The Fredericksburg Police Department has been awarded an $81,000 grant to support the FXBG Steering Committee on Teen Violence in creating a five-year strategic plan to address rising teenage violence in the community. This grant is part of a larger $475,000 funding initiative spread over two years, aimed at enhancing staffing, strategic planning, and acquiring new technologies to curb violence.
This initiative follows the establishment of a regional gang task force last year by Police Chief Layton in response to escalating gang activity in local schools and the community. The task force, which includes partnerships with neighboring counties and the Rappahannock Regional Jail, meets monthly to share information and coordinate efforts across jurisdictions.
The Fredericksburg Police Department is introducing a new tool called PowerEngage, which was developed in collaboration with PowerDMS. PowerEngage aims to keep citizens informed and gather feedback on non-life-threatening service calls.
The department can now send real-time notifications during service calls. If an officer has not responded to a call within 15 minutes due to high call volume, a text message will be sent with an update. Once the call has been closed, a text survey will be dispatched within six hours, asking for feedback on satisfaction with the services provided. This feedback will improve services and provide appropriate responses to officers and 911 call takers.
Stafford CountyDUI crashes
The Stafford County Sheriff's office marked the end of July with several arrests for charges involving vehicles and alcohol.
On July 27, just before midnight, a 21-year-old man crashed his father's Mustang into a median near Circle K on Prosperity Lane, disabling the car. The occupants tried to move the car but left it unattended in a Lowe's parking lot. Deputy T.G. Croson found the driver, who showed signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking margaritas. Empty alcohol bottles were found in the vehicle, and a witness provided video showing the driverâs reckless behavior before the crash. The driver was charged with DUI and reckless driving and was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.
On July 27th just before midnight, Deputy T.G. Croson responded to the Circle K, located at 34 Prosperity Lane, for a single vehicle auto accident. It was advised a Mustang struck a median, disabling the vehicle. Right after the crash, the occupants began cleaning up their mess by pushing the crippled car out of the roadway.When deputies arrived, they located the vehicle in the Loweâs parking lot, now unattended. After a quick drive around the area, Deputy Croson located a male matching the description of the driver. When Deputy Croson made contact with the 21-year-old, he would confirm he was the driver and the vehicle was his fathers. The driver not only had signs of intoxication, but admitted to consuming margaritas earlier.During an inventory search of the vehicle, empty alcohol bottles were located. A witness came forward with video of the collision that showed the driver traveling in a reckless manner moments before impact. The driver was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.
On July 29, a 39-year-old Stafford man, Stephen Alexander, was arrested after crashing into a deputy's vehicle while allegedly driving intoxicated. Deputy S. Waheed had initiated a traffic stop when Alexanderâs black Acura MDX, traveling at high speed, struck the deputy's cruiser. Although there were no injuries, Alexander fled the scene but was quickly tracked down with the help of evidence left behind and local police. Alexander, whose license was previously revoked due to a DUI, showed signs of intoxication. He faces numerous charges, including a second DUI offense, felony hit and run, and multiple traffic violations. He is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
A 39-year-old Stafford man is behind bars after striking a deputyâs vehicle during his intoxicated drive On July 29th at approximately 11:07 p.m. Deputy S. Waheed was at the intersection of Garrisonville Road and Salisbury Drive when he noticed a vehicle with an equipment violation. He would conduct a traffic stop with the vehicle on the Jessica Cheney Bridge. Seconds after getting out of his vehicle, Deputy Waheedâs cruiser was struck by a black Acura MDX traveling at a high rate of speed. Luckily, there were no injuries. Deputy Waheed maintained a visual on the suspect vehicle as it fled from the scene and broadcasted its information to nearby deputies. The suspect vehicle would swerve between lanes and run the red light at Richmond Highway as it entered into Aquia Harbour. With the assistance of Aquia Harbour Police, and the evidence left at the crash site including a side view mirror, deputies quickly located the suspect vehicle. The driver was identified as Stephen Alexander. Alexander had a revoked license due to a prior DUI in 2023. He had signs of intoxication, including the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. He was detained and faced a slew of charges. Alexander was charged with second offense driving under the influence within five years, felony hit and run, failure to yield to flashing lights, driving while revoked, driving after forfeiture of his license, driving without an ignition interlock system, using a handheld device while driving, failure to obey a traffic light, failure to be in the required position and method of turning at an intersection, tire tread depth, and inspection of a motor vehicle required. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Thieves target liquor storesÂ
On July 30, a series of alcohol thefts led to a police chase and subsequent arrest. Deputies responded to thefts at two ABC Stores, discovering the suspects were targeting multiple locations. The suspects were driving a blue Honda Odyssey, which was later spotted and pursued by deputies. The chase, which included dangerous driving and nearly hitting a pedestrian, was eventually called off due to safety concerns. The vehicle was found abandoned, and a K-9 unit helped locate the passenger, Adrian Barett, 21, who said the stolen alcohol was to pay for fentanyl. Barett was charged with possession of controlled substances, possession of a stolen vehicle, and obstruction of justice. The driver remains unidentified.
