A Maryland man who fled police in a reportedly stolen vehicle is facing multiple charges of assault against Virginia state troopers.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers received an alert around 3:41 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) that a gray sedan reported to have been stolen might be traveling on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Huntington area.
The vehicle was spotted by a trooper who turned on his lights and siren for a traffic stop, but the driver instead “sped away and initiated a pursuit,” police said.
As the chase moved onto the Capital Beltway (I-495) and then onto southbound I-95, the driver rammed a state police patrol vehicle four different times, according to the VSP:
As the pursuit approached Route 1 and Interstate 495, the suspect vehicle twice rammed a State Police patrol vehicle. The pursuit then continued onto Interstate 495 westbound, where the suspect struck the same trooper’s vehicle a third time, and then onto Interstate 95 southbound, where the trooper’s vehicle was struck a fourth time.
Police ultimately used a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver to turn and halt the vehicle on I-95 near the Backlick Road exit, the VSP said.
“The driver then fled the vehicle on foot, but was taken into custody a few minutes later without further incident,” police said.
The driver — described as a 24-year-old man from College Park, Maryland — faces four charges each of assault on law enforcement, felony hit-and-run, misdemeanor hit-and-run and destruction of state property. He has also been charged with eluding law enforcement, grand larceny, driving without a license, not wearing a seatbelt and “being a pedestrian on the interstate.”
The last charge stems from the brief foot pursuit, a VSP spokesperson confirmed.
Police also arrested two adults who were passengers in the sedan on outstanding warrants.
The Fairfax County Police Department said in its year-end crime report for 2023 that it saw an uptick in assaults against police officers compared to 2022.
Image via Google Maps
A Pimmit Hills man has been accused of possessing child porn and having sex with a teenager who was reported missing in New York.
Detectives arrested 20-year-old Muammer Steve Demir on Friday (March 15) after they found him with the teen at a house in the 7300 block of Sportsman Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Monday).
Demir was in possession of child sexual abuse material when police arrived at the house, according to the FCPD.
The FCPD says its Missing Person Unit and Child Exploitation Unit detectives were notified yesterday that a missing teen from New York may be in Fairfax County, and their investigation led them to Demir’s house.
“Detectives learned Demir drove to New York in August of 2023 and then brought the juvenile back to Virginia,” the FCPD said.
Demir has been charged with having carnal knowledge of a child and possessing child abuse material, but additional charges are expected, according to police. He’s currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The teen has been reunited with her family, the FCPD said.
After an arraignment on March 15, Demir is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 25, per Fairfax County General District Court records.
Users of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail can now more directly access the Freeman Store and Museum — and, beyond it, the Town Green — in Vienna.
The town has opened a new pedestrian bridge over Piney Branch that links the regional trail to the historic site. Completed in November, the facility replaces a wooden bridge that collapsed in 2016 due to water damage and general deterioration.
“It looks as it did many years ago and restores an important link to the Town’s history, connecting past and present,” the Town of Vienna said of the new bridge.
The town will celebrate the bridge’s reopening this Saturday (March 23) with a ribbon-cutting and reception starting at 10 a.m. Refreshments will be provided, and the Freeman Store will unveil two new museum exhibits: “Exploring Books Throughout Time” and “Vienna Unveiled Through Maps.”
Have you noticed the new pedestrian bridge along the W&OD Trail? After months of anticipation, it's time to celebrate its completion! Everyone's invited to the official ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. See you there! Details: https://t.co/5bwEBgELgq. pic.twitter.com/zVcig20KRq
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) March 14, 2024
Vienna officials had been looking to build a new bridge since they closed the previous one in February 2016, but an initial lack of response from contractors and rising costs for lumber and other materials delayed the project.
Construction finally began in February 2023, requiring a temporary detour around the affected section of the W&OD Trail.
