Police: ‘suspect’ raccoon in park attack captured

WASHINGTON — A rabid raccoon who attacked a woman in a Springfield park earlier this week has been captured, Fairfax County Police say.

Animal Control responded to a call Wednesday night reporting a raccoon walking in a wobbly manner and vocalizing on a path at Monarch Oak Lane and Oak Hollow Lane.  The raccoon charged the officer, who then apprehended the animal.

The raccoon was tested for rabies the next day, and the results came back positive.

While officials can’t guarantee this is the same raccoon who attacked a 75-year-old woman in the same area Wednesday morning, they say it is very likely the same animal.

All trails at the South Run Rec Center have been reopened.

For more information, or to learn what to do if you sense an animal has rabies, visit Fairfax County’s website.

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