Investigators say the body of a man found in the back of a van most likely was killed as a result of a traffic crash.
Virginia State Police tell us:
The investigation remains ongoing into the death of a Fairfax County man following a traffic crash in Prince William County last week. As the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office continues to follow up on leads related to the case, investigators are still asking for anyone who witnessed the crash and/or has information on the driver of the tractor-trailer involved in the crash to contact us by phone at 703-803-2676 or by email at [email protected].
The two-vehicle traffic crash occurred at 2:25 a.m. on Thursday (Aug. 27) on Interstate 95 near Exit 160 for Route 123/Occoquan Lake Ridge. A white, full-size Chevrolet work van was traveling south on I-95 when it ran into the back of a tractor-trailer that was pulling into the travel lane from the right shoulder. The tractor-trailer left the scene and continued southbound on I-95.
The driver of the van, an adult male from Prince William County, was treated at the scene for minor injuries. After the scene was cleared, Delmer Reniery Flores-Canaca, 26, of Springfield, Va., was found deceased in the back cargo area of the van. His remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas for examination, autopsy and positive identification. At this stage of the investigation, it is believed that Flores-Canaca died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The criminal investigation remains ongoing and no charges have been placed at this time.
The occupants of a home in northern Stafford County got an unsuspected knock on the door from the Stafford sheriff's office today.
Deputies were sent to a home near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Brentsmill Drive in the Widewater area.
A 911 caller reported that someone at the home had been shot, said Stafford sheriff's Maj. Shawn Kimmitz. The caller then hung up and the dispatcher was unable to get them back on the line, he added.
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Guns are welcome in Stafford County Government buildings and parks.
The Board of Supervisors resolved to not pass any new ordinances banning guns during its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. The move comes nine months after the Board of Supervisors declared the county a 2nd-Amendment sanctuary, where the rights of gun-owning residents afforded to them by the U.S. Constitution would be protected.
After the declaration, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law new legislation that allows localities to ban guns and ammunition from public buildings.
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6:30 p.m.
The suspect in a series of carjackings in the Manassas area is now in custody. Prince William police said a man carjacked another vehicle in the Manassas area today and fled into Fairfax County where he was arrested. The arrest comes after a woman was carjacked in Prince William County yesterday while waiting for  roadside assistance to fix a flat tire.
*UPDATE: Ref the #carjacking in #Manassas reported in today's police brief; #PWCPD have charged Robert M. REDFERN, 41, in connection to the incident. The suspect was arrested today by @FairfaxCountyPD after stealing another vehicle in Manassas and fleeing into Fairfax County. https://t.co/CuhHtybXA8 pic.twitter.com/x0AY2Pbov0
— Prince William County Police Department (@PWCPolice) September 2, 2020
3:15 p.m.Â
A woman was carjacked in Prince William County on Tuesday afternoon while waiting for help to arrive to fix a flat tire.
From Prince William police:
Carjacking – On September 1 at 3:33PM, officers responded to the area of Bull Run Rd and Yorkshire Ln in Manassas (20111) to investigate a carjacking. The victim, a 44-year-old woman, reported to police that she was driving in the above area when her vehicle sustained a flat tire. As the victim was waiting for assistance, she was approached by an unknown man who physically assaulted her before taking the vehicle.
As the suspect fled the area in the vehicle, the victim was dragged a short distance. The victim reported minor injuries. The vehicle was located a short time later in the area of Mathis Ave in Manassas City. Officers, with assistance from Manassas City police and Manassas Park police, searched the area for the suspect who was not located. A vehicle camera in the area caught an image of the suspect. The identity of the suspect remains unknown. The investigation continues.
Suspect Description:
White male, between 30-45 years of age, 5’11” with a medium build and full beard Last seen wearing a green long sleeve shirt, dark pants, dark shoes, and a black hat
In other police news, police are searching for a man who fired shots into a house in Dumfries.
From Prince William police:
Shooting into a Residential Dwelling | Reckless Handling of a Firearm – On September 1 at 4:22PM, officers responded to the 1900 block of Fort Monroe Ct in Dumfries (22026) to investigate a shots fired call. The investigation revealed that a fight broke out in the above area involving parties believed to be known to one another.
The altercation escalated when shots were fired by an unknown man resulting in a residence being struck. No injuries or other property damage were reported. Two parties involved in the initial fight were located and subsequently charged with assault and battery.
