The Stafford County Sheriff's officer injured in a high-speed chase on July 23 has been identified as Captain Lee Peters, who ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2023.
On July 23rd, a high-speed chase involving a wanted suspect began on Kings Highway and ended at Centreport Parkway. The pursuit intensified as the suspect fled onto I-95, exited onto Courthouse Road, and then re-entered I-95 before being stopped by Deputy McAlister's PIT maneuver. Following the crash, all three suspects fled on foot. The driver, Nicholas Morales, was quickly apprehended by Deputy Vaughn and found to be intoxicated; the back passenger, Ajee Whitter, was captured by Deputy Gildea, and the front passenger, Raymond Whalen, was tracked and caught with the help of a K-9 and SWAT team. All suspects were charged with multiple offenses and are held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Sgt. Cabrera and K9 Kobalt, of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office
Prince William County
Attempted Malicious Wounding (Domestic Related) – On August 2 at 1:04AM, officers responded to the Woodbridge Station Apartments located in the 1500 block of Constellation Pl. in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a domestic dispute. The investigation revealed a man, later identified as the accused, forced entry into the apartment of an acquaintance where he then brandished a knife toward a 43-year-old male occupant of the apartment. The accused broke the man’s phone before leaving the apartment. Officers and a police K-9 searched the area for the accused who was not located. No injuries were reported. Following the investigation, officers obtained arrest warrants for the accused, identified as Eduin Misael FLORES GUTIERREZ. Attempts to locate the accused have been unsuccessful.
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 driver’s 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 Lowe’s 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 Alexander’s 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 deputy’s 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 Waheed’s 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 stores
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 vehicle’s 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 Sheriff’s 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 we’ve 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.
Three men, including two wanted suspects, were apprehended following a high-speed chase that started and ended near Centreport Parkway, involving maneuvers by deputies and state police to stop and capture the suspects. The pursuit involved a series of events, including a vehicle being pushed off the road, deputies sustaining injuries, and foot chases leading to the capture and arrest of all suspects on various charges, highlighting effective coordination among law enforcement agencies.
Three men, two of which were wanted, were found and captured after a pursuit that started and ended in the area of Centreport Parkway.
On July 23rd at approximately 5:36 p.m. First Sergeant A.I. Assur was on Kings Highway when he observed a wanted suspect in a black Honda Civic. Unable to conduct a traffic stop at the time, First Sergeant Assur broadcasted the vehicle description to nearby deputies, as well as, the Virginia State Police. Moments later, the vehicle was spotted by deputies traveling Northbound on Richmond Highway in the area of Centreport Parkway. Deputy J.W. McAlister activated his emergency equipment in an attempt to conduct a high-risk stop; however, the driver fled at a high rate of speed onto Northbound I-95 while failing to maintain the lane of travel.
Additional deputies, with the assistance of Virginia State Police, pursued the vehicle as it traveled Northbound I-95, exited Westbound onto Courthouse Road, before getting onto Southbound I-95 back towards Centreport Parkway. When the suspect vehicle got off I-95 and began traveling Eastbound on Centrport Parkway, Deputy McAlister, who is P.I.T. certified, made intentional vehicle contact. This was successful and pushed the vehicle off the roadway, up an embankment, and ended the vehicle pursuit. As a result of the crash, one deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital out of abundance of caution. All three occupants within the suspect vehicle took off on foot.
The driver fled across the I-95 Northbound ramp and up an embankment. Deputy B.E. Vaughn quickly exited his vehicle and gave chase. The driver had difficulty running up the embankment and was easily apprehended by Deputy Vaughn. The driver had pinpoint pupils, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Due to these signs of intoxication, Deputy D.S. Jett, a Drug Recognition Expert, conducted field sobriety tests. Furthermore, Deputy Jett, who is also a certified phlebotomist, collected the driver’s blood for testing. DUI charges are pending those results. During his fleeing attempt, the driver would discard a bottle containing suspected controlled substances.
The second occupant, identified as the back passenger, ran across Centreport Parkway towards the Northbound I-95 off ramp. While doing so, he passed directly in front of Deputy B.W. Gildea, who quickly exited his vehicle and gave chase. He was able to apprehend the suspect without further incident. The suspect was discovered to be wanted by the U.S. Marshals.