On July 30 at approximately 6:53 p.m. Deputy X.D. Bates responded to the ABC Store, located at 356 Garrisonville Road, for a larceny. Staff advised nearly $250 worth of drinks were just stolen by two suspects before they fled in a blue Honda Odyssey. Staff further advised these two suspects had been targeting various ABC stores throughout Virginia. With this extra information, deputies prepared in case another store was hit. Their preparation paid off, for at 7:14 p.m. Deputy S. Waheed responded to the ABC Store, located at 50 North Stafford Complex Court, for another larceny. The suspect description matched one of the suspects in the previous report and he too fled in a blue Honda Odyssey. As Deputy Waheed gathered information from the business, Deputy Bates canvassed the area for the Odyssey. He would locate the suspect vehicle in the area of Garrisonville Road and Eustace Road. With Sergeant M.L. Jacobeen and Deputy K.F. Bierfeldt now in the area as well, they activated their emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop. Instead, the vehicle would make evasive maneuvers and kick off a pursuit. As the vehicleâs speeds began to climb, it nearly struck a pedestrian at Salisbury Drive. The vehicle would continue down Garrisonville Road before turning onto Northbound Richmond Highway. There, it would travel Northbound using the Southbound lanes multiple times. Under the watchful eye of First Sergeant M.R. Flick, deputies continued the pursuit into Prince William County but, due to unsafe conditions, the pursuit was terminated. Deputies instead began canvassing the area when Deputy Bates located the unoccupied vehicle on Eby Drive. With the help of a K-9 Unit, the passenger was located within the area. He would admit to stealing the alcohol in an attempt to sell it to buy fentanyl. Within the vehicle, which was discovered to be stolen out of Prince William County, deputies located the stolen alcohol and suspected controlled substances. The passenger, Adrian Barett, 21, of Woodridge, was charged with possession of controlled substances, possession of a stolen vehicle, and obstruction of justice. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The driver has yet to be identified or located. That being said, the businesses he stole from got a good look at him. If you have any information, please contact the Stafford Sheriffâs Office at 540-658-4450.
Deputies Saddle Up in Race to Catch Wandering Horses
Stafford Sheriffs responded to a call for three loose horses on Garrisonville Road.
On July 19th at 10:05 p.m. Sergeant A.T. Leckemby herd the call from our Emergency Communications Centaur for three loose horses on Garrisonville Road near Rock Hill Church Road. He arrived in the area to find the horses weâve affectionately named Harry Trotter, David Hasselhoof and John Bon Pony in the roadway. The horses were running in the roadway, but not furlong.
Sergeant Leckemby channeled his inner Rip Wheeler and was able to stable-ize the situation. With the help of a neigh-bor, the horses were quickly returned to the corral to end this bronco buffoonery.
FredericksburgPolice Arrest Credit Card Theft Suspect While Another Remains at LargeOn July 19, 2024, Fredericksburg Police arrested Bashir Salvador, 32, after he and an accomplice were suspected of making fraudulent purchases with stolen credit cards at Lowe's. Salvador was apprehended following a foot chase, while the second suspect escaped in a U-Haul van later found abandoned in Spotsylvania, VA. The U-Haul contained stolen credit cards and ID cards, and the suspects are linked to nineteen frauds between Florida and Virginia; the second suspect remains at large.
On July 19, 2024, Fredericksburg Police Officers were informed that two subjects were inside Lowe's, located at 1361 Carl D. Silver Parkway, making multiple high-dollar Dyson vacuum purchases with stolen credit card accounts.
