From Prince William fire and rescue:

House Fire

Thursday, December 5, 2024

3:28 AM

Earlier this morning units were dispatched to the 9900 blk of Suheil Road (Buckhall) for a reported fire near a home. Crews arrived on the scene with the fire quickly spreading throughout the home. The amount of fire and windy conditions prompted a second alarm to assist. All occupants were safely out of the home. No injuries were reported. The single-family home sustained extensive damage. The Building Official declared the structure unsafe to occupy. Three (3) adults were displaced. The Fire Marshal’s Office is on the scene looking into the cause of the blaze.

Photos from Prince William fire and rescue.

Manassas is at a crossroads, striving to honor its Civil War legacy while addressing the challenges of modern growth. This was the key takeaway from a community research report conducted by North Star, a branding and development consulting firm, and presented during a joint Manassas City Council and Economic Development Authority meeting on Dec. 2.

The survey, which sought to measure resident perceptions and identify growth opportunities, underscores the city’s dual identity: a historic landmark with a vibrant, modern beat. North Star conducted the online survey, which garnered responses from 1,520 residents, including 1,118 from Manassas. Nearly 20% of participants identified as Hispanic, Latin American, or Caribbean, reflecting the city’s diverse population. The survey had a margin of error of ±2.51%.

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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

The Lifelong Learning Institute-Manassas (LLI), an educational and social organization geared toward senior citizens, is offering two free programs on Dec. 9 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

The programs are both being held at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas. The programs focus on different topics and presented by two experts in their own right.

LLI offers two programs each year in the fall and spring for adults aged 50 and over, drawing on members, local college faculty and residents’ expertise. Classes are typically held at the Hylton Center, as well as local churches, mosques, the Manassas Park Recreation Center and the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

The first presentation from 10:30 a.m. to noon will be given by Gene Schmiel, a retired U.S. Department of State foreign service officer, former history professor and Civil War lecturer at LLI before, on the steamboats traversing the Mississippi River following the Louisiana Purchase.

The second presentation, held from 1:30 to 3 p.m., will be given by Judge Craig Johnston, a semi-retired Prince William County Circuit Court Judge and lawyer in Manassas for more than 30 years. Johnston will discuss when and how the Constitution is applied in cases in Virginia Courts.

Registration is not required, and more information on these programs and upcoming ones can be found on LLI’s website.

December is going to be a festive month around Prince William County and Manassas with several events and activities scheduled. Take a look at some highlighted events.

Monday (Dec. 2)

• Board of County Supervisors Joint Legislative Meeting, 9 a.m. (Woodbridge)
• Holiday Gift Bringers Scavenger Hunt, All day through the month (Bull Run Library)
• Festival of Trees, All day through the month (Haymarket Gainesville Library)
• Ornament Take & Make, All day while supplies last (Independent Hill Library)
• Manassas City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Tuesday (Dec. 3)

• Cardboard Gingerbread House Contest, through Dec. 8 (Manassas Park City Library)

Friday (Dec. 6)

• Holiday Through the Ages, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Santa Lights Manassas and Tree Lighting Ceremony, 5:15 to 7 p.m. (Manassas City)
• Holiday Walk of Lights, 5:30 to 9 p.m. until Dec. 22 (Woodbridge)
• Kids Night Out, 6 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Saturday (Dec. 7)

• West County Household Hazardous Waste Disposal, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Manassas)
• Holiday Market, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Greater Manassas Christmas Parade, 10 a.m. to noon (Manassas City)
• Elementary School Strings Holiday Performance, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)
• Craft & Create: Coffee Filter Snowflakes, 2 to 3 p.m. (Manassas Park)

Sunday (Dec. 8)

• Holiday Carriage Rides, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday until Dec. 15 (Manassas City)

Dec. 9

• Chinn Park Library reopens (Woodbridge)
• Woven Wall Hangings Take and Make, All day (Dumfries Library)
• Manassas City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Dec. 10

• Homeschool Hangout, 1 to 3 p.m. (Chinn Park Library)
• Board of County Supervisors Meeting, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Busy Hands Social Club, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Central Library)

