"Reckless Handling of a Firearm – On January 12 at 11:03 a.m., officers responded to the Longview Apartments located in the 13700 block of Lynn Street in Woodbridge to investigate a shots fired call. The investigation revealed a resident of the complex, identified as the accused, retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and brandished it towards a maintenance worker who was in the parking lot. The parties eventually separated. At one point, the accused fired multiple rounds into the air before being detained without incident by arriving officers. No injuries or property damage were reported. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Deandrae Ladale SPRADLEY, was arrested. Arrested on January 12: [No Photo Available] Deandrae Ladale SPRADLEY, 46, of 13711 Lynn Street in Woodbridge. Charged with willful discharge of firearm in public place, reckless handling of a firearm, and brandishing. Court Date: Pending | Bond: $3,000 Secured Bond."
Prince William Police Department: "Commercial Burglary – On January 15 at 8:17 a.m., officers responded to Potomac Mills Mobil Gas located at 14496 Gideon Drive in Woodbridge to investigate a burglary. The investigation revealed sometime between 6:00 p.m. on January 14 and 8:00 a.m. on January 15, entry was forced into the building through a rear bay door and then into the office area and ATM. An undisclosed amount of money and tobacco products were reported missing."
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The 2024 Contest Theme was “If America is to Remain a great nation, we must….”
The program included winning six speeches by:
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Three people are homeless after an apartment Apartment Fire on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 4:39 p.m.
Prince William County, fire and rescue crews, were dispatched to the 1500 block of Constellation Drive at the Woodbridge Station Apartments after a resident found a fire on their balcony.
The fire department spokesman stated that all the occupants had safely evacuated and quickly extinguished the fire.
No injuries were reported. The fire damage was primarily limited to the utility closet on the balcony.
The American Red Cross is assisting the victims. No other building occupants were impacted.
The Fire Marshal’s Office determined a failure within the heating and air conditioning unit ignited the fire.
A townhouse fire broke out in a neighborhood just off Cardinal Drive.
Prince William County fire and rescue crews were called Friday, January 12, 2024, at 12:25 p.m. to the 2900 block of Stockholm Way for a townhouse fire. Crews arrived to find the occupants safely out and smoke showing from the first floor.
The three adults and two children inside told investigators they had discovered the fire when the home’s smoke detectors activated. Officials said the crew was located in the basement and was quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported.
The home sustained moderate damage and was declared unsafe to occupy by the Building Official. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupants.
The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the cause of the fire was an unattended candle igniting nearby combustible materials.
“This fire may have been preventable. The Fire Marshal does not recommend the use of candles. If they are used, they should never be left unattended, used near combustibles, or placed where children or pets could be harmed,” said county fire marshal Matt Smolksy.
“In addition, smoke detectors provide the quickest means to alert anyone to a fire. They allowed the occupants of this incident to safely evacuate the structure without injury. All homes should be equipped with working detectors. Smoke detectors must be check regularly to ensure operational readiness,” he adds.
A knife found at Potomac Senior High School on January 3, 2024, was not passed through a metal detector.
We incorrectly reported it had been in an earlier version of this story.
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Woodbridge Senior High School administrators kept students inside today as police searched Lake Ridge for a killer.
A school division spokeswoman told Potomac Local News that eight Prince William County Public schools in the Lake Ridge area were placed into a secure-the-building status today for more than an hour due to police activity.
During a secure-the-building status, students who may have been outside during recess or P.E. are brought inside the building. Exterior doors remain locked as usual, but entry in and out of the building is limited.
“This is a different status than a lockdown status. None of our schools were in a lockdown status,” said spokeswoman Megan Silas. “[Prince William County Public Schools] has a great relationship with Prince William County PD, who kept us informed.”
The school division notified parents via email and text messages after they limited entry to the school buildings’ doors.
Police are searching for 37-year-old Karen Nicole Pollard, a homeless woman, who is wanted in connection to the shooting death of Patrica Belgin, 51, also homeless, on December 28, 2023.
Police said Pollard shot and killed Belgin after an argument over fentanyl pills, in the 1200 block of Easy Street, just off Route 1 in Woodbridge.
Pollard remains on the loose.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputies briefly closed a portion of Interstate 95 near Garrisonville Road in neighboring Stafford County for a chase that started at a Walmart on Warrenton Road (Route 17) in south Stafford.
The theft occurred about 12:30 p.m., and detectives followed the suspect’s car to I-95 north. Additional deputies were called in, and police were able to stop the suspects after a brief chase.
Several people have been arrested, said Stafford Sheriff’s Major Shawn Kimmitz. We’ll post more about this one when we have it.
The 25 students in grades six through eight came to Open Space Arts at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center on Wednesday, January 10. According to a press release from the art house, the students came to Woodbridge as part of their curriculum of growth, development, and a flourishing of their innate artistic talents in the New Year."
"...Open Space Arts seeks to provide an inclusive environment for students to participate in enriching art events, fostering a widespread appreciation and engagement in the arts among our local youth," states the release.
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Prince William police reported the following incidents.
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Prince William police report the first murder in the county of 2024.
On Saturday, January 6 at 5:04 p.m., officers responded to investigate a shooting that reportedly occurred in the area of Possum Point Road and Leonard Street in Dumfries earlier that day.
Officers were initially called to an area hospital where a 24-year-old Desire Alexandria Buggs, 24, of Woodbridge was suffering from a gunshot wound and later died. The preliminary investigation revealed her husband, later identified as the accused, brought the victim to the hospital after the shooting occurred and provided detectives with an account of what led up to the shooting, police said.
While investigating, additional information and the weapon believed to be used during the shooting were turned over to police. Further investigation revealed the accused was involved in the incident. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Daniel Okoe Lawson, 24, of 14306 Jeffries Road, Apt #602, in Woodbridge, was arrested.
Lawson faces felony murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and shooting into an occupied vehicle charges.
Detectives are continuing their investigation to determine what led up to the shooting and the shooting location. Anyone with information that could aid investigators in this investigation are asked to contact police.
Charged with felony murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and shooting into an occupied vehicle
There were 22 murders in Prince William County in 2023, a tie with a 10-year high recorded in 2016.
