Authorities respond to suspicious object found in Sterling

LCSO, FM respond to suspicious object found in Sterling

LCSO, FM respond to suspicious object found in Sterling


Loudoun County, VA: Several Loudoun County residents were evacuated from their homes Friday afternoon while members of the Fire Marshal's Office dealt with a suspicious object found in the common area of a town house neighborhood.

On Friday, December 23, 2011, at approximately 1:13PM, the Sheriff's Office responded to Manning Sq. in Sterling for a citizen's report of a suspicious object, resembling a "pipe bomb." The object - a pipe, approximately twelve inches long with caps on each end - was laying near a parking area where Manning Sq. intersects with Whitcomb Sq.

(E.D. note this neighborhood is located north of the intersection of Church Road and Magnolia Road and is west of Claude Moore Park and east of Route 28).

The Fire Marshal's office responded and determined it should be handled as an EOD event.

Deputies from the Sheriff's Office went door to door to evacuate those townhouses considered in the danger zone. None of the residents required any special assistance from the Red Cross or other organizations.

A Virginia State Police bomb disposal trailer hauled the device away at approximately 5:00 PM and residents were able to return to their homes. The device was taken to the range at Dulles Airport for disposal.

The Fire Marshal's office is handling the case.