Abduction | Sexual Assault – On December 7 at 5:05PM, officers responded to a residence located in the 14700 block of Tamarack Pl. in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate an abduction. The investigation revealed the victim, a 22-year-old woman, made arrangements with the resident of the home, identified as the accused, for massage- services.
While inside the residence, the accused retrieved and began handling a firearm. The accused then sexually assaulted the victim multiple times. At one point, the victim was able to message a friend who contacted the police. Officers made contact with the accused and took him into custody without incident.
While investigating the incident, officers located the firearm and determined it was stolen. The victim reported minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital for further treatment. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Istiaq Ahmed RAFI, was arrested.
Arrested on December 8:
Istiaq Ahmed RAFI, 33, of 14797 Tamarack Pl. in Woodbridge
Charged with 2 counts of forcible sodomy, 1 count of sexual battery, 1 count of abduction, 1 count of brandishing, 1 count of possession of a firearm with a controlled substance, 1 count of possession of a controlled substance, 1 count of possession of stolen property
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Held WITHOUT Bond
— Prince William police
Shooting | Armed Robbery – On November 7 at 12:15AM, officers responded to the 17400 block of Richmond Hwy. in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a shooting. Officers initially responded to an area hospital where a 56-year-old man was receiving treatment for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. The initial investigation revealed the man was walking in the above area when he was approached by an unknown man. During the encounter, the suspect demanded the man’s property and brandished a firearm. The man refused to give the suspect his property and then attempted to grab the weapon. During a struggle over the weapon, a round was fired which struck the man. The man separated from the suspect and was eventually transported to an area hospital where police were contacted. No additional injuries were reported, and no property was reported missing. The suspect was last seen wearing a black ski-style face mask and green military fatigue-style clothing.
Shooting into a Residential Dwelling – On November 7 at 3:29AM, officers responded to a residence located in the 13500 block of Delany Rd. in Woodbridge (22193) to investigate a destruction of property. The investigation revealed sometime between 12:21AM and 3:21AM, multiple shots were fired that struck and entered the home. Earlier that morning, at approximately 12:31AM, officers responded to the area of Delaney Rd. and Dale Blvd. for reports of shots being fired. At that time, no evidence of a shooting was located in the area. No injuries or additional property damage were reported.
Shooting into a Residential Dwelling – On November 5 at 6:30PM, officers responded to a residence located in the 4000 block of Yellowstone Lp. in Dumfries (22025) to investigate a shots fired call. The investigation revealed a dark-colored sedan stopped in front of the home. A masked man then exited the vehicle brandishing a firearm before firing several rounds, which struck and entered the home. The suspect then re-entered and fled in the vehicle. While checking the area, three additional homes sustained damage consistent with being struck. No injuries were reported. Shell casings were located in the roadway in front of the residence.
Armed Robbery – On November 5 at 2:34AM, officers responded to the Shell service station located at 2600 Prince William Pkwy in Woodbridge (22192) to investigate a robbery. The investigation revealed an unknown man entered the business and approached the service counter. When the store employee opened the access door to the service counter, the suspect followed the employee behind the counter while brandishing a knife. The suspect left the store when the employee was unable to open the register and was then seen fleeing the area in a black BMW sedan. No property was reported missing.
Suspect Description:
A black male, approximately 5’11”, with a skinny build
Last seen wearing a blue head covering and a white face mask, a white hooded sweatshirt, and grey sweatpants
Armed Robbery – On November 5 at 11:45PM, officers responded to the area of Mary’s Way near Oriskany Way in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a robbery. The investigation revealed the victim, a 25-year-old man, was walking in the above area when he was approached by two unknown men, possibly teenagers. During the encounter, one of the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded the victim’s property. The suspects took the victim’s recently purchased food and fled on foot. Officers and a police K-9 searched for the suspects who were not located. No injuries were reported.
Suspect Descriptions:
A black male, average height and weight, short hair twists, and facial hair Last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and pants
A black male with average height and weight
Last seen wearing a grey colored ski-style mask and other unknown clothing
A Dunkin Donuts employee was shot multiple times early Friday during a robbery.
The victim was working at the doughnut store at 2201 Old Bridge Road at Tacketts Mill in Lake Ridge when two masked men smashed through a window about 3:30 a.m., held the man at gunpoint, took cash from registers, and then shot him multiple times before fleeing.
