Arrest made in thefts from VRE parking lots

Police charge man in connection with thefts.

Date published: 11/20/2009

The Fredericksburg Police Department has made an arrest in connection with a rash of thefts from vehicles parked in lots near the downtown train station.

Timothy Tolson, 19, of Fredericksburg was arrested and charged with 11 counts of larceny with the intent to distribute, petit larceny, obtaining money through false pretenses and vandalism, according to Natatia Bledsoe, police department spokeswoman.

A handful of Virginia Railway Express passengers returning to their cars on the evenings of Monday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 17, found their vehicle windows had been smashed, and items were missing from their cars, including GPS devices.

Two additional suspects have been identified, Bledsoe said, but no charges have been filed yet.

One suspect is a juvenile, and both are from the Fredericksburg area, she said.

Police recovered some of the stolen goods, Bledsoe said.

Virginia Railway Express sent an e–mail to passengers this week, warning riders to be on guard against theft in parking lots.

It advised keeping vehicles locked and putting anything of value out of sight.

“Parking lots at VRE stations are not owned by VRE. VRE works with the local police departments based on availability to get police patrols. VRE does not have its own law enforcement unit. VRE does not have cameras monitoring these parking lots. Please remember parking at these locations is at your own risk,” the e–mail read.

Bledsoe echoed VRE's advice, saying train passengers should be careful since they are often away from their vehicles for long periods.

The police department patrols the lots as manpower allows, she said.

“We do that to the best of our ability and our resources. We have to be realistic in our capability to patrol any one area in the city above any other,” Bledsoe said.

One of the theft victims was VRE rider Scherry Chewning of Spotsylvania. Her locked car had its driver-side window smashed while she was at work Nov. 9. Chewning had parked in Lot H on Prince Edward Street.

Her vehicle’s battery cables were severed, and her GPS unit was taken, along with an iPod radio adapter and full-size MagLite flashlight, she said. Her insurance will cover the window and the battery cables.

Chewning said surveillance cameras, lighting, and police patrols during the time commuters arrive home should be added.

“Anything that would make it safer,” she said.

Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
khannon@freelancestar.com

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Date published: 11/20/2009