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UPDATED: Man arrested in Florida after stabbing woman in Lorton

Fairfax County police car lights flashing (file photo)

Updated at 5:45 p.m. on 10/8/2023 — Police have identified the suspect in Friday’s Lorton stabbing as 27-year-old Jorge Andres Esquivel Rivera, the son of the victim.

Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 10/7/2023 — The man suspected of stabbing a woman in Lorton was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol in Jacksonville last night (Friday), the Fairfax County Police Department announced today.

“He is now facing a charge of Aggravated Malicious Wounding and will be extradited back to Fairfax County,” the FCPD said in a tweet.

Earlier: A woman has been hospitalized with potentially life-threatening injuries after a person stabbed her at a home in Lorton.

Emergency medical services were dispatched to the 9200 block of Cardinal Forest Lane in the Gunston Corner Condominiums around 12:56 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

A dispatcher told responding officers that the victim was reported to be bleeding and appeared to have been beaten up, leading police to believe that the stabbing is a case of domestic violence.

The Fairfax County Police Department says the suspect is believed to have fled the scene in a vehicle.

“The victim remains hospitalized,” the FCPD said in a tweet. “The suspect is believed to have left the area. Detectives continue to investigate.”

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Man who stabbed woman in Seven Corners, set body on fire convicted of murder

Police respond to The Villages at Falls Church after Silvia Vaca Abacay’s murder (photo by Ed O’Carroll)

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) An Arlington man could be sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a woman and setting her body on fire in a Seven Corners condominium last year.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury has convicted 48-year-old Richard Montano of first-degree murder and arson for killing Silvia Vaca Abacay, whose body he subsequently attempted to burn, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced yesterday (Thursday).

“As Commonwealth’s Attorney, I’ve seen considerable crime scenes and photos, but the photos from this case stood out in terms of the severity of the victim’s injuries,” Descano said in a statement. “Nothing can undo Silvia’s death, but a conviction ensures that the defendant is no longer a danger to members of our community. I hope today’s verdict provides the victim’s family with the first step towards healing.”

Officers were called to a condo on Willston Place in The Villages at Falls Church at 3:05 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2022 for a man and woman who were heard arguing, Fairfax County Police Department Major Crimes Bureau Commander Ed O’Carroll said at the time.

Abacay had been stabbed multiple times, and her body was on fire when police found her. Though first responders extinguished the fire, she died at the scene.

According to police, a witness reported seeing a man flee the scene, prompting an extensive search of the area that briefly required residents to shelter in place. Montano was arrested at his home in Arlington around 6:30 p.m. that same day.

He was originally charged with second-degree murder, arson in an occupied dwelling and burglary with the intent to commit murder.

Descano’s office says prosecutors asked the jury to find Montano guilty of first-degree murder, noting that murder charges typically have some built-in flexibility allowing a jury or judge to determine if a first degree, second degree or manslaughter charge is most appropriate.

“Murder charges are usually indicted as second-degree because that is based on the information/evidence available at the time,” Laura Birnbaum, public information officer for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, said by email. “Then, at trial, prosecutors can ask a jury or judge to find either first or second depending on the level of premeditation.”

The burglary charge was dropped at a preliminary hearing last fall, Birnbaum confirmed.

During a trial that began on Monday (Oct. 2), prosecutors made the case that Montano had mistaken Abacay for her friend, who had broken up with him after an eight-year relationship in July. Abacay was temporarily living at her friend’s apartment.

“A neighbor’s Ring camera footage showed that Montano had entered her apartment without her knowledge multiple times in the preceding month, with his last entry just 10 days before the murder occurred,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office said. “The same neighbor called 911 four times that afternoon after hearing screaming and banging from across the hall.”

The neighbor testified to a judge at the preliminary hearing in November that his last 911 call was to tell responders that “there was smoke and fire coming out of the building,” DC News Now reported.

Medical examiners determined that Abacay died from the stab wounds before Montano set her body on fire, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office says.

The murder and arson charges both carry potential life sentences. Montano is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 19, 2024.