Measuring about 53 feet long and 5 feet wide, the new bridge was made out of steel and timber. It’s also ADA-compliant, serving as the only way for wheelchair users to access the Freeman Store.
“Since the Freeman Store opened in 1859, it has been a store, a home, a train depot, a hotel, a hospital, an officers’ quarters, and a fire department, and the pedestrian bridge over Piney Branch to the store’s side entrance has been an integral part of the structure,” the town said in a news release.
Designated as a historic Virginia landmark in 2011, the Freeman Store is run by the nonprofit Historic Vienna Inc. and sells candy, artist prints, pottery, mugs, used books and other Vienna-themed items.
Located at 131 Church Street NE, the Freeman Store is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday between March and December. The store closes on most federal holidays.
Photo via Town of Vienna/Twitter
A man convicted of killing a woman at her Seven Corners condominium and setting her body on fire has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.
A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge handed down two consecutive life sentences to Richard Montano, 48, today (Friday) after a jury convicted him last October of murdering Silvia “Kelly” Vaca Abacay on Aug. 10, 2022, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced.
At the time of the murder, Vaca Abacay and her husband were staying in a condominium in The Villages at Falls Church on Willston Place owned by Montano’s ex-girlfriend, who broke up with him that July, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
“The extreme level of violence and complete disregard for human life demonstrated by Richard Montano is of a level rarely seen in Fairfax County,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “The loss to Ms. Vaca Abacay’s family and loved ones is unimaginable. There is nothing that can undo her needless, senseless death, but as of today, the defendant will not be able to harm anyone else in our community.”
In the afternoon of Aug. 10, 2022, Montano “was lying in wait” in the apartment, presumably looking for his former girlfriend, but when he encountered Vaca Abacay instead, he stabbed her multiple times “and set her body on fire in an attempt to conceal the murder,” Descano’s office says.
According to a press release, prosecutors told the jury during last year’s trial that Montano was caught entering the condo by a neighbor’s home surveillance camera:
A neighbor’s Ring camera footage captured Montano entering the apartment without Ms. Via Rojas’ knowledge multiple times in the preceding month, including his last entry just 10 days before the murder occurred. The same neighbor called 911 four times the afternoon of August 10 after hearing screaming and banging from across the hall. The medical examiner determined that Ms. Vaca Abacay died from multiple sharp- and blunt force wounds before her body was set on fire.
Montano was arrested at his home in Arlington on Aug. 10, 2022. He initially also faced a burglary charge, but that was dropped at a preliminary hearing in the fall of 2022.
Descano’s office says the judge considered Montano’s apparent refusal to take responsibility for his actions, the premeditated nature of the murder and attempt to conceal his crime by setting the body on fire when determining the sentencing.
The charges of first-degree murder and arson of an occupied dwelling both carried potential life sentences.
Photo by Ed O’Carroll/Twitter
The Vienna Business Association is reviving its Get Healthy Vienna! Expo for 2024.
First introduced last May, the health and fitness showcase will return to the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) on April 6, from 10 am. to 2 p.m. The event is intended to highlight health-related businesses and resources available in the local community, VBA Health, Wellness & Fitness chair Karen Kerrigan says.
“The 2024 Expo will connect attendees to an array of services, solutions and opportunities that promote wellness and healthy lifestyles,” Kerrigan said. “The process of attaining optimal health and wellness is all about connections, education and taking positive action. I am excited about the wide-array of exhibitors at this year’s expo who are passionate about supporting the health and wellness of our special community.”
This year’s expo will feature up to 50 exhibitors and follow the theme of “Connections to Wellness,” reflecting an emphasis on the importance of social connections to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Outside of the vendors, highlights will include a Kids and Families Zone with children’s activities and demonstrations, such as face painting. The Vienna Singing Princesses will also make “a special appearance” involving superheroes.
For adults, there will be a variety of panels led by health and wellness professionals, who will discuss the root causes of chronic disease, the importance of movement and stretching, and other topics.
