FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A dog was stabbed to death in Falls Church Sunday night, and a man has been arrested for the crime by police near Dulles International Airport.
Officers with the City of Falls Church Police say the stabbing happened around 9:15 p.m. at the intersection of West Broad Street and South Maple Avenue. At the time of the attack, the dog was being walked by its owner. The owner was not injured.
However, police say the dog was hurt so badly that she had to be euthanized.
Police say 25-year-old Reyan Hassan Ibrahim, of Broadlands, Virginia, was arrested in connection to the stabbing Monday morning. He was taken into custody by the Metropolitan Airports Authority Police Department during a traffic stop near Dulles around 11 a.m. Monday.
He is expected to be extradited to face charges by the City of Falls Church for stabbing a dog that resulted in the animal being euthanized, police said.
Family members told WUSA9 the attack was completely unprovoked and are devastated. They say Lucy would have turned 13 years-old in March
"Lucy was loved beyond measure. My family is devastated beyond words," said one family member who asked WUSA9 not to use their name.
After the arrest, the family member said, "we’re relieved he’s not out there hurting more animals."
"Our hearts go out to the family of this dog," said Acting Police Chief Jiwan Chhetri. "Pets are members of the family, and we grieve along with them. We give our thanks to our colleagues at the MWAA Police Department for their swift action. We also thank the community members who took down the license plate information when they saw this heinous attack -- it was a critical piece in catching this suspect."
WUSA9 has learned Ibrahim was actually due back in court on Jan. 16, for a hearing in connection to an unrelated charge in Loudoun County.
He was arrested in November, after police said he destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property at three different businesses in Loudoun County. He out on bond at the time of his arrest on Monday.
Monday night, WUSA9 learned that another investigation is underway. Muriel Forrest, the Executive Director of Wheatland Farm says she believes Ibrahim is the same person who was on their property on Friday.
She also believes he may be responsible for the death of two of their ducks.
Friday afternoon, she says a member of her staff noticed a man climb the fence into their horse pasture.
"He told her in an agitated type of way, that the horses were possessed. She asked why he thought that and he said well he's doing everything I tell him to do. He bows, he's lifting his head when I tell him to. He just wasn't making any sense," said Forrest.
She says the worker asked him to leave and he did.
She told WUSA9 they were suspicious, because the man had plastic bags over his feet, but added he had nothing covering his face, and they could clearly make out what he looked like.
Later that day, she says her son made a disturbing discovery.
"He said, 'Mom, two of my ducks are lying dead,'" said Forrest.
She told WUSA9 they also realized three other ducks were missing, and that a rooster's neck was broken.
Forrest told WUSA9 that other workers on the farm shared with her that they'd seen the man at least 45 minutes before he'd been confronted.
On Saturday, she says he showed up again and she told her husband and son. She says he was making his way towards the horses when she spotted him.
"His face was covered and he had what looked to us like either a baton or long dark machete type hanging from his pants," she said.
She says they yelled towards him, and he turned around and walked back to his car and drove off. She says his license plates were covered up.
They immediately called 911 and posted a warning to their neighbors on social media.
"This is a guy who intended to come back and harm the horses, he's carrying a weapon, concealing his identity we need to get it out," she said.
On Sunday, her worst fears came true when she heard that Lucy had been killed, by a man who matched the description of the man who had been on her property.
"My heart dropped that had been my biggest fear," she said. "We all have gone over a hundred times what could we have done more. But, I want them to know the community cares deeply and are dreadfully sorry for what happened."
Forrest told WUSA9 she met with Loudoun County deputies Monday night, and that she was confident that Ibrahim was the person who had been on her property.
Ibrahim was not charged in connection to that as of Monday night. He is facing charges in Falls Church, for Lucy's death.
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