Photo courtesy Ed O’Carroll/Twitter

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UPDATE: Man arrested after barricading with woman in Fair Oaks area townhome

Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) A man was arrested at 10 p.m. last night after he barricaded himself and a woman in a home in Fair Oaks, prompting a police response.

Officers were currently on the scene in the 4100 block of Park Chase Drive, which is the Parkside at Fairfax Corner community yesterday afternoon and into the night.

The Fairfax County Police Department said at 5:11 p.m. that the man is “possibly armed,” advising community members to avoid the area as its officers work to resolve the situation.

Police were dispatched to the townhome at 4:05 p.m. for a “domestic dispute” that the dispatcher described as a priority, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

According to the dispatcher, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office had gone to the home earlier today (Monday) to serve a protective order. Neither the FCPD or the sheriff’s office was immediately available to confirm that.

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FCPD: Man shoots mother and self in Seven Corners, hospitalizing both

The Woodlake Towers condominium complex in Seven Corners (via Google Maps)

A man shot his mother and himself in Seven Corners yesterday (Thursday), sending both of them to the hospital, Fairfax County police say.

Officers were dispatched to the Woodlake Towers condominiums at 6001 Arlington Blvd around 4:34 p.m. for the apparent domestic violence incident, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

A dispatcher relayed that a woman had called, saying her son shot her “in the arm, body and leg” and also shot himself.

Around 4:44 p.m., an officer at the scene reported that the shooter had been located with a gun in his hand.

“He shot himself in the head, and he shot the victim,” the officer said.

Both individuals were taken to the hospital with injuries that were initially considered life-threatening, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Later, the woman’s condition was changed to non-life-threatening.

Police said there was “no apparent threat to the community.”

Photo via Google Maps

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BREAKING: Three people found shot dead in West Springfield house

Fairfax County Police Deputy Chief Eli Cory updates media on an investigation into three shooting deaths in the 8500 block of Wild Spruce Drive (via FCPD/Facebook)

Updated at 2:20 p.m. on 4/28/2023 — Police are officially investigating yesterday’s shooting as a double murder and suicide case.

Based on a preliminary investigation, detectives believe that 47-year-old Tiku Berhane Gebreeyesus shot his wife, 38-year-old Meskerem Belachew Solomon, and her brother, 31-year-old Amanuel Belachew Solomon, before shooting himself.

Earlier: Fairfax County police are investigating a domestic shooting at a West Springfield house.

Three people — two adult men and one woman — were found dead in the basement of a house in the 8500 block of Wild Spruce Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

A handgun was found near the bodies, FCPD Deputy Chief of Investigations Eli Cory said at a 6 p.m. media briefing. The woman and a man in his 20s had multiple gunshot wounds, while an older man in his 40s was shot once in the upper body.

A housekeeper who lives at the home called 911 at 3:47 p.m., reporting that she had found three people shot after hearing gunshots from the basement. She was in an upper level of the house with a 2-year-old kid at the time, according to Cory.

“We believe that everyone is accounted for and this is domestic releated. There’s no apparent threat to the public,” Cory said.

According to scanner traffic, officers arrived at the scene around 3:56 p.m. to find the three dead people in the basement. A medic was requested for an officer who cut himself breaking through glass into the basement.

When officers arrived, they met the housekeeper as well as a nanny who had apparently left the house and then returned. Cory said three juveniles live at the house, but only the 2-year-old was home at the time of the shooting.

The FCPD says anyone with information about the incident can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800.

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Centreville resident arrested after allegedly stabbing man, family dog

A Fairfax County police SUV with lights on (file photo)

Fairfax County police are investigating an apparent domestic dispute that involved a Centreville man and his family’s dog getting stabbed.

Brendan Hadermann, 22, of Centreville was arrested by Virginia State Police on Tuesday (April 25) after a pursuit that extended into Lorton. He has been charged with malicious wounding, animal cruelty, and disregarding police commands to stop.