Several former James Madison High School student athletes have been enlisted for a panel called “The Importance of a Positive Youth Sports Experience: Lessons for Young Athletes and Their Parents.” Confirmed participants include:
- Football player Nick Dorka (College of William and Mary, Canadian Football League, International Football League)
- Lacrosse player Katie Kerrigan (James Madison University, including a Division I national championship in 2018, and the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League)
- Baseball player Trey Ramsey (Princeton University)
- Soccer player Jack Traxler (Catholic University)
VBA Chairman Greg Kunstbeck said the business association’s board is “excited” to see the event grow in its second year.
“The event continues to grow, evolve and respond to the needs and presence of the many businesses and organizations that provide services in the wellness space, along with the people they serve,” Kunstbeck said. “VBA members are making a positive difference in the health of our community and positively transforming people’s lives.”
The expo will fall in the middle of the fourth annual Mayor’s Fitness Challenge, where Vienna will try to defend its title as the “most fit community” from the rival cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. The contest will kick off this Saturday (March 16) and continue through May 11.
A daytime-only cafe in Franconia will get next week off to an energetic start, offering free coffee to diners as part of its grand opening on Monday (March 18).
First Watch, a fast-casual restaurant chain based in Florida, will open its latest Fairfax County location in the Festival at Manchester Lakes shopping center (7027C Manchester Blvd) at 7 a.m. Free cups of coffee from Project Sunrise will come with every meal through Friday, March 22.
The 4,500-square-foot cafe will seat more than 170 people and features a covered outdoor dining patio, along with a bar that serves signature juices, cocktails and coffee.
“Our Franconia restaurant is the perfect location to kick off an exciting expansion that’s been years in the making, with a fresh take on brunch our customers know and love,” First Watch Vice President of Operations Rob Botelho said. “As First Watch approaches two decades in the area, we’re thrilled to share our aspirations to inspire even more good mornings with each of our new openings.”
Originally started in Pacific Grove, California, in 1983, First Watch now has more than 520 restaurants in 29 states, including locations at Fair City Mall in Fairfax, Crossroads Center shopping center in Bailey’s Crossroads and Greenbriar Town Center in Chantilly.
The Franconia restaurant is the company’s first expansion in Fairfax County since the Bailey’s Crossroads site opened in 2021, but two additional locations are already on their way.
The chain will replace a TGI Fridays in Fair Lakes that closed in late 2023, and it officially announced in January that it has leased a 4,000-square-foot space in Idylwood Plaza (7501 Leesburg Pike). Both cafes are expected to open by this fall.
Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., First Watch serves breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. Fan favorites include avocado toast, lemon ricotta pancakes and million dollar bacon — hardwood-smoked bacon baked with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne and a maple syrup drizzle, per a press release.
The cafe also has a seasonal menu that changes five times a year based on “the position of the sun to source quality ingredients” for dishes like barbacoa quesadilla benedict and watermelon wake-up fresh juice. A seasonal menu will roll out in Franconia for the first time this summer.
(Updated at 2 p.m.) A local wardrobe consultant who has helped dress celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Gloria Estefan is setting up shop in Tysons.
Nasrin Rashidi hopes to reopen Daniel’s Boutique, the women’s clothing store that she owns with her husband, Sasan, at 8150 Leesburg Pike in early April. Named after the couple’s son, the business had operated in Crystal City for 36 years until closing its location there on Dec. 17.
Located in Suite 120, Daniel’s Boutique will have slightly less space in Tysons than it did at its previous home in Arlington’s Crystal City Shops, but the storefront will be much more visible, according to Nasrin.
“We’re excited for something different, something still service-oriented and all of that, but a little different for the next phase of our business,” she told FFXnow in a recent interview. “We want to kind of elevate the whole thing [so] that we bring in clientele that are looking for a nice place to shop and get service.”
