Stafford sheriff’s deputies found several stolen guns during a traffic stop in North Stafford.
On Saturday, February 18, at 12:49 a.m., deputies responded to Norman Road for a disturbance with a weapon. A resident reported there was a person in his yard with a flashlight.
When the homeowner went outside to investigate, the suspect brandished a handgun. The homeowner returned inside and called the Sheriff’s Office.
Sergeant K.P. Lytle and Deputy M.A. Holub observed a black Dodge Charger leaving the area and conducted a high-risk traffic stop. Several handguns, a short-barreled rifle, and a suspected controlled substance were in the vehicle.
A passenger in the Charger, Taiyon Jackson, 18, of Alexandria, was identified as the brandishing suspect. He had a concealed Taurus handgun in his pocket, which was found to be stolen from Fairfax County.
The passenger, Taiyon Jackson, 18, of Alexandria, is charged with brandishing, receipt of a stolen firearm, possession of a controlled substance, concealed weapon, and possession of a firearm with drugs. He was held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, police said.
The driver, Isaiah McDowell, 22, of Woodbridge, is charged with unlawful possession of the short-barreled rifle. Police said Virginia State Police already wanted him for a failure to appear.
McDowell was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $4,000 bond.
An investigation is ongoing.
A public meeting about the pipeline between the Prince William County Landfill and the McCoart Center, the heart of the county government will be held Tuesday, February 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the McCoart Building, 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge, according to a flier sent to PLN by Prince William County Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry:
Some Prince William County residents in the Dale City area are learning about a new natural gas pipeline that could be laid near their homes. As we’ve reported, hundreds of residents are affected, and county leaders said they aren’t happy with efforts to educate the public about the project.
Here’s a look a the latest Prince Wiliam County Police Department’s daily incident report:
Drivers exchange blows in Gainesville聽
Malicious Wounding – On February 19 at 6:47PM, officers responded to the Dominion Middle Ridge Apartments located in the 3600 block of Golf Side Cl. in Woodbridge (22192) to investigate an assault. The investigation revealed the victim, a 57-year-old man, and a woman he recently met were inside an apartment, when someone knocked on the door. When the victim opened the door, an unknown man immediately struck him multiple times before both men fell to the floor. As the physical altercation continued, the suspect kicked the victim multiple times before scratching at his face. At one point during the assault, the suspect grabbed money from the victim’s pocket before he and the woman fled the apartment. The victim was brought to an area hospital where his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening. The investigation continues.
Suspect Descriptions:
A white male, approximately 6’0′, 180lbs.
Last seen wearing a baseball style cap and a brown jacket
A white female approximately 30 years old, 4’11”, about 110lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes
Man opens the door to Lake Ridge apartment, attacked
Malicious Wounding – On February 19 at 6:47 p.m., officers responded to the Dominion Middle Ridge Apartments located in the 3600 block of Golf Side Cl. in Woodbridge (22192) to investigate an assault. The investigation revealed the victim, a 57-year-old man, and a woman he recently met were inside an apartment, when someone knocked on the door. When the victim opened the door, an unknown man immediately struck him multiple times before both men fell to the floor. As the physical altercation continued, the suspect kicked the victim multiple times before scratching at his face. At one point during the assault, the suspect grabbed money from the victim’s pocket before he and the woman fled the apartment. The victim was brought to an area hospital where his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening. The investigation continues.
Suspect Descriptions:
A white male, approximately 6’0′, 180lbs.
Last seen wearing a baseball style cap and a brown jacket
A white female approximately 30 years old, 4’11”, about 110lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes
Student charged with making a threat to bomb
School Bomb Threat Investigation – On February 17 at 1:29PM, the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Potomac High School located at 3401 Panther Pride Dr. in Dumfries (22026) was advised about a suspicious package at the school. The investigation revealed on February 16, a student, later identified as the accused, left a wrapped package on a teacher’s desk. The following day, the teacher read a note attached to the package which implied there was a bomb inside. The teacher quickly notified school security who contacted the SRO. Police K-9 and members of the Virginia State Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit responded and determined the package was not a bomb, and there was no threat to the school. School personnel and the SRO worked quickly to identify the student involved. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as a 15-year-old male juvenile, was arrested.
Arrested on February 17: [Juvenile]
A 15-year-old male juvenile of Woodbridge
Charged with threats to bomb
Court Date: Pending | Status: Held at the Juvenile Detention Center
Woodbridge man raped girl in Dale City, police said
Sexual Assault Investigation – On February 17, detectives with the Special Victims Bureau concluded an investigation in a sexual assault that was reported to have to occurred at a residence in the Woodbridge (22193) area of Prince William County between December 2022 and February 2023. The investigation revealed the female victim, who was under the age of 13 at the time of the offenses, was sexually assaulted by the accused on more than one occasion during the above timeframe. The accused was known to the victim. The victim recently reported the incidents to school personnel who contacted the police prompting the investigation. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Dennys Fabricio JIMENEZ, was arrested.
