Fairfax County Police are investigating a series of incidents in which young women are stabbed in the butt in retail stores.
The reports indicate a man follows young women into retail stores, causes a distraction, cuts them and then slips away, police said in a statement. The victims have all been women in their teens or early 20's.
On Monday, police responded to a call from Forever 21 in Fair Oaks Mall around 5:30 p.m. An 18-year-old woman reportedly suffered a one-and-a-half inch wound in her butt.
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The victim said she saw clothes fall off a rack, a man bend down to pick them up and then felt a sharp pain. She intially believed one of the hangers struck her, but soon found her jeans were slashed and she was bleeding.
Detectives are considering a possible link to four other incidents in Fairfax County retail stores since February. Before Monday, the most recent case occurred June 20 in a Marshall’s at Greenbriar Shopping Center.
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The suspect is described as hispanic, late 20’s, around 5 feet 6 inches tall and heavy-set. He wore white shorts and a short-sleeved shirt in the July 25 assault.
Contact Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS/8477, www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 with any information. Fairfax County Police can be reached at 703-691-2131.
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