ANNANDALE, Va. — Through a joint investigation with the Northern Virginia Community College Police, Dylan M. Mahone, 20, of Annandale, was arrested last night in connection with three hate-motivated incidents, including the vandalism of religious buildings with graffiti.
Two incidents occurred overnight on April 11 at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia and the Little River United Church of Christ. The Northern Virginia Community College Police initiated an investigation on March 20 for anti-Semitic flyers that were posted on campus.
Detectives collected video of at least one incident and were able to positively identify a suspect. On Wednesday, April 12, they obtained criminal warrants and arrested the suspect at his home.
Mahone was taken to the Adult Detention Center and charged with two counts each of felony destruction of property, placing a swastika on religious property with the intent to intimidate and wearing a mask in public to conceal one’s identity.
The NVCC Police charged Mahone with one count of felony destruction of property and one count of wearing a mask in public to conceal one’s identity.
The Fairfax County Police said in a statement that they recognize the potential harm bias/hate incidents and crimes can cause in a community. They “encourage everyone to report these incidents. While not all incidents rise to a criminal level, each incident is documented. This can help prevent more from occurring or escalating into crimes and assist us in identifying patterns or persons involved in this negative behavior.”
The police will be updating the media with more information this afternoon.
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