Arrested on February 17:
Dennys Fabricio JIMENEZ, 34, of Woodbridge Charged with 3 counts of aggravated sexual battery Court Date: Pending | Bond: Held WITHOUT Bond
Man raped 10-year-old, police said.
Rape – On February 16, detectives with the Special Victims Bureau concluded an investigation into a sexual assault that was reported to have occurred at a residence located in the Woodbridge (22193) area of Prince William County between January 16 and February 12. The investigation revealed the female victim, who was under the age of 10 at the time of the offenses, was sexually assaulted by the accused on more than one occasion during the above timeframe. The accused is known to the victim. The victim recently reported the incident to a family member who contacted the police prompting the investigation. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Bernabe GARCIA, was arrested.
Arrested on February 16:
Bernabe GARCIA, 39, of Woodbridge
Charged with rape, forcible sodomy, and aggravated sexual battery Court Date: Pending | Bond: Unavailable
Union workers at OmniRide have been on strike for a week.
Negotiations are ongoing, we’re told. As we reported, the strike surprised officials at OmniRide, who agreed to hike the payout to the union by 17% in the upcoming budget.
Meanwhile, as people get back to work tomorrow after Presidents’ Day, there will be changes to commuting patterns tomorrow due to the strike, as OmniRide says it has a “severe” bus driver shortage.
Here’s the latest from OmniRide:
The work stoppage continues, while collective bargaining between Keolis and the bus operators’ is still on-going.
Commuters seeking an alternate commute may consider the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), joining a carpool or vanpool or slugging. OmniRide Customer Service can assist riders who wish to explore other commute options. You can reach them at 703-730-6664.
OmniRide is expected to operate service as noted below for Monday, February 20:
OMNIRIDE EXPRESS commuter buses will not operate due to an extreme shortage of bus operators — includes Stafford, Prince William and Manassas area.
OMNIRIDE METRO EXPRESS buses will not operate due to an extreme shortage of bus operators.
OMNIRIDE LOCAL
路 Dale City Local: first trip departs Chinn Center at 5:45AM and will operate approximately every 90 minutes
路 Dumfries Local: first trip departs the Lofts at 5:45AM and will operate approximately every 90 minutes
路 Route 1 Local: WILL NOT OPERATE. Riders may use the Dumfries or Woodbridge routes to travel the Route 1 corridor
路 Woodbridge Local – B Loop: first trip departs Lake Ridge Commuter Lot at 5:35AM and will operate approximately every 90 minutes. Woodbridge A Loop WILL NOT OPERATE.
路 Manassas Local – 65B, 65N, 67: WILL NOT OPERATE
The eastern transfer hub will continue to be at Potomac Mills for the eastern local routes. Buses will not go to the Transit Center.EAST-WEST EXPRESS (96) will operate regular service. Passengers can transfer to OmniRide Connect microtransit for additional travel options to areas normally served by the Local Manassas-Manassas Park 67 route.
OMNIRIDE ACCESS paratransit will operate regular service.
OMNIRIDE CONNECT microtransit will operate regular service.
Riders who need travel assistance should call OmniRide Customer Service at 703-730-6664. We apologize for the inconvenience and disruption to your commute. Further updates will be provided as necessary.
The annual Polar Plunge at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge was a success.
On Saturday, February 18, 2023, the event raised $110,000 for Special Olympics Virginia–more than 250 took a dip in the Potomac River for the annual wintertime swimming festival.
Several area police departments participated in the plunge. Also, more than 60 people participated in a 5K run, a first for the Leesylvania event.
About 500 people attended, said Special Olympics Virginia spokeswoman Holly Claytor.
The event at Leesylvania State Park is the fourth of five polar plunges for Special Olympics Virginia. The fifth and final event will occur in Radford, Virginia, in the New River Valley.
Leesylvania State Park sits at 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive in Woodbridge.
A Special Election will decide who will serve the remainder of Peter Candland’s term on the Board of County Supervisors ending on December 31, 2023. Democrat Kerensa Sumers and Republican Bob Weir are vying to replace Candland, who resigned in December 2022 after ten years serving on the board.
You can find out where to vote here. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, was the last day to vote early.
The election is widely seen as a referendum on developing Prince William County’s last rural areas and growing the county’s commercial tax base.
Sumers, largely funded by labor unions and the Democratic Party of Virginia, aims to open up the Haymarket and Gainesville areas to the continued development of data centers — large server farms that power the internet – becoming more prevalent throughout the county.
Sumers said the development would create more tax revenue for the county and bring “equity” between the Sudley Road corridor near Manassas and the area, which has been slower to develop.
In contrast, Weir is funded largely by small donations from residents who live in the district. He promises to be a brick wall when it comes to bringing more data centers to the county, which require large amounts of electricity (which may now be scarce in summer months, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality), use large amounts of water to cool the servers, and produce noise imitating from cooling fans on rooftops.
Both candidates met at Battlefield High School near Haymarket on February 9 for a forum, which morphed into a debate. PLN was there, and members may read our coverage.
