Police blotter: Four robberies on Halloween, including two in the same block

At least four robberies occurred in the Route 1 area on Halloween night, including two that took place hours apart in the same block of Huntington Avenue, according to Tuesday’s Fairfax County Police blotter.

The most serious incident happened in the 8400 block of Madge Lane in the Woodlawn area. A 37-year-old man was approached by two men and three women while walking to his home around 9:45 p.m., police said. One of the men reportedly hit the victim with a stick, and then the rest of the group began assaulting him, according to police. The victim attempted to use his phone to call for help, but it was taken from him by the assailants.

After the assailants fled, people passing by the scene helped the man to his home. He ended up being taken to the hospital with injuries the police described as “serious, but non-life-threatening.”

Earlier in the evening, a 56-year-old man was assaulted around 8: 15 p.m. in the 2300 block of Huntington Avenue. A man reportedly approached the victim and asked for money, but the victim refused and the suspect then assaulted him. Another man nearby tried to call for help on his phone, but the assailant struck him and took his phone before fleeing, police said. The first victim declined medical treatment, while the second victim left the scene before police arrived.

Later that night, around 12:30 a.m., a 7-Eleven located in the same block of Huntington Avenue was robbed. According to police, three suspects entered the store, and one displayed a gun. They took an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing, police said. The two 7-Eleven employees in the store at the time, a 54-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, were not injured, police said.

Another took place in the Mount Vernon Plaza Shopping Center in the 7700 block of Richmond Highway earlier in the day. Around 10:15 a.m. a 38-year-old man working at the Rent-A-Center in the shopping center was approached by another man as he walked to his car. The man demanded money from the employee, who refused and began struggling with the assailant, according to police. The robber then pulled out a gun and the victim handed over a bag, police said. The victim did not require medical attention.

Editor’s Note: The wrong time for the Mount Vernon Plaza Shopping Center robbery was published earlier. Police now say the robbery was at 10:15 a.m., not p.m.