A meals tax would be assessed on all prepared foods – including drinks sold along with them – from restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, food carts and ready-to-eat grocery items.

At 1%, a meals tax would generate $33 million. The top rate allowed – 6% – would mean $198 million.

Kyle Schoenberger said he opposes any sort of meals tax because he believes it could hurt the restaurant he works for and, in turn, his livelihood.

“We’ve also heard feedback from people in terms of how much they’d still go out if the tax is raised, and that would affect our income as well,” he said.

Timmy Norton of the restaurant group Great American Restaurants said he’s concerned about the impact on lower income residents who spend a bigger percentage of their budget on prepared foods.

“I don’t think this is a necessary tax, because, again, it’s a single-industry tax that is solely going to impact lower-middle class folks and working class folks the most,” he said.

In a budget committee session Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wanted to get a fuller picture of how adding several other types of taxes might work to slightly shift the heavy reliance on property taxes.

“All we signaled was to get the information today,” Chairman Jeff McKay said.

Supervisors say a meals tax could ease the burden on property owners.

“The opportunity here is to identify what options we might have other than the residential tax rate as a way to provide for some of the critical services,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said.

Many Northern Virginia jurisdictions – including Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County – already have food taxes, ranging from 3% to 5%.

If the Board does decide to move ahead with the tax, the staff recommends doing it as part of next year’s budget process, meaning a possible vote in spring 2025. If it wins approval, the earliest it could be collected would be January 2026.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Wesley Shifflett is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a weapon in the killing of 37-year-old Timothy McCree Johnson near a busy shopping mall on Feb. 22, 2023. On Monday, authorities began selecting 12 people for the jury. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Wednesday once officials complete jury selection.

Shifflett pleaded not guilty in the case.

Shifflett and another Fairfax County police officer chased Johnson on foot after receiving a report from security guards that Johnson had stolen sunglasses from a Nordstrom department store in Tysons Corner Center.

Police body camera footage shows the nighttime chase and shooting. Shifflett can be heard ordering Johnson to stay on the ground and later to “stop reaching.” Both officers open fire, but Shifflett fired the fatal shot.

Later, Shifflett tells another officer that he saw the suspect reaching for a weapon in his waistband. Police searched for a weapon but found nothing.

The Fairfax County Police Department fired Shifflett the following month for what Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called “a failure to live up to the expectations of our agency, in particular use of force policies.”

Initially, a grand jury declined to indict Shifflett in the shooting, but Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano sought and received court approval for a special grand jury to reinvestigate, which he said gave prosecutors a greater ability to oversee the investigation. The second panel chose to indict Shifflett.

Descano said at the time that an involuntary manslaughter charge is appropriate when a killing occurs due to “gross or wanton conduct” that lacks malice.

Caleb Kershner, Shifflett’s attorney, blasted Descano’s decision to impanel a special grand jury and the subsequent indictment.

“Few people understand what it’s like to have a gun pulled on you and regularly being put in risk of death,” Kershner said at the time. “These men and women in uniform serve by putting their lives on the line every day.”

In recent hearings, attorneys squabbled over what evidence could be presented at trial.

Barry Zweig, the lead prosecutor, filed a motion to be allowed to introduce evidence that Shifflett had aimed his weapon at other shoplifting suspects in other instances, but Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows denied that request.

Bellows agreed to allow Shifflett’s defense team to present evidence concerning Johnson’s criminal history.

Johnson was 17 years old when he tried to steal a vehicle belonging to an off-duty agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Maryland. As he tried to flee in the vehicle, Johnson nearly hit the agent, who responded by shooting him. In 2004, Johnson pleaded guilty as a juvenile to second-degree assault.

Johnson also pleaded guilty in 2019 to involuntary manslaughter in a fatal Washington car crash while he was driving under the influence. Bellows ruled this incident would not allowed to be presented to trial jurors, a spokesperson for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said Monday.

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

A jury indicted a Fairfax County, Virginia, man Monday in connection to the slayings of his wife and another man in an alleged plot with the couple’s au pair.

The latest development in a complex case comes more than a year and a half after the victims were found dead in a Herndon home in February 2023. Christine Banfield, 37, was found stabbed several times in the couple’s bedroom, while 39-year-old Joseph Ryan was shot.

The family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, was charged in Ryan’s death almost a year ago. But Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said as the investigation progressed, “It’s my expectation that we will eventually be able to hold more than just one person accountable for this crime.”

In the wake of the killings, Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes told police they had gone into a second-floor room and found that Ryan had attacked Christine, leaving her seriously wounded. They said Brendan grabbed a gun and shot the alleged intruder and then told Peres Magalhaes to get another gun so they could shoot him again.

The shocking scene was described to detectives as an act of defense. Prosecutors, however, have said evidence pointed to a very different story.

Banfield, 39, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. He’s being held without bond.

“The evidence exists in abundance to give us probable cause to bring these charges forward,” Chief Davis said. “It’s digital evidence, it’s physical evidence, it’s forensics evidence, it’s circumstantial evidence. The detectives, the prosecutors have worked meticulously to ensure that every T is crossed, every I is dotted, but the work still goes on.”

A double killing

Around 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 24, 2023, Peres Magalhaes, a Brazilian national who lived with the family, left the house with the Banfields’ 4-year-old daughter, according to detectives. Peres Magalhaes told police she doubled back to the home because she forgot to grab their packed lunches. She said she saw a car there she didn’t recognize.

She called Christine, but when she didn’t answer, Peres Magalhaes called Brendan, who quickly returned home, authorities said. Minutes later, the husband and au pair entered the home with the little girl. Brendan then went upstairs to the bedroom, where he says he found his wife and Ryan.

Detectives say the two claimed Ryan had attacked Christine, prompting Brendan — a law enforcement officer for the Internal Revenue Service — to fire his gun at Ryan.

Ryan had no obvious connection to the family or to the home. But as detectives began probing how he supposedly found Christine, their case and the witness statements started to diverge.

A fetish site used as a lure?

A search of a computer in the Banfields’ home led detectives to a fetish sex website, prosecutors have said. The site catered to sexual fantasies involving kinks, BDSM and more.

Detectives found a profile for Christine and communications between her profile and Ryan, but authorities said something didn’t add up. They said the way Christine talked to Ryan in their messages was very different than how friends and family described her.

Police believe someone else was communicating with Ryan while pretending to be Christine and scheduled a meetup at the family’s home for that day.

Almost eight months after the killings, Fairfax County authorities arrested Peres Magalhaes and charged her with second-degree murder in Ryan’s death.

“I suspected from the very beginning — and I went to the scene of that double murder — that there was going to be a lot of twist and turns to this investigation. The twists and turns are still on going,” Davis said as the investigation progressed.

An unproven theory

At a hearing in April, prosecutors said they believed Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes were having an affair. They stopped short of saying they believe the pair hatched a plan to get Christine out of the picture.

But they grilled Banfield about the events leading up to his wife’s death.

Prosecutors said evidence they presented at that April hearing showed Banfield and the au pair went to a shooting range together a couple of months before the murders. Then, the month before the killings, Banfield returned and bought a gun there, authorities said.

The au pair told detectives Banfield shot Ryan first, but he was still alive. She said Banfield told her to get the gun that he’d bought at the shooting range to shoot Ryan again, according to detectives. She told police she did.

Detectives also said Banfield and Peres Magalhaes swapped out their phones for new ones in the days before the attack.

Prior to Peres Magalhaes’ October arrest, detectives returned to the home.

Inside the bedroom Banfield had shared with his wife — the room where Christine and Ryan were killed — picture frames were filled with photos of Brendan Banfield and the au pair.

Prosecutors say the au pair’s lingerie was found around the room. They described her as Banfield’s “girlfriend” and “live-in lover.”

The prosecution’s theory is that the killings were part of an elaborate plan so Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes could live their lives without Christine. While the au pair has denied an affair, prosecutors argued in April that the pictures on the nightstand suggested otherwise.

On the witness stand in April, Brendan Banfield largely invoked his Fifth Amendment right to decline answering pointed questions from prosecutors about the events leading up to the killings.

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Fairfax County General Court Judge Michael J. Lindner called him an “adverse witness” but also said it appeared prosecutors “may be playing two prospective defendants against each other.”

In a foreshadowing of defense arguments that could be laid out at trial, Peres Magalhaes’ attorney, Ryan Campbell, attempted to cast doubt on who fired the shot that killed Ryan. And he decried prosecutors’ decision to call Brendan Banfield to the stand, saying in April: “It’s been clear from the beginning [Banfield is] the target of the investigation.”

The pedestrian was walking near Franconia Road and Elder Avenue in Springfield when the driver hit him. The driver got out and ran, Fairfax County police said before 7 a.m.

The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene of the crash. His name was not immediately released.

No details about the car or the driver who ran were immediately released.

