Crime briefs
By Jason Jacks
Mother, son charged in Home Depot theftsA mother and son from Sterling were charged May 6 with stealing more than $8,000 in merchandise from the Sterling Home Depot.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said the son, Victor A. Martinez, 20, used his part-time job as a cashier at the Home Depot on Cranston Street to help his mother, Reina M. Martinez, 42, take items from the store, including flooring, doors, windows and bathroom fixtures.
Authorities say Reina Martinez, would bring the items to the register where her son was working. He is accused of either neglecting to scan the items or scanning them and then voiding them out on the register.
The Sheriff's Office said deputies found items from the store at the family's home on South Johnson Road, including some already installed, said
The Sheriff's Office thinks the thefts occurred between April 22 and May 5.
The son was charged with eight counts of embezzlement and five counts of conspiracy to commit a felony. The mother was charged with five counts of grand larceny, three counts of petit larceny and five counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.
The son remains held on a $5,000 bond at the county's Adult Detention Center, while the mother was released on a $5,000 bond, the Sheriff's Office said.
U.S. 15 crash
A woman is recovering at Inova Fairfax Hospital after she and her daughter were injured in a crash May 7 on U.S. 15 northbound near Tail Race Road, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
Lenore West and her daughter were hospitalized after the crash, which happened about 4:45 p.m. when Tan Lai, 29, of Leesburg, drove his 1998 Toyota 4-Runner into oncoming lanes of traffic and struck West's 2002 Buick Rendezvous head-on, authorities say.
The reason for the crash is still being investigated.
Police did not release the name of West's daughter because she is younger than 18. She was treated for minor injuries at the Inova Loudoun Medical Campus in Leesburg and released.
The impact of the crash sent the Buick rolling down an embankment, where it plowed through a fence and reportedly caught on fire, police said.
West was trapped inside her vehicle and witnesses put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.
The Toyota 4-Runner rolled onto its side and was struck by a 1998 Buick LeSabre driven by Michael Anthony, 34, of Leesburg, police said. Anthony was treated at the scene.
Lai was treated at Loudoun Hospital and released. He was charged with reckless driving. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash, police said.
Drug charges for teacher
A Sterling resident who teaches at a Fairfax County school was charged last week with attempting to buy methamphetamine in Annandale.
Fairfax police said they saw 32-year-old Rachel Smith, of the 47000 block of Brasswood Place, sitting inside a parked car near Bostwick Drive and Montgomery Street about 11:30 p.m. on May 8. Police say Smith was trying to purchase methamphetamine and that they found the drug in her possession.
She was charged with possession of methamphetamine and arrested at her home in Sterling.
Smith teaches at Chantilly High School. She was placed on administrative leave, according to various reports.
Egged cars
Several cars parked along the 100 block of Wintergreen Drive in Purcellville were egged by vandals May 11, according to the town's police department.
Police said this has been an ongoing issue, and they have increased patrols in the neighborhood.
While no arrests have been made, they are investigating leads.
Man robbed
A Herndon man was robbed in Sterling Park early May 11, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said the 24-year-old man was walking along the 1700 block of North Argonne Avenue at about 3 a.m. Sunday with several other people when they suddenly surrounded him and took his money, cell phone and jewelry.
No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.
15 years for shooter
A jury May 9 recommended that a Centreville man serve 15 years in jail for his involvement in a shooting in Ashburn last year, according to Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney James Plowman.
Sean Thomas Paschall was convicted in Loudoun County Circuit Court last week on felony charges of street gang participation, malicious wounding by mob, a firearm charge and shooting into an occupied dwelling.
On Sept. 21, the Sheriff's Office said Paschall, who was 18 at the time, took part in the mob beating of two other teens in the parking lot of the Ashburn Meadows apartment complex on Lowry Park Terrace.
After the assault, authorities said Paschall fired a gun into the door of the apartment unit where the two victims had fled. No one was injured by the gun shots.
A judge will announce final sentencing during a hearing on Aug. 12.
Six adults and three juveniles were also charged in the incident. Four have pleaded guilty, with Ever Flores sentenced to nine years in jail with five years suspended. The others still await sentencing or trials, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney Office.