Crime Archives - Page 13 of 451 - Potomac Local News

Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Seeks Public’s Help in Double Murder Investigation

Published February 14, 2025 at 11:23AM

Kimberly Newcomb, 59, and Charles Childress 61, were killed.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in gathering information regarding the double homicide that took place on January 25, 2025, on Heatherwood Drive.

Detectives are seeking any details from residents in the area who may have noticed suspicious activity, have video footage, or possess information—no matter how small—between Monday, January 20, 2025, and Saturday, January 25, 2025. Authorities believe even seemingly minor details could be crucial to advancing the investigation.

News

Police Blotter: Dangerous Driver Detained After Pursuit, Body Found in Car

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 13, 2025 at 10:56AM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:15PM

Updated 2:45 p.m. – On February 12, law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions worked together to apprehend Gideon Owusu, Jr., 31, after a high-speed chase spanning Prince William, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties. Owusu, wanted for the malicious wounding of two Prince William County Police officers, was taken into custody after a dramatic pursuit on Interstate 95.

The series of events began on February 11 at 4:12 p.m., when Prince William County Police responded to Summerhouse II Condos on Gableridge Turn in Woodbridge to investigate a stolen vehicle. Officers learned that the suspect had taken an acquaintance’s vehicle without permission earlier in the day in Dumfries. Upon arrival, officers found Owusu with a different stolen vehicle, belonging to another acquaintance.

News

Police & Fire Blotter: Incidents Reported Across Prince William, Stafford, and Manassas

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 11, 2025 at 9:41PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:17PM

Law enforcement and emergency responders in Prince William County, Stafford County, and the City of Manassas handled multiple incidents over the past several days, including a house fire that displaced a family in Woodbridge, two shooting investigations, drug-related arrests, and a series of disturbances and crimes.

On February 10 at approximately 8:30 p.m., fire crews responded to a house fire on the 3000 block of Fillmore Drive in Woodbridge. Flames broke out in the home’s laundry room, causing moderate damage. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and no injuries were reported. The home was deemed unsafe for occupancy, and two adults and one child were displaced. The Red Cross is providing assistance. The Fire Marshal confirmed the fire started in the laundry room, though the cause remains under investigation.

News

Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Suspect in Route 3 Bank Robbery

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 9, 2025 at 10:51PM

[Courtesy of Northern Virginia Police Cars via Instagram]

According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the robbery occurred at Truist Bank, located at 3600 Plank Road, next to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. A bank employee called 911 to report that a man had entered the bank and demanded money. The employee complied with the demands, and the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Authorities confirmed that the suspect did not display a weapon during the robbery, and no injuries were reported. Witnesses at the scene provided law enforcement with a description of the suspect’s getaway vehicle, which was identified as a copper/orange pickup truck.

Fredericksburg

Eastern District of Virginia Convictions: Drug Trafficking, Assault, Fraud, and Illegal Reentry

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 7, 2025 at 8:18PM

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia recently secured convictions in multiple high-profile cases. A Maryland man was convicted of trafficking cocaine and fentanyl to Fredericksburg, while a Stafford man was found guilty of assaulting a deaf passenger during a flight. A Honduran national was sentenced for illegally reentering the U.S. and failing to register as a sex offender, and a Dumfries man pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. Each case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to hold criminals accountable. Read on for case details and links to full press releases.

Manassas

Police Blotter: Fatal Crash, Drone-Assisted Arrest, and Unusual Break-In

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 7, 2025 at 1:38PM

Stafford deputies seen by drone video making an arrest.

From Prince William County Police Department:

Fatal Crash Investigation Nokesville Rd. & Sowder Village Sq., Nokesville: On February 6 at 5:48 AM, crash investigators responded to the area of Nokesville Rd. and Sowder Village Sq. in Nokesville to investigate a fatal pedestrian crash. The investigation revealed that the driver of a 2024 Nissan Sentra was traveling southbound on Nokesville Rd. when the vehicle struck a pedestrian who was attempting to cross the road outside of a crosswalk while wearing dark-colored clothing. The pedestrian was subsequently struck by a 2005 Mazda 6, also traveling southbound on Nokesville Rd.

News

Police Blotter: Burglary at Tobacco Shop, Warrant Service Leads to Three Arrests, and Increased Police Presence in Manassas

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 5, 2025 at 5:22PM | Updated February 5, 2025 at 9:58PM

[Photo: Alan Gloss]

Today’s police blotter includes a burglary at a Woodbridge tobacco shop where a masked suspect broke in and stole merchandise. In Stafford County, a warrant service turned into a chase, leading to three arrests. Deputies also responded to fraud cases, a swatting incident, and vandalism involving a family dispute. In Prince William County, three juveniles at a shelter assaulted a staff member and stole his keys before fleeing, resulting in robbery charges. Meanwhile, Manassas City police responded to an increased presence at Pristine Court and Hood Road for an ongoing investigation, later confirming there was no threat to the public.

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Police Blotter: Postal Worker Robbed at Gunpoint; Teens Charged for Distributing THC Gummies

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 4, 2025 at 6:25PM | Updated February 4, 2025 at 8:11PM

[Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash]

A U.S. Postal Service worker reported that while delivering mail, an unknown man approached him and implied he had a weapon before grabbing a key chain and fleeing. The postal worker left the area and contacted police. No injuries were reported.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’0” tall, in his 30s, with a full beard and mustache, wearing all-black clothing.

Manassas

Manassas Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison; Sex Trafficking a Child

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 31, 2025 at 3:20PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:26AM

A Manassas man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for providing drugs and alcohol to a child in exchange for sex acts and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the same victim as well as other children.

According to court documents, Olajide Benjamin Ayilaran, 24, met a 14-year-old girl during the summer of 2023 and began communicating with the victim via iMessage. In the messages, Ayilaran offered to provide the victim drugs, alcohol, and nicotine products in exchange for sex acts. Between at least Nov. 21, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, Ayilaran met the victim nine times, usually in the morning before the victim went to school, to exchange the products for sexual acts. Ayilaran would wait for the victim in his car in a nearby park. When the victim arrived, he gave her the drugs and alcohol and then had the victim perform sex acts on him in the car.

News

Fatal Crash in Nokesville and Bomb Threat on Stafford School Bus Under Investigation

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 31, 2025 at 2:39PM

[Photo: Alan Gloss]

A fatal crash in Nokesville on January 30 has left one man dead and another injured, according to the Prince William County Police Department. The incident occurred at approximately 3:28 p.m. at the intersection of Aden Road and Parkgate Drive.

Authorities report that the driver of a 2008 Nissan Titan, identified as 29-year-old David Joseph Russell Callen of Manassas, was traveling southbound on Aden Rd at a high rate of speed. The Titan crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding with a 2022 Subaru Outback heading in the opposite direction. The force of the collision caused the Titan to leave the roadway, rolling several times before coming to a stop on its roof.