The shooter was not located and is believed to have fled the scene in a silver, 4-door sedan. The investigation continues.
Suspect Description:
Black male with a heavy build and full beard
Last seen wearing a white tank top, black shorts, white socks and shoes, and a dark green & yellow hat
And a gas station just outside Dumfries was robbed at gunpoint.
Prince William police tell us:
Armed Robbery – On September 1 at 5:42PM, officers responded to the Exxon service station located at 17164 Jefferson Davis Hwy in Dumfries (22026) to investigate an initial alarm activation.
When officers arrived at the business, it was discovered that a robbery occurred. The store employee reported to police that an unknown, masked man entered the business and approached the clerk to ask for change. As the clerk opened the register, the man brandished a handgun and demanded money.
The suspect took an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the area on foot. No injuries were reported. A police K-9 responded to search for the suspect who was not located. The investigation continues.
Suspect Description:
A light-skinned male, unknown age, 5’11”, 160lbs
Last seen wearing a black rain jacket, khaki pants, white gloves, black shoes, and a black mask
The body of Brandon Childs, 40, of Spotsylvania County, was found in the Rappahannock River.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries reports the body was found about 1:30 p.m. at Fox Spring Bend in Stafford County, about eight miles downstream of City Dock in Fredericksburg.
The boater went missing on Sunday. Crews spent two days searching for the missing boater.
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While school buildings in Prince William Count are closed to students, the county's parks and recreation division will offer a daycare program for children outside Manassas, and in Woodbridge.
Prince William County Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega writes to her constituents:
Starting Tuesday, September 8th, Prince William County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism will offer partial and full-day care service. Daytime care will be provided for students in grades K through 8th at the Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center and the Pat White Center at Ben Lomond. Daytime care for pre-school children age three from pre-K will be offered at the Sharron Baucom Dale City Recreation Center.
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Prince William County Public Schools students will be headed back to class virtually on September 8, but athletes who play scholastic won’t return to the field.
Prince William County Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega writes to her constituents:
At the August 19th Prince William County School Board Meeting, it was announced that athletic teams would be able to start out-of-season workouts on September 10th. Teams will only be allowed to do outdoor conditioning, and athletes are not allowed to train indoors. Athletes are not allowed to use equipment and will be subjected to daily health-screening surveys and temperature checks.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is the principal sanctioning organization for public school athletics in the state. The VHSL was scheduled to approve the regular season and state championship schedule for the 2020 school year on Monday, August 31st. The VHSL Executive Committee postponed their decision to September 17th to that they could have “an additional two weeks to review and discuss feedback from membership before adopting the final schedule.”
High school began out-of-season workouts in Fairfax County Public Schools on June 23rd, and in Loudoun County Public Schools on July 15th. Stafford County and Fauquier County Public Schools have not announced their plans to resume athletic activities yet.The principal sanctioning organization for private school athletics in the state is the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA). In July, VISSA announced that there would be no state championships for the fall sports this year. However, VISSA is allowing schools to compete if they chose to so.
Some private high schools in the area have opted to have student athletes compete this fall. For example, Seton School in the City of Manassas will be playing cross country, soccer, volleyball, and girls tennis.
All private schools in the region have implemented different measures to accommodate for the current circumstances, such as temperature checks for athletes, singles only tennis, and other guidelines to enforce social distancing.
Some schools have announced that they are scheduled to compete against other private schools in the region this fall in some sports. Other private schools have chosen to only compete intramurally, and are looking to create a “bubble” similar to some professional sports leagues.
The majority of people who have died of the coronavirus were already suffering from poor health.
Prince William County Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega writes to her constituents:
Ninety-four percent of Americans who died from COVID-19 had other “types of health conditions and contributing causes” in addition to the virus, according to a new CDC report.
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9:45 p.m.
Route 17 is now open to traffic, the Virginia Department of Transportation tells us.
https://twitter.com/VaDOTFRED/status/1301330829797400576
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Stafford County leaders are exploring the possibility of charging users of two popular riverside parks $10 per car to enter the parks.
This summer, parking lots at Historic Port of Falmouth Park on the Rappahannock River, and Aquia Landing on the Potomac River have been full. While many put off summer vacations to beach destinations because of the coronavirus, locally, the beaches have been packed with users.
That has led to vehicles being parked on private properties, as well as alongside narrow streets leading into the parks, gumming up traffic flow.