Franconia Road at Elder Avenue was shut down in both directions as of 8 a.m. Friday.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A meals tax would be assessed on all prepared foods – including drinks sold along with them – from restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, food carts and ready-to-eat grocery items.

At 1%, a meals tax would generate $33 million. The top rate allowed – 6% – would mean $198 million.

Kyle Schoenberger said he opposes any sort of meals tax because he believes it could hurt the restaurant he works for and, in turn, his livelihood.

“We’ve also heard feedback from people in terms of how much they’d still go out if the tax is raised, and that would affect our income as well,” he said.

Timmy Norton of the restaurant group Great American Restaurants said he’s concerned about the impact on lower income residents who spend a bigger percentage of their budget on prepared foods.

“I don’t think this is a necessary tax, because, again, it’s a single-industry tax that is solely going to impact lower-middle class folks and working class folks the most,” he said.

In a budget committee session Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wanted to get a fuller picture of how adding several other types of taxes might work to slightly shift the heavy reliance on property taxes.

“All we signaled was to get the information today,” Chairman Jeff McKay said.

Supervisors say a meals tax could ease the burden on property owners.

“The opportunity here is to identify what options we might have other than the residential tax rate as a way to provide for some of the critical services,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said.

Many Northern Virginia jurisdictions – including Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County – already have food taxes, ranging from 3% to 5%.

If the Board does decide to move ahead with the tax, the staff recommends doing it as part of next year’s budget process, meaning a possible vote in spring 2025. If it wins approval, the earliest it could be collected would be January 2026.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

But thanks to a new bus service, it’s about to get easier.

News4 spotted a Fairfax Connector bus training for the new service on the streets of Bethesda on Tuesday, just weeks before the 798 bus line will start running between the two locations.

Fairfax County says the service, which is the first express route of its kind, has been a focus of the transportation department.

“We’re really about trying to get connectivity and mobility throughout the county and throughout the region,” said Gregg Steverson, acting director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

The bus service along the Beltway will be an alternative to a very long train trip on Metro, which requires going into D.C., switching Metro lines, and then heading back out of the District on the other side.

Still, some riders may find the 798 bus line a hard sell, as the bus will need to compete with traffic on the Beltway and the Legion Bridge.

“It takes forever to drive out to Tysons, so I’d rather take the train,” said Edward, one of those riders.

And it’s a long way to go if you don’t have a good reason.

“I have no need to go to Tysons,” said Steve Clark, another bus rider.

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But there are plans to eventually have some buses between Tysons and Bethesda running in dedicated bus lanes or express lanes, speeding up the trip.

And other riders, like Abudnegu, are on board. He says he rides between the two locations all the time.

“I would love to do that,” he said of riding the new bus line. “I think it’s going to be very efficient. So that would be great. I would love to get that.”

The new route is also expected to serve the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The buses will start by running every 20 minutes during the morning and afternoon rush, for $4.80 one way. Service is expected to begin on Sept. 16.

You can learn more about the route here.

The mother and partner were arrested Aug. 15 and the boys, age 9 and 7, are safe and living with their father, police told News4.

The 9-year-old told News4 police were alerted when the child borrowed a cellphone and called an adult, sending a picture of the handcuffs and chains.

Officers rescued the brothers after the adult called for help.

The boys’ father, who does not live at the apartment and is not charged, said his sons did not tell him when they visited him that they were being chained. News4 is not sharing his name, to protect the identity of the children.

“When I heard, I was like, Wow, why did this happen? Children don’t deserve to be treated like this. We don’t have the right to treat them like this. Maybe a criminal, but not innocent children. They’re children,” he said in Spanish.

‘It infuriates me inside that people would actually do that to children’

A search warrant filed by Fairfax County police says both children were chained to a table next to where they slept. They would remain chained until 3 to 6 p.m., when adults arrived home.

The older brother told Telemundo44 that he was chained up after he went outside without asking.

The boy said he could only take six to seven steps while chained and is relieved to be in his father’s care.

One woman, who asked News4 to protect her identity, said she spoke to the person who called the police. She said the kids called her for help and showed her the photo the child sent.

“I was shocked, scared. They don’t even tie up animals like this. It was a huge chain. It was four times bigger than a door chain. I told her that‘s inhumane,” the woman said in Spanish.

Franklin Viera Guevara, 29, and Wedni Del Cid Rodriguez, 46, were charged with child cruelty, child neglect and abduction.

A neighbor and young father who watched the arrests unfold was horrified to learn what had been going on nearby.

“It infuriates me inside that people would actually do that to children,” he said.

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News4 doesn’t yet know for how many days or weeks the boys were chained up. Neighbors said the children attended school last school year.

Their mother is back in the apartment after bonding out. Viera Guevara, the man arrested, was held without bond.

News4 knocked on the apartment door where the boys’ mother lives to see if she wanted to comment on the charges but she did not answer.

Fairfax County firefighters arrived at the railroad tracks in the 9300 block of Lee Street just after 3:15 p.m., and found a rail car full of wooden rail ties — the wooden supports laid between the two metal rails — on fire.

The train had stopped on the tracks, which lengthened the amount of time needed to put the fire out, Fairfax County Fire Rescue told News4.

As of 4:45 p.m., the fire had been put out. Footage from NewsChopper4 showed the still-smoking train on the tracks, and a rail car full of charred, blackened pieces of lumber.

It was not immediately clear whether the fire hurt anyone. The cause of the fire is also not yet clear.

Rail traffic in the area has been stopped as firefighters continue to work on the rail car.

This is a breaking news story. Stay with News4 for updates.

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Fairfax County police said Nicholas Giampa, 24, was pronounced dead at about 2 a.m. in his cell at the county jail, where he had been incarcerated since 2018. Police said they are investigating Giampa’s death but said that preliminarily they do not believe foul play was involved.

Giampa was arrested in December 2017 in connection with the fatal shootings of Scott Fricker, 48, and Buckley Kuhn-Fricker, 43, in their Virginia home.

The case attracted national attention because of evidence Giampa espoused neo-Nazi philosophies. Neighbors said the then-teen also mowed a swastika into a community field.

At the time of the killings, Kuhn-Fricker’s 16-year-old daughter told police she and Giampa had formed a suicide pact after her family forbade their relationship, discussing “wounding her parents if they tried to intervene,” according to court records. Officials said the Frickers objected to the relationship after learning that Giampa associated with neo-Nazis online, as well as the fact that he had been charged as a juvenile with possessing child sexual abuse images.

Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker were shot after finding Giampa in their daughter’s bedroom. The daughter told police she had given Giampa a security code that allowed him to enter the home after her parents had gone to bed.

According to police, Giampa reached for a handgun and shot Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker after the daughter unlocked her bedroom door. The daughter told police that Giampa put a gun to her head, but it did not fire. Giampa, then 17, then shot himself in the forehead. He was hospitalized for weeks but survived the injury.

At a 2018 hearing, psychologists testified that brain damage from the self-inflicted gunshot wound rendered Giampa unable to understand trial proceedings fully. At least one psychologist testified that Giampa would eventually be able to recover sufficiently to participate in his defense.

Giampa’s jury trial was postponed three times and had been scheduled to take place in January, according to online court records.

Pertussis illness, known as whooping cough, is caused by a bacteria that spreads from person to person through the air, the Fairfax County Health Department said. Whooping cough spreads more easily when people spend a lot of time together or share breathing space.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

At first, the illness can seem like a common cold, with symptoms including a runny or stuffed-up nose, low fever and mild cough, health officials said.

Those symptoms can last one to two weeks before some people who catch whooping cough develop coughing fits, which can last weeks to months, the health department said.

During these coughing fits, people might:

• make a high-pitched “whoop” sound when they breathe in after a coughing fit
• vomit during or after coughing fits
• feel tired after the fit, but seem well in-between fits
• have trouble sleeping at night
• struggle to breathe
• fracture a rib from coughing too hard

Babies might not cough at all, but instead gasp for air or have pauses in breathing, or apnea, which is life-threatening. Apnea can cause the baby to turn blue, and about one in three babies younger than a year old who get whooping cough need care in the hospital, officials said.

People with weakened immune systems or with moderate or severe asthma are also at a higher risk of getting very sick from whooping cough.

How can I keep myself and my family from getting whooping cough?

The health department said the best way to avoid whooping cough is to get vaccinated.

Two types of vaccines protect against it: DTaP and Tdap. They also protect against diphtheria and tetanus.

Here’s what health officials recommend:

• Children should get five doses of DTaP, including at least one dose on or after their 4th birthday.
• Preteens 11 to 12 years old should get a booster dose of Tdap before they start 7th grade.
• Adults should get a booster dose of Tdap every 10 years and during every pregnancy.

The victim who suffered the fatal shot was a friend of the suspect, while the other man was a complete stranger.

During the trial, prosecutors used the alleged killer’s own words against him to urge jurors to return a first-degree murder verdict.

