Virignia State Police: At 1 p.m., Sunday, April 14, Virginia State Police initiated a traffic stop on a Toyota Sienna traveling east on Interstate 66 at the 17-mile marker in Fauquier County. The traffic violation was for no state inspection.
The Toyota refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated. The Toyota continued into Prince William County, eventually crashing on eastbound Interstate 66 at the 45-mile marker. The Toyota’s driver, an adult male, was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
An adult female passenger was also transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
More as we have it.
Prince William police: On April 4, detectives arrested in connection to an unconscious man who had been dropped off at an area hospital on March 8 at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The initial investigation revealed the victim, a 46-year-old man, had sustained significant injuries by unknown means while at a property located in the 4200 block of James Maddison Highway in Haymarket on
March 8.
During the ongoing investigation, detectives learned the victim had been
assaulted by multiple male acquaintances, including the accused.
At one point during the encounter, the accused struck the victim in the head with a baseball bat, which rendered him unconscious. The victim was then dropped off at the hospital, where the police were contacted.
Multiple search warrants were served with the assistance of local and federal partners, resulting in firearms and scheduled I/II narcotics being seized.
On April 4, following the investigation, the accused, identified as Juan Manuel MATA BENAVIDES, was arrested. The investigation continues as detectives continue to identify the other individuals involved in the incident.
Arrested on April 4: Juan Manuel MATA BENAVIDES, 28, of 11251 Lady Jane Loop. Apartment 103 in Manassas. Charged with aggravated malicious wounding, malicious wounding by mob, malicious wounding, assault by mob, assault & battery, abduction, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of schedule I/II drugs. Court Date: Pending | Bond: Held WITHOUT Bond.
Manassas City Police Department:Â *Update* 4.10.2024 at 4:37 a.m.
We were able to get the subject to come out and is in our custody for mental health review. All roads are open and the heavy police presence is gone. We thank you for your patience.
*Update* 4.10.2024 at 3:36 a.m. We continue to speak with a subject that refuses to come out of his residence. We believe the subject is alone. In order to keep the situation contained police have the area of Wilson Avenue and Weems Road intersection shut down as well part of Portner Avenue. Drivers please use alternate routes. We will update you on any major changes in the status of this investigation.
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Department of Justice press release: Â A federal judge convicted a Stafford man yesterday on a charge of conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least May 2015 through August 2020, Mark Joseph Rodriguez, aka “Slow Poke,” 45, and other conspirators from Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland used a messaging app private group, which they generally referred to as "The DMV Board" or "The Board," as a place where they and their associates could discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights, out of view of law enforcement.
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Two women were found dead in an apartment near Manassas.
The incident occurred on Porters Ridge Lane, in the Portsmouth neighborhood, behind Global Food, near Manassas.
Police discovered the bodies inside an apartment at 5:12 a.m. Both victims succumbed to gunshot wounds, sparking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths, according to initial information from county police.
Authorities swiftly moved forward with the case, resulting in an arrest made in Shenandoah County. Reports indicate that the suspect, in an attempt to flee the crime scene, resorted to carjacking a passerby’s car. However, their flight was short-lived as their vehicle malfunctioned while driving through Shenandoah County.
Law enforcement officials have emphasized that the incident does not appear to be random, indicating that there may be underlying motives behind the shootings.
Nine people have been shot and killed in Prince William County so far this year.
More as we have it.
Police said they knew the man who shot and killed a man outside a Dumfries club.
On March 24, 2024, Prince William police detectives identified the suspect sought in connection to the fatal shooting of Carvell Jarmain Williams, 38, of Warrenton, outside Club Tempo located at 17650 Possum Point Road in Dumfries on March 23.
While investigating the incident, detectives identified the suspect and obtained arrest warrants. Preliminarily, the investigation revealed the two parties were known to one another and that the accused and victim were possibly involved in an altercation in the parking lot when the victim was fatally shot, police said.
Police have located the suspect. Detectives continue to actively investigate the incident and ask anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of the accused to contact police.
The suspect is Jonathan Montile Middleton, 37, of the 100 block of Eustace Road in Stafford, police said.
He’s described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 240 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He’s wanted for murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or submit a tip online at pwcva.gov/policetip.
A Woodbridge man faces charges stemming from a shooting on March 4, 2024.
Officers responded to Aggressive Customs, a shop that wraps vehicles, located at 905 Highams Court in Woodbridge to investigate a shooting. Police said two men were involved in a verbal altercation that escalated when one of the men shot the other.
Police said victim, a 43-year-old man and the shooter were arguing over vehicle parts. Police said the shooter grabbed a gun and fired a round, striking the victim in the upper body, causing injuries that did not appear to be life threatening.
Sang Kyun OH, 44, of 500 Highams Ct. in Woodbridge is charged with malicious wounding, shooting within a building, and use of a firearm in commission
of a felony.
