Lucy was a 12-year-old dog who was living her best life with her owner in Falls Church even though she was rescued at a relatively old age. Sadly, she met her abrupt end in one of the most gruesome and inhumane ways no dog should have to experience.
The beautiful dog was taking a walk with her owner on Sunday night when she was fatally stabbed unprovoked by a stranger. According to the Falls Church Police, the stranger stabbed her multiple times near the intersection of West Broad Street and South Maple Avenue. Lucy’s injuries were so severe that she had to be euthanized.
Fortunately, the suspect, 25-year-old Reyan Hassan Ibrahim of Broadlands, Virginia, was apprehended near Dulles International Airport around 11 a.m. last week Monday during a traffic stop. Law enforcement was able to identify him with the help of witnesses who provided his license plate number.
“Our hearts go out to the family of this dog. Pets are members of the family, and we grieve along with them. We give our thanks to our colleagues at the MWAA Police Department for their swift action. We also thank the community members who took down the license plate Information when they saw this heinous attack — it was a critical piece in catching this suspect,” Jiwan Chhetri, Acting Police Chief, said in a press release.
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Muriel Forrest, executive director of Wheatland Farm, revealed that Ibrahim might have visited the local horse ranch on the Friday before the fatal stabbing.
“He was very agitated and seemed to be concerned about one of the horses being, what he said was, possessed,” Forrest stated. Forrest also said they saw the suspect again wearing a mask the next day. “Ski mask, glasses over the ski mask, dark pants, and he had some type of either machete or some long baton or something hanging by his side. So immediately, we realized this was a problem,” she said.
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Forrest was sure it was the same man because video footage showed the suspect leaving the farm in the same white Sedan as the previous day. They later discovered that some of their ducks were missing and noticed an injury on a rooster’s neck.
“Clearly, whoever had done this had the intention of harming animals, and we were then worried, harming people. It was very frightening. And when I heard about what happened to the family in Falls Church, just — my heart sank,” Forrest said.
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Meanwhile, court records have revealed Ibrahim’s violent criminal history. In fact, the suspect was out on bail following his arrest for destruction of property in November 2023 when he fatally wounded Lily. According to the police, Ibrahim had destroyed property worth about $20,000 at a McDonald’s and 2 other businesses.
Although the suspect has been arrested, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t revealed whether they’re investigating a connection between the stabbing incident and the trouble at Wheatland Farm. What we do know is that Ibrahim has been held at the Loudoun County detention facility, from where he will likely be extradited to answer for his crimes.
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