In court, chilling police video showed the suspect, Jordan Cochran, boasting about shooting two people. It was recorded as police transported Cochran to jail shortly after he was arrested for allegedly killing his 18-year-old friend, Kebbren Leigh-Gaye.

“I’ve been geeking to click that joint all day, and I finally killed somebody,” he said in the video.

It’s become key evidence in the case, even as Cochran’s attorney tried to convince jurors that Cochran, then 20, fired in self-defense when he killed Leigh-Gaye on Jan. 8, 2022.

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But prosecutors say Cochran’s comment shows that the crime was premeditated, with prosecutor Stephen Eubank telling jurors, “Jordan Cochran was looking for a reason to use that gun and within course of a half-hour, he found two of them.”

Testimony during the trial revealed that Cochran and Leigh-Gaye got into a fistfight over allegations of stolen shoes at a bus stop along Route 1 in the Hybla Valley area. But the prosecutor says the fight was over and the two had separated when Cochran pulled out the gun and fired one fatal shot.

A witness says he then grabbed the shoes Leigh-Gaye was wearing, as well as his wallet and phone. Then, about 20 minutes later, at a nearby 7-Eleven, authorities say Cochran fired the shot that blinded a complete stranger after that man and his girlfriend refused to give Cochran a ride.

Cochran’s defense attorney told jurors his client acted in self-defense because he was afraid after the beating, arguing: “Without malice, there is no murder … When you’ve been beat up in a bus stop by a guy you thought was your friend, your mind is not in a state of reason.”

But the prosecutor pushed back, saying, “A reasonable person does not bring out a gun just because they lost a fistfight.”

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Among the charges the jury can consider for the fatal shooting are first- or second-degree murder, or voluntary manslaughter — or not guilty if they believe Cochran acted in self-defense.

Cochran also faces a charge of aggravated malicious wounding for the shooting that blinded the victim at the 7-Eleven.

Jordan Cochran is accused of firing one fatal shot at 18-year-old Kebbren Leigh Gaye following an earlier fistfight between the two over a pair of shoes and a cellphone, police say. The shooting took place Jan. 8, 2022, at a bus stop and convenience store along Route 1 in the Hybla Valley area.

Cochran then went to a nearby 7-Eleven and demanded a couple give him a ride, police say. When they refused, Cochran allegedly shot the male passenger in the eye, leaving him blinded.

Prosecutors played video that captured the conversation between Cochran and an officer helping take him to jail.

“You just murdered someone,” the officer said.

“Two people,” Cochran replied. “Two people! You hear me? Two!”

He seemed to believe he’d killed both men he shot.

“I finally killed somebody,” he said. “These are my first two bodies.”

Later he added, “I killed two (racial slur). I proved what I have to prove.”

He rapped for police and said he was anxious about being jailed. 

“I’m honestly scared,” he said in the video. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. This is my first time going to the big boy jail.”

Gaye had recently graduated from Mount Vernon High School, where he played on the football team. 

His father testified Tuesday that just two days before the shooting, his son brought Cochran home, asking if he could stay for a few days after being kicked out of his own house. But when Gaye’s father learned Cochran had a gun, he asked him to leave. 

Prosecutors also played the 911 call Gaye made right after the shooting.

“I’m dying,” he said. “Please come get me. I’m dying. Someone shot me. I’m dying.”

The 911 operator asked Gaye where he was.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m dying.”

Police arrived and performed CPR, but Gaye died from a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Cochran’s trial is expected to last through the week. 

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How he was able to come up with the idea was simple.

“Because they saved my arm, we are donating to them,” Everett Eskew said.

His stand was a unique way to say thank you to the department for helping him with his broken arm last year.

His mom, Angela Hopes-Eskew, said the fire department was “so good” to him and some of the firefighters rode in the ambulance with them.

“They even stopped by the hospital to check on him,” Hopes-Eskew said. “He’s like, ‘Mom, let’s do [the stand] and donate half of the money to the fire department’. And I was like, ‘I love that.'”

Everett, along with his best friend, Penny, sold the sweet, cold treats for $2 each at the stand. Some first responders showed up to show their support and appreciation.

They raised $281, with half of proceeds going to the fire department.

Court documents say they distributed tens of thousands of dangerous fentanyl pills per month in Virginia.

Defendant Carrington Jarius Hammond, age 29, went by the nickname “Free” according to court documents.

The public Instagram account for his music business featured images of him and his wife Kaitlyn Marie Hammond, age 26, wearing designer clothes and jewelry and posing in front of expensive cars and displaying large amounts of cash.

The Instagram feed ended abruptly after their arrests on federal drug charges for receiving massive amounts of dangerous fentanyl pills and counterfeit oxycodone to their Fairfax County home from suppliers in Arizona.

Court documents say that from 2022 to 2023, they received twice-monthly packages of 10,000 to 20,000 pills.

One shipment had 50 thousand, and prosecutors say most of the pills also contained Xylazine. The drug is the subject of an alarming Drug Enforcement Administration alert that says it makes the deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier.

Court documents claim a loaded CZ Scorpion was found next to the drug stash during a 2023 search of the Alexandria apartment Kaitlyn Hammond shared with a third defendant while her husband was in jail on a gun charge from Prince George’s County.

Carrington Hammond posted the court papers from that 2022 arrest on his Instagram. promising he’d be back on the street in three years.

Prosecutors claimed Kaitlyn Hammond had a Virginia concealed carry permit that allowed her to purchase multiple guns on the same day. They say she and her husband, a convicted felon who could not legally possess a gun, often resold them.

One of those weapons, a semi-automatic pistol, was later used in a domestic violence kidnapping.

Another was recovered during the arrest of a drug trafficker in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Court documents also accuse Kaitlyn Hammond of attempting to intimidate a witness. She was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Her husband was sentenced to 15.

Investigators have identified the driver as 46-year-old Corey Rogers and the two passengers as 44-year-old Angela Connor and 35-year-old Salma Monastra.

Fairfax County police and firefighters responded to a car crash at West Ox Road and Route 29. When they arrived after 4 a.m., they found the car on fire, and there were reports of people trapped inside, according to police.

When fire rescue put the blaze out, they found three people dead. The man was the driver, and the two women were passengers, according to police.

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Police are investigating what led to the crash. Investigators believe speed and drugs played a role in the crash. The names of the victims were not immediately released.

West Ox Road and ramps to the road from Route 29 were closed during an investigation.

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Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

“It would kill somebody if it hit ‘em in the head,” Hatcher said. Thankfully, the balls have mostly hit his vehicles and property. However, he said his son was once hit by a golf ball while riding his bike, and Hatcher himself has had several close calls. 

His repair bills have amounted to nearly $100,000 over the years.

Pointing to his car, Hatcher told us: “This whole complete side of the windshield was shattered to pieces. It just missed busting out the sunroof by what? Two inches?” 

Hatcher’s garage door displays numerous dings and dents. 

“This dent was done probably at least five years ago,” Hatcher said, pointing to a hole in the aluminum door. 

“So, if it ripped an aluminum door, what’s it gonna do to somebody’s head?” he asked. 

The damage extends beyond his garage. He’s replaced at least 40 windows over the years.

When Hatcher was growing up, there was no golf course nearby. A private company built one, and in 1979, Fairfax County took it over, making it a public course. Hatcher said the redesign of the holes then set up a problem on the second fairway, leading to the current situation.

Netting was put up to stop the golf balls, but Hatcher said it’s not high enough.

“Never has been since 1983,” he said. 

The proof lies in his yard, about 100 yards from the second fairway, where golf balls are frequently found. 

Over the years, Hatcher has amassed enough errant golf balls to start a driving range, filling several buckets. Fairfax County used to cover the cost of the damage when it had third party insurance coverage, but after switching to self-insurance, Hatcher was told he’s on his own.

The Fairfax County Park Authority sent News4 a statement, which said in part: “Legally, the Fairfax County Park Authority is not responsible or liable for property damage or personal injuries arising from involuntary errant golf balls … Errant golf shots are the responsibility of the golfer.” 

Hatcher said he’s tried holding golfers accountable, but they often deny responsibility, claiming there’s no proof.

Hatcher has repeatedly asked the county to improve the barriers, but he said his requests have been denied for nearly half a century.

Instead of enjoying his retirement, Hatcher spends his days dealing with the mess from the golf course, hoping that he or his wife doesn’t get hit by the next stray ball. 

“A lot of times, we’re serving areas – we’ll call them disadvantaged areas – and they have the greatest impact with what happens with air pollution,” said Tom Reynolds, of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. “They are in denser areas. So, if we’re running through those areas and we are contributing to emissions, that’s not good.”

The grant’s for hybrid buses instead of electric vehicles because the infrastructure’s not there, yet.

They need chargers in bus facilities, and that’s not where it needs to be.

The county said it’s going to be working on that.

“But in the meantime, we’ll have these low emission vehicles to help reduce our fleet emissions,” Reynolds said.

