Virginia gym owner believes vandalism linked to Molotov cocktail at parents' home

A Northern Virginia gym owner says two separate acts of vandalism have rattled her and her family.

Christine Fox said surveillance video shows someone lighting a Molotov cocktail attached to a propane tank in front of her parents' home in Aldie last Wednesday.

“Which was very scary. Thank God their home was protected. Nothing came of it. There was no explosion. A couple of their plants did catch fire, but that was all that came of it," Fox said.

A few months ago, a man was caught on camera smashing her gym’s doors with a bat.

"It’s definitely unsettling to know that somebody did that to our business," she said.

Fox co-owns Evolve Athletics in Sterling with her husband.

“I wonder, who did this? Why would they do it? We don’t really have any enemies that we know of. You think of members, but we treat members pretty fairly, haven’t ever really gotten any complaints. So, it was just really bizarre," she said.

The suspect caused more than $25,000 in damage to their gym. Fox said he didn't steal anything.

“They didn’t hit any other businesses, just ours. So, it appears it was personal," she said.

Fox filed a police report, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating.

The Ring camera outside of her parents' home appears to show a man lighting the Molotov cocktail, and Fox thinks it could be the same man who vandalized the gym. Both videos appear to show a tall, bald man with similar builds.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office tells News4 it is handling the vandalism investigation, and the fire marshal’s office is in charge of the Molotov cocktail incident. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating to see if it could be the same person, but can’t say with certainty that it is.

“It’s very concerning considering all the features, the timeline, it appearing to be targeted … are just too similar. It appears too coincidental in my opinion," Fox said.