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UPDATED: Suspect arrested after dog fatally stabbed in Falls Church

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 12:35 p.m.) Police in Falls Church have arrested a man suspected of fatally stabbing a dog last night.

The incident happened on the 300 block of W. Broad Street around 9:15 p.m. No motive for the attack was given.

This morning, Falls Church police said the suspect, a 25-year-old Loudoun County resident, was at large. In an updated press release (below) issued around 12:15 p.m., police said the man is now in custody.

Reyan Hassan Ibrahim, 25 years old of Broadlands, Virginia, was arrested by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police Department during a traffic stop near Dulles Airport at 11 a.m. today. He is being transported to the Loudoun County detention facility, and is expected to be extradited to face charges by the City of Falls Church for stabbing a dog that resulted in the animal being euthanized.

“Our hearts go out to the family of this dog,” said Acting Police Chief Jiwan Chhetri. “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.”

Around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, January 14, near the intersection of W. Broad Street and S. Maple Avenue., a suspect fatally stabbed a dog that was being walked by its owner. The dog was euthanized later as a result of its injuries. There were no injuries to humans.

Witnesses reported the suspect’s license plate number to the police, which is registered to Ibrahim.

On social media, the dog was identified as a 12-year-old shepherd mix named Lucy.

The dog and its owner, an older man, were driven to a local vet but the dog did not survive.