Police in Reston, Virginia arrested a man linked to multiple vehicle thefts and burglaries.
Police said they were able to identify the man, 31-year-old Junior Gonzales-Coello, because of a tip they got at a National Night Out event.
National Night Out events are where police departments try to build camaraderie and partnerships with their communities, according to the campaign’s website.
At one of the events on Aug. 4, police said a community member showed a detective a video of a man getting into an unlocked vehicle. Investigators said they identified the man as Gonzalez-Coello and were able to link him to other incidents.
On Aug. 18 around 2 a.m., police said officers found Gonzales-Coello behind a building in the 11900 block of Bowman Towne Drive in Reston and arrested him. Police said they also found an AR-15-style rifle and magazines in Gonzales-Coello’s belongings during the arrest.
According to detectives, they believe the rifle had been stolen about an hour before Gonzales-Coello was arrested, saying he entered a vehicle and an open garage in the 1900 block of Crescent Park Drive.
Police said that five outstanding warrants for Gonzales-Coello from another jurisdiction have also been served. It was not immediately clear what the other jurisdiction was.
Police said Gonzales-Coello was being held without bond.