Meanwhile, Maryland received more than $12 million in federal funding to expand electric vehicle charging stations across the state – 130 fast chargers at 23 sites.

EV owner Cedric Smith said that goes a long way when it comes to easing fears about charging vehicles over long distances.

“The long distance is a thing,” he said. “You’ve got to be very methodical about how you are going to go those long distances right when you are traveling. You’ve got to be a little more strategic because you are not just going to pop up and get gas and go somewhere.”

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Residents of the Meadows of Chantilly along Route 50 say the data center will create noise and cause a disruption for their community.

Data centers bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue for local governments, but critics say they’re obtrusive, noisy and environmental hazards.

“They would put the generator yard, which is about the size of a football field in length, the dumpsters and the loading dock all behind these peoples’ homes,” said Cynthia Shang, an opponent of the data center.

The lot is already zoned for a data center so the company building the data center needed little approval from the county.

News4 spoke to a couple of residents who said they didn’t know about the plans to build the data center.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is developing guidance on where to allow data centers and a board member noted that power company NOVEC estimates that in 10 to 15 years, data centers will consume 90% of its power supply while only accounting for 5% of its customer base.

The board launched the project to rehaul it’s data center guidance last year.

“They only work if they’re in the proper location and have the proper environmental mitigations as well as are properly located in an appropriate place relative to residential properties and other uses,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said last year.

“Is this the highest standard they can possibly perceive? Fifty feet from a community that was supposed to be protected. When do you stop? When do you draw the line?” Shang said.

Debris in the northbound lanes of I-95, near mile marker 168, slowed down traffic starting just after noon on Thursday and brought Virginia State Police officers to that part of the road.

When police arrived at the scene just south of Route 289 in Fairfax County, they discovered the cause: an unknown dump truck driving north in the left lane of the interstate.

Traffic camera video of the collision showed the dump truck driving down the road with the movable truck bed raised as high as it could go — high enough to hit the traffic signs over that part of I-95.

The truck then drove away from the scene.

The crash caused “significant damage” to the traffic signs, and sent debris into the three right lanes of the road, according to police.

No injuries were reported in relation to the crash.

The resolution of the traffic camera video is too low for authorities to read the license plate or the DOT number on the truck. Virginia State Police are asking that anyone with information about the incident call authorities at 804-759-8798, in the hopes they can identify the truck.

Crews from the Virginia Department of Transportation are working to repair the support and the overhead signs that were damaged.

Thursday’s incident is far from the first time an overhead collision stopped traffic. Back in May, a dump truck with the bed fully raised collided with an overhead ramp on I-66.

After that crash, the Virginia Department of Transportation told News4 that kind of bridge strike happens far too often in Northern Virginia and need to stop. 

There have been an average of eight serious bridge strikes over the past four years, VDOT said, and the majority are construction vehicles improperly loaded or with raised beds.

Lanes were still closed on that part of I-95 more than five hours later.

Interstate 66 (I-66) May 7

Virginia State Police investigate wild bridge accident on I-66

Virginia May 7

Raised bed of dump truck slams into overhead ramp on I-66

Oct 21, 2022

Overturned Dump Truck Traps Driver on I-270 in Frederick County

Ranzo Johnson, 38, assaulted a woman in Annandale and took her car, Fairfax County police said.

Johnson crashed the car at a 7-Eleven at Richmond Highway and Lukens Lane and tried to carjack another vehicle, police said.

There was a child inside that car, and three men dragged Johnson out and chased him.

Johnson tried to steal a car at an auto dealership, police said, then crossed the street and began beating up a man and attempted to steal his car.

Witnesses stopped Johnson, police said, and officers arrived.

Johnson is hospitalized and will face multiple charges.

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An adult and three juveniles have now been charged in the crime scheme, county police said Monday. Additional arrests are possible.

Detectives say the group has been linked to 15 ABC store thefts from March through July in areas including McLean, Columbia Forest, Lincolnia, Lorton, Fairfax Station and Belle View. 

Jomarice Evans, 27, of D.C., was arrested in a neighboring jurisdiction on unrelated charges on May 21, Fairfax County police said. After an extensive investigation, detectives were able to link him to the ABC store thefts in Fairfax County, police say. He was charged with robbery, grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell, transportation of alcohol, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, destruction of property and organized retail theft.

Detectives then identified three juveniles in connection to the thefts. They were arrested in D.C. on June 21 with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and charged with grand larceny and larceny with intent to sell. Police did not provide their ages.

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Police are still investigating additional people who may be linked to the crimes.

Detectives asked anyone with potentially relevant information to call the McLean District station. Tips also can be made anonymously.

Fairfax County police have not yet identified a motive for the shooting, which occurred around 11:15 p.m. Friday at the Fairmont Gardens apartments on Little River Turnpike. The 14-year-old victim, identified as Elvis Anderson Grande Gonzalez, was pronounced dead at the hospital after being shot in the back. 

The 16-year-old victim, who has not been named, was shot in the lower body and is expected to survive. 

Home security camera footage captured the moment someone in a car opened fire on a group of teens gathered on the sidewalk. The video shows the teens running for cover as more than a dozen shots were fired. Gonzalez can be seen collapsing, while the injured 16-year-old boy takes cover near a dumpster. 

A relative of Elvis, speaking anonymously, said that she had previously warned him about some of his friends. 

“I feel so bad. Terrible,” a relative of Elvis said. 

Witnesses reported seeing a gray sedan fleeing the scene immediately after the shooting.

Residents in the area said that drug dealing is a problem in the complex and expressed fear for their safety. 

Residents do not believe Elvis was the intended target. 

Fairfax County police confirmed the victims were walking together when a vehicle approached and someone opened fire. 

Detectives do not believe the shooting was random and urge the community to review any home surveillance video that might assist in the investigation. 

Fairfax County police expect to release more information later this week as the investigation continues. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 or submit tips anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 703-246-4676. Tipsters are eligible for a cash reward. 

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Police arrested Gerry Burde of Herndon after getting a tip he was targeting children online.

“They were able to obtain evidence from Mr. Burde in this case that potentially linked him to possibly other victims in this case,” Fairfax County police Capt. Kent Bailey said. “So, detectives are asking for the community’s help.”

Someone called police June 7 to report Burde allegedly communicated inappropriately with an underage victim, police said.

Detectives tracked down the 41-year-old man near Tysons Corner, where, police said, he intended to meet the victim for sex.

“This case is something that is very concerning, and we want to bring awareness to the community about it,” Bailey said.

Burde faces several charges for soliciting a minor, indecent liberties with a child under 15 and attempted forcible intercourse with a victim under 13 years old.

Anyone with information that can help in the investigation should contact police.

“Parents need to be involved with their kids, especially when they’re on social media platforms and communicating with people who they may have never met … definitely to monitor, to be aware of who they’re talking to,” Bailey said.

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Five people — three women and two men, all wearing face masks — entered what sources said was the Chanel Store at Tysons Galleria about just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to police.

To assist in the getaway, one of the suspects discharged a fire extinguisher at the store’s loss prevention employee, police said.

Investigators also released images of the suspect and of a luxury SUV, a white Alfa Romeo, driven by a sixth member of the retail theft crew.

The thieves loaded it with the Chanel handbags before making their getaway.

Police said they believe the suspects switched up the license plates on that SUV.

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The trooper, identified as C. Aziz, responded to Interstate 495 in Fairfax County about 3 a.m. because a sedan had stopped along the dotted lines between two right-hand travel lanes, according to Virginia State Police and video from the scene.

The trooper was speaking to the driver of the stopped sedan as vehicles whizzed by in the left lanes, video apparently taken from the trooper’s dash cam shows.

Then, a suspected drunk driver in a Jeep slammed into a tractor-trailer that was stopped behind the sedan, police said.

The Jeep spun into the trooper’s patrol car, which had been parked behind the sedan with lights flashing, police said.

The trooper’s patrol car was shoved forward, hitting the trooper and knocking her down, the video shows. The trooper can be heard shouting as she falls.

The video shows the trooper quickly standing up and speaking into a radio.

She didn’t break any bones, but faces a long road to recovery, police said while sharing the shocking video. A photo shows the back passenger side of the trooper’s vehicle crumpled.

The driver of the Jeep, 35-year-old Joanna F. Hatch of Alexandria, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The sedan driver, Erica D. Bernard, 43, of Albright, West Virginia, was arrested on several charges including driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance and improperly stopping on a highway.

Under Virginia law, drivers are required to move over if they see flashing lights and it’s safe to change to a lane farther from authorities.

Luis Merino Berrios, who was 18 at the time of the crash in March 2023, pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received the maximum sentence possible. 

He was driving at least 80 mph on Route 1 in the Groveton area when his car struck another car and ran up onto the sidewalk, killing 36-year-old Samantha Jennings-Jones, police said.

Jennings-Jones was born in South Korea and adopted by a Maryland couple at 2 months old.