Immigrants from Iran, the Rashidis established their first business, L.A. Moves and Furs, at Beacon Center in Groveton in 1984 before moving to Crystal City and opening Daniel’s Boutique a few years later.
At one point, they ran three stores in Crystal City and a fourth at the former Skyline Mall in Bailey’s Crossroads. The business eventually consolidated into a single location at 2142 Crystal Drive in 2018.
Specializing in women’s designer fashion, including gowns, suits and furs, Daniel’s Boutique offers tailoring, wardrobe consulting, and fur storage and restyling services to all genders in addition to selling clothes as a retailer.
Though the shop accepts walk-in customers, Nasrin says most clients make appointments, which gives her time to assemble a wardrobe appropriate for their needs, whether they’re preparing for a job interview or a wedding.
“I don’t just bring out clothes to sell it,” Nasrin said. “I want to make sure this clothes would be the right item for the right person, and being honest about what I’m selling to them brings them back… Sometimes, I go out of my way to re-style the dress for them. They know I can do that. I add a sleeve to the dress or whatever to accommodate their needs for the events. So, that is a need that is not provided everywhere.”
Some of those clients have been bold-faced names, such as the aforementioned Kardashian and her then-husband Kanye West, Gloria Estefan and actor Andy Garcia. Nasrin has also worked events like the National Christmas Tree Lighting in D.C., the Gershwin Prize ceremony at the Library of Congress and the annual Mark Twain Prize celebration at the Kennedy Center.
Even with its sometimes high-profile clientele, Daniel’s Boutique remains a decidedly family-oriented affair. Sasan’s parents sometimes helped at the stores before they passed away, and the owners’ children, Daniel and Mona Rashidi, are both involved in the business.
Mona, who’s part of the marketing team, says she’s inspired by her parents’ journey. Nasrin’s first job after she left Iran at 17 was at a dry cleaner, where she pressed clothes and made alterations, among other duties.
“I know how hard my parents have worked for all these years. They’re the reason I was able to eat and have a home,” Mona said. “…Coming from another country and starting their business and being so successful, I’m very proud to be part of this and help them as much as I can.”
Daniel’s Boutique’s 36-year stay in Crystal City ended more abruptly than expected after the landlord rejected the owners’ request that they be allowed to stay through the end of the year, including the busy winter holiday season.
Fortunately, Atlantic Realty Company, the owner of 8150 Leesburg Pike, offered a temporary office space where the business could store its goods until construction on the new shop finishes.
“We are hoping for that,” Mona said of the potential early April grand opening. “There will be a big announcement, because all our clients are also waiting. They’re asking all the time.”
(Updated at 4 p.m.) An 81-year-old man from Fairfax Station was driving in the wrong direction on Fairfax County Parkway when he fatally collided with a Tesla this morning (Thursday), police say.
Officers responded to the parkway at 12:06 a.m. after getting a call for a crash involving a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a 2022 Tesla sedan just north of the Ox Road (Route 123) interchange, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“Preliminarily, detectives determined the driver of the Trailblazer, Sidney Brooks…was traveling northbound on Fairfax County Parkway in the southbound lanes when he struck the driver of a 2022 Tesla sedan head-on in the southbound lanes,” the FCPD said in a news release.
Brooks and the Tesla driver were both transported to a hospital, where Brooks died. The Tesla driver experienced injuries that were determined to be not life-threatening.
Neither of the vehicles had any occupants other than the drivers.
According to police, alcohol doesn’t appear to have been a factor in the crash, but detectives are still investigating whether speed may have contributed.
Brooks is the ninth person to be killed in a vehicle crash on Fairfax County roads this year, not including ones that involved pedestrians, the FCPD says. At this time in 2023, there had been three such fatalities.
This was the fourth fatal crash in the county this week. Three pedestrians died in separate crashes, two of them on I-495 near Telegraph Road, on Sunday (March 10).
