Prince William

A jury has convicted a man of two counts of first-degree murder in a 2020 Dale City house party shooting that left two dead and two others seriously injured—leading a week full of serious charges, arrests, and property crimes across the region.

Separately, police made two domestic-related felony arrests:


Stafford

A Richmond man hallucinating on Interstate 95 bit a deputy after running into traffic late Friday night, police said. The suspect, 30-year-old Adrian Chiodo, admitted to taking multiple drugs and mistook a deputy for someone wearing “a rubber deer mask,” they add. He was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Public Intoxication, and several other offenses and held on a $5,000 bond.

Also this past weekend, a woman rear-ended a car multiple times in the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru and later turned herself in. She’s now charged with Hit and Run and Assault and Battery.


Spotsylvania

A woman was stabbed during an attempted abduction in a Wawa gas station bathroom early Saturday morning.

Deputies responded to the store at 4527 Plank Road around 6:30 a.m. on August 16, where they found the victim with a knife wound to her hand. She told investigators the suspect, Austin Wayne Wilson, had hidden in a restroom stall and climbed into hers, displaying a knife and trying to restrain her. Her screams caused him to flee.


Schools

STAFFORD, Va. – Two Stafford schools were briefly placed on lockdown Monday afternoon after a report of a suspicious person on Parkway Boulevard.

According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the area and secured both Park Ridge Elementary School and North Stafford High School, which together serve nearly 3,000 students, “out of an abundance of caution.” Park Ridge Elementary enrolls about 910 students, while North Stafford High School has about 1,995 students.


Prince William

A 47-year-old man was shot in the hand early Sunday morning, August 17, in Gainesville during an unclear altercation with a 60-year-old woman. Police responded around 12:13 a.m. to Bluff Point Court and Pine Knott Court, where they located the injured man and recovered a firearm. The woman was identified at the scene. No charges have been announced as the investigation continues.

In Bristow, police have charged a 17-year-old from Aldie with Assault by Mob in connection with a July 25 attack at Jiffy Lube Live. A group attacked the 16-year-old victim after a concert. The teen suspect is the first to be charged in the case.


Prince William

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.


Prince William

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.


Stafford

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.


Prince William

DALE CITY, Va. –   A man was shot in the arm while walking to his car Wednesday night in the parking lot of Dale Forest Apartments, police say.

The folks at Prince William County Police just told Potomac Local News that the shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on Whitmer Drive. A 51-year-old man was approached by someone who pulled a gun and shot him during the brief encounter. The suspect then ran off.


Originals

GAINESVILLE, Va. — The two Republicans vying to replace the late Supervisor Bob Weir clashed over land use, data center growth, fiscal priorities, and immigration enforcement during a candidates’ forum this week, just days before GOP voters choose their nominee for the Gainesville District seat.

Patrick Harders, a 24-year Gainesville resident and founder of a regional outdoor lighting company, and Brian Landrum, a historic preservation advocate serving on the Prince William County Architectural Review Board, met in a debate hosted by the Prince William Republican Committee at Guiseppie’s Restaurant in Haymarket, a haunt of the late supervisor. The forum honored Weir’s legacy, with both men praising the late supervisor’s bipartisan approach and focus on putting residents first.


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