An 18-year-old, BB gun-wielding Fairfax man walked into Shoppers Friday morning pretending to be an armored car guard. He was arrested in the parking lot.
Hodifa Abdulhakim Tunalli of Westbrook Mill Lane in Fairfax allegedly tried to convince Shoppers employees to give him the day's money deposit for safe transport. Though he wore a weapon in a holster at his side and did his best to look the part, grocery store staffers weren't buying it. When they realized the "guard" didn't have any identification, they refused to hand over the money and called police.
Tunalli left the store to find Fairfax City officers waiting for him. He was arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny. The weapon at his side turned out to be only a BB gun, according to police.
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That's not the end of his legal troubles.
Tunalli also faces attempted grand larceny and petit larceny charges for allegedly trying the same scam on the Best Buy in the same shopping center less than a week before.
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Police arrested Tunalli on Feb. 11 after he allegedly tried to steal a car from Fairfax Auto Gallery. An employee stopped him by jumping in front of the fleeing vehicle. Earlier on Saturday, he stole a computer bag from Best Buy, at 9652 Main St., after posing as an armored car guard, police said. After the Feb. 11 arrest, he was released after posting a $3,000 bond.
When Tunalli was arrested on Friday morning, law enforcement officers found a variety of weapons, including paintball guns, BB guns and Airsoft guns, in the suspect's car.
Information provided by City of Fairfax Police Department.
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