Winter Weather Advisory in Effect — “The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 20. Snow accumulations of up to two inches with locally higher amounts around three inches are possible, which could impact the Thursday morning commute.” [Fairfax County Emergency]
Tysons Vaccine Site Delays Opening — The Tysons Community Vaccination Center will open late today (Thursday) due to this morning’s expected winter weather. The site will operate from noon to 5 p.m., and anyone whose appointment has been affected by the change in hours can walk in to get a vaccination today. [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Police Identify Suspect in Cold-Case Murders — Fairfax County and Prince George’s police believe a man currently serving life in prison for a 2002 murder was behind two decades-old, unsolved crimes. Officials say Charles Helem confessed to killing a woman in Mount Rainer in 2002 and gave details about a 1987 Herndon murder that only the killer would know. [WTOP]
Food Left on Stove Starts McLean Fire — Two adults were displaced by a house fire that occurred around noon on Sunday (Jan. 16) in the 2000 block of Great Falls Street. Investigators determined that the fire was started by food left on a stove burner that ignited cooking oil and “nearby combustibles,” resulting in $93,750 in damages. [FCFRD]
Inova to Close Covid Testing Site — “Due to decreased volume in appointments at Inova’s Vehicle-Side COVID-19 Testing Center – Falls Church, the testing site will close on Fri, Jan 21. The testing site will remain open Wed, Jan 19 – Fri, Jan 21, 8am-2pm for symptomatic patients with appointments.” [Inova Health/Twitter]
Person Stabbed at Tysons Metro Station — An individual was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a man reportedly stabbed them around 5:30 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 7) at the Tysons Metro station. Metro Transit Police officers responded to the incident, and Fairfax County police later arrested a man believed to be the suspect. [WTOP]
No Injuries in McLean House Fire — “At 10:43 pm last night, crews from #FCFRD and Arlington County Fire Department dispatched to house fire in 1500 block of Dominion Hill Ct, McLean. Units arrived to find home fully involved in fire. 2nd alarm requested. Fire out. All occupants safe. No reported injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Police Identify Serial Killer Victims — “The Fairfax County Police Department identified two badly decomposed bodies found in a large plastic container near a shopping cart on Dec. 15 in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County as a woman from Washington, D.C., and a woman from California, police officials said at a news conference Friday night.” [Patch]
FCPD Recovers Stolen Vehicles — Fairfax County police recovered two vehicles during traffic stops in late December that had been reported as stolen. One was found on I-495 at Arlington Boulevard on Dec. 30, and the other was obtained on Dec. 31 after the driver attempted to get out of a traffic stop on I-495 at Leesburg Pike by striking a police cruiser with his vehicle. [FCPD]
FCPS Survey on Next Superintendent Now Open — “Please weigh in by participating in the Superintendent Search Survey today. The survey allows FCPS parents/guardians, staff, high school students, and community members to share their thoughts on the leadership characteristics and qualities of the next superintendent.” [FCPS]
Cause of Death Confirmed in Bailey’s Crossroads Murder — “A 19-year-old man stabbed his father several times in the upper body and then burned his father’s body before burying him in the family’s backyard in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County, the county police department said Monday. Philip Nguyen was arrested and charged with second-degree murder last Wednesday in his father’s killing.” [Patch]
Area Residents Can Get Abortion Medication By Mail — Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, which serves the D.C. area, has been offering abortion medications by mail to patients in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia since Aug. 12. The new service was officially announced on Friday (Sept. 10) shortly after the Supreme Court allowed a prohibition on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to take effect in Texas. [The Washington Post]
Deadline to Apply for Amazon REACH Funds Extended — The deadline to submit affordable housing proposals to Fairfax County for up to $5 million each in Amazon REACH funds has been pushed to 4 p.m. Friday (Sept. 17). The state has committed $15 million annually to support affordable housing in Northern Virginia as part of the deal that brought Amazon’s second headquarters to Arlington County. [Fairfax County Housing and Community Development]
Tysons Consultant Buys Maryland Cybersecurity Company — “Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (NYSE: BAH) again tapped the mergers and acquisitions market, it announced Monday, purchasing cybersecurity company Tracepoint. Terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed, but the move follows a strategic investment the McLean management and IT consulting firm made in the Fredericksburg company back in January.” [Washington Business Journal]
Controversy Hits Tysons Korean Cooking Contest — Half of the judges for the 2021 K-Food Cook-Off have quit after a statement introducing one of them drew social media criticism for suggesting that the D.C. area has a lack of Korean restaurants. The competition, which will be held on Sept. 26 at the Tysons Hyatt Regency, has also come under fire for only having one judge of Korean heritage on its original panel. [Washington City Paper]
