McLean Homeowners Charged After Teen Party Draws Up To 300 People: Police

Updated 12:45 p.m.

MCLEAN, VA — Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said Friday that parents who host large parties involving teenagers and alcohol risk creating dangerous situations, addressing questions about two McLean homeowners charged after a gathering for their 13-year-old child drew as many as 300 people.

Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, both of McLean, face charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance following the Nov. 6 party at a residence in the 1400 block of Woodacre Drive.

Davis discussed the incident during a Friday morning news briefing at Fairfax County's public safety headquarters, where the police department introduced three new public-facing data dashboards. After discussing the dashboards, Davis answered reporters' questions about the McLean party and the responsibilities of parents hosting gatherings for teenagers.

Davis Addresses Parents' Decisions To Host Teen Parties

Davis, a father of four, acknowledged that parents sometimes struggle with deciding whether to let their teenagers attend parties elsewhere or host gatherings at home where they can provide supervision.

"Do I let my kids leave my home and go God knows where, doing God knows what, or do I somehow consider our home a host for those types of gatherings?" Davis said, describing the dilemma parents face.

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"The key to all that is not having alcohol, drugs, and other nefarious contraband present," he said. "That's easier said than done."

Davis said he supports parents who want to provide safe environments for their children to socialize but cautioned against allowing gatherings to become too large or involve alcohol, drugs or dangerous driving.

"I do applaud any parent out there that's looking to create a safe environment for their children to interact with their peers," Davis said.

However, he called hosting gatherings involving too many people for the available space, alcohol or drugs "universally a bad idea."

Davis said parents may have good intentions even when their decisions lead to dangerous situations.

"We're not against any parent who's trying to do the right thing, even if a parent occasionally makes a wrong decision that spirals and grows and gets embellished and exaggerated, and all of a sudden creates a harmful situation for the community," he said.

The chief did not specifically address the Vaughans' intentions or provide additional evidence supporting the criminal charges against them.

Police Chief Suggests Education Campaign For Parents

Asked about the potential consequences if teenagers leave parties and drive after consuming alcohol, Davis suggested that the police department and county government consider additional public safety messaging.

He raised the possibility of working with Fairfax County Public Schools, police public affairs staff and school resource officers to remind parents about the risks associated with large gatherings involving teenagers and alcohol.

"A good intention can result in disastrous consequences if you don't think through every aspect of your decision," Davis said.

He said the department has delivered similar warnings in the past but could consider repeating them more frequently or developing new messages that capture parents' attention.

"You can never repeat a public safety message enough," Davis said.

He emphasized that parents need to establish boundaries for their children, even when doing so is difficult.

"No is a complete sentence, and no is an answer," Davis said.

Police Responded To Party In McLean Neighborhood

According to a Nov. 12 Fairfax County Police Department news release, officers responded to the 1400 block of Woodacre Drive around 9 p.m. Nov. 6 after multiple 911 callers reported that a large party had gotten out of control.

Callers estimated that between 100 and 300 people were gathered at the residence.

When officers arrived, they encountered a large crowd and fireworks being discharged. Officers worked to restore order and disperse those gathered at the property.

Investigators subsequently determined that the Vaughans had organized the gathering for their child. During Friday's briefing, Davis was asked to confirm the child's age. After initially saying he was unsure, he was told the child was 13.

Police obtained warrants charging both homeowners with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance.

The Vaughans later turned themselves in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and were released on $1,000 unsecured bonds each, police said.

McLean Homeowners Scheduled For Court Hearings

Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court records show that each homeowner faces two Class 1 misdemeanor charges stemming from the Nov. 6 incident.

The contributing to the delinquency of a minor charges were filed under Virginia Code Section 18.2-371, while the maintaining a common nuisance charges were filed under Section 4.1-317.

Court records list Nov. 7 as the arrest date for both defendants, with the charges formally filed Nov. 9.

Both homeowners are scheduled for arraignments by the clerk at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in Courtroom 3F. Adjudicatory hearings are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, in Courtroom 3B.

The court records reviewed Friday did not list attorneys representing either defendant or indicate that pleas had been entered.

Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.