She attended the University of Maryland and worked for the Coast Guard, specializing in cybersecurity. That led her to a position with what’s known as the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. Her task was creating and implementing a new cybersecurity plan.

As a child, her favorite show was “The West Wing,” and working at the White House every day was her dream job. 

Jennings-Jones will be buried at Arlington Cemetery Friday. A conference room at the White House will named in her honor, her husband said.

A young man, young woman and the woman’s 8-year-old son died after they were hit by a train Wednesday night in Springfield, Virginia, authorities and the victims’ friends say.

They were hit at Accotink Park Road at about 9:40 p.m., Fairfax County police said after a preliminary investigation.

Witnesses told police they saw the victims walking on the tracks, which are elevated and several stories up. Their bodies were found down an embankment on the ground below.

All three people were pronounced dead at the scene, which is south of the Capital Beltway (I-495).

The railroad bridge carries the tracks over Accotink Creek. The tracks are adjacent to a lake and park with hiking trails and other amenities.

Police did not immediately release the victims’ names, provide their ages or say whether they were related. An investigation is underway.

Police initially said the victims were two children and an adult.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

A man broke into an apartment in Annandale June 15, grabbed a 4-year-old girl from her bed and dragged her to the living room before her screams woke her mother, police said.

The man fled, but two days later, police arrested Hyrum Baquedano Rodriguez. Investigators said thumb and palm prints on a window linked their suspect to the scene.

He faced serious felony charges of abduction with intent to defile and burglary with intent to commit rape or kidnapping – crimes that could carry up to life in prison.

But prosecutors reduced the charges. In the abduction warrant, “with the intent to defile” is crossed out.

On May 24, the prosecutor presented a plea agreement in which Baquedano Rodriguez would admit guilt to felony abduction and misdemeanor unlawful entry, carrying a sentence of up to years in prison.

Judge Randy Bellows rejected the deal in a blistering 10-page opinion and order, writing, “A criminal justice system that cannot protect a 4-year-old child in such circumstances is a failure … When that defendant has committed a crime of such gravity that it can only be described as posing an existential threat to a child’s life, the only goal of sentencing likely to protect the community is a lengthy period of incarceration.”

The judge noted the defendant had six prior misdemeanor convictions, including two sex crimes involving children. He was on probation when he was arrested for breaking into the apartment.

At the hearing, the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office defended its decision, saying the case could not rest on the testimony of the young victim. They said DNA taken from her nightgown was inconclusive and her brother initially identified someone else. They feared losing the case by taking it to trial.

In a new statement Monday, the commonwealth’s attorney’s deputy says the plea was discussed with the victim’s family, writing, “After consulting with the victim’s family, the Commonwealth determined that the best course of action was to pursue an agreement that would guarantee a period of incarceration, rather than go to trial and take on the substantial risk of acquittal.”

With judge’s rejection of the plea, the defendant withdrew his guilty pleas.

A new judge will be assigned later this month.

His mom, Rowena Coleman, said Gaskins moved back in with her a few years ago to help take care of her.

“He cooked, he cleaned up,” she said. “He went to the store for me. He did all that.”

Michael Rambudhan, 38, of Woodridge was drunk driving after midnight Friday when he lost control of his SUV, first striking the median along the sidewalk where Gaskins, 54, was hit, police said. He then drove through the grass, smashing into a tree that toppled over, police said.

SUV parts were scattered on the ground where the vehicle flipped over.

Gaskins died at the scene.

Friday morning, the Fairfax County police were at his mother’s door with the devasting news that her only living child was killed. Her other son died in 2016.

Tesla May 24

A Tesla owner says his car's ‘self-driving' technology failed to detect a moving train ahead of a crash caught on camera

Montgomery County May 24

Driver gets 1 year in jail for hit-and-run that killed woman in Wheaton

Friend says victim’s backpack and keys were left at the scene

Shirley Redfear, a longtime friend, said she was emotionally all over the place after hearing the news.

“I was numb, I was hurt,” Redfear said. “I just couldn’t believe I was hearing this for him to lose his life like this.”

In spite of her grief, she went to the scene looking for more details about what happened.

“I wanted to go to the last place where he took his last breath,” Redfear said.

Redfear and others want to know if Gaskins might have been riding a scooter found near the scene. She was surprised to find his backpack and keys were left behind and not picked up by investigators. Redfear believes that all the evidence there should have been collected.

Rambudhan was charged with driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a breath test. He’s being held without bond.

“I think he should pay for it, whatever he done,” Coleman said. “He took something from me, I’m telling you.”

Investigators are in the process of figuring out whether investigators are considering more serious charges against the driver.

Fairfax County police responded just after 12:30 a.m. Friday to the crash site at the intersection of North Kings Highway and Huntington Park Drive.

Police say Michael Rambudhan, 38, of Woodbridge, was driving a 2023 Acura MDX north on North Kings Highway when he lost control, hit a median and then drove onto a sidewalk, where he struck a man before hitting a tree.

Police identified the pedestrian as Lucius Gaskins, 54. Gaskins died at the scene.

Rambudhan stayed at the crash site, where he was treated for minor injuries. Detectives said they believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, and they said they’re investigating whether speed was, too.

Police said Rambudhan is charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Refusal and is being held without bond. It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), at the Crime Solvers website, or via the “P3 Tips” app.

A tax on food and beverages prepared in restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores has been rejected in the county twice in the past two decades. Even birthday cakes could cost between 1% to 6% more if the tax is adopted.

“Potential revenue before further investigation for meals tax is 1% is $33 million,” said Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who represents much of the Tysons area.

She said it’s about trying to adequately fund schools, parks and other things without continued heavy reliance on real estate taxes. 

“When it comes to revenue generation or taxing authority, we rely 66% of our local tax revenue is on the backs of our homeowners,” Palchik said.

The measure will be subjected to a monthslong public engagement process before any action is taken.

A 2020 state law allows jurisdictions to impose a meals tax without voter input. Prince William County did so in 2022, and a number of Northern Virginia municipalities have meal taxes, including the towns of Herndon and Vienna in Fairfax County. 

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Fairfax County police were called to the 6200 block of Richmond Highway, to a Citgo station just south of the Capital Beltway in the Fair Haven area, just after 6 a.m. The morning rush hour had just begun.

“We received a call about a male laying on the ground, bleeding from the head,” someone can be heard saying on an emergency response dispatch call.

Arthur Edward Mann II, of Fairfax, was pronounced dead on the scene with a gunshot wound. He was 38.

News4 spoke off camera to the victim’s family, who said they were too devastated to speak right away.

Police said they believe the gunman may be in a dark-colored Ford SUV. County police alerted state police and officers in neighboring jurisdictions to look out for the suspect’s car.

According to the initial investigation, the gunman and victim may have had an argument at a gas pump. It wasn’t clear if they knew each other.

“Currently, right now, it’s still in the early stages of the investigation. The relationship between the two is still under investigation, but it seems to be an isolated incident at this time. As I said, it looks to be some type of dispute that occurred at the gas pumps that led to the fatal shooting,” Capt. Kent Bailey said.

Detectives are reviewing surveillance video and speaking with witnesses.

Antwan Mathis says he was at the gas station when the shooting occurred but didn’t see what happened before the gunshots.

“Pop! Pop! Pop! And I ducked for cover, actually,” Mathis said. “Ran to my car, man.”

Doniel Drake, 44, of D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, Fairfax County police said in an update Thursday afternoon. He is being held without bond. Police did not immediately say what led them to identify Drake as a suspect.

A silver SUV with Virginia plates was towed away later in the day.

Fairfax County May 11, 2023

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Police were expected to release more information. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Mann’s death marks the eighth homicide in the county so far this year, compared to 10 people killed in the same period last year.

A man was shot and killed by police near the same gas station in May 2023, after police said a U-Haul driver attacked an officer.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

It appears an argument broke out among a group of people who knew each other, so the shooting likely wasn’t a random act of violence, police said. Officers were questioning people near the scene.

Police responded to the 6000 block of Argyle Drive to investigate the shooting. They blocked roads and access to a convenience store and an entrance of a plaza nearby.

A man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The main part of the investigation was centered at a complex of garden apartments on Argyle Drive. These apartments are off Leesburg Pike, not far from Columbia Pike.

A resident who’s lived there for 13 years said she was concerned about the uptick of violence there in recent months. She said it had always felt safe before.

“We are afraid,” she said in Spanish. “We are feeling panicked, because the situation is really not like it was before.”

Police said they expected to release more information on the shooting later Friday.

Friends and family describe 32-year-old Parrish, a former college football player, as a gentle giant. They’re reeling from this sudden and devastating loss. Meanwhile, police in Virginia are still looking for a vehicle they believe fled from the crash site in Springfield.

Cornell Parrish wasn’t all that tall, but friends say it was his personality and presence that led them to nickname him Chief. Brandon Torres became friends with Parrish in 5th grade in their hometown of Rome, New York, later playing football and competing in track together.

