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Communities on alert as prowler stalks Leesburg, Ashburn Farm
As hot summer days give way to cool nights, as autumn knocks on the door in Loudoun, residents may be tempted to sleep with their windows open.But Sheriff Steve Simpson is advising them to think again, since there is at least one prowler on the loose, burglarizing homes in Leesburg and Ashburn Farm.
“Unfortunately, the days of leaving doors and windows unlocked are slipping away,” Simpson said.
Lists from the Leesburg Police Department and Loudoun County Sheriff's Office show 14 prowler incidents in Leesburg and Ashburn Farm since Jan. 30 -- all but two after May 1.
Other cases in Paeonian Springs and Herndon could be related, Simpson said.
The list of incidents includes prowler sightings, assaults and home invasions.
In all of the assaults and home invasions, the prowler has entered the homes through unlocked doors or windows, even cutting a screen in one case. Each incident has happened between midnight and 3 a.m.
He hasn't stolen anything from the homes he has entered, but in a few of the cases, he has touched or grabbed women, sometimes while they slept.
“No one has been physically harmed yet,” Simpson said. “We're really hoping to catch this person before it does escalate.”
Law enforcement officials are investigating the cases as possibly being related because many descriptions of the prowler have been similar, Simpson said.
That description, according to Simpson, is as follows:
- Male
- 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall
- Stocky build
- Doesn't usually speak, and if he does, he mumbles
- One woman who heard the prowler speak thought he was speaking in another language besides English and French
- Always wears dark clothing, usually black
- Always wears a ski mask, hood or hat to cover his face
In addition to keeping all doors and windows locked, Simpson is advising residents to keep outside lights – spotlights or motion sensor lights – on around their houses at night.
“Light is law enforcement's best friend,” he said.
Residents also should keep their shrubs trimmed away from their windows so a prowler who is trying to get in will have trouble hiding, Simpson said.
The communities that have been hit by the prowler or prowlers are taking a proactive approach.
Wendi Gill, the liaison to social and safety committees for Kincaid Forest in Leesburg, said her community set up a community watch program and a safety committee after the prowler first struck there June 6.
Fliers were hand-delivered to Kincaid Forest residents, detailing the incidents and providing tips on how to stay safe. Brinks Security was enlisted to help the residents whose homes were already invaded.
Gill said she was pleased with how quickly the community pulled together to put these safeguards in effect.
“We're watching out for one another,” Gill said. “It took a lot for us to get here.”
Laura Plummer, president of the Ashburn Farm Association, said residents there are concerned and have been looking out for themselves and each other a lot more lately.
More people are keeping their garage doors down and taking other precautions to prevent burglaries, she said.
Even though the prowler has been hitting at night, residents are keeping on the lookout during the day too.
“The truth of the matter is it could happen anytime,” Plummer said. “[These incidents] remind us that we do have to be careful about it.”
The association is sending out e-mail alerts to residents through its neighborhood watch system each time the Sheriff's Office has an update. These alerts include tips on how residents can protect their homes from prowlers.
Anyone who comes in contact with a prowler should call 911 right away. Those who see something suspicious should call the Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021.
Anyone with information about the prowler incidents that have already happened can call the Sheriff's Office at 703-777-0475 or Leesburg Police at 703-771-4500.
Contact the reporter at jwagoner@timespapers.com
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