FAIRFAX, Va. — Neighbors say a man caught on a Ring Video Doorbell chasing a woman through a Greenbriar neighborhood Monday morning in Fairfax County is the same man police say later attacked two staff members at Rep. Gerry Connolly's office in Fairfax City.
Xuan-Kha Tran Pham, 49, of Fairfax is the suspect police say was responsible for the attack at the congressman's office.
Connolly tells WUSA9 when Pham walked into his office the first person he saw was an intern just two hours into her first day on the job.
"The trauma sets in when you've been assaulted violently," Connolly said. "She told him what he didn't want to hear, which was I wasn't there. He then proceeded to beat her with a bat."
Then, police say, Pham turned on another staffer, hitting them in the head.
"And at that point, one of my fast-thinking staff aides said, 'oh, you want to see the congressman,' let me go get him for you.' And he used that ruse to gather everybody and put them in a safe spot and call the police."
The congressman said police arrived within five minutes, struggled with Pham, tased him, and arrested him.
He is now facing three felony charges and one misdemeanor charge for the alleged attacks, and made his first virtual court appearance Tuesday. He did not speak, look up or address the judge at all during the hearing. He was ordered to be held without bond, and will appear again on July 17 for a preliminary hearing.
Connolly said Pham had never been to his office before, but once made what the congressman says was a "bizarre" phone call for help on a case that he does not believe is connected to the attacks.
"He needs help, but meanwhile, I think it does raise the question of security in congressional district offices," Connolly said.
Before arriving at the Fairfax City office, Pham attacked a woman who was sitting in a car in the Chantilly area. Pham reportedly smashed the woman's windshield with a bat after asking if she was white. The woman was not injured.
Back in the neighborhood where neighbors say Pham chased the woman with a bat, WUSA9 saw police going in and out of the home where neighbors say he lives with his parents.
"I wouldn't have expected anything like this to go on. Not, you know, not people chasing other people down the road with a baseball bat," said neighbor Dan Ashley.
No one answered the door the door for WUSA9's questions.
Neighbors say Pham never said much to them, but they say they did hear from his father recently.
Neighbor Mary North said, "He came around and he said he was going around to all the neighbors to let them know that his son did have mental issues, but he wasn't harmful and he wouldn't hurt anyone."
Rep. Connolly says he believes this attack is a mental health issue, and not politically motivated.
But, he says the kind of political rhetoric we've heard of the past few years could still be a factor.
WUSA9 has also learned last year Pham was charged with four felonies for assaulting an officer and trying to take a stun gun from an officer. The Washington Post reports those charges were dropped under an agreement that Pham would comply with mental health services.
Pham appeared in court