Police found the victim lying on the floor and provided first aid until medics arrived.
The call for help came after a smash-and-grab at another Dunkin Donuts store at 13585 Minnieville Road, about three miles away. About 20 minutes earlier, two men smashed through a drive-through window, entered the store, and took a safe. No one was injured.
The first suspect is a light-skinned male, mid-20s, tall, with a skinny build, last seen wearing a black mask, a black hooded sweatshirt, a white shirt, blue jeans, green boxer briefs, and black shoes.
The second is a light-skinned male, mid-20s, tall, with a skinny build, last seen wearing a black mask, a dark-blue hooded sweatshirt, grey pants, and dark-colored shoes.
It was a violent night in Prince William County on Thursday into Friday. One person was shot and killed on Route 1, and another was shot in the Birchdale section of Dale City.
So far, there have been 15 homicides in Prince William County in 2022.
Here’s the full police press release about the smash, grab, and shooting at Dunkin Donuts.
On October 28 at 3:31AM, officers responded to the Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins located at 13585 Minnieville Rd. in Woodbridge (22192) to investigate a burglary. Video surveillance revealed at approximately 3:09AM, a grey SUV parked next to the store and then two masked men smashed the drive through window to gain entry into the business. While inside the store, the suspects removed a safe from an office before fleeing in the SUV. While investigating the incident, officers received a call for a shooting that just occurred at the Dunkin Donuts located at 2201 Old Bridge Rd. Upon arriving at the store, officers located an employee of the business suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. Officers provided immediate first aid to the 29-year-old male victim until rescue personnel arrived at the location. The victim was transported to an area hospital where his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening. The investigation into the shooting revealed the victim was working inside the business when two masked men smashed the drive through window and gained entry into the store. While inside the business, the suspects located the victim and held him at gunpoint before attempting to take money from the registers. When the suspects were unsuccessful, they demanded the victim’s property and then fired multiple rounds, striking the victim. The suspects then fled in a grey SUV. While investigating the incidents, detectives with the Violent Crimes Bureau determined the same suspects were involved in both incidents. The investigation continues.
Suspect Descriptions:
A light-skinned male, mid-20’s, tall, with a skinny build
Last seen wearing a black mask, a black hooded sweatshirt, a white shirt, blue jeans, green boxer-briefs, and black shoes
A light-skinned male, mid-20’s, tall, with a skinny build
Last seen wearing a black mask, a dark-blue hooded sweatshirt, grey pants, and dark-colored shoes
In three days, elected county leaders will make the most significant land use decision in county history as it weighs the Prince William Digital Gateway.
Opponents of the massive data center project, the county’s most significant land-use case in history, gathered today to urge the Board of County Supervisors to delay its decision expected in the early hours of Wednesday morning, November 2.
Clear-cutting so much land in a rural area will lead to more stormwater and pollutants flowing into the Occoquan Reservoir, the drinking water source for 1.5 million people in Fairfax and Prince William counties, they said.
They’re urging a comprehensive study of the sediments and salt in the water and looking at how the proposed server farms would add to that pollution. Opponents say they support data center construction inside an area called the data center overlay district the Board of County Supervisors established in 2021. The proposed project falls outside of the overlay.
Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson led the press conference at Lake Ridge Marina on the reservoir banks. She said that, hopefully, a few of the five Democrats on the Board of County change their minds before the vote.
“I can’t imagine in my most expansive dreams that they can diver such a disastrous plan that so many organizations have opposed. They’re not focusing on the right priorities,” Lawson told Potomac Local News. “The Board members who think this is a great [plan. Maybe they need to pay closer attention to what’s happening in their districts.”
With elections for all eight Board of County Supervisors coming next year, Lawson suggested the Digital Gateway be an election issue in 2023. “Let’s run on it next year when more poeple are paying attention,” said Lawson.
On behalf of data center developers, the Prince William County Government seeks to amend the county’s comprehensive plan and rezone 2,100 acres next to Manassas National Battlefield to build data centers — server farms that power the internet.
Prince William Conservation Alliance, the National Parks Conservation Association, Coalition for Smarter Growth, with 12 other non-profits have rallied against the project.
