Fairfax County Police Investigating Second Armed Robbery in Falls Church This Month

For the second time in as many weeks a Falls Church business has been robbed by a group of gun-wielding men.

Fairfax County police were called to Sabina’s Joyeria in the Bailey’s Crossroads community of Falls Church just after 10:30 a.m. Thursday for a report of an . When they arrived, police learned that one of the four, armed Hispanic gunmen fired several shots at an employee who chased them out of the store. County police spokeswoman Officer Shelley Broderick said the man was not injured and no one else was inured during the robbery.

On Feb. 7, about two miles from Thursday’s robbery in Falls Church, three Hispanic men, at least one armed with a handgun, the . Allegedly $50,000 in cash was stolen from a safe inside the business. Investigators did not say the two robberies are linked.

“It’s way too early to tell if they’re related,” Broderick said.

Police did not know how many shots were fired and did not say what caliber gun was used. Broderick said she did not know if the business had a video surveillance system. Nearby was locked down while officers tried to locate the gunmen.

The four men walked into the store at 3403 Payne St. at about 10:35 a.m., drew handguns and announced the robbery, Broderick said. There were two employees, three customers and three children with the customers inside the store at the time of the robbery, Broderick said.

As the men ran off on foot, with an undisclosed amount of cash, a male store employee chased after the men and one of the gunmen fired several shots at him, she said.

“At this point, I’m not sure what the men took,” Broderick said. “We’re very lucky the victim wasn’t injured.”

Claudia Jimenez, 36, of Falls Church, said she doesn’t feel safe in the neighborhood anymore. She said she has lived in Bailey’s Crossroads for five years and wants to move as soon as she can.

“It’s not that good of a place anymore,” she said. “I don’t carry a lot of money because I don’t want someone to rob me.”

Anyone with information about the robbery should call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or send an e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org. You can also send a text message to TIP187 and your message to CRIME (274637). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward between $100 and $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. All callers can remain anonymous.