STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – Stafford County Public Schools says its bus system ran smoothly on the first regular day of the 2025–26 school year, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, with only minor delays typical of the first week back.
“Overall things are going very well — we are hearing from our principals and our community that they are happy with transportation this year,” said school spokeswoman Sandra Osborn.
Stafford County authorities continue their search for 21-year-old Gabriela Alejandra Bonilla Flores, the suspected driver in a fatal hit-and-run earlier this month. Deputies say Flores is avoiding capture after her white Audi Q5 was seized as evidence in the August 5 crash that killed a 36-year-old man walking along Richmond Highway.
Two Stafford residents, Carlos Guevara and Maritza Bonilla Zapata, both 46, have been arrested for helping Flores evade law enforcement, police said. They face charges of obstruction of justice and being principals in the second degree of a hit and run. Both are being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail.
This fall, Stafford’s voters will choose their representatives for the School Board and Board of Supervisors for Garrisonville, Hartwood, Falmouth, and Aquia. George Washington, Rockhill, and Griffis-Widewater are up for election in 2027.
This fall, Stafford’s voters will also choose their representatives for the School Board and Board of Supervisors for Garrisonville, Hartwood, Falmouth, and Aquia. George Washington, Rockhill, and Griffis-Widewater are up for election in 2027.
Three suspected drunk drivers were arrested in Stafford County on Sunday night, including one woman allegedly driving with a cup of vodka in her console.
The first DUI arrest came at 5:20 p.m. on Stony Hill Road, when deputies say a driver crossing the double yellow line admitted she was “on a break from her family” and had been on her phone. She was also found with an open container of vodka and showed signs of intoxication. She was charged with DUI, drinking while driving, using a phone while driving, and a lane violation, and held until sober.
STAFFORD, Va. – Stafford County officials have launched a new task force aimed at curbing retail theft and organized retail crime, but the Sheriff’s Office says it has no records or data to show whether such crimes are on the rise locally.
The joint initiative, announced last week by the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, is designed to target both everyday shoplifting and more complex theft operations. According to the announcement, the task force will focus on identifying suspects, sharing intelligence, and streamlining prosecution.
An intoxicated driver led deputies on a high-speed chase through North Stafford late Thursday night, reaching speeds of 100 mph before being stopped with a PIT maneuver. Deputies say 38-year-old Edgard Martinez Martinez turned off his headlights and tried to evade arrest after being spotted speeding on Garrisonville Road. The pursuit wound through multiple roads and commuter lots before ending when the suspect’s car spun into woods near Little Forest Church Road. Martinez allegedly tried to run but was quickly caught. He faces charges including DUI, felony eluding, reckless driving, and fleeing law enforcement, and is being held without bond.
In other incidents, a verbal dispute on Shaw Court escalated into an assault when two women allegedly attacked a victim. Both were charged with assault and battery and released on personal recognizance.
STAFFORD, Va. – Stafford County’s newest dog park is open, and it carries the name of a four-legged public servant who spent years protecting the community.
Friends of Havoc Dog Park opened Saturday, August 9, at 2085 Mountain View Road, just south of Margaret Brent Elementary School. It’s the first dog park in the Rock Hill District and was named for Havoc, a Stafford County Sheriff’s Office K9 who served from October 2013 to March 2020. Havoc died on July 29, 2021, due to health issues.
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series by Potomac Local News introducing candidates for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. This fall, voters will choose representatives for the Garrisonville, Hartwood, Falmouth, and Aquia Districts. To help local voters learn more about their candidates, Potomac Local News invited all Board of Supervisors candidates to a virtual interview with the same five questions. Their answers have been condensed for clarity. The remaining candidates either declined, had scheduling conflicts, or did not respond.
A single-story home in Stafford County’s White Oak area was heavily damaged in an early-morning fire Saturday.
Fire and rescue crews were called to the 00 block of McCauley Lane, off Belle Plains Road, at about 3:15 a.m. They arrived within six minutes to find the house fully engulfed in flames.