Dec. 11

• Coffee with a Cop, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Gainesville)
• Pajama Story Time, 7 to 7:30 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)

Dec. 12

• Holiday Illustrated Poems, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Dumfries Library)
• Teens Create: Holiday Picture Frames, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Manassas Park)

Dec. 13

• Kids Create: Play-Doh Snowmen, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Manassas Park)

Dec. 14

• Santa Trains 2024, various times and locations
• Family Gingerbread House Building Contest, 10 a.m. to noon (Woodbridge)
• Mistletoe Holiday Craft Festival, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Montclair Library)
• Building Emergency Kits for a Safer Tomorrow, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Potomac Library)
• Yuletide Yoga, Noon to 1:30 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Teddy Bear Picnic, 2 to 3 p.m. (Bull Run Library)

Dec. 16

• Ribbon Rendezvous, 4 to 7:30 p.m. (Chinn Park Library)
• Teen Gingerbread Challenge, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)
• Recording in Progress, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Bull Run Library)

Dec. 17

• Board of County Supervisors Meeting, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Adults Create: Clothespin Snowflake Ornament, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Manassas Park)
• Winter Snowflake Making, 6 to 7 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)

Dec. 18

• AARP Smart Driver Course, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)
• Crochet and Coffee, 11 a.m. to noon (Nokesville Library)

Dec. 20

• Memory Café with Comfort Keepers of Greater Prince William, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)
• Taverns & TTRPGs, 6 to 9 p.m. (Great Mane Brewery)

Dec. 21

• BRAVA Handbells Holiday Concert, 2 to 4 p.m. (Haymarket Gainesville Library)

Dec. 22

• Bad Art, 3 to 5 p.m. (Great Mane Brewery)

Dec. 23

• Bad Art Night, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Chinn Park Library)

Dec. 30

• Brit Lit Book Club, 1 to 2:30 p.m. (Potomac Library)

Dec. 31

• New Year’s Eve Pre-Party Palooza, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Central Library)
• Countdown to Noon, 11:45 a.m. (Bull Run Library)

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Press release:

Dylan Smith and Ester Garrido, who share a passion for fitness, recently opened Training Ed, a private personal training studio in Manassas at 9824 Liberia Avenue. With 10–15 years of experience and multiple certifications, their trainers provide personalized, contract-free sessions in a supportive environment.

The facility is equipped with premium gear and offers both in-person and virtual coaching, focusing on education and tailored programs for lasting results.

Celebrate Training Ed’s opening at their ribbon-cutting event on January 31 at 3:30 p.m., or learn more on their website.

 

The City Council unanimously approved the appointment during its Nov. 25 meeting, emphasizing Burke's experience and commitment to the community.

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Press release:

It is with great sadness that the Manassas City Police Department announces the passing of former Chief of Police John Skinner. Chief Skinner dedicated his life to Law Enforcement with over 37 years of service across all levels, from the line officer to the Chief of Police. He began his career in 1974 with the United States Secret Service Uniform Division.

In 1975, he moved to the City of Fairfax Police Department starting as an officer. He moved through various positions and ranks eventually being selected as Chief of Police in 1993 where he served until his 1st retirement in 1998.

In 1998, Chief Skinner accepted the role as our Chief of Police for the Manassas City Police Department, which he held until his 2nd retirement in 2010. Chief Skinner led our agency through a professional age of policing, a highlight was bringing an enhanced accreditation standard to our department through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).

“Chief Skinner implemented a high standard and expectation of professionalism. He had the vision to pursue] Accreditation (CALEA) that greatly improved our operations with updated policies, accountability, and professional standing,” said current Manassas City Police Department Chief Douglas W. Keen Chief Skinner’s positive impact on the community is immeasurable. On behalf of all current and retired members of the Manassas City Police Department, we thank Chief Skinner for his leadership and service.

Rest easy Chief, your legacy lives on through us.

The Manassas Economic Development Authority (EDA) will hold a special meeting on Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the first-floor conference room of City Hall. The meeting, a joint work session with the Manassas City Council, will focus on the interim operations and potential uses of the Manassas Shopping Center before its scheduled demolition.

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