Crime & Safety
Pentagon City Abduction Suspect Had Prior Criminal History
Koby Berry, 28, was on supervised probation in Fairfax County at the time of the alleged Arlington assault.
ARLINGTON, VA — A suspect who Arlington County police arrested on an attempted abduction charge Wednesday night in Pentagon City had pleaded guilty in a Fairfax County courtroom last month to a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery, according to court documents. .
Koby Antrone Berry, 28, is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility on charges of attempted abduction with intent to defile, and assault and battery, according to police.
Arlington police said the incident happened at about 7:50 p.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of South Hayes Street, where officers were dispatched for the report of an assault.
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The preliminary investigation indicates the female victim was entering a bathroom inside a business when the male suspect approached her, placed a hand over her mouth, and pushed her further into the bathroom, according to police. Police reported that the victim was able to get away from the suspect, run from the bathroom and yell for assistance.
The suspect then fled the scene on foot, according to ACPD. An employee called police and provided a description of the suspect and the direction in which he fled.
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Officers located the suspect at Virginia Highlands Park and took him into custody, according to police. The department did not identify the business where the incident happened.
Earlier Charges In Fairfax County
Last November, Berry was accused of attacking a woman on a bicycle along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Reston and exposed himself to a woman at a local hotel.
The day after his arraignment on those crimes, Berry was accused of assaulting a woman at a store in the North Point Village Center.
The first incident took place on Oct. 30: A woman riding along the W&OC Trail was tackled off her bike by an unknown man, who then fled the scene, according to the incident report. The man was later identified by police as Berry.
RELATED: Reston Man Attacked Woman On Bike, Exposed Himself At Local Hotel: Police
On Nov. 1, Berry was accused of entering a hotel room in the 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road in Reston. He said he was security looking for someone who had defecated on the sidewalk, according to police. While there, he exposed himself to women then left the area.
Then, on Nov. 9, police responded to the W&OD Trail near Hunter Mill Road to investigate the report of a man trying to strike a man walking on the trail, who then took a woman's phone, according to police. Officers located Berry on the trail nearby and took him into custody.
On April 27, Berry pleaded nolo contendere to a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery in Fairfax County General District Court, court records say. He was sentenced to 120 days, all of which was suspended, and put on 12 months of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $265 in court costs.
Two additional charges of assault and battery connected to the November incident in Fairfax County were dropped last December, according to court records.
Berry was in Fairfax County General District Court on April 24 on misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and entering a property to damage related to the Nov. 1, 2025 offense, according to court documents. The prosecutor declined to prosecute the entering a property charge and the indecent exposure charge was dismissed.
RELATED: Reston Man Attacked Woman On Bike, Exposed Himself At Local Hotel: Police
Fairfax prosecutors also declined to prosecute Berry during an April 21 hearing on a felony pickpocketing charge related to a Nov. 9, 2025 arrest, court records say.
On Nov. 18, 2025, Berry was arrested in Fairfax County and charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery, court documents say. One charge was not prosecuted, but Berry has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in Fairfax County General District Court on the second assault and battery charge.
Fairfax Prosecutor Investigated Over Sentencing Policy
On Wednesday, the Justice Department notified Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, a Democrat, of the launch of an investigation into his office’s plea bargaining, charging decisions and sentencing policy.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will investigate whether the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney discriminated against United States citizens by offering preferential treatment to undocumented defendants.
RELATED: US DOJ Announces Civil Rights Probe Into Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares released a lengthy report accusing Democrat Descano of insufficient concern for victims of crime and improper plea agreements. The office has also been criticized for releasing individuals wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It is Fairfax County policy to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
District attorneys and other state prosecutors who oppose cash bail and support other progressive positions have frequently been the targets of recall campaigns or other efforts to remove them from office, often funded and staffed by the same individuals or organizations.
Earlier in the day, Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas said she "is not backing down" after the FBI searched her Portsmouth office and a nearby cannabis business.
Lucas, a Democrat and the president pro tempore of the Virginia State Senate, released a statement after agents searched her office as part of a corruption investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke with The Associated Press.
What's Next In Arlington County
Berry was arraigned Thursday morning in Arlington General District Court and has a bond hearing set for 9 a.m. on Friday, according to court documents. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on July 9.
The most serious charge Berry is facing is intent to defile, which is a Class 5 felony. If convicted on this charge, he faces a possible sentence of one to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $2,500, under the Code of Virginia. At the court's discretion, the sentence could be lowered to up to 12 months in jail, with or without the fine.
Investigators are asking anyone with additional information about the case, or anyone who has had past inappropriate encounters with the suspect, to contact Detective S. Yanda at 703-228-4244 or syanda@arlingtonva.us. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
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