He’s due in court on April 23, 2024.
Police said an 82-year-old man was maimed after a drunken driver collided with him in the street.
On Tuesday, March 12, at 7:55 p.m., police were called to Coverstone Drive and Aaron Lane near Manassas to investigate the crash.
The driver of a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder, later identified as the accused, was turning left from Coverstone Drive onto Aaron Lane when the vehicle struck an 82-year-old man who was attempting to cross the street, police said.
Emergency crews took the victim to an area hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. The accused fled from the initial scene before striking a 2013 Toyota Camry in the area of Sudley Manor Drive and Williamson Boulevard, leaving the car on its side.
The accused fled on foot before being located a short distance away and detained without incident. The accused and two occupants in the Camry were transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
On March 18, officers obtained arrest warrants for Miguel Angel Urquilla Cordova, the accused. According to a press release, the suspect left the hospital before police obtained arrest warrants. Now, they’re searching for him.
The suspect lives in the 7000 block of Margate Court, off Coverstone Drive, near Manassas. He’s described as Hispanic, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black bushy hair and brown eyes, and is unshaven.
He’s wanted for two counts of felony hit and run, one count of maiming while DUI, one count of failure to yield to a pedestrian, one count of reckless driving, and one count of no operator’s license
Identified:
The Pedestrian was identified as an 82-year-old man from Manassas.
The driver of the 2013 Toyota Camry was identified as a 26-year-old man of Manassas The passenger of the 2013 Toyota Camry was identified as a 28-year-old woman of Centreville.
All suffered injuries that appeared to be non-life threatening. Police did not disclose additional information about the maiming victim’s injuries.
Henrico County police modified its response to specific service calls and how they are dispatched.
“In the past, our patrol officers have routinely been put in positions or responded to calls for service where they have no legal authority. At times, this has prevented our officers from responding to other priority calls in a timely and efficient manner while also leading to a lack of units available to respond to any given call,” said Henrico Police Chief Eric English in a YouTube video.
Call types where you will see changes include:
- Animal calls (all animal calls placed overnight will be handled the next morning)
- Loud parties or noise complaints (only calls that appear to be violating the county’s noise ordinance will be dispatched)
- Medical emergencies (only if police are needed)
- Service calls (calls about people standing in a street median or homeless people who “appear to be OK”).
- Shoplifting (past-occurred crimes or reports with no evidence to support the allegation)
- Abandoned vehicles
- Marijuana use (calls for marijuana use inside someone’s home)
- Juvenile problems (not crime-related, such as calling a police officer to scold a child)
- Panhandling
The changes have come as police departments across the U.S. have struggled to fill vacant police officer positions since 2020. We asked police agencies in our area if they anticipate making similar changes.
“We offer residents an online or telephone option to file a report, which we can refer people to if needed,” said Prince William police 1st Sgt. Jonathan Perok. The agency patrols Virginia’s second-largest county. He declined to comment on Henrico County’s new policy.
“Rest assured, we do not anticipate changing how we respond to calls anytime soon,” added Fredericksburg Police spokeswoman Sarah Morris. The agency services the independent city of nearly 28,000 people between Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.
The Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Amy Ashworth, has announced the successful prosecution of Isaiah McGriff in connection with the July 2022 murder of a woman in Woodbridge. On March 12, 2024, a Prince William County jury found McGriff guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The case, Commonwealth of Virginia v. Isaiah McGriff, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth Attorneys Kathleen Bilton and Dircia Schubert.
On July 1, 2022, police responded to a shooting at 13990 Jefferson Davis Hwy (Longview 7-Eleven) in Prince William County, where they discovered the victim, Claudia Morataya, deceased from an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen. An investigation revealed that Isaiah McGriff, the defendant, was present outside the 7-Eleven that night, along with the victim and others, drinking and socializing before the shooting occurred. A verbal dispute ensued between the victim and the defendant, culminating in the victim throwing a beer bottle at McGriff. McGriff was heard making threatening remarks before later shooting the victim in nearby woods, a press release notes.
The firearm used in the homicide was recovered at a nearby apartment, where McGriff was known to stay. McGriff denied being present near the 7-Eleven during an interview with detectives, but evidence, including footage from a doorbell camera at the apartment building, placed him in the vicinity shortly after the homicide.
McGriff’s sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2024, before a Prince William County Circuit Court Judge. Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth expressed gratitude for the extensive investigation conducted by police detectives, which provided crucial circumstantial evidence for the case. She commended the prosecutors, Kathleen Bilton and Dircia Schubert, for their dedication in securing justice for Claudia’s murder.
McGriff had several previous charges in Prince William County before the murder, including a robbery at home in 2019, which a judge tossed out.
The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney also acknowledged the essential support provided by Kristen Marek, Deputy Director of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Victim/Witness Program, to the victim’s family. Recognition was also given to the diligent efforts of the Prince William County Police Department detectives and officers involved in the case.
