Centreville Man Charged In Violent Arlington Armed Robbery Spree Targeting Businesses

ARLINGTON, VA — A 19-year-old Centreville man is facing 20 criminal charges in connection to a series of armed robberies targeting Arlington businesses, their employees, and customers, according to authorities.

Arlington County police charged Carlos Lopez Sparks with eight counts each of robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, as well as four counts of wearing a mask to conceal his identity, according to the incident report.

Here is a summary of the incidents that led to Sparks' 20 criminal charges:

• Feb. 24 (7:56 p.m.) | 4100 block of Sout Four Mile Run Drive The masked suspect entered a business and used a firearm to rob both the establishment and an employee. He also attempted to rob a customer at gunpoint, but fled when the customer stated they had no cash.
• Feb. 24 (Immediately following) | 4100 block of South Four Mile Run Drive Continuing the spree, the suspect entered a neighboring business. He again displayed a firearm, forced the employee to open the register, and successfully stole an undisclosed amount of cash.
• Feb. 25 (8:19 p.m.) | 300 block of North Glebe Road The suspect targeted a business by threatening two employees with a firearm. This attempt was unsuccessful, as the employees fled the scene, prompting the suspect to leave on foot without any money.
• Feb. 25 (Immediately following) | 4200 block of North Pershing Drive The suspect moved to a nearby business, where he successfully robbed the cash register at gunpoint. He then turned his weapon on two customers; however, he fled without further theft after realizing they did not have cash on them.

Through their investigation, detectives identified Sparks as the suspect in this case and took him into custody at his residence last Friday morning.

Sparks was arraigned Monday morning in Arlington General District Court and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on May 18, according to court documents.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fairfax County Police Department and the Herndon Police Department assisted ACPD in its investigation.

While all of the charges Sparks is facing are felonies, the most serious are the robbery: using a firearm charges, which are Class 3 felonies. If convicted on any of these charges, he faces a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000, under the Virginia Code.

Anyone with information about this series of armed robberies is asked to contact the ACPD’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

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