Officer Bach arrived in the business's parking lot and observed one suspect fleeing in a U-Haul van while the other fled on foot. Officer Baugher and Officer Bach gave chase to the male on foot as he ran through Central Park. Officer Parker was in the area and spotted the subject as he ran across Carl D. Silver Parkway. After a lengthy foot chase, Officer Parker caught the suspect and took him into custody.
The U-Haul driver managed to evade escape, and the U-Haul would later be found abandoned in Spotsylvania, VA. A search of the U-Haul yielded a large quantity of stolen credit cards and ID cards. Detective Mejia later determined that the U-Haul was rented from Sanford, FL, under the name Salvador on July 17, 2024. The U-Haul was used by the same two suspects who committed nineteen separate frauds between Florida and Virginia.
Bashir Salvador, 32, of Far Rockaway, NY, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, credit card theft, credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and larceny with the intent to distribute. The second suspect, pictured below, is still unidentified and remains at large.
Photo: Manassas City Councilwoman Theresa Coates Ellis
Here is information about the upcoming National Night Out events in our region. The annual event is tomorrow, August 6, 2024, except Stafford County, which holds its event later in the year.
Early this morning, deputies responded to a shooting in the 11200 block of Ashby Drive, about four miles from Riverbend High School, finding a man and woman with multiple gunshot wounds. The suspect shot the victims during an argument outside their home, ran over the female victim with his vehicle, and later turned himself in, police said. Both victims are in stable condition at a trauma center.
Update 1:30 p.m. -- CSX, the corporation that owns the railroad, just provided us with a statement. The incident involved no hazardous materials or injuries, with first responders swiftly addressing the situation while the cause is under investigation.
At approximately 9:00 p.m. yesterday , a CSX train derailed several rail cars near Cobblestone Dr. in Fredricksburg, VA. A garage structure adjacent to the rail line was impacted by the incident. No hazardous materials were involved and there were no reports of injuries. CSX appreciates the swift response of the Fredricksburg City first responders. The safety of response personnel and the surrounding community is our top priority as we work to recover the derailed cars and work to completely restore the area. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Updated 8 a.m. Sunday: A freight train derailed and collided with buildings at the Cobblestone Square apartment complex near the city's train station. No one was injured.
More from Fredericksburg police:
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at Cobblestone Square, at 8:54 p.m. They found that a CSX Freight Train had derailed and collided with the garage buildings on the property.
The property is separated from the train tracks by a large wall located behind the garage buildings. Five cars of the CSX Freight Train had derailed and crashed into the large wall, causing it to collapse into four garages. Thankfully, there were no injuries since the train had no passengers on board.
The Fire Department conducted a preliminary search of the area and found no injuries, only property damage. Although hazardous materials were found on the train car, they were secure and were not part of the derailed cars.
At the time of this release, the Fire Department, Police Department, and building officials were still at the scene. CSX will be taking over the investigation.
Amtrak, which also uses the line, tells us there is no disruption in service.
News Release: CSX Freight Train Derails into Cobblestone Square
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at⊠pic.twitter.com/UaIKSNZ9nH
â FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024
? Active Event ?
There has been a train derailment in the area of 400 block Cobblestone Drive. Seven cars derailed and struck a structure behind Cobblestone. No hazardous materials were on board and so far, there are no known injuries. There is no threat to the general public.⊠pic.twitter.com/hv6XNfjQ02
â FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024
An investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Fredericksburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, Spotsylvania Narcotic Crimes and the FBI, resulted in the arrest of Taiâeric Lewis on multiple charges. The operation led to the seizure of half a kilo of cocaine, $17,000 in cash, three pounds of marijuana, and a stolen firearm. Lewis has been charged with several offenses, including drug distribution and child endangerment.
Fredericksburg Police Department:
On July 10, 2024, several law enforcement agencies, including the Fredericksburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, Spotsylvania Narcotics Unit, Spotsylvania Street Crimes, and the FBI Fredericksburg Regional Narcotics Task Force, arrested Taiâeric Lewis on several drug-related crimes.
The Fredericksburg Police Department conducted a long term investigation involving cocaine distribution. As a result of this investigation, search warrants were executed at three locations, one in the City of Fredericksburg and two in Spotsylvania County.
Search warrants at the three different residences led to the discovery of approximately half a kilo of cocaine, along with about $17,000 in cash and three pounds of marijuana. At another address, a stolen firearm from the City of Fredericksburg was found, along with distribution paraphernalia. Lewisâ vehicle was seized by the Fredericksburg Police Department pending forfeiture.
