ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. — A 69-year-old is facing charges after being accused of staging an attempted robbery in Arlington earlier this month. He went as far as to shoot himself.
The investigation began on Feb. 15 when officers with the Arlington County Police Department were informed of a shooting that happened on North Courthouse Road, off of Fairfax Drive.
Chester Dunican, of Waterford, Connecticut, initially told police that he had been putting items in his car when an unknown man wearing a ski mask approached him and demanded his wallet. He said the incident resulted in the man shooting him.
Throughout the course of the investigation, police uncovered numerous inconsistencies between Dunican's reporting on the incident and the evidence found.
"The investigation ultimately determined [Dunican] shot himself and tried to make it appear as though an attempted robbery had occurred," the police department said in a news release.
After being treated for his injuries and released from the hospital on Monday, Feb. 27, he was taken into police custody. Authorities have charged Dunican with felon in possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm in public and making a false police report. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.