WASHINGTON — Police are searching for the suspects they believe are responsible for more than a dozen robberies in Northern Virginia over the last few months.
Two men have been involved in five commercial robberies in Fairfax and Loudoun counties since Monday. The robberies are among the latest in a string of 19 robberies detectives throughout the region say they believe are connected.
Around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, an armed suspect entered the 7-Eleven in the 25100 block of Loudoun County Parkway in Chantilly and demanded cash and cigarettes, according to police. The suspect — who wore a black hoodie, a black mask, black pants and black boots — fled when the alarm went off.
About a half-hour later, a similarly dress armed suspect entered the Sunoco gas station in the 42800 block of Creek View Plaza in Ashburn and demanded money. The suspect fled on foot.
The suspects are believed to be responsible for a total of eight Loudoun County robberies, said Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell.
“The suspects are mostly targeting cash, and on some occasions are targeting cigarettes,” Troxell said. It’s not yet clear how much money the suspects have stolen.
In Fairfax County, police say the same suspects robbed three gas stations earlier this week — a Shell on Leesburg Pike in Herndon on Monday night; a Sunoco on North Point Village Center in Reston on Monday night; and a Sunoco on Westone Plaza in Centreville on Wednesday night.
Over the last five weeks, the suspects robbed nine locations in Fairfax County, police said. An “undisclosed amount of money” was stolen in the Fairfax robberies, said Sgt. D. R. Lingenfelter, with Fairfax County police.
Additionally, they robbed two stores in Herndon. During a robbery at the Exxon gas station in Herndon on Feb. 10, one of which a suspects was armed with a rifle, police said.
Detectives have released surveillance photos of the suspects, who are described as men between 5 feet 4 inches and 6 feet tall. Police are asking anyone who can identify the suspects or has more information about the cases to contact them at 703-246-7800.
Fairfax County police, Herndon police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Violent Crimes Task Force are working together to investigate the robberies.
“We are working closely with the other police departments and the FBI task force to try to identify these suspects,” Troxell said.
