2 arrested after attempted jewelry robbery in Ashburn, sheriff says

Two undocumented Romanian nationals with active ICE detainers were arrested Wednesday in Ashburn after an attempted jewelry robbery, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said. Denisa Ghiocel, 31, and Dorel Ghiocel, 35, both listed as having no fixed address, were each charged with attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. They are being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. The arrests come amid an investigation into eight similar incidents over the past month in which victims were targeted with distraction techniques to remove their jewelry. Officials say the suspects are believed to be connected to one or more of those cases and may be part of a broader criminal network operating in the region. The arrests came after deputies had identified a vehicle linked to previous thefts and were searching for it when they were alerted to an attempted robbery involving a similar vehicle on Misty Dawn Drive in Ashburn. The victim, a woman, was not hurt. Deputies later stopped the vehicle on Route 50 west of Middleburg and took both suspects into custody without incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703‑777‑1021 or Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703‑777‑1919, or submit a tip through the LCSO app.