“A lot of people started calling him Chief — back, basically I would say, [during] football —because he was always a leader,” Torres said.

Parrish was a leader but he also someone who welcomed others into his orbit, even strangers.

“He was one of those people,” his older sister, Kiara Sligh, said. “People would walk up and talk to him. He was just one of those people. He had a very warm presence. He was really sweet.”

Parrish moved to Northern Virginia for a job with a federal government agency. But friends say he made frequent road trips to meet up with friends to cheer on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

“He had this laugh … It was this chuckle, the most iconic thing about him and will always resonate in my heart and mind,” Torres recalled, struggling to maintain his composure amid grief. “… It just kind of showed who he was, so sweet and always joking around and joyful.”

It was Sunday, Mother’s Day, when the terrible news of Parrish’s death spread from family to friends.

Parrish had been on his way home from an overnight shift at work, riding his Honda 1300 motorcycle, when the crash happened about 5:30 a.m. Emergency responders were called to Rolling Road near Delong Drive in Springfield. They started CPR, but they could not save him. He died at a hospital.

Investigators say evidence suggests a BMW sedan was involved in the crash but left the scene.

Sligh says that makes her brother’s death even harder to take.

“Thinking that there was someone who could have possibly saved him, just by calling 911 or just being there …. Could he have made it? Could he have lived? Could he still be here with us, if someone had just stopped?” she asked. “That is really — it’s really hurtful.”

Parrish’s loved ones say it’s important to them that police find the driver of the vehicle involved in the fatal crash.

“If there is anything anyone can do to help this investigation, everyone would greatly appreciate it,” Torres said. “… Just rest easy, Cornell.”

Cornell Parrish was born on Father’s Day. He would have turned 33 next month.

Fairfax County police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call them at 703-280-0543. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous is asked to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), via their website or by using the P3 Tips app.

A meals tax would be assessed on all prepared foods – including drinks sold along with them – from restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, food carts and ready-to-eat grocery items.

At 1%, a meals tax would generate $33 million. The top rate allowed – 6% – would mean $198 million.

Kyle Schoenberger said he opposes any sort of meals tax because he believes it could hurt the restaurant he works for and, in turn, his livelihood.

“We’ve also heard feedback from people in terms of how much they’d still go out if the tax is raised, and that would affect our income as well,” he said.

Timmy Norton of the restaurant group Great American Restaurants said he’s concerned about the impact on lower income residents who spend a bigger percentage of their budget on prepared foods.

“I don’t think this is a necessary tax, because, again, it’s a single-industry tax that is solely going to impact lower-middle class folks and working class folks the most,” he said.

In a budget committee session Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wanted to get a fuller picture of how adding several other types of taxes might work to slightly shift the heavy reliance on property taxes.

“All we signaled was to get the information today,” Chairman Jeff McKay said.

Supervisors say a meals tax could ease the burden on property owners.

“The opportunity here is to identify what options we might have other than the residential tax rate as a way to provide for some of the critical services,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said.

Many Northern Virginia jurisdictions – including Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County – already have food taxes, ranging from 3% to 5%.

If the Board does decide to move ahead with the tax, the staff recommends doing it as part of next year’s budget process, meaning a possible vote in spring 2025. If it wins approval, the earliest it could be collected would be January 2026.

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“We have students in almost every classroom, middle school and above, on their phones all the time,” Board member Mateo Dunne said.

The proposal, which Board member Kyle McDaniel initiated to manage the situation, requires the superintendent to develop a pilot program for the secure storage of cellphones.

“Cellphone usage in our schools is rapidly becoming a critical issue, and we need options. And we need to know what those options are,” McDaniel said.

He said the responsibility to curb this problem currently belongs to teachers.

“I would kind of characterize it as the Wild West,” he said.

For high school students, the restrictions would still allow them to get their phones back after class.

This means students would still be able to use their phones in between classes, in the hallways, during lunch, and before and after school starts. According to the proposal, those with medical conditions would be exempt.

However, middle school students would not get their phones back until the end of the day, unless leaving for early dismissal.

The proposal also says that teachers, if desired, could allow students to keep their phones during class for instructional purposes.

Kaiser Permanente pediatrician Adrienne Collier said she sees children and adolescents becoming more sedentary and isolated because of excessive cellphone use.

“I absolutely think that having, particularly teenagers and adolescents, store their phones in a secure location when they come into the classroom is going to be beneficial to them educationally,” she said.

The Fairfax County School Board plans to hear the superintendent’s presentation in July. If the pilot program is passed, it would go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.

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Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dontae Bugg heard arguments Thursday from a divorced couple who disagree over the ex-wife’s desire to use two embryos that they created when they were married.

Honeyhline Heidemann says the embryos are her last chance to conceive a biological child after a cancer treatment left her infertile. Jason Heidemann, says he does not want to be forced to become a biological father to another child.

The case attracted national attention last year when a different judge, Richard Gardiner, ruled that embryos could be considered “goods or chattel” that could be divided under state law, and his analysis relied in part on a 19th-century law governing the treatment of slaves.

Gardiner is no longer assigned to the case, for reasons unrelated to his citation of slavery as a precedent.

The case also comes as reproductive rights activists have expressed alarm over a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court that found embryos could be considered children under that state’s law.

There is little case law in Virginia governing the treatment of embryos.

Honeyhline Heidemann’s suit was brought under a partition statute that governs the division of property between interested parties.

Jason Heidemann’s lawyer, Carrie Patterson, argued that there is no precedent for it because that law is not designed to deal with embryos. Its primary purpose, she said, is to govern the division of real estate.

Case law that exists nationally regarding embryos recognizes that they are not mere property, she said, but rather property with special characteristics that require courts to balance competing interests.

One of the things a judge must consider when evaluating such cases is a person’s “right to procreational autonomy.” In this case, Patterson said, her client has a strong interest in avoiding procreating against his will.

Honeyhline’s Heidemann’s attorney, Jason Zellman, argued that the partition statute applies if the embryos are classified as property, and if they can be assigned a monetary value.

Documents that both Heidemanns signed with the IVF provider specifically refer to the embryos as property, he said, and thus their value can be assessed as the cost incurred in their creation.

Because there are two embryos, he added, the judge has an easy means of dividing up the property: Award one embryo to each party.

Bugg, who said he will issue a ruling at a later date, expressed misgivings about the notion of assigning a monetary value to the embryos.

Zellman acknowledged that the case presents some novel issues, but he also suggested to the judge that it doesn’t need to “blaze the headlines” or establish any sweeping precedent. He said the unique facts of the Heidemanns’ case — including language in their divorce settlement requiring the embryos to remain in storage “pending a court order” — will distinguish it from future disputes.

The judge readily accepted that notion, saying, “I don’t think anything I do in this case applies to anyone but the Heidemanns.”

Kate Laporta was one of eight cousins in Zubrick’s family that were closest to him in age. But earlier this month, she was shot and killed — with Laporta’s boyfriend charged in her killing.

“We were just very close growing up,” Zubrick told News4. “We got to visit every Sunday, but we always wanted more than that.”

Zubrick and the rest of their close knit family were stunned on the morning of April 18, when they learned Laporta, a resident of Fairfax County, had been shot. Her boyfriend, Huy Nguyen, has been charged with second degree murder.

Police say he brought a mortally wounded Laporta to Mt. Vernon Hospital, at first claiming that she had been shot in the parking lot. But the 38-year-old was actually shot in a vehicle and then driven to the parking lot, police say. The gun was recovered later.

Zubrick says hearing how his cousin died has added to his sorrow.

“I cannot stop thinking about how much terror her last moments must have been filled with,” Zubrick said.

But he says gathering with family to share stories about his cousin has helped.

Laporta had her first child at a young age. But in the last seven or eight years, Zubrick says, she had really taken control of her life, wanting to provide for her kids.

That’s why she dedicated herself to her job at a local Safeway, where she started as a bagger. She later became a checkout clerk, and was often asked to work as a supervisor.

Her hope was to get her two kids to college.

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“Higher education was something that was always really important to our grandparents, that they enforced on their kids and imparted on us,” Zubrick said. “So Kate talked a lot about it over the years.”

Now, to honor her memory, the cousins have launched an online fundraiser. They say the money collected will go into 529 savings plans for Laporta’s children.

Their efforts serve a twofold purpose — helping them process their grief, while working to fulfill Kate Laporta’s greatest wish.

Three Oakton High School students were on Blake Lane on June 7, 2022, when a teen driving 81 mph in a 35 mph zone struck and killed two girls in ninth grade. The third student was seriously injured.

This month, driver Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

For its first 30 days, the speed camera will issue warnings to drivers speeding through the school zone during school hours. After that period, fines will range from $50 to $100.

The fine for failing to yield to pedestrians will run as high as $500.

“It’s the most substantive … change in the corridor since we’ve been involved,” leader of Fairfax Families for Safe Streets Chris French said.

