Reston man arrested for vehicle thefts after tip at National Night Out

Junior Gonzales-Coello, 31, was arrested in Reston, Virginia after a community tip at a National Night Out event led police to link him to multiple vehicle thefts and burglaries.

Reston resident arrested after community tip leads to vehicle theft and weapons charges

Google News MT — Crime (en) reports that police in Reston, Virginia have arrested a 31-year-old man connected to a series of vehicle thefts and burglaries, after a tip received at a National Night Out community event proved key to the investigation.

On 4 August, a community member approached a detective at one of the events and showed them a video of a man entering an unlocked vehicle. Investigators identified the individual as Junior Gonzales-Coello and subsequently linked him to additional incidents in the area.

Officers arrested Gonzales-Coello in the early hours of 18 August, at approximately 2 a.m., behind a building on the 11900 block of Bowman Towne Drive in Reston. During the arrest, police recovered an AR-15-style rifle and magazines among his belongings.

Detectives believe the rifle had been stolen roughly an hour before the arrest, following Gonzales-Coello's entry into a vehicle and an open garage on the 1900 block of Crescent Park Drive.

In addition to the charges arising from the Reston incidents, five outstanding warrants from a separate jurisdiction were served at the time of arrest. The identity of that jurisdiction was not immediately disclosed.

Gonzales-Coello is currently being held without bond.

National Night Out is a national campaign in which police departments engage with local communities to foster cooperation and build partnerships, according to the campaign's official website.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)