Author: Mary Stachyra Lopez

Mary Stachyra Lopez is a staff reporter covering business, public safety, education, and other community issues. She covered Northern Virginia news for years at several media outlets, and spent half a decade as an editor on The Atlantic's audience team before joining Local News Now. 

News

Alexandria man charged in Groveton shooting that caused life-threatening injuries

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

An Alexandria man is facing multiple charges following a non-fatal shooting in the Groveton area, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Rusbel Alberto Argueta, 19, of Alexandria, is charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm within 1000 feet of an elementary school.

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News

Fairfax City Council allows detached accessory dwelling units by right

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Aerial view of a residential property showing a 20' front setback and 8' side setbacks in green, with a gray ADU in the center labeled ADU.
Setbacks for an example accessory dwelling unit in a Fairfax City backyard (screenshot via City of Fairfax)

Homeowners in the City of Fairfax who want to allow elderly parents to move in, obtain rental income or perhaps even install a luxury “She Shed” can now add another dwelling on their property with less bureaucratic hassle.

The city council voted 4-2 on Tuesday (July 28) to approve code amendments permitting detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right within city boundaries.

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News

FCPD releases images from pursuit of man shot by police in Annandale

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
First-person view from a body camera in a dense green outdoor area; hands grip a black device in the foreground, timestamp shown.
A still image from the officer's bodycamera of a man identified as Nehemia Fuentes Banegas in a bush, released by the Fairfax County Police Department. (Courtesy FCPD)

The Fairfax County Police Department has released two still images from the body camera of an officer who fired his gun on Tuesday (July 28) at a suspect he was pursuing, after the man allegedly attempted to disarm him.

The first image appears to depict a man in a bush — identified by police as Nehemia Fuentes Banegas, of Annandale — holding the officer’s gun. The second shows two utility knives on the ground.

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News

Westgrove dog park to partially stay open while renovations are underway

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Aerial site plan of Westgrove Dog Park improvements: green turf area, brown dirt play zone, entry path, surrounding fence, scale bar, date 4/6/2026.
A sketch of improvements at Westgrove Dog Park (via Fairfax County Park Authority)

Work on accessibility improvements to the off-leash area for dogs inside the high-traffic Westgrove Park in Groveton will begin next week.

Half of the dog park at 6801 Fort Hunt Road will stay open while new amenities designed to make the park more accessible are installed, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.

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News

Man shot by police after allegedly grabbing officer’s gun during Annandale pursuit

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Three police officers address the media outdoors on a grassy park area, microphones on a stand in front of them.
Chief Kevin Davis (center) briefs the media on an officer-involved shooting during a press conference in Annandale. (Screenshot via FCPD)

A police officer fired his weapon three times after a man hiding in the woods allegedly tried to grab the gun from the officer’s hand at his side, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

One of the shots hit the man, whose name has not yet been disclosed, and he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police.

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News

CAIR, FCPS reach temporary agreement on students’ records in ‘kidnapping’ skit lawsuit

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fairfax County Public Schools has temporarily agreed not to release the disciplinary records of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) students who were suspended for making a “kidnapping” skit for social media to promote their chapter of the Muslim Students Association, pending the outcome of a lawsuit against the school system.

Filed in federal court last week, the preliminary agreement largely prevents FCPS from releasing disciplinary records related to the case to colleges and universities or anyone else who inquires. It also stipulates that the students will not be disciplined for wearing clothing with a map of Palestine or the Palestine flag.

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Around Town

New Fairfax City restaurant inspired by home-style regional Chinese foods

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Noodles with bok choy and a red tomato-based sauce in a shallow bowl.
Three-in-One Hand-Ripped Noodles: hot-oil seared noodles, pork zhajiang bean sauce, and tomato egg. (Courtesy Chin Xi'an-Style Restaurant)

A new restaurant aims to bring a taste of regional food from one of China’s oldest and largest cities to Northern Virginia.

Chin’s Xi’An Style Restaurant plans to bring hand-ripped noodles, prepared in a home style inspired by foods in Xi’An — the capital city of Shaanxi, a province in northwestern central China — when it opens its third location this August in Fairfax City. The new location will be based inside the 99 Ranch Market at 10780 Fairfax Blvd, with takeout or seating available in the grocery store.

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News

FCPD: Reckless driving likely not a factor in scooter crash that killed 9-year-old

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Police officer stands at a podium with multiple microphones in Fairfax County Public Safety Headquarters lobby.
Captain Harold Morris, Assistant Traffic Division Commander, provides an update on a fatal crash involving a minivan and a child on an electric scooter at a press conference on July 24, 2026 (Screenshot via FCPD)

Fairfax County police are emphasizing safety after a fatal collision between a 9-year-old boy riding an electric scooter and a minivan in Herndon’s Highland Mews neighborhood last night (July 23).

The driver of a 2012 Honda Odyssey had just turned left from Highland Mews Court into a parking area in the 3000 block of Madden Court, when the child struck the vehicle’s rear on the passenger side, the Fairfax County Police Department said during a press conference today (July 24).

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Around Town

FCPS students team up with community theater to stage ‘Dear Evan Hansen’

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Three people sit on stage: a young man in a striped polo with backpack on the left, a woman in a red cardigan in the middle, and a man in a gray sweater speaking on the right.
Colby Chase, playing Evan Hansen, speaks with the grief-stricken parents of Connor Murphy, played by Katie Pond and Patrick Killoran. (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

When the Broadway hit “Dear Evan Hansen” opens tonight (Friday) at South Lakes High School in Reston, it will represent more than the launch of a new show.

For some students and recent graduates of Fairfax County Public Schools, the performance marks their debut in a true community theater setting, thanks to a new partnership with the Reston Community Players (RCP).

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Around Town

Japanese department store plans second Va. spot in Seven Corners

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Shopfront under renovation with plywood siding, orange construction banners, and a cherry picker in the parking lot amid orange cones and barricades.
Teso Life is coming to Seven Corners (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

The Japanese department store Teso Life plans to open a new store in Seven Corners.

Fairfax County planning documents show the retailer has applied to renovate the space at 6164 Arlington Blvd in a building formerly occupied by CVS inside the Willston 1 Centre.

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