The police said the man wanted in connection with three separate sexual attacks against women in Fairfax and Loudoun counties was arrested Thursday night.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called the incidents “bold” and “brazen” during a Friday news conference. “They’re disturbing cases by someone who absolutely was not going to stop until we caught him.”
Watch the news conference:
The police identified the suspect as Hien The Dinh, 20, of Stafford County.
Detectives found his car in the 3900 block of Stonecroft Boulevard and linked him to it after reviewing hours of surveillance footage.
Davis credited the Northern Virginia community with helping the case through phone calls and engaging with the department.
“It was (an) all hands on deck effort to identify this predator, and that’s exactly what he is, this predator and stop him before he harmed someone else,” Davis said.
The first attack happened May 10 at Northern Virginia Community College in Loudoun County. The second took place in the Meadows of Chantilly community on May 18. The third happened July 3, also at Meadows of Chantilly.
In the July 3 assault, Davis said Dinh also attempted to abduct the 20-year-old victim after grabbing her from behind.
“Thankfully, our victim screamed,” the chief said. “Her mother was nearby, heard the screams, and was able to to intervene and prevent that abduction from going through.”
Davis said police are “satisfied” with the arrest, but: “We’re not happy about any of this, let me say that.
“But we are certainly satisfied that all of our collective efforts, patrol officers, detectives, our fugitive squad, everyone who has been all hands on deck looking for this, this true bad guy, this true predator who can only not harm people, I believe, if he’s incarcerated, if he’s behind bars,” Davis said.
“I don’t know what you do with a person like this, besides incarcerate him, because he’s going to offend again and again and again.”
Dinh faces one count of sexual battery and one count of abduction with the intent to defile. Davis said police anticipate more charges to be filed. He is being held without bond on charges of abduction with intent to defile and sexual battery.
“We know that the Northern Virginia Community College Police Department is still actively working their May 10 case,” Davis said. “We’re still actively working both our May 18 case and our July 3 case.”
The police believe there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.
“He’s a predator. There’s no doubt about it,” Davis said. “He’s unable to control his inhibitions. And we know that sometimes crime victims, particularly crime victims who are victimized with sexual battery, don’t always report the crime when it happens for a variety of reasons.”
Anyone who may have been attacked or who has information about the case may call police at 703-246-7800.
Feature photo courtesy Facebook/Fairfax County Police Department
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