Author: Alan Gloss

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Manassas

Man Accused of Abducting Manassas Schoolgirl Faces Grand Jury; Faces Deportation, says Family

By Alan Gloss

Jesus Enrique Ramirez Cabrera, 23, of Manassas, appeared in a Prince William County court Thursday, January 23, for a preliminary hearing related to his arrest last fall after he was accused of abducting a Manassas City school girl at a city bus stop.

Initially, Ramirez Cabrera was charged with Abduction of a Minor, Robbery using Force, both felonies and misdemeanors, Petit Larceny, and Impersonating an Officer.

After a delay to consult with the victim, Assistant District Attorney Elena Ventura announced that the Commonwealth was dropping the two misdemeanor charges. Nebye Kahssai of the Public Defender’s Office told Judge Lisa Baird that Ramirez Cabrera waived his right to a preliminary trial.
Initially, Ramirez Cabrera was charged with Abduction of a Minor, Robbery using Force, both felonies and misdemeanors Petit Larceny, and Impersonating an Officer.

After a delay to consult with the victim, Assistant District Attorney Elena Ventura announced that the Commonwealth was dropping the two misdemeanor charges. Nebye Kahssai of the Public Defender’s Office told Judge Lisa Baird that Ramirez Cabrera waived his right to a preliminary trial.

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Manassas Park

Community Honors Manassas Park Police for Efforts in Mamta Kafle Bhatt Investigation

By Alan Gloss
Members of the Manassas Park Police Department were honored for their work on the Mamta Kafle Bhatt case at a City Council meeting on January 14, 2025. (Photo by Alan Gloss)

Members of the community gathered to honor the Manassas Park police department for their diligent efforts in the investigation of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a mother who has not been seen since July 2024. The recognition ceremony highlighted the role of law enforcement in uncovering key evidence in the high-profile case.

During the ceremony, 11 officers from the Manassas Park Police Department were presented with traditional Topi headdresses provided by Kafle Bhatt’s Nepalese family. Sunita Basnet Thapa, a coworker and mentor to Kafle Bhatt during her nursing career, explained the cultural significance of the Topi. “The headdress is traditionally presented to Nepalese men to identify them as honorable and hardworking,” she said.

This ceremony represents how far the police relationship with the community has developed. Early into the disappearance, residents harbored animosity toward what they perceived as police inaction and organized rallies and search parties to put pressure on local officials during the 22 days of her disappearance before police arrested the missing woman’s husband, Naresh Bhatt, on August 22, 2024.

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Manassas

Unlicensed Tow Operator Charged in $26K Scam, Prince William Resident Recovers Stolen Car After Two Months

By Alan Gloss
A photo of Tillman’s flatbed tow truck from a Facebook page associated with his business. (Facebook)

A Prince William County resident, Bethany Selvage, has her car back nearly two months after an unlicensed tow operator stole it, according to police. On January 2, 2025, Manassas City Police located Selvage’s 2018 Nissan Sentra.

Police have since charged Michael Tillman, owner of Tillman’s Auto Salon in Manassas, with a third felony offense related to illegal towing and demanding exorbitant fees for vehicle release. This charge represents the third vehicle Tillman is accused of stealing, and authorities say more charges are likely as they uncover years of him towing without a license.

In the most recent case, police say Tillman took a 2018 Toyota Yaris from the Raising Cane’s parking lot on Liberia Avenue just outside Manassas under false pretenses. The Yaris owners had contacted their insurance company, which arranged for a tow truck. Police said Tillman arrived before the legitimate tow company, misrepresented himself as the insurance company’s provider, and obtained the vehicle.

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Manassas

Justin Burns’ Killer Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter

By Alan Gloss
Burns

Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.

Lizama

Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.

During Lizama’s preliminary hearing in May 2024, Prosecutors presented evidence, including a nearby homeowner’s security camera footage that caught Lizama’s van traveling at a high rate of speed, striking Burns as he crossed the street in an unlit area of Center Street.

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Governor, Area Leaders React to Potential Federal Job Cuts

By Alan Gloss
Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Dale City [Photo: Alan Gloss]

With the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the horizon, Northern Virginia’s federal workforce and contractors brace for potential downsizing as the incoming administration targets redundancies and inefficiencies in government operations.

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Business

$275M Expansion: Baseball Fields Stay Intact as Micron Opts for Growth Without Relocation

By Alan Gloss
A Micron engineer in its chip manufacturing plant (Photo courtesy of Virginia Economic Development Partnership)

The U.S. Department of Commerce has committed up to $275 million to support Micron Technology’s expansion of its semiconductor facility in Manassas.

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News

Governor Celebrates Dale City Red Cross Donation Center Opening

By Alan Gloss
Governor Glenn Youngkin and Dale Kunce, the CEO of the Red Cross of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region enjoy a moment as technicians prepare equipment for their blood draw. (Photo by Alan Gloss)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) marked the grand opening of Prince William County’s second Red Cross Blood Donation Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, December 9, 2024.

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Manassas Park

Naresh Bhatt Waives Speedy Trial Rights as Murder and Defilement Charges Mount

By Alan Gloss
The Judicial Center for Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.

In front of Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly A. Irving on December 4, 2024, prosecutors read the additional charges of First Degree Murder and Defiling a Dead Body to the defendant Naresh Bhatt.

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Manassas Park

Charges Upgraded in Missing Manassas Park Mom’s Disappearance

By Alan Gloss
Members of the community held a vigil for Mamta Kafle Bhatt in August 2024. Kafle Bhatt was last seen July 27, 2024 (Photo by Alan Gloss)

A Prince William County Grand Jury returned an indictment of First Degree Murder and Physically Defiling the body of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, against her husband and Manassas Park resident Naresh Bhatt.

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Manassas

Insurance Scam? Prince William Resident’s Car Missing, Tow Truck Driver Charged

By Alan Gloss
A 2018 Nissan Sentra is missing and a unlicensed tow truck driver faces charges.

A Prince William County resident is without a car after a simple fender-bender became an insurance scam.

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