This Fortnight in Crime: A Burglar With a Conscience, and Don't Count on a Getaway Bus

It's been a busy couple of weeks in Reston crime, though it's nice to know our liquor-stealing burglars are having pangs of conscience:

A 29-year-old homeowner awoke around 4:50 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21 and smelled cigarette smoke coming from his garage. He opened the unlocked door and heard someone running out of his garage. The victim closed the door to the home. Several minutes later he heard noises in the garage and again opened the door. He found a man returning liquor bottles. The suspect then fled. Officers determined the garage door had been left open all night and the door to the home was unlocked. The suspect was described as white, in his 20s. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 160 pounds with a goatee. He was wearing a gray, sleeveless shirt and jeans.

Maybe he wanted to make sure the bottles got recycled. Our favorite correspondent, the Peasant from Less Sought After South Reston, wonders if the perpetrator had a getaway canoe, the conveyance of choice for past fans of forbidden liquor.

Memo to would-be-robbers: While a getaway canoe may not be the best plan, neither is a getaway bus:

Police were called to the 1800 block of Presidents Street for a fight around 3:58 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21. An investigation determined the victim, a 35-year-old man, had an exchange of words with the suspects. The suspects reportedly assaulted the victim and took his property, then tried to leave on a bus. Officers apprehended the two suspects at the bus stop. The victim did not require medical treatment.

Less funny were a series of honest-to-goodness robberies over the past few weeks, including a drug deal gone bad:

A 25-year-old man was robbed during an apparent narcotics transaction on Saturday, June 18, around 8:40 p.m. in the 2200 block of Colts Neck Road. The victim met the suspect to purchase marijuana. The suspect displayed a knife and demanded the victim’s money. The suspect fled on foot; the victim was not injured. The suspect was described as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 225 pounds. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue pants. His hair was pulled back in a pony tail.

A 20-year-old man reported he was robbed by two other men on Thursday, June 16. Around 9:30 p.m. the victim was grabbed and assaulted by the two suspects on a pathway between Southgate Square and Stonewheel Drive. They took property from the victim and fled. Police responded to Access of Reston to take the report; the victim was receiving medical treatment for non life-threatening injuries. The first suspect was described as black, 16 to 20 years old. He was about 6 feet tall with a light complexion. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants. The second suspect was described as black, 16 to 20 years old. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 150 pounds. He had short dreadlocks and was wearing a white T-shirt and red pajama pants.

Just in case you think we've got it bad, police reported the following horrific crime in the 13500 block of Martha Jefferson Place in Herndon:

Water stolen from vehicle.

There are no words, etc., etc.