Police Investigate Possible Murder in Falls Church — Fairfax County police found the remains of 78-year-old Truman Nguyen in a shallow grave behind his house near Bailey’s Crossroads yesterday after a family member reported him missing on Monday (Sept. 6). His son was arrested and has been charged with murder, which would make it the county’s 18th homicide this year, triple the number that had been reported at this time in 2020. [The Washington Post]
Family of 9/11 Victim Shares Memories of Tragic Day — Now a student pursuing a master’s degree at George Mason University, Fairfax County resident An Nguyen was just 4 when his father was killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon, where both of his parents worked. His mother, who came to the U.S. from Vietnam as a child, was not at the Pentagon when the plane hit. [NBC4]
Tysons Business Group Hosts Statewide Candidates Forum — “The Multicultural Chamber Alliance (MCCA), a powerful collaborative initiative of the Asian American Chamber, the Northern Virginia Black Chamber and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber, invites the press and general public to attend the Annual Candidates Forum. The Candidates Forum will take place Thursday, September 9, 2021, from 10 am-12 pm, at the University of North America (12750 Fair Lakes Circle) in Fairfax, Virginia.” [MCCA]
NOVA Welcomes Afghan Refugees with Beds and Donations — Several hundred refugees and Special Immigrant Visa recipients arrived at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus on Saturday (Aug. 21) after being evacuated from Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover. The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management set up more than 500 cots, while volunteers provided food, water, and donated clothes and other supplies. [The Washington Post]
Person of Interest ID’d in Burke Double Homicide — “Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, have identified a person of interest who they say lived at the Burke home where two female victims were found dead on Friday. It is being treated as a double homicide by detectives. Authorities said in a news release that Bradley Lister, 33, is currently unaccounted for.” [WTOP]
Lewinsville Adult Day Health Care Reopens Today — “Adult Day Health Care teams are reviewing health and safety protocols as our centers plan their reopening (on Monday in Lewinsville, and Sept. 7 for other locations). We are looking forward to welcoming back our participants to our program!” [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Inova Hosts Back-to-School Health Clinic — “Visited the @InovaHealth back to school clinic in Falls Church this am- they were expecting 350 but had over 1000 patients show up for physicals & school immunizations & to enroll in expanded Medicaid – spent most of my time handing out water and snacks to kids in line” [Del. Marcus Simon/Twitter]
Phase 2 of COVID-19 Vaccinations Begins — Fairfax County officially entered Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout yesterday, making everyone 16 and older eligible. With the county retiring its registration system, appointments can be scheduled directly with providers through VaccineFinder, though limited supplies means they might be initially hard to come by. [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Man Found Dead in Bailey’s Crossroads — An Alexandria resident has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after a man was found dead around 3:30 a.m. in a parking garage in the 5100 block of Leesburg Pike in Baileys Crossroads. Hernan Leiva, 58, of Falls Church had apparent stab wounds and blunt force trauma to his upper body. [FCPD]
Descano Seeks to Vacate Convictions by Fairfax County Police Officer — “Fairfax County prosecutors are moving to throw out more than 400 criminal convictions based on the testimony or work of a former patrol officer who is accused of stealing drugs from the police property room, planting drugs on innocent people and stopping motorists without legal basis, court filings show.” [The Washington Post]
Pharmacy Workers Sentenced for $8 Million Fraud — Six people have been sentenced to prison for healthcare fraud that involved paying and receiving kickbacks and billing health care benefit programs for expensive, unnecessary drugs and equipment. One defendant owned several pharmacies in Northern Virginia, including the now-closed Medex Health Pharmacy in Merrifield. [U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia]
Park Road in McLean Closed for Pipe Replacement — “Park Road between Kirby Road and Old Dominion Drive, and Vermont Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Park Road will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, from 7 a.m. Monday, April 19 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, and then have daily closures Wednesday, April 21 through Friday, April 23 and Monday, April 26 through Tuesday, April 27 to replace a stormwater pipe.” [VDOT]
George Mason High School Demolition Still Underway — “As the demolition of the OLD George Mason H.S. continues, the old Science Wing and Facilities Shop is no more.” [FCCPS Office of Facilities Services/Twitter]
Police say Christopher Bellini, 59, was stabbed to death in his Falls Church home by his son, Alexander Bellini.
