Residents in Woodbridge may soon have a new grocery option. Signs for Lidl, a popular discount grocer, have appeared in the Smoketown Stations shopping center on Prince William Parkway. The signs are placed at the former site of 2nd and Charles, a bookstore that closed its doors earlier this year.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Press Release:

Santa Claus is coming to Potomac Mills! Starting this Friday, Nov. 22, shoppers will be able to partake in the annual Santa Photo Experience. View hours and make your preferred Santa reservations today by clicking here!

Potomac Mills shoppers may also meet Santa and celebrate the holidays this season at various events including:

Santa’s Arrival Party – Nov. 22 from 2- 3 p.m. in the Grand Court (next to TJ Maxx). Enjoy face painting, festive balloon twisting, holiday characters, giveaways and a letter writing station while supplies last. Santa photos are also available for purchase.

Military Kids Santa Party– Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Military families are invited to celebrate the holiday season with Santa. All families will receive one Military Build-A-Bear per child (while supplies last) and will also enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, a Santa letter writing station, coloring and gift bag giveaways. Santa photos will be available for purchase. *Reservations are required to attend this event. Please RSVP to Nadhya…[email protected] and include your name, military branch and how many children will be attending. Reservations are limited and military ID required.

Caring Santa® – Dec. 8 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in the Grand Court (next to TJ Maxx). Exclusive event for children with special needs and their families. Reservations are required for this private, sensory-friendly experience.

A 36-year-old man turned himself in on November 14 in connection with a 2023 sexual assault and abduction that occurred in the Woodbridge area. He faces charges of rape and abduction and is being held without bond.

Press Release from Prince William Police:

Rape Investigation *ARREST – On November 14, the suspect, identified as Kelvin Johnson ALVARADO-AGUILAR, who was sought in connection to the sexual assault that was reported to have occurred at a residence located in the Woodbridge (22191) area of Prince William County in 2023, turned himself into police.

Arrested on November 14:
Kelvin Johnson ALVARADO-AGUILAR, 36, of the 1300 block of Ironwood St. in Woodbridge
Charged with rape and abduction
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Held WITHOUT Bond

Rape Investigation [Previously Released] – On October 17, 2024, detectives obtained charges in an ongoing investigation regarding a sexual assault that was reported to have occurred at a residence located in the Woodbridge (22191) area of Prince William County in 2023. The investigation revealed the adult female victim was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance, identified as the accused. While investigating the incident, detectives learned the accused had held the victim against her will in an altercation in 2022. The victim eventually reported the incidents prompting the police investigation. Following the investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for the accused, identified as Kelvin Johnson ALVARADO-AGUILAR. Attempts to locate the accused have been unsuccessful.

On November 11, 2024, a suspect was arrested in connection with a shooting incident on August 4, 2023, in Woodbridge, where the suspect fired multiple rounds at a vehicle. The suspect was charged with shooting into an unoccupied vehicle and reckless handling of a firearm, and is being held pending a court date.

Press Release from Prince William Police:

Shooting into an Unoccupied Vehicle | Reckless Handling of a Firearm ARREST – On November 5, 2024, detectives obtained arrest warrants for a suspect identified in the shots fired call that was reported to have occurred in the 13900 block of Rope Dr. in Woodbridge (22191) on August 4, 2023. The suspect, identified as Bryant Manuel HENRIQUEZ FLORES, was taken to custody without incident on November 11, 2024.

Arrested on November 11, 2024:
Bryant Manuel HENRIQUEZ FLORES, 25, of 13908 Rope Dr in Woodbridge
Charged with shooting into an unoccupied vehicle and reckless handling of a firearm
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Unavailable

Shooting into an Unoccupied Vehicle | Reckless Handling of a Firearm [Previously Released] – On August 4 at 10:40PM, officers responded to the 13900 block of Rope Dr. in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a shots fired call. The investigation revealed the victim, a 50-year-old man, was working on a vehicle parked in the above area, when he was approached by an unknown man. During the encounter, the suspect brandished a firearm and fired multiple rounds towards the victim. The victim was able to flee the area on foot and was not injured. While investigating the incident, officers determined the man was possibly with a group of other men who were near a brown-colored vehicle prior to the encounter. While checking the area, officers located two vehicles that sustained damage [consistent] with being struck by projectiles, and shell casings in the roadway. No injuries or additional property damage were reported.

Prince William County officials celebrated a milestone today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new six-level parking garage in Woodbridge.

The $53.5 million Potomac/Neabsco Mills Commuter Garage, designed to serve as a park-and-ride hub, represents a significant investment in the region’s transportation infrastructure and is a step toward meeting the growing demands of residents and commuters.

This article is for our Locals Only members. Please Sign In or upgrade and Become a Locals Only Member today! Make the smart choice for staying informed about your community. Thank you!

Prince William County Police Department reopened its field office at Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge earlier this month.

The field office will be utilized to support the mall, its visitors and tenants, but will also house members of the department’s recruitment team. According to a press release, the office will be available for new hire testing, report writing, meetings, training seminars and processing people who commit minor offenses. The location within the mall is behind the Round Bowling & Amusement.

Lt. Jonathan Perok, a public information officer with PWCPD, said this won’t be a regularly staffed location open to the public and the department has always had a space but was relocated within the building. He also said the office is able to process individuals as of now, but recruitment testing operations are expected to become operational in early 2025.

