It was a quiet early morning in Pentagon City on December 30—until police got a call about a possible break-in at a restaurant along South Hayes Street. By the end of the investigation, five businesses had been hit, four teens were in custody, and questions remain about how a group of minors pulled off such a fast-moving string of burglaries.
According to the Arlington County Police Department, officers responded around 1:20 a.m. to a reported burglary in the 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. When they arrived, they discovered the restaurant’s front had been forced open, and cash taken from the register. And that was just the start.
As officers canvassed the area and reviewed evidence, they uncovered four additional break-ins at nearby businesses:
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A second restaurant in the 1300 block of S. Fern Street
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A salon on S. Hayes Street
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A retail store on S. Fern Street
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A medical office in the 1400 block of S. Hayes Street, where electronics were also stolen
All five businesses were closed at the time, and police say entry was forced in each case.
Not long after the last scene was processed, officers found four juveniles—three males and one female—trespassing inside a residential building in the 1600 block of S. Eads Street. All were from Washington D.C. and were taken into custody without incident.
The teens now face five counts each of Burglary and Conspiracy, and one of them is also charged with Grand Larceny after police say he was found with stolen electronics on him.
Police say the investigation is still active. If you live or work in the Pentagon City area and saw anything suspicious that night—or have surveillance footage that might help—you’re encouraged to call the Arlington County Police tip line at 703-228-4180.