Suspect In Sexual Battery Of Juveniles In Burke Identified By Police

BURKE, VA — Detectives have identified a man linked to several recent sexual battery cases involving juveniles in the Burke area, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The man, identified as Ghafari Abdulahad, 65, of Burke frequents the walking paths in the area of Burke Commons Road and Roberts Parkway, police learned in interviews with him.

Police said Monday that they have charged Abdulahad with the Sept. 7 sexual battery of a minor. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

Detectives continue to investigate Abdulahad’s connection to other reported cases in the area, according to the police department.

On Sept. 7 at around 6:30 p.m., a juvenile female was on the walking path near the 5800 block of Wood Poppy Court in Burke when an unknown man approached her, grabbed her wrist, and groped her chest, police said. The victim was able to run away and call the police.

Detectives from the FCPD's Major Crimes Bureau were assigned to the case. A composite sketch of the suspect was completed on Sept. 14. Officers and detectives from multiple units participated in a large canvass of the area, looking for additional leads.

During the canvass, additional incidents involving the suspect were reported to police, including an assault against a minor and an additional instance of sexual battery against a minor, police said. During the canvass, police said they saw Abdulahad, who matched the description of the suspect, who was walking on the pathways.

The FCPD provided a map of the general area where the assaults occurred. Anyone with information about the incidents can contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web.