Police were dispatched to the 2300 block of Watters Glen Court around 1 a.m. yesterday for a domestic abuse. According to a police report, Christopher was found suffering from apparent stab wounds. Officers rendered aid until rescue personnel arrived, but Christopher was pronounced dead at the scene.
The report said Alexander Bellini, 28, of Chantilly, was found inside the home and taken into custody.
“Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau determined Alexander is the decedent’s son and was prohibited from contacting his father due to a recent protective order,” police said.
Police said Alexander was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with second degree murder and violation of a protective order while armed with a deadly weapon. No one else was harmed and a knife allegedly used by Alexander was recovered at the scene.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
Geovanny Alexander Mejia Castro was working his shift as at Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd.) in the back corner of the Eden Center last Friday when he was shot and killed, police announced today.
Police announced today that they arrested a suspect, Elser Galeano Herrera, 28, at his sister’s home in Mississippi today. Herrera will be transported back to Virginia, according to police.
In the press release, police said the murder was believed to be in retaliation for an earlier assault at the night club that did not involve Castro.
“The death of Mr. Castro is tragic,” said Police Chief Mary Gavin. “I’m proud of the swift and meticulous investigation that lead to the identification and location of the suspect. We are thankful for the assistance of a number of agencies in helping us find and arrest him.”
Full press release below:
Police are investigating a homicide that took place early this morning (Friday) at Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd), a nightclub tucked into a back corner of the Eden Center strip mall.
Police responded to a 911 call about a shooting at approximately 12:05 a.m. When police and medics arrived they found a male victim deceased from a gunshot wound.
“Witnesses to the incident report the suspect shot the victim then fled the scene on foot,” police said. “The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, with dark hair, who was wearing black shorts and a blue polo shirt. There is no camera or video footage of the suspect available at this time.”
Police said the incident remains an active criminal investigation, but that they do not believe there is a continuing threat to the community.
“If you witnessed or have any information regarding this incident, please call Detective Darian Chuquillangui at (703) 248-5165,” police said.
Photo via Google Maps
Veronica Youngblood, accused of murdering her two children in Tysons, may undergo a mental health evaluation, according to news reports.
Youngblood was arrested in Loudoun County and charged with murder after police found two girls with gunshot wounds in their Tysons apartment last year, Tysons Reporter previously reported.
The 5-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, and the 15-year-old died at the hospital.
The incident happened after a custody dispute between Youngblood and her divorced husband, WTOP reported.
In May, a Fairfax County grand jury indicted Youngblood with two murder charges, according to news reports.
The state attorney said Youngblood is considering an insanity defense, adding that her client has had mental health issues before, including suicide attempts and “a trauma background,” WTOP reported.
WTOP also noted that the judge agreed to delay the Nov. 4 trial. A new trial date has not been set.
Photo courtesy FCPD
