Potomac Local News

Murder Case Ends in 20-Year Prison Sentence

Published August 17, 2025 at 10:15AM

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

MANASSAS, Va. – Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office just told Potomac Local News they’ve secured a conviction in a deadly 2024 shooting on Stream Walk Lane, near Route 234 and Interstate 66, near Manassas. Zahir Abdul-Rahman Mujahid, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Horace Roy Johnson III and has been sentenced to 40 years in prison—with more than 19 years suspended.

The shooting happened the night of November 23, 2024, near Balls Ford Road. Police found Johnson dead at the scene, along with shell casings and a pair of red glasses known to belong to Mujahid. Investigators say Mujahid shot Johnson multiple times after a fight broke out.

Manassas Park

VRE Advances Station Upgrades in Manassas Park, Completes Spotsylvania Property Transfer

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 17, 2025 at 10:05AM | Updated August 18, 2025 at 11:19AM

Virginia Railway Express is moving forward with improvements at two of its stations, one marking a long-awaited property transfer in Spotsylvania County and the other preparing for a major new parking facility in Manassas Park.

At its July meeting, the VRE Operations Board approved a contract with Espina Paving, Inc. of Woodbridge to mill and pave the Manassas Park Station parking lot. The work, set to finish before winter, aims to improve the lot’s appearance and safety after recent construction left it looking, as one board member put it, “like a war zone.”

Breaking News

Patrick Harders Wins GOP Primary for Gainesville Supervisor Seat

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 16, 2025 at 7:21PM

Harders/Landrum

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Patrick Harders just clinched the Republican nomination to run for Gainesville District Supervisor this November, winning today’s firehouse primary with more than twice the votes of his opponent, Brian Landrum.

The Prince William County Republican Committee announced Harders’ win this evening, saying he earned 1,838 votes to Landrum’s 840. The seat opened unexpectedly following the death of Supervisor Bob Weir last month.

Quantico

Loud Booms Expected from Quantico Training Through End of August

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 16, 2025 at 12:26PM

QUANTICO, Va. – If you hear loud explosions or feel the ground rumble over the next two weeks, you’re not imagining things. The folks at Marine Corps Base Quantico just told Potomac Local News about a series of upcoming live-fire training sessions—including some that run overnight and involve explosive demolitions.

Here’s the scoop: Training continues through Friday, August 29. Expect everything from small-arms fire to rocket launches, robot maneuvers, and live explosive demonstrations. Some exercises will run late into the evening, especially on August 18 and 19, and there’s a major multi-day session from August 20 to 21.

Schools

Prince William School Board Splits as Wall, Tredinnick Oppose Majority in Defiance of Federal Order

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 16, 2025 at 8:00AM | Updated August 16, 2025 at 3:54PM

The Prince William County School Board 2024 to 2027. Top left to right: Erica Tredinnick, Justin Wilk, Dr. Babur Lateef, Lisa Zarapur, Tracy Blake. Bottom row: Jennifer Wall, Richard Jessie, Loree Williams. [Photo: Prince William County Public Schools]

Reactions from Prince William’s eight-member school board show a deep divide—not just over federal law, but over whose rights the policy protects and how the board should have responded.

Two members—Jennifer Wall of the Gainesville District and Erica Tredinnick of the Brentsville District, both Republican-endorsed—spoke out against the board’s overall position to defy the U.S. Department of Education. While the majority of the board supported rejecting the federal resolution, Wall and Tredinnick each argued the board should have taken a different course.

Breaking News

Crash Closes I-95 North Near Quantico—Expect Major Delays

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 16, 2025 at 7:30AM

I-95 looking south

QUANTICO, Va. – The folks at the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office just told Potomac Local News they’re investigating a serious crash that’s shut down all northbound lanes of I-95 near mile marker 148, right by Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Even though the crash happened in Prince William County, Stafford deputies are handling the scene. VDOT says traffic is backed up for about 3 miles, with vehicles being detoured off the interstate at Exit 148.

Police Blotter

Someone Tried to Break Into This Woodbridge Bank—Through the Roof

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 15, 2025 at 4:37PM

LAKE RIDGE, Va. – Prince William County Police say they’re investigating an unusual break-in attempt at a bank on Hedges Run Drive.

Officers were called to the M&T Bank in Lake Ridge on Wednesday morning after someone discovered a large hole had been cut into the building’s roof. Police say the attempted burglary likely happened sometime between August 10 and 14.

Traffic

Heads up: Road work and lane closures this week in Stafford, Spotsy, and Fredericksburg

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 15, 2025 at 4:28PM

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The folks at VDOT just shared the latest weekly roadwork alerts for our area, and here’s what drivers need to know from Aug. 17–23, 2025.

On I-95, expect overnight lane closures in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties for paving and bridge inspections—from Exit 118 (Thornburg) to Exit 130 (Route 3), plus between Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) and Exit 148 (Quantico). Police will be directing traffic during mobile paving operations in some zones.

Stafford

Meth Arrest, Drunk Drivers Top Stafford Police Blotter

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 15, 2025 at 4:10PM

A man wanted for a hit and run in Stafford was arrested at the McDonald’s on Ferry Road after a traffic stop revealed he had meth, a suspended license, and a fake registration. Deputies served his warrant and charged him with drug possession and multiple traffic violations. He’s being held without bond.

In a separate incident, a driver ran a red light at Garrisonville and Onville roads and was found to be intoxicated with a suspended license. He admitted to drinking wine and failed sobriety tests, leading to DUI and traffic charges.