“Repeated requests by Supervisor Lawson and County residents to delay the vote until a water study can be conducted have been ignored. Have a slice of cake, they say,” said Prince Wiliam County Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega. “While Supervisor Lawson and I are Republicans, it’s safe to say that we have been more environmentally sensitive and cognizant to the impacts of land use decisions on our local environment and the health and safety of our residents than our counterparts.”
The area on which the Prince William Digital Gateway would sit is about the size of 150 Walmart Supercenter stores and 15 times the size of Potomac Mills mall. The project would make Prince William County the world’s leader in data center space, eclipsing neighboring Loudoun County, which has held the title of Internet Capital since the 1990s.
Since the reservoir serves Prince William and Fairfax counties, officials across the Occoquan River are also weighing in. Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large called calls from his colleague Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity to delay the project and conduct the water study “politically motivated.”
“Local government used to be about common sense, not but politics has worked its way into local government,” Herrity told Potomac Local News. This a common sense decision. This reservoir supplies a drinking supply for 1.5 million residents. Take the time to do the study.”
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, to hear the case. Public testimony is expected last well into the overnight hours.
The county Planning Commission heard the case last month and voted to approve in a 4:3:1 vote, with one member abstaining. The vote came after 4:30 a.m., following a marathon public comment session.
Updated 2 p.m. — Prince William County Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson will hold a rally to urge leaders to defer a decision on a massive data center development plan.
Lawson and conversationalist groups will rally at Lake Ridge Marina on the Occoquan Reservoir, 12350 Cotton Mill Drive, to urge Supervisors to delay a decision on the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway.
Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega (R) was also going to attend but decided otherwise after multiple non-profits participating in the rally voiced concerns about the possibility of the event turning into a political rally. Vega is seeking Virginia’s 7th Congressional seat on November 8.
According to a spokeswoman in Lawson’s office, the groups were concerned about jeopardizing their non-profit tax status should the event be viewed as political and threatened to pull out if Vega attended. The spokeswoman said it had nothing to do with Vega’s political views.
Developers seek to rezone more than 2,100 acres of land next to the Manassas National Battlefield, an area about 15 times larger than Potomac Mill mall in Woodbridge, to construct new server farms that power the internet.
Supervisors are set to hear the case at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1. The meeting is expected to draw hundreds and last in the early hours of the following morning, Wednesday, November 2.
After more than a year of evaluation, protests, and recall-election petitions for Board of County Chair At-large Ann Wheeler and Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland, residents who stand to benefit financially if the project is approved, opponents say. Wheeler failed to publicly disclose she owned stock in one of the firms seeking to rezone, while Candland and his neighbors agreed to sell his home to data center developers if the project is approved.
The project’s supporters say the data centers are the types of businesses the county needs to diversify its tax base to take the burden of funding the county government and its local schools (the county’s largest employer) off the backs of those who pay Real Estate property taxes.
The project’s opponents argue the data centers affect the water quality in the region, as land will be paved. Still, more impervious surfaces will be created, sending more sediment into the Occoquan Reservoir, which accounts for about 60% of the county’s drinking water supply.
They also say data centers as tall as 50 feet will disturb the views at the Manassas National Battlefield, hallowed ground, the site of one of the first battles in the U.S. Civil War.
Here’s more about Friday’s upcoming press conference:
Growing concern for compromised water quality has energized environmental/ conservation groups and citizens alike from around Prince William County and the Northern Virginia region. Together, they have sought to secure proper water studies that would determine the effects of large-scale industrial development proposed in western PWC at the headwaters of the Occoquan Watershed and Reservoir.
On Friday, October 28, 2022, Supervisors Jeanine Lawson (Brentsville)
and Yesli Vega (Coles)will host a press conference to once again call on the PW Board of County Supervisors to postpone a vote on the Prince William Digital Gateway until all relevant environmental studies have been completed. The Supervisors will be joined by advocates from Prince William Conservation Alliance, Coalition to Protect PWC, Sierra Club, & Piedmont Environmental Council. Experts from within Prince William and Fairfax Counties warned water run-off from a massive industrial corridor could have a serious negative impact on the regional water supply, one that serves residents of Eastern Prince William County, City of Alexandria, Ft. Belvoir, and portions of Fairfax County.
The Prince William County Planning Commission recommended approval of the Prince William Digital Gateway project, with four members voting yes, three no, and one abstention.