French has been advocating for ways to slow traffic on Blake Lane since 2020, after he was nearly hit while walking his bike through a crosswalk.

Another incident happened at a crosswalk in the area when a teen was struck on his bike and spent weeks in the hospital.

“I broke my leg, I broke my jaw and I got a concussion,” the teen told News4.

It wasn’t until after the high schoolers were killed that more discussion and change came to fruition, French said.

“As a pedestrian safety advocate, you never want to have an ‘I told you so’ moment, but that’s kind of the way it felt,” French said.

After the fatal crash, crosswalk warning signs were installed, the crosswalk was upgraded and fines increased. However, the speed camera is a new addition.

“I’m really glad that everyone is going to be safe now,” the teen who was injured after being struck while riding his bike said.

Regardless of this new measure, some are saying there is still more to be done.

Currently, the official school zone does not include the nearby intersection area where the two girls were killed and therefore is not as protected, French added.

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The Virginia Department of Transportation is finishing a road safety audit which is expected to be presented sometime in the coming months.

Once this is presented, the push will be renewed to add even more improvements, French said.

“Unfortunately … speed kills, and unless we can get the speeds on Blake Lane under control, I’m afraid it will happen again,” French said.

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Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of the Oakton High School students.

Shahid faced up to 10 years in prison for each of the two charges. But in her sentencing argument Thursday, the prosecutor told jurors the victims’ families were in agreement that they weren’t seeking the maximum punishment. However, they did want him to get some jail time — as she put it, “Somewhere in the middle.”

Ultimately, the jury recommended far less than that maximum, at two years for each count of involuntary manslaughter.

The jury handed down its recommendation Friday. The judge will make the final sentencing decision in the months ahead, and has the power to lessen the sentence, but not increase it.

‘We are beginning to get justice’

Victims’ family members burst into tears Wednesday as the verdict came down, while Shahid showed little emotion.

“I feel like I can finally breathe again. We are beginning to get justice,” the mother of one victim told News4 partner Telemundo 44 in Spanish.

The judge ordered Shahid to be jailed immediately, over his attorney’s objections.

Prosecutors have said Shahid was driving a BMW and accelerated to 81 mph in a 35 mph zone on Blake Lane just before noon on June 7, 2022. It was near the end of the school year, and classes had ended early. Shahid saw that a traffic light was yellow, floored it and slammed into a Toyota 4Runner whose driver had been turning left, prosecutors said.

Police testified that the force of the crash sent Shahid’s BMW off the road and onto the sidewalk, where he hit three teen girls.

Shahid, who had three friends in the car and was driving on a learner’s permit, then plowed through a mailbox, utility box and power pole.

One passenger testified that in the moments after the crash, Shahid said, “I think I killed three girls.”

Two of the crash victims died of their injuries, and the third was seriously hurt.

A resident of the area described a heartbreaking scene after the crash, with a woman performing CPR on one victim. He said Shahid was worried about how his father would react to the crash.

15-year-old Leeyan Yan was among the Oakton crash victims

Leeyan Yan was one of the two girls killed. She was 15 and her parents’ only child.

Yan’s mother described her as a bright social butterfly who brought her friends together and excelled in Bible school. She was funny, full of faith and looking forward to college.

“I recall the moments she was laughing loudly with her friends on the phone and then I … scolded her to be quiet. We never knew it was her last moment,” her mother said in a victim impact statement.

Her mother struggled to describe the pain of losing her daughter.

“Any word could not describe that sorrow. The tortured agony took a color away from our vision. All objects in the world looked white and black,” she said.

‘You hurt me forever, along with so many in this courtroom’

A sentencing hearing was held Thursday, but jurors ended up needing another day to make their decision before handing it down.

During Thursday’s hearing, the parents of the girls who died described their incredible loss, and the surviving victim, now 17, offered equally heartbreaking testimony. She lost her cousin and her best friend. 

“I hold so much love for them,  an indescribable love,” she said through tears and sobs.

She was hospitalized with serious injuries when her mother gave her the news that the other girls were dead. 

“I will never forget the cries I let out that night,” she told jurors. “It felt like someone had punched me and I repeatedly told her, “No, no, no.’ We were supposed to graduate together; we were supposed to  live our lives together.”

The girl later turned and spoke directly to Shahid, telling him: “You, Usman Shadid, went 81 miles per hour. You did not hit the brakes. You chose to be irresponsible. You took two lives. You hurt me forever along with so many in this courtroom.”

“Because of you, we will remain in unending pain for  the rest of our lives,” she told him.

The testimony from the surviving victim and her family was so emotional that Shahid’s mother collapsed and had to be taken to a hospital.

The defendant’s family and several dozen of his friends were in the courtroom Thursday to support him as he took the witness stand, telling the families it was his irresponsible actions that brought them such deep sorrow and loss.

“I beg for your forgiveness, your mercy and hopefully you see me as a good person and not such an evil or bad person at all,” he said.

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Defense tried to shift blame to another driver after teens were killed in Oakton crash

Shahid’s defense attorney argued that Shahid was an inexperienced driver and tried to shift blame to the driver of the Toyota 4Runner. That driver testified that he was stationary and trying to make a left turn when Shahid’s car crashed into his with incredible force.

In court, the SUV driver tearfully described what happened.

“I was waiting for the tail end of the group coming through … I felt, like, a slam. It was a train-like collision I’ve never experienced before … My initial thought was it was a bad movie … I was in shock,” he testified.

The defense also faulted a detective, accusing her of tunnel vision with her investigation, and asked why she did not record an interview with the SUV driver.

A nationally known crash expert testified in support of the prosecution and said the BMW’s sophisticated data recorder showed that Shahid accelerated form 60 to 81 mph and never hit the brakes.

Family members and friends of the victims and Shahid packed the courtroom for portions of the trial.

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In closing arguments, prosecutor Jenna Sands told the jury only one person was responsible for the crash: Shahid.

Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Victims’ family members burst into tears as the verdict came down, while Shahid showed little emotion.

“I feel like I can finally breathe again. We are beginning to get justice,” the mother of one victim told News4 partner Telemundo 44 in Spanish.

The judge ordered Shahid to be jailed immediately, over his attorney’s objections.

Prosecutors said Shahid was driving a BMW and accelerated to 81 mph in a 35 mph zone on Blake Lane just before noon on June 7, 2022. It was an early release school day near the end of the school year. He saw that a traffic light was yellow, floored it and slammed into a Toyota 4Runner whose driver had been turning left. Police testified that the force of the crash sent Shahid’s BMW off the road and onto the sidewalk, where he hit three teen girls.

Shahid, who had three friends in the car and was driving on a learner’s permit, then plowed through a mailbox, utility box and power pole.

One passenger testified that in the moments after the crash, Shahid said, “I think I killed three girls.”

Two of the crash victims died of their injuries and the third was seriously hurt.

A resident of the area described a heartbreaking scene after the crash, with a woman performing CPR on one victim. He said Shahid was worried about how his father would react to the crash.

15-year-old Leeyan Yan was among the Oakton crash victims

Leeyan Yan was one of the two girls killed. She was 15 and her parents’ only child.

Yan’s mother described her as a bright social butterfly who brought her friends together and excelled in Bible school. She was funny, full of faith and looking forward to college.

“I recall the moments she was laughing loudly with her friends on the phone and then I … scolded her to be quiet. We never knew it was her last moment,” her mother said in a victim impact statement.

Her mother struggled to describe the pain of losing her daughter.

“Any word could not describe that sorrow. The tortured agony took a color away from our vision. All objects in the world looked white and black,” she said.

Fairfax County Apr 18

Defense tries to shift blame in crash that killed two Oakton High students

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Defense tried to shift blame to another driver after teens were killed in Oakton crash

Shahid’s defense attorney argued that Shahid was an inexperienced driver and tried to shift blame to the SUV driver. That driver testified that he was stationary and trying to make a left turn when Shahid’s car crashed into his with incredible force.

In court, the SUV driver tearfully described what happened.

“I was waiting for the tail end of the group coming through … I felt, like, a slam. It was a train-like collision I’ve never experienced before … My initial thought was it was a bad movie … I was in shock,” he testified.

The defense also faulted a detective, accusing her of tunnel vision with her investigation, and asked why she did not record an interview with the SUV driver.

A nationally known crash expert testified in support of the prosecution and said the BMW’s sophisticated data recorder showed that Shahid accelerated form 60 to 81 mph and never hit the brakes.

Family members and friends of the victims and Shahid packed the courtroom for portions of the trial.

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In closing arguments, prosecutor Jenna Sands told the jury only one person was responsible for the crash: Shahid.

Shahid is due to appear at a sentencing hearing on Thursday morning and faces up to 10 years in prison for each of the two charges. The victims’ families are scheduled to speak, and the jury will get a chance to make a sentencing recommendation. The judge will make the final sentencing decision in the months ahead.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

They said the day comes after years of painful and aggravating legal missteps. 

