FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A Northern Virginia family claims teenagers have tried to break into their house multiple times in the last month.
The Wahdan family has lived along Brook Drive in a Falls Church subdivision named Lee Boulevard Heights, near Seven Corners, for more than 40 years. However, over the last month they say they have had to put up with an unusual, recurring experience.
Falls Church resident Hassam Wahdan said teenagers have approached his home five times, in four weeks, in an attempt to break inside.
The Wahdans say their ring camera has picked up footage of the children each time they have come to their home. They say the kids have kicked their door and even tried to destroy their Ring camera.
In one Ring video, one teen can even be seen walking up to the Wahdan’s door, grabbing their knob, and saying “it’s locked”.
“I'm sure they have done it to other neighbors that we don't know about,” Wahdan said. “But they are definitely targeting our house. Why? We have no idea what is going on.”
Fairfax County police officers acknowledged they responded to a report Wednesday afternoon, at 3:15 pm, at the Wahdan house for a “suspicious event”.
“Preliminarily, it appears a group of juveniles knocked and kicked loudly on her door then ran away,” stated Fairfax Police.
The police department said it is working to determine if the activity at the Wahdan home is related to another incident where someone damaged the windows of eleven cars, along Row Street, outside the nearby Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center.
Fairfax detectives believe a group of juveniles may have used a BB or pellet gun to cause damage to those cars. However, police do not believe the victims in that case were targeted.
The Wahdans, who are Muslim, sometimes attend the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center. But they added they do not believe their house has been targeted because of their faith either.
Still, Wahdan said he is worried about what could happen to the kids taking part in the mischief.
“We want to be on record that we're doing the right thing so these kids don't get hurt,” he said. “Because they're going to run into someone who is not as nice as we are and all I'm trying to do is put the word out. Hopefully their parents see what they're doing.”
Wahdan’s daughter, Sabren Wahdan, said she is worried for the teens’ futures.
“Standing up to them now will prevent them from crime in the future and protect them from being criminals and I want to lead them on the right path and if we do something now about it, maybe that will set them straight,” she said.
The Wahdans also live nearby Justice High School and Glasgow Middle School. The family said they reached out to Fairfax County Public Schools to see if the teens possibly attend either campus.
WUSA9 reached out to FCPS Thursday afternoon to see if it is aware of the situation the Wahdans say they have experienced at their residence. It is awaiting a response.