Vehicle disappears while woman connects with online suitor; resident reports IRS threat

Manassas City Police Department
Crime Report
March 15, 2016

Larceny – Stolen Dog
On March 9, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident on the 8700 block of Fort Dr for a report of a larceny. The reporting party told officers that on Sunday, March 6, she let her two dogs out into the yard of her residence. When she returned 15 minutes later, one of the dogs was missing and believed to have been stolen.
Description of missing animal:
3yo female Yorkshire Terrier, micro-chipped, mostly silver in color with very little black and a rare floppy ear (valued at $1,700)

Stolen Auto
On March 11, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident for a report of a stolen auto. The reporting party told officers that during the afternoon, she borrowed a friend’s Lincoln sedan to meet a male subject she had met on an online dating site. The two met up on the 8600 block of Bruton Parish Ct. She left the Lincoln parked on Devonshire Ct in the area of the Brentwood Apartments leasing office and from there rode with the male drove to 7-Eleven (8402 Digges Rd) in his sedan. Inside the store, the female went to use the restroom and when she returned, her male companion and his vehicle were gone. Two females approached the female and offered her a ride home. However, the reporting party told officers that instead of taking her back to her vehicle, they stopped in the area of Novant Prince William Medical Center (8700 Sudley Rd) and ordered her out of the car. She walked back to where the Lincoln had previously been parked and at approximately 4:15 p.m. discovered it was missing.
Description of stolen vehicle: 2011 Lincoln MKZ, 4D, black (valued at $17,000)

Attempted Fraud
On March 11, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident for a report of an attempted fraud. The reporting party, a 54-year-old male, told officers that earlier in the afternoon, he received a call from a man claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The caller told the resident that he owed thousands of dollars in back taxes and advised if the money was not paid by the evening, he would face criminal charges. The resident was also offered a payment plan, but recognized the call as a scam and called Police.

*Crime Prevention Tip from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
Despite public perception, scam artists don’t discriminate based on age. Children, adolescents, adults, and seniors are ALL at risk for becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft. Spring is tax season, which is the perfect time for scam artists to target residents.

Don’t believe callers, emails or texts that say they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), even if they threaten to have you arrested for noncompliance. Tax identity thieves may send phony “phishing” emails that appear to be from the IRS and ask you to click on a link. They may also directly ask you to provide or confirm your personal information online or over the phone.  Don’t do it! The IRS does not email, call, or text people to get personal information.  If the IRS needs to contact you, they will do so by mail.

Another red flag is if the caller asks for payment in the form of prepaid cards or wire transfer. If you have any doubt whether a message is legitimate, call the IRS directly or consult Police or a trusted family member. For more information on IRS scams, click here.

Breaking & Entering
On March 11, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident on the 9200 block of Hood Rd for a report of a breaking and entering. The reporting party told officers that when she returned home at approximately 8:30 p.m., her front door was unlocked despite its being secured at 4 p.m. When she entered the residence, she discovered her bedroom window was open despite having been left shut and a 40” flat screen television valued at $50 was missing.

Burglary
At approximately 4:30 a.m. on March 13, 2016, Manassas City Police responded to the 10200 block of Nantucket Ct for a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, officers discovered the rear sliding glass door was open and no signs of forced entry. The victim told officers that he was awakened when an unknown subject attempted to enter his locked bedroom using force. The victim confronted the intruder and when he opened the door, saw two black males running down the stairs and out of the residence. The residents reported several items missing from different areas of the house. Stolen items included electronics, jewelry, cash, and sneakers, valued together at $8,755.

Vandalism to Auto
On March 13, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident on the 8900 block of Quarry Rd for a report of a vandalism to auto. The reporting party told officers that sometime between 6 p.m. on March 11 and 10 a.m. on March 13, the rear passenger window of his vehicle had been shattered. Damages were estimated at $100.

**Arrests**

Attempted Aggravated Assault – Arrests
At approximately 2:10 a.m. on March 12, 2016, Manassas City Police responded to Mackey’s Pub (9412 Main St) for a report of a physical fight involving a baseball bat. Upon arrival, officers encountered a male subject with a baseball bat on Main St. The subject claimed to have been the victim of an attempted assault by two males. The victim, a 46-year-old male of Manassas, said the two alleged offenders believed he was responsible for an assault on their friend that occurred earlier inside the establishment. The two suspects allegedly approached him outside in their vehicle and one suspect came towards him with the bat. When the victim grabbed a hold of the bat, the second suspect struck the victim with his vehicle. The victim then shattered the front windshield with the bat, causing $250 in damages. No injuries were reported by any of the parties. As a result of the incident, Jon C. SMITH and Gregory GOODSON were arrested without incident and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding. Both have a pending court date of May 11, 2016.

Charged:
1)    Jon C. SMITH (43)
Address: 8313 Rugby Rd, Manassas, Va. 20111
Charged with: Attempted Malicious Wounding
Bond: $10,000

2) Gregory GOODSON (45)
Address: 11971 Hilltop Dr, Manassas, Va. 20112
Charged with: Attempted Malicious Wounding
Bond: $5,000

**END**

Anyone with information about these events is encouraged to call the Manassas City Police Department Investigative Services Division at (703) 257-8092 or Crime Solvers.  The Manassas City/Manassas Park Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest in these cases.  The confidential 24-hour tip line is (703) 330-0330.