carol ott online: life and work in pigtown

Good grief — in some places, even Vacation Bible School is a dangerous place to be:

Four Assaulted at Vacation Bible School
A man allegedly unlawfully entered through an open back door of the Graham Road Methodist Church at 2929 Graham Road and assaulted four people inside. Just after 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, an employee of the church encountered the suspect just inside the door. The suspect immediately pushed the woman to the ground and punched her repeatedly, then ran to the basement of the church. He assaulted the bible school teacher and was eventually subdued by two men at the church. They were able to restrain the suspect until police arrived and took him into custody. Three victims and the suspect were transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. No weapon was seen or implied.

The suspect, Steven Rock, 54, of 2802 Summerfield Road in Falls Church, was charged with four counts of assault and battery, one count of unlawful entry and one count of disorderly conduct.

If I remember correctly, the Graham Road area wasn’t very nice, but I haven’t been there in many years — apparently it hasn’t changed much?

I stumbled upon that tidbit looking up information on someone I knew years ago — when I was…maybe 10 or 11. Sad to say, she didn’t fare well over the years, and she was found dead in an apartment building from an apparent drug overdose. That was back in 2003 and I couldn’t find any follow-up info. What a horrible way to die, poor thing. Oddly enough, this information came on one of those “woe is me” kind of days, so it definitely makes me stop and realise how lucky I am. Onward and upward.