Due to inclement weather, all Prince William County courts will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. This includes:

• Circuit Court
• General District Court
• Juvenile District Court

Residents are encouraged to check pwcva.gov/ei for updates on other closures and additional information.

Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.

Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.

During Lizama’s preliminary hearing in May 2024, Prosecutors presented evidence, including a nearby homeowner’s security camera footage that caught Lizama’s van traveling at a high rate of speed, striking Burns as he crossed the street in an unlit area of Center Street.

Manassas police crash investigators testified Lizama was traveling nearly double the posted 25 mph speed limit and said the foggy weather was a factor in the crash. Police also testified that Lizama was determined to be under the influence of alcohol by more than twice the legal limit of .08.

The plea agreement between prosecutors and the Lizama recommends a five year prison term, however the court does not have to honor that agreement and can impose up to ten years in prison based on Virginia law. Judge Moran went into detail to ensure Lizama understood that the agreement’s recommendations did not bind her. Lizama has a history of alcohol and driving-related convictions, which will likely play into Horan’s sentencing decision.

Kim Burns, the mother of the victim, who has attended all of Lizama’s court hearings, told Potomac Local News that she’s “glad he took responsibility and glad that [Burns’] friends and family don’t have to go through a trial,” she added “but it doesn’t bring my son back.”

Horan revoked Lizama’s bond, and he was taken into custody. He is scheduled to appear before Horan for sentencing on April 3, 2025.

Lizama has a history of alcohol and speed legal issues, including a 2021 charge of drinking in public in Westmoreland County, where he paid a fine and court cost, as well as a dismissed speeding charge where he was accused of exceeding the speed limit by over 20 mph in Prince William County in 2018.

Burns, a Manassas native, was visiting friends on the night he was struck and killed. Lizama was twice taken to jail and later released following the incident after the Prince William County court refused to keep him behind bars.

Due to inclement weather, the Prince William County Judicial Center will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 6, 2025. This closure affects all courts at the Judicial Center, including the Circuit Court, General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

The Prince William County Judicial Center, located in Manassas, is a significant facility serving the legal needs of a county with a population of over 482,000. The center houses several courtrooms, offices for judges and clerks, and resources for public access to judicial services. Its size and capacity make it a central hub for legal proceedings in one of Virginia’s most populous counties.

Residents and legal professionals are encouraged to check the Prince William County Government website at pwcva.gov/ei for updates on closures and rescheduling. Additional information about other government office closures due to the weather will also be available.

For those with scheduled court appearances, further details regarding rescheduling or deadlines will be communicated by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the coming days.

In front of Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly A. Irving on December 4, 2024, prosecutors read the additional charges of First Degree Murder and Defiling a Dead Body to the defendant Naresh Bhatt.

He was indicted on First Degree Murder and Physically Defiling charges in the disappearance of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, in August.

In a joint motion, prosecutors and Prince William County Senior Assistant Public Defender Shalev Ben-Avraham requested a continuance to stack the charges into a single trial. The defendant waived his constitutional right to a speedy trial to allow Ben-Avraham to mount a defense.

Ben-Avraham previously made motions to have the original charge go through court before any other charges could be added, a strategy that ultimately did not work out. Bhatt could be seen shaking his head as the new indictments were read.

The prosecution agreed to provide the defense with discovery by February 18, 2025.

Court TV requested permission to broadcast the trial. “Obviously, I have an issue with what they want,” Ben-Avraham told the Judge. The prosecution did not say they were for or against having the trial broadcast live to a national audience. Irving will hold a pre-trial conference in the future to hear arguments for or against allowing the media coverage.

Irving ruled the 16-day trial will start on September 8, 2025.

A Prince William County Grand Jury returned an indictment of First Degree Murder and Physically Defiling the body of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, against her husband and Manassas Park resident Naresh Bhatt.

In a Dec. 2 press conference, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said, “I feel we have a strong case despite not having a body,” His department has been working closely with prosecutors to develop the case despite Bhatt not cooperating. “Based on the evidence at the crime scene, we knew early on we were dealing with a murder,” Lugo added, “all the evidence points to one person, and that is [Bhatt].”

Bhatt’s body has never been found.

Bhatt, who at the time of his arrest on August 22, 2024, was a contractor with the U.S. Secret Service, has been held without bond since his arrest. During his arraignment on charges of concealing a dead body in August, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Sarah Sami presented online search history from Bhatt’s Federal Government computer provided by the U.S. Secret Service, where he searched for such phrases as “what happens when wife dead,” and “how long does it take to get married after spouse dies” in the months before her disappearance.

