Police Blotter

A murder suspect was arrested in connection with a Woodbridge domestic shooting, a 16-year-old died after being shot at a car meet, and a 13-year-old remains wanted for wounding a family member, while Stafford County deputies made multiple arrests for assaults, shoplifting, DUIs and other offenses over the weekend.

On August 2, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force members arrested Thomas Lynwood Brown, 23, of Triangle, in connection with the July 27 fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Gainesville man. The incident occurred during a domestic altercation at a home in the 13400 block of Grayson Hill Circle (Fitzgerald apartments) in Woodbridge. Police said Brown produced a firearm and shot the victim in the upper body before leaving. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Court date pending; bond unavailable.


Manassas

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the environmental assessment of the project to bring commercial passenger service to Washington Manassas Airport (HEF).

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Manassas

Manassas City Public Schools will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Jennie Dean Elementary School building on Tuesday, August 4.

Officials announced the milestone during a recent School Board meeting, expressing excitement about welcoming students and staff into the new facility. Students are scheduled to return to class on August 12.


Stafford

A federal affidavit unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia details how a then-Stafford County Sheriff’s Office patrol sergeant allegedly ordered and paid for child sexual abuse material through Telegram, including files that agents reviewed depicting a girl as young as 8 years old and a male infant under 1 year old.

Justin Thomas Lee Forman, 37, of Fredericksburg, is charged with knowingly receiving a visual depiction involving the use of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). The complaint asserts probable cause that the offense occurred at least on or about July 6, 2023, while Forman was employed as a patrol sergeant.


Manassas

ARTfactory and the Didlake Foundation are hosting an ice cream social on Tuesday to celebrate their new artWORKS Collaborative partnership. The free event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at the ARTfactory, 9419 Battle Street in Manassas.

The gathering highlights partnership, creativity, community and inclusion. Organizers say it offers a chance to mark the impact of organizations working together to create meaningful opportunities and strengthen the community. All are welcome.


Politics

Republicans across the region head to the polls Tuesday for the delayed primary that will choose the party’s nominees for U.S. Senate and Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

The winner of the 7th District primary will advance to face Democratic freshman Rep. Eugene Vindman in November. Three Republicans are on the ballot: Rick Smithers, Philip Harding, and Doug Ollivant.


Manassas Park

About 30 community members gathered at the Manassas Park police station on July 31 for a vigil marking two years since the disappearance of local nurse and mother Mamta Kafle Bhatt, InsideNoVa reported. Bhatt was last heard from on July 29, 2024, and is presumed dead; her husband, Naresh Bhatt, was arrested in August 2024 and faces charges of first-degree murder, concealment of a dead body and physical defilement of a dead body, though no body has been found.

Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo described the investigation as a lengthy process with a strong case, while family members including mother Gita Kafle and community supporters expressed continued hope for justice. A pre-trial conference is set for Sept. 25, with the trial scheduled to begin in early October.


Stafford

Stafford Utilities is continuing to monitor Accokeek Creek (near Crows Nest Natural Preserve) after a July 22 sewer line break released untreated wastewater near the waterway, Stafford Utilities reported. As of a July 30 update, localized impacts have improved but water quality across the watershed has not yet returned to normal due to recent weather and other factors, and the agency still recommends limiting recreational contact with the water, including swimming, and advises against consuming fish from the creek until conditions improve.

The original advisory, issued after the break near Accokeek Creek, called for limited recreational use of the creek down to Crow’s Nest for people and pets. Residents with questions can contact Stafford Utilities at 540-658-8616.


Virginia

Two state senators are asking Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session of the General Assembly after a newly released state report found groundwater supplies in eastern Virginia may not support major new withdrawals under current regulations, The Center Square reported. Sens. Richard Stuart, R-King George, and Russet Perry, D-Loudoun, said the Department of Environmental Quality study shows “virtually no capacity” in the Coastal Plain aquifer for large new uses such as data centers and was released only after the 2026 session had adjourned.

The bipartisan letter notes ongoing strain already appearing in western Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties and urges lawmakers to act on the report’s recommendations for stronger permitting rules, improved monitoring, and tying local development more closely to groundwater availability rather than waiting until the 2027 session.