Four men from Maryland have been charged by Fairfax County Police and other regional law‑enforcement agencies for burglarizing condemned houses damaged by fire in Reston, Virginia. They are accused of stealing gun safes, jewelry, cash and electronics.
Authorities say the suspects monitored fire‑department blogs and news reports to locate families displaced after fires and then targeted those homes. The group allegedly broke into a Reston residence on two occasions after a fatal fire.
The alleged burglaries are reported to have involved fire‑damaged homes across Virginia and neighboring states.