Publisher’s note: Thank you to our paid members who allow us to keep producing the community journalism you’ve come to expect.
After tomorrow’s Special Election, the political attention in the county will shift to all Board of County Supervisors members who are up for re-election in 2023. Multiple supervisors, including Chair At-large Ann Wheeler, have Primary Election opponents from their respective political parties vying to unseat them.
In December, PLN gave you an exclusive interview with Candland to reflect on his time in office. Candland agreed to join his neighbors, offering to sell their homes to data center developers who are now vying to build server farms on 800 acres next to Manassas National Battlefield Park as part of the Prince William Digital Gateway Development.
Candland recused himself from all data center votes, including November 2, 2022, vote in which a politically divided board approved the Digital Gateway project.
The Quantico Town Council appointed Brandi Maly as a member of the six-member governing board that oversees the only independent town in the U.S. located within the borders of a military base.
We first told you earlier this month Seungwon Kang refused his appointment to the town council after winning the third-most votes out of 13 candidates who sought one of six seats on the council.
According to Mayor Kevin Brown, who was also re-elected, Kang lived in Stafford County when voters chose him to be on the council. While Kang owned a business in the town at the time of the election, he did not reside in the town, a requirement to serve on the council, according to state law.
Kang’s name appeared on the ballot produced by county elections officials despite not living in the jurisdiction he wanted to serve.
Maly will serve until a Special Election is held in November 2023 to fill the seat permanently. Brown said the town tried to schedule a Special Election earlier in the year. Still, the Prince William County Office of Elections advised against the move citing an upcoming Primary Election on June 20, 2023, said Brown.
In a twist, Brown added that the Quantico Town Council appointed Kang to its Planning Commission last month, which reviews development and land-use cases and makes recommendations to the town council after he became a resident of the town.
Brown has been mayor for more than 10 years, serving six 2-year-terms. In all that time, never have a total of 14 names appeared on the town election ballot for an election.
Brown says things in the town are going well — revenues from taxes, user fees, and parking tickets are up over previous years despite stringent rules since January 2020 that limit the public’s access to the base and, by extension, the town nestled on the Potomac River.
“There are many people from the base coming into the town, properties are being fixed up, and things are generally headed in the right direction,” Brown told PLN.
Nearly 600 people live in Quantico town.
We’re getting the first word on the Manassas Bee Festival, which will return to聽the Liberia House and Grounds at 8601 Portner Avenue in Manassas.
Now in its third year, the festival will be held Saturday, June 24, 2023.
City Councilwoman Theresa Coates Ellis and the city’s Beautification Committee are organizing the event have organized the event. Few other details about the event have been announced. Event organizers are seeking sponsors, and you can find more information here.
At the previous Manassas Bee Festivals, 聽visitors were treated to a costume parade, the waggle dance, a spelling bee, a new bluegrass band Wayne Fairfax and Friends, live beehive demonstrations, a mead garden, farm animals, wagon rides, and more.
The event is held in conjunction with聽National Pollinator Week. Last year, Lawn Love ranked 2022’s Best States for Beekeeping, placing Virginia near the top of its list.
Corrected: We’re told the city’s beatification is not working on planning this year’s bee festival.
Kindergarten registration opens March 1 for Stafford County Public Schools for the 2023-2024 school year! Parents and guardians of children who are five years old by September 30, 2023 are encouraged to complete the online registration process.
The following documents are required for enrollment:
- Driver’s License or Photo ID for Parent/Guardian
- Official Birth Certificate for Child
- Current Physical and Immunization Records Prior to the Opening of School
- Proof of Residence/Domicile
- Must provide one of these: Deed, Lease, Tax Bill
- Must provide two of the following options that are current for the last two months with the parent/guardian name: Utility Bills (tied to the home), Employment Verification (payroll stubs, current employer verification on company letterhead), Tax Documents, Other Official
- Correspondence with Government Agencies, Medical Bills, Consecutive Bank Statements (for 2 months), Vehicle Registration, Driver’s License, Insurance Policy
The school division will host community Mobile Enrollment Festivals, in-person registration events, through July 14, 2023聽 to assist families with the registration process. Families with younger children may also apply for the Head Start, Early Head Start, and Virginia Preschool Initiative programs. These early childhood programs are open for 3- and 4-year olds, infants, toddlers, and pregnant women of low-income families that live in Stafford County and meet the federal or state income-eligibility guidelines.
Translators are available in Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu during these community Mobile Enrollment Festivals. During the festivals, students will have the opportunity to earn their “Training Wheels” by visiting the big yellow school bus. Drivers and attendants will teach students proper boarding and riding procedures, and students will be able to explore the school bus before the first day of school. During the events, donation bins will be available for community members to drop off school supplies in support of the school division’s Collect for Kids program.
SCPS welcomes all students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, or disabling condition who live within the boundaries of the Stafford County Public School district and meet state age and health requirements. For more information about SCPS visit www.staffordschools.net.
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