Fire crews went to the 12000 block of Hatchway Court at 5:19 a.m. to find heavy smoke and fire at a single-family home. One of two occupants inside the home suffered serious burns, and is now in a hospital.
The victim, and another man who was also inside when flames broke out, escaped the flames before fire crews arrived. According to Prince William County fire and rescue spokesman Matt Smolsky, one of the men who lives on the first floor alerted the second to the blaze.
The home sustained extensive damage. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupants.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office.
“The Fire Marshal’s Office would like to remind everyone, smoke detectors save lives. Ensure your smoke detectors are working properly by testing monthly. If you need assistance in obtaining a smoke detector, please contact your local fire station,” said Smolksy.
Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye will hold the first annual Barktober, a celebration of Prince William County’s furriest residents, on Saturday, October 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Tackett’s Mill in the lower level.
Residents may learn more about pet resources and how they can get involved in animal advocacy, ranging from volunteering at the shelter or dog park to fostering opportunities.
Residents may bring well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome at the event, and costumes are encouraged. The festival will feature:
“As evidenced by the grassroots effort behind the county’s new animal shelter, this is a community that cares deeply about animal welfare,” said Boddye in a press release. “Barktober is a chance to celebrate the ‘pets of Prince William,’ highlighting the organizations that serve those pets, whether as advocates or as service providers.”
The event will feature Animal adoptions, a pet-friendly photo booth, resources for pet owners, ways to support animal welfare in Prince William County, giveaways and raffles, a food truck, and gluten-free baked goods.
Exhibitors include the Prince Wiliam County Animal Shelter, SPCA, PWC Dogs (the volunteer group overseeing operations of K9 Gunner Dog Park), Operation Paws for Homes, Mr. Woof, NeVetica, The Furever Project, and To The Rescue.
Area residents adopted more than 2,000 animals from the Prince William County Animal Shelter in 2021, including 640 dogs, 923 cats, one pig, and one sheep.
Chair Ann Wheeler acknowledged that the Prince William Digital Gateway CPA review was “confusing” and announced a delay in bringing it to the Board of County Supervisors for a vote.
Despite the compromised nature of the September 14th Planning Commission public hearing, there was no mention of invalidating its recommendation or conducting a new hearing under more trustworthy conditions. So, you can expect the pause is merely designed to give weary citizens time to forget.
Now we must pivot almost immediately to another public hearing on updates to the county’s comprehensive plan this Wednesday evening.
The comprehensive plan is an exhaustive document that the average citizen cannot possibly digest and review in a single evening. We would normally rely on professional government staff and our elected officials to look out for our best interests.
Unfortunately, we have very recently been reminded that they cannot be trusted to do so. It is far more likely that they intend to sneak sweetheart deals for their developer cronies past us, literally in the dark of night.
Unless you have the time and expertise to interpret the myriad changes, you won’t notice subtle alterations with significant impacts. Watch for blanket zoning recharacterizations that sidestep contentious CPA reviews and surreptitiously authorize data centers where public outcry would have created obstacles. I would specifically watch for this to happen in the areas where Devlin Technology Park and John Marshall Commons were contested.
The Comprehensive Plan update is too important and sweeping to be relegated to late-night railroading. If the Prince William Board of County Supervisors is confident of their vision for the future of this county, they should exhibit the transparency to explain it to the citizens and the courage to debate it during the upcoming 2023 election cycle.
Bill Wright
Gainesville
Updated 10:30 a.m. — A man suffered life-threatening burns after trying to coax his pet from a house fire.
Fire and rescue crews were sent to the 12000 blocks off Point Longstreet Way in Lake Ridge at 12:06 a.m. for a two-alarm fire. Crews arrived with heavy fire and smoke conditions.
The occupants awoke after hearing a fire erupt on the home’s rear deck. Two adults and one child got out safely.
One man suffered injuries that appeared to be life-threatening burns while trying to coax the dog out of the house and suffered possible life-threatening burns, said Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department Assitant Chief Matt Smolksy.
Rescue crews took the man to a regional burn center for treatment. The dog was not injured.
The home sustained extensive damage causing the Building Official to declare the home unsafe to occupy.
The American Red Cross assisted the displaced family. The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident as accidental and the investigation is continuing.
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