Officers were dispatched to the 5500 block of Cedar Break Drive at 9:14 a.m. for the reported stabbing, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

“The victim reported he suffered multiple stab wounds from a domestic-related incident,” the FCPD said in a news release yesterday (Wednesday). “When officers arrived, they also found the family dog suffering from a puncture wound to its abdomen.”

The man, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The dog was transported to an animal hospital, where it is currently in stable condition, the police said.

Scanner traffic suggests the man is Hadermann’s father, but the FCPD said it can only confirm that the incident is “domestic related” right now.

According to police, Hadermann was seen leaving the scene of the stabbing in a black Chevrolet pickup truck.

After an alert for the vehicle was sent to neighboring jurisdictions, Virginia State Police troopers encountered the truck on I-95 and attempted a traffic stop around 10:30 a.m. Hadermann evidently fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended around 10:37 a.m. in the Lorton Valley area.

Hadermann is currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he’s being held without bond.

The FCPD says anyone with information about this or similar cases can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800, option 5. Tips are also accepted through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.

UPDATED: Two dead after stabbing and shooting at home in Frying Pan area

Fairfax County police car lights flashing (file photo)

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) One person was killed and another hospitalized with life-threatening injuries that proved fatal in an apparent domestic violence incident at a home near Frying Pan Farm Park earlier this morning, police said.

Police believe a woman was stabbed in a home on the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way in Herndon. Preliminarily, someone living in the home shot the suspect, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

“The stabber was shot and killed by an occupant of the home,” an FCPD spokesperson said.

Police later reported that the woman who was stabbed died at the hospital.

There were four people in the home at the time of the incident, all of whom are known to each other, Police Chief Kevin Davis said in an 11 a.m. briefing. The family also had a little girl who is now with police.

According to Davis, police haven’t determined yet which individual was responsible for the stabbing or the shooting.

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Teen fatally stabs mother’s boyfriend in Hybla Valley during alleged assault, police say

Fairfax County Police Department Second Lt. James Curry shares an update on a fatal stabbing at a Janna Lee Avenue apartment in Hybla Valley (via FCPD/Twitter)

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) A teen was taken into police custody after allegedly stabbing and ultimately killing his mother’s boyfriend in a Hybla Valley apartment last night (Sunday), police say.

Officers were called to the apartment in the 7900 block of Janna Lee Avenue just before 10 p.m. after the teen reported that his mother was being assaulted by her boyfriend, Fairfax County Police Department Second Lt. James Curry said in a brief update at 1 a.m.

Marcus Roberson, a 32-year-old D.C. resident, was transported to a nearby hospital with stab wounds to his upper body, according to police. He died at the hospital.

“Detectives are actively investigating to determine the circumstances that led to the stabbing,” Curry said.

An initial investigation appears to have backed up the teen’s report to police:

Preliminarily, detectives from our Major Crime Bureau and Crime Scene Section determined Roberson was visiting the address when a verbal argument escalated into an assault. The juvenile teenager reported he stabbed Roberson to stop the assault. There were three other children inside the apartment that were unharmed. The woman was treated at the scene for injuries not considered life threatening.

According to the FCPD, the teen was released to his mother after being interviewed last night and hasn’t been charged for the stabbing, which detectives believe may have been “a justifiable homicide.”

“Detectives continue to conduct interviews and process evidence recovered from the scene to determine the circumstances that led up to the fatal stabbing,” the police department said.

Charges may be filed at a later date based on a consultation between police and the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney. An autopsy will be conducted “in the coming days” to confirm the cause and manner of Roberson’s death.

This is the second fatal stabbing seen in Fairfax County this year. The previous incident on Jan. 10 also reportedly stemmed from domestic violence, as an adult man in McLean allegedly stabbed his mother and stepfather, who died.

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Police: Man stabs parents at home in McLean, killing stepfather

Fairfax County Police Department Second Lt. James Curry at site of fatal stabbing in McLean (via FCPD/Facebook)

(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) A man in McLean died last night after reportedly being stabbed by his stepson, Fairfax County police say.