Bhatt is scheduled for a two-week trial beginning December 9, 2024. Still, Prince William County Commonwealth Amy Ashworth said she expects the “cases will be combined and will not likely be scheduled for trial until the fall of 2025.” Bhatt’s December 3 court date, when officials read the charges to the defendant, had to be postponed because no interpreters were available.

Bhatt had been arrested after his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was reported missing on August 1, 2024, by co-workers after she missed her overnight shift as a nurse at the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas. He was initially only charged with concealing a dead body.

Holly Worth, one of Kafle Bhatt’s co-workers, expressed gratitude for the work officials have done to bring Bhatt to justice, “I am pleased that he is being charged [in Kafle Bhatt’s] murder. I want to offer my appreciation for the tireless work that has led to the grand jury indictment.”

Court records show that the Grand Jury charge sheet lists the murder offense date as one day before the offense date for concealing a body, which was the original charge at his arrest. Prosecutors now allege the murder took place on July 29 while the crime of concealing a body occurred on July 30. The new developments show the prosecution has a stronger idea of what transpired between July 27, the day she was last seen, and August 1, the day her co-workers reported her missing.

The date of the offense is essential in the case as co-workers last saw her on July 27, and she posted content to social media late in the afternoon on July 28. Friends say calls and texts to her cell phone went unanswered after that post. Captain Steve Loving of Manassas Park Police said, “We believe we have a strong timeline of what happened in this case,” when asked about the different offense dates.

Several pieces of legislation are in the works in the Virginia General Assembly to address domestic violence in the Commonwealth. Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Bristow) is proposing a bill to create a domestic violence registry that requires those convicted of domestic violence to be listed in a searchable database available to the public.

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence, there is help available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is staffed 24 hours daily and supports more than 200 languages. Its toll-free number is 800-799-7233.

If you are in immediate need of assistance, please call 911.

Kafle Bhatt Investigation Timeline — Days Missing

– July 27
Last seen by co-workers.
Day -1

– July 28
Last social media post at 5:28 PM. Calls and texts go unanswered after this.
Day 0

– August 1
Fails to report to her shift as a nurse at Prince William UVA Hospital.
Day +4

– August 2
Manassas Park Police Department (MPPD) conducts a welfare check after reports from co-workers but does not speak directly with Kafle Bhatt. Her information is entered into a statewide database.
Day +5

– August 2–5
No apparent action by MPPD.
Days +6–8

– August 5
Bhatt is officially reported missing to MPPD.
Day +8

– August 5–8
Police later claim they were investigating, but no explanation is given for why an alert was not issued to the public.
Days +8–11

– August 8
At 2:52 PM, MPPD alerts the public that Kafle Bhatt is missing and requests tips, despite having opened an official investigation three days earlier.
Day +11

– August 21
Bhatt’s husband is named a person of interest. Crime scene investigators search his home.
Day +24

– August 22
Bhatt’s husband is seen being led away in handcuffs from his home. Their toddler is taken into custody by social services.
Day +25

In an ongoing legal battle with the town’s Mayor, Dumfries issued new fines to Mayor Derrick Wood’s business Dyvine BBQ in Motion on Acts Lane.

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On November 7, 2024, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Angela Horan of the Prince William County Circuit Court ordered Anthony Omar Andrade, 26, to serve 30 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his close friend, Jose Alonso Bedregal, in November 2023.

The case, prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Garrett Jagtiani, reached its conclusion after Andrade’s guilty plea to the murder charge, with the court sentencing him to 40 years with 10 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation upon his release.

The incident unfolded on November 21, 2023, at Andrade’s residence on Jessica Drive in Manassas Park, where police were dispatched following reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find Andrade, his clothing stained with blood, and he informed police that an argument had escalated. An investigation revealed that Andrade had returned home drunk that evening and argued with his wife. She left the residence and contacted Bedregal, who arrived at the home hoping to calm the situation. However, as tensions heightened, Andrade retrieved a firearm from a gun safe, loaded it, and fatally shot Bedregal in the chest.

Following the sentencing, Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth expressed sympathy for Bedregal’s family and highlighted the dangers of mixing firearms and alcohol. “Our hearts break for the family and friends of Mr. Bedregal, or ‘Alonso’ as his family and friends knew him. We vigorously fought for justice on his behalf and are pleased with the Judge’s ruling. Guns and alcohol do not mix. Please secure all handguns within your home and do not access them while consuming alcohol,” she stated.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office extended appreciation to Case Manager Celina Cary from the Victim/Witness Program for her support to the victim’s family and Manassas Park Police Department officials, including Lead Detective Sgt. Michael A. Shepherd, Captain Dustin W. Walker, Commander Steven Loving, Lieutenant Amber Stevens, Sgt. James R. Roberts and Detective Steven Oxendine for their diligence throughout the investigation.

A rising musician who plays for Huntley, made famous on NBC’s “The Voice” is due in a Prince William County courtroom on November 4, 2024, charged in the shooting death of his father and his dog.

Christopher Tyler Rose, guitarist for Season 24 ‘The Voice’ competition winner Michael Huntley, of Fredericksburg, aka Huntley, was taken into custody in the early hours of October 28 on charges related to a deadly shooting that left his father and the family dog dead.

Known professionally as Tyler Rose, he is a guitarist with songwriting and music hits. Rose has been a Fredericksburg area music scene staple with his cover band, the Virginia Rum Runners. His association with the Season 24 winner of The Voice, Huntley, has made him a recognized figure in the broader national music scenes.

After Huntley’s win earlier this year, Fredericksburg planned a celebration honoring the singer and his band, which regularly performed at city venues.

Rose and singer Grant King recently recorded a cover of Hurricane, which The Band of Heathens initially performed. Rose’s career and musical talent, however, are overshadowed by the charges he faces.

According to a report released following the incident, Prince William County Police responded to a residence in the 2500 block of Paxton Street in Lake Ridge at 2:39 a.m. A family friend of the accused had reached out to authorities after receiving information indicating that a shooting had occurred at the home. Upon arrival, officers found Rose and detained him without resistance.

Police confirmed that the accused and the victim, Rose’s 56-year-old father, shared the residence. An investigation revealed that there was an altercation between the two, culminating in the fatal shooting. Additionally, the family’s dog, a Labrador Retriever approximately one year of age, was reportedly also killed during the incident. Both Rose’s father and the dog were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have disclosed that no other individuals were present in the home at the time of the incident, indicating the altercation and subsequent shooting involved only Rose, his father, and the dog. As of now, the motivations and circumstances leading up to the incident remain under active investigation. Detectives are currently working to reconstruct events that may have contributed to the escalation, and they are encouraging individuals with relevant information to come forward to aid in the investigation.

Prince William Police Spokesman Lieutenant Jonathan Perok said, “Alcohol and drugs were not a factor, [but the] motive was a family dispute.”

Rose’s connection to the music industry, specifically his role as a guitarist for Huntley, has brought public interest to the case. Known in musical circles as a talented musician with a promising future, Rose’s arrest has led to mixed reactions among fans and industry professionals, many of whom have expressed shock and disbelief over the allegations.

Tim Lumber, who worked with the older Rose, spoke positively about the Rose in a Facebook post, “I worked with Chris [as a bus driver for OmniRide] for 5 years, and we became good friends. All he ever did was brag about his son being a great singer. He was a good guy. He was so proud of his son. So sad that his son apparently took his life.”

Prince William Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth and the Huntley Management team have not responded to a request for comment. We will update the article when they respond.

On October 29, a Prince William Circuit Court judge denied an appeal for bail for Dr. Latoya Crabbe, who stands accused of second-degree murder in the shooting of her husband, Curtis Crabbe Jr.

Prosecutors allege that Crabbe admitted to the October 21 shooting. Her attorney, David Daughtery, maintains it was an act of self-defense. With Judge Kimberly A. Irving’s ruling, Crabbe will remain in the Prince William County jail without bond.

Judge Irving challenged aspects of the prosecution’s argument, particularly regarding the number of wounds and the gun’s ammunition count. Prosecutors claimed that four wounds indicated a need for Crabbe to reload, given the gun’s seven-round capacity. Daughtery countered that two of the wounds were caused by a single bullet passing through the body.

Judge Irving left open the possibility for a renewed bail request pending further investigative reports from the Medical Examiner or Manassas Police Detectives.

A Woman on the Move

Crabbe graduated from Osbourn High School in Manassas in 2008. Due to her academic record and high SAT score, she was awarded a full tuition scholarship to Hampton University, where she received her doctorate in Pharmacology in 2014. In her last year of school, Crabbe began dating Curtis and returned to Manassas after graduation.

In 2015, Crabbe took a position as the Clinical Pharmacist for Indian Health Services in Chinle, Arizona, as part of her role in the uniformed U.S. Public Health Service. She continued the long-distance relationship she had started in college with Curtis, using FaceTime and text as a substitute for traditional dating.

After returning to Virginia in 2018, Crabbe took a position with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, where she was a cadre instructor for newly commissioned medical professionals entering the National Health Service. Crabbe currently holds the rank of 0-4 Lieutenant Commander.

In 2020, she took a full-time position as a Program Manager at the Food and Drug Administration and went to a part-time position in the Public Health Service.

Crabbe’s best friend and fellow Hampton University alum, Alicia Banks, accompanied the defendant’s family to court to support her friend. In the courtroom, Banks described Crabbe as a patient woman.

Banks said Crabbe was always giving back to the community In addition to the time she spent on the Navajo Reservation deployed with the U.S. Public Health Service as a Clinical Staff Pharmacist for the Indian Health Services, “this is homecoming week at Hampton. She took a vacation from her job so she could be at Hampton to be a mentor to students.” Banks said she’s had to tell several alumni and faculty at Hampton about what she’s accused of since the arrest has kept her away from the school.

“When I tell people about this, even former professors, they can’t believe [Crabbe] was involved because she’s never even raised her voice to people. She doesn’t get angry. I don’t think she’s even yelled at her kids,” said Banks.

 

On the Rocks

The Crabbes were married in 2018 and had their first of three children a year later. The couple moved to a 10-acre home in Ruther Glen, but Crabbe found it difficult to commute to her U.S. Public Health Service job in Maryland four hours a day and raise children without the support of her family. According to Crabbe’s mother, Marilyn Martin, even though Curtis objected, Crabbe moved the family into her mother’s basement in Manassas. Martin, a former Prince William County foster parent, babysat the Crabbe children during the day while Crabbe worked. Martin alleges Curtis’ insistence on moving nearly 70 miles away from her family in Manassas home was a way to control her.

According to court testimony by Daughtery, Crabbe filed for divorce in July, the second such filing for the couple. Martin showed reporters a copy of an eviction notice she issued Curtis on October 9. Martin said Crabbe ended the first divorce proceeding when Curtis threatened violence “because she was scared for the safety of all of us, especially the children,” she added, “[Crabbe] knew of his violent history and knew he wasn’t bluffing.”

Martin showed reporters a six-page document that she claimed showed emails Crabbe sent to a domestic violence counselor this summer in which she spelled out the physical and emotional abuse she and her children suffered under Curtis. Martin also showed reporters an internal security video showing Curtis slapping his three-year-old child on the side of her head because she was crying in the days before his death. Martin provided that video to investigators but did not provide the emails to reporters, as she said her attorney had not yet reviewed the documents.

Martin shared text messages allegedly from Curtis to one of her other daughters in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic that appeared to show a late-night text where Curtis wanted to go to the other daughter’s home because he was “try[ing] to chill for a few,” and he “didn’t want tonight to end.” Still, his wife “went to bed before [he] got home.” The unnamed daughter called his request “strange,” and Curtis later wrote to ensure she “didn’t get the wrong impression” of his late-night text request.

A text exchange allegedly from Curtis in 2019 blames Martin for the marital problems saying Crabbe “is always stuck up under [Martin’s butt] everyday. If I don’t go upstairs, I wouldn’t ever see her. I did 3.5 years of [a] long distance [relationship]… and I see her about as much as when she lived in AZ. I’m ready to roll all the way out!!!!”

A Violent Past

In 2006, when Curtis was 18, he was found guilty of felony charges related to a violent armed home invasion robbery in Stafford County. Details in the court record are slim because most are sealed, but public records show that he was sentenced to 40 years in the Virginia Penitentiary. All of his sentence was stayed pending him completing a youthful offender program, paying fines and restitution to the victims and completing 20 years of probation.

In 2014, Curtis violated probation after receiving a DUI. Records show that three years later, the commonwealth attempted to revoke his suspended sentence for violating the probation, but instead of sending him to prison as the initial order required, in May 2018, a Stafford Circuit Court judge only ordered him to pay $186 in court costs and put back on the original probation.

When reached for comment, the victims of the 2006 home invasion robbery refused to answer questions because they still feared the potential ramifications of talking about the violent crime.

Martin said Crabbe had confided in her that she learned after they were married that Curtis was violent with previous girlfriends and had pulled a weapon on one of his family members. Martin said that Curtis’ family chose not to report the crimes to the police due to his probation status and the knowledge he would go to prison should he be arrested.

Rising Tensions Leading to the Shooting

The living situation was “contentious in the months leading up to the shooting,” said Martin. Curtis was sleeping on a basement couch during the day because he worked the night shift at a Stafford County manufacturer. Curtis only occasionally stayed at the Martin home as he spent much time with his family in Stafford, which was closer to his work.

The Martins issued an eviction notice on October 9 to Curtis. Martin says that he got angry when Curtis came by several days later. In an unanswered text message to Crabbe, Curtis allegedly wrote, “I’m going upstairs to talk to your mom about this notice too[.] I got some [stuff] to get off my chest.” Martin said that when Curtis confronted her, he refused to leave the home and stated that Crabbe only needed space in the relationship.

On October 19, two days before the shooting, while Crabbe was on a business trip to New York City, in another unanswered text, Curtis allegedly wrote, “stop [messing] with me and answer my call or I’m going to go to the house and punch your mother in the face… I’m not playing around[,] I will hurt everyone in the house then set it on fire,” then he added, “I’m taking the kids and you will never see them.”

Martin said the family added additional locks to the home to prevent Curtis from following through on his threats. Martin said that although her daughter had her gun, she also acquired a gun as well because she was afraid of Curtis as she believed Curtis blamed her for a lot of the couple’s marital problems.

The Day of the Shooting

On the morning of Monday, October 21, Crabbe and Martin were at a bus stop when Curtis drove up to the home on Brinkley Street. Crabbe later told Martin that she had recorded two hours of Curtis alternating between threatening her, threatening suicide, and begging for reconciliation that day.

According to a timeline of the day provided by Martin, Curtis ultimately fell asleep on Crabbe’s bed as she worked on her computer in the same room, barely big enough for a double bed, dresser, and small desk. Crabbe put her children down for a nap and returned to the basement to retrieve and work on her laptop in the children’s room.

Martin, who was out running errands, received a frantic call from Crabbe, who said she shot Curtis after he cornered her behind her desk when she went downstairs. Martin claims Crabbe told her that Curtis would not let her out of the room and was frantic about the relationship, showing “extreme aggression” in such a way that she felt she was about to die because he relayed that if he couldn’t have her, no one could. Martin immediately called Manassas Police, who arrived shortly after that.

In court testimony, it was revealed police found a knife not belonging to the home on the floor of the basement and two guns in his car parked outside the house. Prosecutor Burke Walker said there was no evidence of a struggle and no evidence that Curtis brandished the knife despite the defense’s claim that he had.

Curtis’s 20-year felony probation precluded him from possessing weapons of any kind. Martin said that he would regularly leave both knives and guns unsecured in the home where his young children could access them, and this is one of the concerns Crabbe listed in her letter to the domestic violence counselor.

Martin said Crabbe is being isolated at the Prince William Adult Detention Center. “She doesn’t even know what day it is. They don’t let her out of her cell. She doesn’t know if it’s day or night. She can hear other inmates but can’t see any of them from her windowless cell. They’ve only allowed her one shower in the nearly 10 days she’s been there” said Martin, who is allowed only two 30-minute visits per week.

Prince William Adult Detention Center officials haven’t responded to requests for comment about Crabbe’s treatment in their facility. With Irving’s ruling, Crabbe will remain held without bond until the conclusion of her trial. A date for that has not been set, but is expected to happen in 2025. Should a new bond hearing not happen, her next appearance is not until November 21.

Domestic Violence Statistics in the Area

Statistics from Stafford and Prince William counties show an alarming rate of Domestic Violence calls for service.

Prince William domestic-related calls for police service have risen year over year, and 2024 looks to continue the upward trend, with 2023 setting a record 31% more calls than 2020. In 2023, nine people were victims of domestic-related murder. So far, in 2024, there have been four.

A similar situation exists in Stafford, where calls are up year over year, with 2023 seeing a more modest 4% increase over 2020. Last year, Stafford had two domestic-related murders, and so far in 2024, only one.

While overall domestic violence calls for service have fallen in Manassas, the Curtis Crabbe homicide is counted as a domestic homicide, the only one on record this year. Speaking to the projected uptick of domestic violence-related crime calls in nearby Manassas Park. However, a body has not been located; Manassas Park officials are considering Mamta Kafle Bhatt, missing since July 2024, as a domestic violence murder.

In an August reporter huddle following the arrest of Kaflle Bhatt’s husband, Naresh, for felony concealment of a dead body, Police Chief Mario Lugo said, “Because of the excessive amount of blood found at her home, we don’t believe she is alive.”

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence, there is help available. In Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park, ACTS offers a 24-hour hotline at 703-221-4951. In Stafford, Empowerhouse has a 24-hour hotline at 540-373-9373.

The National Domestic Violence hotline is staffed 24 hours a day and has 200+ language support, reachable by calling 800-799-7233.

If you are in immediate need of assistance, please call 911.