Police blotter: Man caught trying to light police station’s gas pumps on fire

A man was caught allegedly trying to set the gas pumps at the Mount Vernon District police station on fire in the middle of the day Friday, according to today’s Fairfax County Police blotter.

A 31-year-old man of no fixed address faces multiple charges after the incident, which ended up resulting in only minor property damage, according to a police spokesman. The suspect was seen near the pumps by an officer who was returning to the station around 12:15 p.m., police said. The officer also spotted a small fire in the grass and a pump “off the storage hook and a bottle with paper sticking out that appeared to be burned.”

The suspect was apprehended by the officer and faces charges of creating an explosive device, trespassing, maliciously setting fire to the ground, carelessly damaging property by fire and a fire code violation. He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

The gas pumps at the station are not in a fenced in area, the police spokeswoman said, but are marked off by “No Trespassing” signs.

Woman kicks officer after arrest

A 56-year-old woman allegedly kicked a police officer three times after being arrested for drunk in public outside a local restaurant over the weekend, according to today’s blotter.

The suspect, an Alexandria resident, faces charges of assault on a law enforcement officer and drunk in public after the altercation, which took place late Friday night.

Police say they received a report of an intoxicated woman trying to drive away from the Ruby Tuesday’s at the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center. When police arrived, the suspect was taken into custody and driven to the detention center, where police say she kicked the arresting officer.

Other incidents from the weekend reported in the Mount Vernon police district:

Burglary: A man broke into the AT&T store at the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center (7702F Richmond Highway) around 1 a.m. Saturday and stole merchandise. The suspect was said to be wearing a light colored hooded sweatshirt, a black mask, black sweatpants, light colored tennis shoes, and a black backpack.

Larceny: 4000 block of Buckman Road, license plates from vehicle
Larceny: 7100 block of Richmond Highway, headphones and speakers from vehicle
Larceny: 7700 block of Richmond Highway, wallet from business
Larceny: 6700 block of Tower Drive, radio from vehicle

Stolen Vehicle: 6100 block of Woodmont Road, 2012 Kia Optima