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, at around 5:45 p.m., Quincy Lamar Alexander, 42, of Stafford County, accidentally shot himself in the 300 block of Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg. Witnesses heard the gunshot and saw Alexander exit his vehicle and collapse. They called 911, provided first aid until EMS arrived, and transported Alexander to a nearby hospital, police report.
Fredericksburg Police found a firearm and suspected narcotics in the vehicle. The incident was determined to be an accidental discharge, injuring Alexanderâs lower body. Warrants were issued for Alexander on multiple charges, including possession of a firearm and narcotics, reckless handling of a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a public place.
[Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash]A recent investigation by the Office of the State Comptroller in New Jersey has uncovered problematic training practices within a private police training conference attended by police officers from various agencies in Northern Virginia.
âWhat we found was really disturbing,â said Acting Director Kevin D. Walsh in a December 2023 news conference releasing the final report. The investigation found the training sessions, organized by the New Jersey-based company Street Cop, not only promoted unconstitutional policing tactics, like extending police stops to develop probable cause but also fostered an environment where police officers glorified violence against civilians, discriminated against women and minorities, and a disregarded citizensâ civil liberties like searching vehicles without probable cause. The findings of the investigation exposed the lack of centralized oversight of police training across law enforcement agencies nationwide, including in Virginia.
According to the New Jersey governmentâs report, the six-day training conference held by Street Cop in Atlantic City in October 2021 drew nearly 1,000 police officers. The investigation highlighted several deficiencies in the training, including discriminatory and harassing comments, advocacy for unconstitutional policing tactics such as stopping motorists without reason or prolonging police stops illegally, and the promotion of a "warrior" approach to policing that dehumanized civilians. Such practices directly contradicted nearly a decade of police reforms aimed at curbing bias and excessive force in policing, undermining community trust.
Stafford County
DUI crashes
The Stafford County Sheriff's office marked the end of July with several arrests for charges involving vehicles and alcohol.
On July 27, just before midnight, a 21-year-old man crashed his father's Mustang into a median near Circle K on Prosperity Lane, disabling the car. The occupants tried to move the car but left it unattended in a Lowe's parking lot. Deputy T.G. Croson found the driver, who showed signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking margaritas. Empty alcohol bottles were found in the vehicle, and a witness provided video showing the driverâs reckless behavior before the crash. The driver was charged with DUI and reckless driving and was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.
On July 19, 2024, Fredericksburg Police arrested Bashir Salvador, 32, after he and an accomplice were suspected of making fraudulent purchases with stolen credit cards at Lowe's. Salvador was apprehended following a foot chase, while the second suspect escaped in a U-Haul van later found abandoned in Spotsylvania, VA. The U-Haul contained stolen credit cards and ID cards, and the suspects are linked to nineteen frauds between Florida and Virginia; the second suspect remains at large.
On July 19, 2024, Fredericksburg Police Officers were informed that two subjects were inside Lowe's, located at 1361 Carl D. Silver Parkway, making multiple high-dollar Dyson vacuum purchases with stolen credit card accounts.
Officer Bach arrived in the business's parking lot and observed one suspect fleeing in a U-Haul van while the other fled on foot. Officer Baugher and Officer Bach gave chase to the male on foot as he ran through Central Park. Officer Parker was in the area and spotted the subject as he ran across Carl D. Silver Parkway. After a lengthy foot chase, Officer Parker caught the suspect and took him into custody.
The U-Haul driver managed to evade escape, and the U-Haul would later be found abandoned in Spotsylvania, VA. A search of the U-Haul yielded a large quantity of stolen credit cards and ID cards. Detective Mejia later determined that the U-Haul was rented from Sanford, FL, under the name Salvador on July 17, 2024. The U-Haul was used by the same two suspects who committed nineteen separate frauds between Florida and Virginia.
Bashir Salvador, 32, of Far Rockaway, NY, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, credit card theft, credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and larceny with the intent to distribute. The second suspect, pictured below, is still unidentified and remains at large.
Update 1:30 p.m. -- CSX, the corporation that owns the railroad, just provided us with a statement. The incident involved no hazardous materials or injuries, with first responders swiftly addressing the situation while the cause is under investigation.
