Commonwealth's Attorney

Conviction upheld for man found guilty of shooting ex at Mount Vernon apartment

Published November 3, 2026 at 10:00AM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Virginia’s Court of Appeals has upheld a Maryland man’s conviction on malicious wounding and firearms charges, ruling that a Fairfax County trial judge found an appropriate remedy for the prosecution’s failure to disclose information favorable to the defense.

An attorney for Collins Agyei had argued that the charges against him should’ve been fully dismissed by the Fairfax County Circuit Court in December 2024 due to a failure of prosecutors to disclose an admitted error in testimony, among other legal contentions.

News

Suspect in fatal stabbing at Hybla Valley bus stop will undergo competency review

By Nolan Stout

Published October 30, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated October 30, 2026 at 11:15AM

Abdul Jalloh seen on a bus shortly before the killing of Stephanie Minter (photo via FCPD/X)

A Fairfax County judge has ordered a mental competency evaluation for the man accused of stabbing a Fredericksburg woman to death at a Hybla Valley bus stop earlier this year.

Circuit Court Judge Manuel Capsalis entered an order on Oct. 14 for the evaluation of 33-year-old Abdul Jalloh.

News

Falls Church man pleads guilty to shooting e-bike rider in Fair Oaks area

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published October 27, 2026 at 11:45AM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A Falls Church man could spend decades in prison following his conviction in connection to the non-fatal road rage shooting of an e-bike rider near West Ox Road in the Fair Oaks area earlier this year.

Milad Attai, 26, agreed to plead guilty yesterday (Monday) to malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced.

News

Man sentenced in Herndon shooting death of man who kicked Tesla

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published September 29, 2026 at 3:45PM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A McLean man was sentenced last week following the May 2025 shooting of a man said to have kicked his Tesla.

Kianmehr Shirinipaziziba, 20, was sentenced Friday (Sept. 25) to 10 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter; four years and four months of that sentence were suspended.

Countywide

Former DOJ prosecutor seeks to unseat Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published September 23, 2026 at 1:50PM | Updated September 23, 2026 at 2:52PM

Brittany Dunn-Pirio (courtesy Friends of Brittany Dunn-Pirio)

Former state and federal prosecutor Brittany Dunn-Pirio announced today that she will challenge Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for the Democratic nomination in the June 2027 primary election.

Dunn-Pirio, a resident of the Vienna area, says she’s a “lifelong Democrat” who wants to reform the office. According to her website, her platform “centers on standing up for seniors and survivors, expanding access to treatment, protecting the right to a fair trial, and above all, restoring competence Fairfax can trust.”

News

Man sentenced to prison for fatal shooting outside Centreville Dunkin’ Donuts

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 4, 2026 at 2:45PM

Fairfax County Police Capt. Kent Bailey briefs media on a shooting in Centreville on May 15, 2024 (via FCPD/Facebook)

A Centreville man will spend at least the next six years in prison for killing an 18-year-old outside a Dunkin’ Donuts over a marijuana deal two years ago.

Hassan Kanu, who’s now 20 but was also 18 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced yesterday (Sept. 3) by a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge to 10 years in prison with four of them suspended, following a conviction in March of voluntary manslaughter.

News

Fairfax County conviction of youth who allegedly shot person in the face reversed

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 27, 2026 at 1:45PM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A man convicted as a teen in a Fairfax County court for allegedly shooting a person in the face during a drug deal had his conviction reversed this summer due to violations of his right to a speedy trial.

Virginia’s Court of Appeals reversed the young man’s 2023 conviction for unlawful wounding on July 14 after finding that a deadline extension granted for the trial didn’t qualify for an exception specifically allowed by the state’s speedy trial law.

News

Man pleads guilty to raping woman on W&OD Trail in Herndon

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 12, 2026 at 8:30AM

A sign with trail guidelines along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in downtown Herndon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail in Herndon in 2024 has pleaded guilty to the charge of rape.

Denis Humberto Roman Navarette, 33, pleaded guilty yesterday (Tuesday) in Fairfax County Circuit Court, according to court records. Per a plea agreement, he could serve up to 18 years in prison, which the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney says exceeds the midpoint of Virginia’s Criminal Sentencing Guidelines for the crime.

News

Trial set for man accused of killing 3-month-old daughter in Bailey’s Crossroads

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 10, 2026 at 10:00AM

The front of the Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Bailey’s Crossroads man is scheduled to face a 15-day jury trial this spring on charges of aggravated murder and felony child abuse.

During a hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court Friday (Aug. 7), a trial date was set for Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, who is accused of killing his three-month-old daughter. Barring continuances or a plea agreement, the trial will begin April 5, 2027.

News

JUST IN: Man sentenced to prison for raping woman, hiding her body in Springfield woods

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 24, 2026 at 3:50PM | Updated July 24, 2026 at 4:41PM

Fairfax County Courthouse (file photo)

A man who pleaded guilty to raping a high school friend and then hiding her body in a wooded area of Springfield will spend the next seven decades in prison.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Frieden sentenced Terence Bridgett Jr. today (Friday) to more than two life terms in prison today, suspending all but 70 years, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced.