Republicans are making Prince William County's skyrocketing crime and murder rates a key campaign issue.
At a press conference outside the county courthouse on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Matt Lowery, seeking to unseat Democrat Amy Ashworth to become the county's top prosecutor, says Ashworth is not prosecuting crimes to the fullest extent of the law. Since winning the seat in 2019, violent crime in Prince William is up 70%, and the number of murders in the county doubled from 2021 to 2022 to 20 murders.
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“The Defendant will be sentenced on November 16, 2023. Members of the victim’s family will present victim impact testimony at that time. The Defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years in prison.”
“In the early evening hours of June 18, 2022, the Defendant, Gentil Mwenze Banze, was driving his motor vehicle westbound on Old Bridge Road. Witnesses described the Defendant’s vehicle as swerving in and out of his lane of travel, almost striking other vehicles, before veering to the right and leaving the roadway.”
“The Defendant’s vehicle entered the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian, Mr. Luis Alfredo Perez, Jr., 45, who had been out walking the family dog that evening. After the Defendant struck Mr. Perez, Jr. and his dog, he crashed into the utility pole located in the area of Cape Cod Ct, bringing down live power lines and causing an audible and visible explosion on Old Bridge Rd.”
“Investigator Chad Mason of the Prince William County Crash Investigation Unit noted that the Defendant had an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person, had a slight sway to his body as he was standing, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and exhibited signs of impairment in all three standardized field sobriety tests that he attempted.”
“The Defendant later admitted to drinking Guinness Beer prior to driving, and testing later confirmed the Defendant’s blood alcohol content to be 0.11g/210L of breath approximately three hours after the crash had occurred. Unfortunately, both Mr. Perez Jr. and his dog succumbed to the injuries they sustained as a result of the crash.”
“The Office of the Commonwealth Attorney would like to commend and thank the Prince William County Crash Investigation Unit, particularly Investigator Chad Mason, for their investigation and work that successfully resulted in a conviction in this case.”
“In addition, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney would like to thank Arturo Guzman, a Case Manager for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney Victim/Witness program, for the assistance he has provided to the victim’s family in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami.”
WRC-TV: “A Virginia man who pleaded guilty to killing a young Marine is free just two years after the shooting, and prosecutors in Prince William County blame investigators for failing to turn over key evidence in time.”
“But prosecutors said there were problems with some of the police evidence before the trial began. Midway through the trial, prosecutors say police suddenly mentioned a Ring camera video that had never been documented or turned over as required. The defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss.”
“’Absolutely, this is not something we wanted to do,” Ashworth said. “We wanted to prosecute him for first-degree murder. Our hands get tied when our partner agency doesn’t exactly cooperate and provide that information,’ said Ashworth.”
“They made a big mistake,” [the victim’s mother] said. “They let a monster walk.”
Ashworth, a Democrat, is on the November 7 General Election ballot (early voting begins Sept. 23, 2023), vying to serve a second four-year term as Prince William County’s top prosecutor.
Matt Lowery, a Republican, said voters should consider the outcome of this case when they cast their ballots this fall.
Lowery: “This is wildly inept management of the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Another killer is unjustly walking free among us because of the C.A.’s inability to properly run a prosecution shop. The fault for this entire situation lies squarely at her feet and no one else’s. (Not the family, not the cops, not the line prosecutors…just her.)”
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney: “Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth announces today the sentencing of Robert Coltrain, 27, related to the murder of Brian Trotter which occurred in Prince William County, VA on or about October 17, 2020. Mr. Coltrain pled guilty to first-degree murder on June 28, 2022. On July 7, 2023, Mr. Coltrain was sentenced to 75 years in prison with 30 of those years suspended.”
“On October 17, 2020, Brian Trotter was reported missing by his family. Trotter had last been seen by his father getting into a vehicle with his friend, Robert Coltrain, to go to Washington D.C. Mr. Trotter gave his son a hug and said goodbye as Trotter left his residence with Coltrain. On October 26, 2020, while police in Virginia were investigating the disappearance, Florida Highway Patrol officers found a body decomposing in the trunk of a vehicle that was involved in a motor vehicle accident in the Miami-Dade area. Authorities were able to identify the body as Brian Trotter and immediately began an investigation of the death, leading them to the driver of the vehicle, Robert Coltrain. Mr. Coltrain was arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department and eventually extradited back to Prince William County to stand trial for the murder.”
“This was such a troubling case because of the lack of motive and the friendship that the victim and defendant shared. My heart goes out to the Trotter family for the loss of their son. Although nothing will bring Brian back to his family, we can rest assured that justice has been served for his murder.’ said Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth.”
Updated 3 p.m. -- Rosie's has its eyes set on Manassas Park.
Churchill Downs, owners of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in the Triangle Shopping Center in Dumfries and soon-t0-open The Rose Gaming Resort nearby, announced its plans to open a Rosies in the Manassas Park Shopping Center, home furniture and discount stores, and a Guapo's restaurant.
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Paul B. Ebert, a Democrat who served as Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney from 1968 until his retirement in 2019, endorsed Matthew B. “Matt” Lowery, the GOP nominee running to be the county's top prosecutor.
Ebert prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases in the last 30 years, including Lorena Bobbit, who cut off her husband's penis in 1992, John Allen Muhammad, and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Washington, D.C. snipers from 2002.
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Prince William Times: “Opponents of the Prince William Digital Gateway were dealt another blow Thursday when a judge dismissed a second lawsuit challenging the data center development.”
“Both lawsuits were filed by residents late last year in an effort to stop the 2,139-acre data center corridor proposed just north of the Manassas National Battlefield Park from moving forward. Both suffered the same fate: dismissals from two different judges in separate hearings held just a few weeks apart.”
Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Jacqueline Smith held her third annual Law Day Awards Ceremony on May 3, 2023.
Clerk Smith’s art contest had close to 1,000 votes received both online and in-person. There were three categories: high school, middle school, and elementary school.
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(Fredericksburg.com) A young woman who a judge said "made a mess" out of what would have been a minor misdemeanor was given bond Thursday in Stafford County Circuit Court.