Officers were called to a house in the 1200 block of Colonial Road in McLean at 11:03 p.m. in response to a domestic call involving two stabbing victims, Fairfax County Police Department Second Lt. James Curry said in a 1:48 a.m. update.

In the call, a woman said her son had stabbed her and her husband.

The son — identified in a report released this afternoon as 39-year-old Adam Timothy Jackson Jr. — was leaving the house and taken into custody when officers arrived.

“Upon searching the home, they found the husband suffering trauma to the upper body,” Curry said. “Life-saving measures were attempted but sadly he was declared deceased at the home.”

According to police, the victim was 68-year-old Alan Miller Kaufman, Jackson’s stepfather.

The woman was transported to a hospital with injuries that police said were not considered life-threatening.

“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy in the coming days to determine the cause and manner of death,” the FCPD said. “Detectives continue to conduct interviews, collect video surveillance and process evidence recovered from the scene to determine the circumstances that led up to the fatal stabbing.”

The department’s Major Crimes Bureau can be contacted at 703-246-7800, option 2. Anonymous tips are accepted through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS), and online.

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County prosecutor’s office awards grants for domestic violence victim services

Steve Descano named United Community’s Progreso Center as a recipient of a Community Partnership Grant (courtesy Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney)

A trio of local nonprofits that assist people who have experienced abuse and domestic violence got a little funding boost last week, courtesy of Fairfax County prosecutors.

On Thursday (Dec. 15), the Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney named the Women for Afghan Women (WAW) and United Community’s Progreso Literacy and Citizenship Center as the inaugural recipients of its new Community Partnership Grants, which are intended for organizations that serve victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and crimes against children.

Funds were also awarded to SafeSpot, which provides advocacy and support services to child victims of sexual and physical abuse and their families.

“My office is proud to partner with these three organizations that provide resources for victims,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a news release. “I am personally grateful for the work they do in our community — supporting victims throughout the legal process and helping them on the path to healing and recovery is critical work and will help make our community stronger and safer.”

The $8,000 grants are funded by proceeds from asset forfeiture, where law enforcement can seize and retain or sell property involved in a crime. Descano’s office didn’t share how much it gets from forfeitures but said it can grant up to $25,000 per year.

In Virginia, forfeited assets and the proceeds from any sales are put into a Department of Criminal Justice Services fund and then distributed back to the agencies that participated in the investigation that led to the seizures.

The money must be used “to promote law enforcement,” which could include victim services and other efforts to build relationships and encourage cooperation with the community, per state law.

The application for the Community Partnership Grants program asked organizations how they would use the grant to “support law enforcement, or improve the relationship between law enforcement and the Fairfax community.”

According to its website, SafeSpot is partnered with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the Fairfax County Police Department, among others, as part of its work to help victims and their families navigate criminal investigations and court proceedings.

Though headquartered in New York, WAW established an office in the Springfield area earlier this year that provides basic needs support, immigration-related legal services, counseling and educational classes to Virginia’s Afghan community, which is the second-largest in the country.

“The need for direct and comprehensive services has only increased since last summer,” WAW Program Manager Mariam Kakar said. “As the only Afghan-led organization that supports survivors of domestic violence, we look forward to using these funds to help many individuals and families in our local community.”

Founded in 1969 by faith groups and volunteers, United Community offers supportive services, such as food assistance, crisis intervention and more, with the goal of ending poverty, specifically along the Route 1 corridor.

Located in the Gerry Hyland Government Center in Mount Vernon, the Progreso center provides education, citizenship classes and legal services to immigrants, including survivors of domestic violence.

“As the leading human services non-profit agency in southeastern Fairfax County, United Community seeks out opportunities to collaborate with our allies throughout the community,” said Alison DeCourcey, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. “We’re grateful to Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano and his office for this grant, which will dramatically help us improve our reach and services to immigrants who are survivors of domestic violence.”

Descano, who is planning to seek reelection next year, hopes to make the community partnership grants an annual program, according to his office.

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