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County staff aren’t sold on a development proposal to replace a planned office building in Scotts Run with a dual-branded Hilton hotel.
Developer Cityline Partners is seeking to construct a 17-story hotel building with a four-level parking garage at the intersection of Dolley Madison Blvd and Anderson Road in the Tysons neighborhood.
Totaling 263 units, the hotel will be split between Home2 Suites, which is designed for extended stays, and Canopy by Hilton, a boutique brand that draws “on the spirit and character” of the local area, according to the rezoning application. Hilton partner KM Hotels would manage the facility.
Issues with proposed service entrances for the site and a lack of park space, however, have led county staff to recommend that the Board of Supervisors and planning commission reject the application.
The planning commission was scheduled to discuss the application yesterday (Wednesday) but agreed to defer the public hearing to May 1, giving the developers more time to address staff’s concerns.
The challenges stem in part from the decision to split the 1.78-acre site known as the Westgate Block into two portions. Approved in 2013 as a single 18-story office building, the block will be divided into the Hilton hotel and a future residential or office building under the new proposal.
“From a design perspective, dividing the block into two distinct development areas creates unnecessary design challenges in circulation and access that would not otherwise exist with a unified development,” county staff said in a Feb. 29 report.
According to the application, the hotel’s primary vehicular entrance will be on Anderson Road, but a 36-foot-wide driveway for trash and loading activities is proposed on Platform Avenue, a planned “Main Street” for the Scotts Run development that will connect Anderson Road to South Dartford Drive.
The addition of a service entrance on Platform Avenue would disrupt the established vision of a retail-lined, pedestrian-oriented local street by “creating additional conflict points and detracting from the pedestrian experience,” county staff said.
Cityline has offered to provide “high-quality” screening doors for the trash and loading area that will blend in with the surrounding building, along with bollards, decorative planters and other design and safety enhancements. But staff say the look and location are “still not optimal” for pedestrians. Read More
A driver involved in one of the two fatal pedestrian crashes that occurred on the Capital Beltway this past Sunday (March 10) was allegedly intoxicated and didn’t have a valid license, according to the Virginia State Police.
Carlos Nunez Morales, a 26-year-old Woodbridge resident, has been charged with driving under the influence, involuntary manslaughter and driving with a revoked or suspended license after police say he hit and killed a pedestrian on I-495 near the Telegraph Road exit in the Rose Hill area.
According to the VSP, Morales was driving a 2003 Dodge Ram in the westbound lanes of I-495 around 3:38 a.m. when he veered off the left side of the interstate and hit Gregory Bruington, Jr., who was changing a tire on a 2017 Volkswagen Golf parked on the highway’s left shoulder.
Bruington, a 30-year-old man from Newport News, died at the scene, and a 24-year-old, female passenger in the Volkswagen “was seriously injured,” a police spokesperson said in an update this morning (Thursday).
“Nunez Morales suffered minor injuries,” state police said. “He was not wearing a seat belt.”
The crash occurred just minutes before a separate crash in the eastbound lanes of I-495 near the same exit that also killed a pedestrian.
Around 3:53 a.m., responding state troopers came across a woman identified as Vanessa Schwartz, a 35-year-old Alexandria resident, lying in the interstate.
The VSP later reported that Schwartz had stepped into traffic and was hit by the driver of a 2005 Honda Accord that was traveling east on I-495 in the right-center lane
“The Accord was then struck by a 2021 Acura RDX, and the Accord then struck the jersey wall. A 2023 Nissan Rogue then struck the RDX,” police said.
Schwartz died at the scene.
Both of Sunday’s crashes on I-495 remain under investigation.
Fairfax County police are also still seeking information about a third fatal pedestrian crash that took place shortly after midnight on Sunday in Mount Vernon. In that crash, the driver of a 2015 Hyundai Sonata that had been reported stolen allegedly hit James Johnson, 63, of Hybla Valley on Janna Lee Avenue and fled the scene.