Potomac Mills is the Commonwealth’s largest outlet mall with more than 200 stores and 25 eateries. This field office will expand the PWCPD’s reach in the community, in addition to its existing 700 sworn officers and 14 bureaus. The police department has — either in the past or currently — had other field offices in other parts of the county.

On Nov. 5, the field office hosted a meet and greet event, where people had the opportunity to speak with PWCPD officers and receive a free Build-A-Bear!

Press Release:

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is evaluating the performance of ParkZen, a new smart parking mobile app that enables local travelers to view real-time parking availability in six commuter lots in Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford counties at no cost. The ParkZen app helps commuters check for and navigate to unoccupied parking spaces.

During the evaluation period, availability data will be reported for VDOT’s Saratoga Park and Ride lot in Springfield, Stringfellow Road Park and Ride lot in Centreville, and the Horner Road Commuter Lot in Woodbridge, as well as the three Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station parking lots at Backlick Road in Springfield, Brooke Road in Stafford, and Leeland Road in Falmouth. With a combined capacity of more than 5,000 parking spaces, travelers will be able to take advantage of these parking locations to conveniently transfer to buses, carpools, vanpools, or VRE trains.“Commuters have told us that not knowing whether parking is available at commuter lots is a deterrent to using transit, carpools, vanpools, and slugging,” said Amy McElwain, program manager for VDOT’s Office of Strategic Innovations. “We know that taking the guesswork out of parking makes it easier for commuters to get out of their single-occupant vehicles. However, the challenge has always been finding the resources to install and maintain reliable counting technology.”

ParkZen does not require the installation of counting equipment and allows users to instantly determine whether parking is available at a given lot, helping them navigate there with turn-by-turn guidance. Leveraging the power of smart crowdsourcing technology, ParkZen passively collects anonymized data from users only when they visit the selected commuter lots, in order to inform other drivers of lot occupancy levels.“Through this app, commuters can optimize the parking experience for themselves and others, enabling everyone to park quickly and catch buses, trains, and carpool rides,” said McElwain. “The more drivers who use the app during the trial period, the better job we will be able to do to validate this technology before scaling up to more locations.”

This parking technology will be initially available in the six designated lots for the early adopters during the evaluation period from November 2024 to January 2025. The free app is available in the App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. Top users will have a chance to earn a $50 Amazon gift card from ParkZen. If the trial period is successful, VDOT will evaluate rolling out the technology for other commuter lots throughout Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg area starting in Spring 2025.

This project is one of several regional initiatives that aim to improve travel reliability and mobility. By using crowdsourced real-time mobility data, VDOT and its partners strive to optimize performance of the transportation network, prioritize the needs of commuters, and offer them convenient tools to make informed travel choices.

Potomac Mills has announced a major renovation to its Food Pavilion, timed with the mall’s upcoming 40th anniversary in 2025. The remodel, set to begin this winter and expected to be completed by early 2025, will transform the dining space with a modernized look, new seating options, energy-efficient lighting, and enhanced areas for socializing, all designed to elevate visitors' experience.

According to Potomac Mills’ press release, the upgraded Food Pavilion will feature contemporary flooring, stylish lighting, and a refreshed color palette to create a more inviting atmosphere. New seating arrangements, including elevated banquet tables, intimate conversation spots, and flexible benches, will offer comfortable spaces for groups of all sizes. The renovation, which incorporates energy-efficient LED lighting throughout, aligns with the mall’s commitment to sustainability.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Families gathered at Potomac Mills mall on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, for a unique opportunity to meet and greet with Prince William County Police officers. The event, held in collaboration with Potomac Mills, aimed to foster positive connections between police officers and the local community. As part of the event, the mall provided free Build-A-Bear stuffed animals, all of which sported a police uniform, to the first 30 young visitors, creating a warm, friendly atmosphere for children and parents alike.

Jennifer Snitselaar, General Manager of Potomac Mills, emphasized the mall’s commitment to being a “center of community” in Woodbridge. “We are a very large tourist destination, and we aim to be a reflection of our community within our doors,” said Snitselaar. “Collaborating with Prince William Police to create a safe and welcoming environment is part of that mission.” The mall’s police substation, a permanent fixture, is another example of the ongoing partnership designed to enhance safety and build community connections.

Parent Lauren Lumley, who lives in Woodbridge with her 13-month-old son, Sawyer, said the event provided an invaluable experience for her child. “I thought it was really important for Sawyer to get to see police officers, so the first time he either needs one or sees one out in the world, it’s not so scary,” Lumley explained.

For Lumley and other local families, Potomac Mills has become more than a shopping destination—it’s a central community hub. “We come to the mall many times a week,” she said. “They offer so much for kids, from play areas to events like this. It’s a place where the community comes together.”

The meet-and-greet event exemplifies Potomac Mills’ role as a gathering place for the local community, offering not only shopping but also family-friendly activities that promote safety and engagement. The partnership with Prince William Police aims to build lasting bonds and a welcoming environment where children and families feel at home with their local law enforcement officers.

@ShoPotomacMills gives children Build-A-Bear dolls to children at today’s meet-and-greet with @PWCPolice. There were lots of smiles in the room. pic.twitter.com/lzaADepQ8p

— Potomac Local News (@PotomacLocal) November 5, 2024