted in both Fairfax and Arlington Counties for Failure to Appear in Court. The driver also had a fictitious driver’s license in his possession. A 22 year old Alexandria man was arrested for Possession of False ID.
Driving Under the Influence, 7100 block Leesburg Pike. On Sept. 15, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver, a 23 year old Fairfax man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.
Graffiti, 200 and 300 blocks N. Cherry St. On Sept. 15, graffiti was found on the street with white spray painted lettering and drawings.
Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, 6700 block Wilson Blvd. On Sept. 16, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver, a 25 year old College Park, MD man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test.
Larceny of Vehicle Parts and Destruction of Property, 1101 W. Broad St. (FC Auto). On Sept. 16, unknown suspect(s) cut a convertible’s top and stole several of its parts sometime overnight.
Stolen Vehicle, 1101 W. Broad St. (FC Auto). On Sept. 16, unknown suspect(s) stole a black 2007 Honda S2000 convertible sometime overnight. Vehicle was recovered in Montgomery County, MD on September 17.
Larceny from Building, 400 block S. Maple Ave. Sometime between September 8 and 16, unknown suspect(s) cut a chain linking two unsecured bicycles in a parking garage and took one of the bikes.
Graffiti, 300 block Sycamore St. On Sept. 16, graffiti was found on trash left for pick up.
Graffiti, 6609 Wilson Blvd. (Vietnam Supermarket). On Sept. 16, graffiti was found on a wall with black marker lettering.
Graffiti, 400 Roosevelt Blvd. (Shurgard Self-Storage). On Sept. 16, graffiti was found on a wall with black marker lettering.
Urinating In Public, 6757 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center). On Sept. 17, a 36 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Urinating in Public.
Drug Violation, 400 block S Maple Ave. On Sept. 17, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. A 21 year old Woodbridge man and a 19 year old Occoquan man, were arrested for Possession of Marijuana. A 19 year old Lorton woman was arrested for Underage Possession of Alcohol.
Smoking Violations, 6757 Wilson Blvd. (Hoa Vien Quan). On Sept. 18, a 36 year old Silver Spring man, was arrested for Smoking in a Non-Smoking Area.
Public Drunkenness and Drinking In Public, 6700 block Wilson Blvd. On Sept. 18, a 42 year old Alexandria man, was arrested for Public Drunkenness and Drinking In Public.
Driving Under the Influence, 6800 block Wilson Blvd. On September 18, en-route to assist with another call, the officer observed a vehicle with severe front end damage and deployed airbags resting by a damaged guard rail. A 24 year old Bethesda man, was arrested for Driving under the Influence.
Driving Under the Influence, 300 block E. Broad St. On Sept. 18, an officer stopped a car being driven with a flat tire. A 28 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal.
Larceny – Theft From Building, 300 block Lincoln Ave. Unknown suspect(s) took victim’s personal property sometime between mid-June and Sept. 18.
Driving Under the Influence, 7100 block Leesburg Pike. On Sept. 19, a 30 year old Sterling man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. An unidentified passenger was arrested for Appearing Drunk in Public.
By (see byline)
September 20, 2011
Falls Church in the News
Regarding the last post, since when did it become illegal to be a drunk passenger in a private vehicle?
And he wasn’t necessarily drunk…he just APPEARED to the arresting officer to be drunk. So…if a designated driver is taking a friend home who has drank a little too much (or not) and an officer stops the vehicle for some reason, he can arrest the passenger based only on how he looks and behaves? What about taxi drivers? Will their passengers be arrested if they look drunk or perhaps sick? I get upset at this because my wife was once treated by county police like a common drunk and left all alone late at night in a bad area without transportation and 10 miles from home when an officer insisted she was drunk when she hadn’t even had one drink and instead was sick from having a reaction to her medications. Good Luck saved her from any real harm, but she could easily have been robbed or injured or even killed in this neighborhood due to the police making a false determination of her physical state and treating a law abiding citizen who needed help like a common criminal.
Exactly Peter. Just wondering where the limits are on these laws. When does someone get credit for NOT driving and getting a ride? Who knew you could be arrested for when an officer just thinks you are drunk? What about the subsequent costs of the lawyer, the court date, the missed work, the anxiety?
You honestly think there is nothing more to the entire encoutner than the one sentance you read on this site? I am a waiter in FCC, and routinely see the cops do the right thing and help out passengers when the driver gets locked up. HOWEVER: Every time I see a passenger get loud and confrontational, refuse to accept a cab ride, or try to walk away in the middle of the road while intoxicated (and yes, they APPEAR intoxicated, we all know what that looks like, so please dont play stupid). they wind up getting put in the drunk tank for the night. Its a $25 fine and away they go. There is no court date. Its just the drunk tank.
Hey, the guy in the car ” got a ride” from his or her drunk buddy. Don’t give him any credit, they probably couldn’t have cared less who was drunk, seeing as the driver was drunk too. Please dont make it seem that he/she was being responsible, it was obviously a few drunks driving and riding around in ouir city.
Robert,
It is actually always illegal to be intoxicated in another person’s vehicle, assuming the vehicle is not on private property. If the vehicle is in “public,” you’re drunk in public — which is against Virginia law (and probably the FC code).
As the other posters have noted, the police have discretion in making arrests in these sorts of situations. I am fairly confident that the passenger was being uncooperative, which prompted the arrest. Officers don’t exactly enjoy the hassle of transportation, paperwork, and court appearances for a simply public intox. If the arrest was unjustified, the passenger will surely be able to prove this in court and, perhaps, seek civil damages for wrongful arrest. But don’t count on it.
Thanks to re: for answering the question as to whether someone is drunk in public when in a private vehicle.