The third occupant, identified as the front passenger, ran into the nearby woods as Sergeant B.U. Demirci gave chase. While Sergeant Demirci lost sight of the suspect, he did locate the suspect’s shoes he left behind during his fleeing attempt. Deputy F.A. Martinez deployed his K-9 partner, Mija, and began tracking the suspect from the shoe’s location. Mija led deputies right to the suspect, who once again began fleeing on foot. Luckily, members of the SWAT team finished an operation just prior to the pursuit and assisted in establishing a perimeter. When the suspect fled from Mija, he ran directly towards the waiting deputies along the perimeter and was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver, Nicholas Morales, 28, of Woodbridge, was charged with felony eluding, driving while revoked, felony hit and run, eluding police on foot, obstruction of justice, littering, possession of controlled substances, reckless driving, and failure to maintain his lane. He was wanted out of Prince William County for felony eluding, reckless driving, driving while revoked, and having an expired registration. He was served on those warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
The back passenger, Ajee Whitter, 30, of Arlington, was charged with felony failure to report a hit and run with injury, and eluding police on foot. He was wanted by the U.S. Marshals for an escape offense. He was served on those warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
The front passenger, Raymond Whalen, 24, of Chantilly, was charged with felony failure to report a hit and run with injury, and eluding police on foot. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Amazing teamwork to all law enforcement personnel involved. We would like to thank Virginia State Police for their assistance, as well as, members of our SWAT Team who quickly jumped into action. We are praying for a speedy recovery for our injured deputy.
Happening Now:
A pursuit on Centreport Parkway has ended and all suspects are detained. One deputy was injured. The road is still closed and the investigation is ongoing. There is no danger to the public and we will release more information when it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/VfWOIPKuQo
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.
Updated 1 p.m. Friday, July 19 — A Spotsylvania man faces multiple charges after being found passed out in a car with controlled substances in South Stafford. Despite attempts to flee and resist arrest, deputies subdued him with OC spray. They took him to the hospital for evaluation before taking him into custody at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
A Spotsylvania man collected a plethora of charges during an incident in South Stafford yesterday afternoon. On July 18th at 3:14 p.m. Deputy D.S. Jett and Deputy C.S. Harding responded to Argyle Heights subdivision for an unknown medical emergency. A resident had contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report a stranger passed out in a black Chevy Impala completely blocking the ingress and egress to her residence. The deputies observed the 46-year-old male passed out behind the wheel with suspected controlled substances next to him.
The man was startled as he awoke to find the deputies at the side of his car. He was instructed to exit the vehicle, but declined the invitation and remained nonplussed. The drugged driver was informed it was not a request and he needed to exit the car. Instead of getting out, the belligerent motorist started the car, put it in gear and sped down the driveway to the home. This proved to be fruitless, as the home was surrounded by large trees preventing any avenue of escape. The suspect had no known association to the home.
Deputies maneuvered their patrol cars behind the ornery operator and continued to give commands to surrender. However, after the brief pursuit the antagonistic automobilist had returned to a slumbering state.
Deputies breached the windows of the vehicle and tactically extracted the suspect from the vehicle. The suspect became increasingly hostile upon being awoken and continued to thrash about as deputies applied handcuffs. Due to the continued struggle, the suspect received a dose of OC spray, which did little to calm his hostility. After an intense struggle, the suspect was placed in a patrol car, but returned to a lethargic state. Due to the concern of an overdose, the suspect was transferred to medics and was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation.
The suspect was identified as Russell McFadden II. McFadden was charged with DUI second offense in 5 to 10 years, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of assault on law enforcement, obstruction, driving revoked, eluding, fleeing from law enforcement, driving revoked and expired registration. He was turned over to the custody of the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. A mugshot is not currently available.
Excellent teamwork by the deputies to get this suspect off the streets of Stafford County. Thank you to our partners at Stafford County Fire and Rescue for their assistance at this incident.
As we reported in the link above, one of the suspected shooters was out on bond in connection to a December 2023 incident where he was charged with Reckless with a Gun Causing Permanent Serious Bodily Injury, a class 6 felony. His charges were later escalated to the Prince William County Circuit Court, where he was indicted on multiple counts, including Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm Under 18 Years Old, and Malicious Wounding.
A wanted man in Stafford was apprehended after a foot chase that ended with his fall from a fence behind a Panda Express. Derrick Eady, 22, was caught by deputies and is now held without bond on multiple charges, including obstructing justice.
Eady was wanted for Failure to Appear, and has a number of prior charges in recent years including Trespass, Obstruction of Justice, Public Intoxication, and Possession of Drugs.
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 driver’s 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.