Prosecutors said Carlos Alexander Torres Jr., 26, was driving under the influence and speeding down Fairfax County Parkway in September 2021 when he swerved around cars stopped at a red light.

Andrew Willingham, 37, was coming home from his job as a construction manager. He had the green arrow to turn left into his neighborhood when Torres T-boned his Volkswagen Passat, authorities said. 

“A lot of hurdles and bumps, and we never imagined it would come down to this,” the victim’s sister, Erin Meleney, said. 

Torres initially faced harsher charges, but at trial, the prosecution asked its key witness to identify the person they saw leaving the deadly crash. While doing so, Torres’ family said the prosecutor gestured toward him, and the judge declared a mistrial.

“Because of the mistrial, the key witness was excluded from testifying,” Meleney said. 

With the key witness off the table, prosecutors offered Torres a plea agreement. They amended his charges and capped his possible jail time to six years, when he could have faced a maximum of 20 years.

“No time would’ve been enough. It’s been a really, really hard and drawn-out and really tough process legally,” Meleney said. 

Meleney’s fight for justice for her brother continues, all while she and her husband are raising two young girls and are expecting a third child this summer, a baby boy.

They haven’t decided on a first name yet, but his middle name will be Andrew.

“Trying to keep his name alive as much as we can is just what all of us want to do,” Meleney said. 

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The judicial process will drag out just a bit longer, while the family waits for the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for mid-August. 

Willingham is survived by his wife and two children. 

News4 asked the defense attorney for Torres for a comment. They did not offer any response.

Trace is a small shop hoping to make a big impact on the planet.

“We are here to help people use less plastic and less single-use packaging in their everyday lives,” Trace owner and founder Mala Persaud told us.

At Trace, items are sold in bulk. Customers fill their own reusable containers, paying by the ounce or pound. The weight of the container is deducted from the price, so they’re only paying for the product itself. And there’s no plastic packaging going into the trash.

“Plastic doesn’t go anywhere. It doesn’t have anywhere to go. A lot of times ‘biodegradable’ for plastic means that it just breaks apart into ever smaller pieces, and that’s what’s getting into the environment and getting into our animals and getting into ourselves,” Persaud said.

Since opening two and a half years ago, Trace has refilled more than 17,000 containers. Customers like the idea of reusing and refilling.

“I love that I’m not paying extra just for the packaging, because as you can see, it is still in great shape and it can be reused,” one customer said.

Persaud says there are plenty of ways to protect the environment, and starting with something small, such as reusing and refilling, can achieve something big.

“If you start with the one thing that you can do, you see, ‘Oh, this isn’t so bad,’ and you add another thing and you add another thing and you add another thing, and altogether, that adds up to a really huge impact,” Persaud said.

It was a tense moment at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital when 47-year-old Huy Tien Nguyen drove up to the emergency room asking them to help his girlfriend, 38-year-old Alison “Kate” Laporta, who had an upper body wound, Fairfax County police said.

“Hospital now on code yellow. No one other than law enforcement is allowed,” a dispatcher said.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

Police arrested Nguyen, who never left the hospital. He is charged with second-degree murder and being held without bond.

Detectives determined Nguyen fired the fatal shot inside of this red Jeep that he drove to the hospital.

Police said they recovered a gun near his Lorton home. 

Laporta leaves behind two children. Her daughter’s fiancé shared a statement on her behalf that says: “The person who took her away from us took a mother away from her children. I hope the person who did it realizes they not have only hurt me but they have inflicted pain on others.”

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The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said in a social media post that three people were taken to a hospital with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening after the bus struck the building on Braddock Road.

The car also swerved and went into a ditch, but no one who was in the vehicle was taken to the hospital, Fairfax County police spokesperson Lt. John Crone said by telephone.

The bus driver and two of the five children on the bus were left with minor injuries, Crone said.

The DMV building sustained minor damage, Crone said. No DMV employees were injured, but the office was closed while crews reviewed the damage, Virginia DMV spokesperson Jillian Cowherd said in a statement.

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That witness is the driver of an SUV involved in the crash. The driver of the other vehicle in the crash, who was 18 at the time, is on trial for two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The young man’s defense is trying to place the blame for the crash on the SUV driver.

Police say Usman Shahid was driving a BMW at 81 mph on Blake Lane when his vehicle collided with an SUV that was turning left. Shahid’s car drove up on the sidewalk, killing two girls and injuring a third before plowing through a mailbox, utility box and power pole.

A court exhibit showed the deadly path of Shahid’s BMW.

In court Thursday, jurors heard from the driver of the SUV. The commonwealth attorney’s office is giving him immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Under questioning from the prosecutor, the driver of the SUV said he had a blinking yellow turn arrow when he saw his path was clear. He said he began to turn left while also noticing a white sedan, as he described it, two football fields away. But the driver of the SUV says he suddenly saw pedestrians enter the crosswalk, so he stopped.

He tearfully described what happened next: “I was waiting for the tail end of the group coming through … I felt, like, a slam. It was a train-like collision I’ve never experienced before … My initial thought was it was a bad movie … I was in shock.”

But in a tense cross examination, defense attorney Peter Greenspun suggested he was the one at fault, asking, “Why didn’t you see three kids, one carrying a large music instrument, walking down that sidewalk … if you were so carefully surveying that intersection. You weren’t looking, were you?”

He responded: “I was more focused on making the left turn.”

Greenspun, pressed harder, accusing the driver of the SUV of hitting Shahid’s car, asking: “From the time you saw the BMW the second time … How long was it before you struck that car?”

He pushed back, saying, “I was stationary and that car struck me, slammed into me.”

Police and prosecutors insist it was Shahid speeding down the road who should be blamed, asking the driver of the SUV, “Did you think you had done something wrong after this accident occurred?”

He firmly said no.

The families of the three victims have filed civil lawsuits against both drivers.

A nationally known crash expert also testified, supporting the prosecution. He said the BMW’s sophisticated data recorder showed Shahid accelerated from 60 to 81 mph and never applied the brakes.

It was a tense moment at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital when a man drove up to the emergency room asking them to help a woman who had been shot at an unknown location, Fairfax County police said.

“Hospital now on code yellow. No one other than law enforcement is allowed,” a dispatcher said.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. Her identity was not immediately released.

The driver stayed on the scene.

He drove the woman to the hospital in a red Jeep. Police towed the car away to examine it for evidence of the shooting.

Investigators are working to determine where the shooting occurred and who pulled the trigger. There is no word yet on any suspects or arrests.

The 911 call center received reports late Wednesday night of a shooting in Annandale, but police were not immediately able to confirm if it’s connected.

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News4 is working to learn more about the man who drove the woman to the hospital.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.

The investigation is still in its early stages, but Fairfax County police said it appears that an argument between family members turned violent inside an apartment in the 5100 block of Brittney Elyse Circle.

Both women have life-threatening injuries and were in surgery late Monday morning.

The suspect is in custody.

Detectives and crime scene investigators were seen looking for evidence in a breezeway at the apartment community.

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James Johnson, 63, was walking through the Creekside Village apartment complex, just along Janna Lee Avenue, when he was hit on March 10.

A memorial filled with flowers, balloons and candles now sits steps away from where he lost his life. On Saturday, Johnson’s family gathered there to honor and celebrate him with a candlelit vigil.

“I try to look at all the positive things and the times that we spent together,” Sharon Gbenoba, the victim’s sister, said. “He was the kind of person that would help you if you needed it. He’d give you the shirt off his back. He was a kind and loving man.” 

Investigators said an officer saw the driver of a stolen black 2015 Hyundai Sonata, who was trying to evade police, speeding down Janna Lee Avenue towards a dead end. The driver sideswiped a car and then plowed into Johnson, before finally crashing into a dumpster. The force of the impact shoved the dumpster and a car parked next to it nearly 20 feet.

The driver got out, and witnesses said he ran in between the apartment buildings.

Police arrived and immediately began CPR. Johnson was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Police canvassed the area to try and find the driver but were unsuccessful.

“I want to put closure. I want to know that the person that did this to my brother is arrested, and taken care of,” Gbenoba said. “Even that person, my heart goes out to them too, because that’s a horrible thing to have to live with.”

Johnson’s sister said one of the driving forces for the vigil is to keep her brother’s case top of mind as she and her family seek justice for their loved one.   

“I still grieve, of course. I’m still grieving, and I don’t think anybody should have to endure this,” Gbenoba said. 

Anyone with information should call the Fairfax County Police Department.

The victim was shot in the upper body about 5:30 a.m. on the 3400 block of Charles Street, police said. That’s just off Leesburg Pike and north of Columbia Pike.

The victim was rushed to a hospital and is expected to survive, police said.

A swarm of police vehicles were seen blocking Charles Street over an hour later.

Police didn’t immediately release a description of the suspected shooter.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.