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Dozens of teens partying at vacant house scatter when police arrive

Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) A reported large teen party at a vacant house in Bluemont was broken up by police this past weekend.

Police were called to the 700 block of N. Abingdon Street, just west of Ballston, around 8:30 p.m. Friday. A caller reported a group of “50 to 100” teens running around outside, drinking, climbing on the roof of the house, blocking the street, and breaking things on an adjacent property.

“Upon arrival of officers, approximately 25 juveniles dispersed from in front of the home and no one was located inside,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the juvenile suspects made entry into the vacant residence, resulting in property damage. The investigation is ongoing.”

Scanner traffic at the time suggested that arriving officers saw teens drinking in the back of a car and a possible fight about to break out — but everyone scattered upon seeing the police vehicles. No one was found inside the house during a police search, an ACPD spokeswoman said.

Dashcam video shared anonymously with ARLnow, below, shows the party in progress.

A tipster told ARLnow that this fits “a pattern” of Washington-Liberty High School students of a certain grade level “having large parties.” The police spokeswoman this was the first such incident at this property this year, but was unable to say whether similar incidents have happened at other vacant houses.