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.

Officers on scene of a death investigation in the 8500 blk of Wild Spruce Drive, Springfield. Preliminarily, three people were found deceased inside a home and a firearm was found at the scene. Detectives are responding to investigate. pic.twitter.com/7Rk1DKSI3b

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 27, 2023

THREE FOUND DEAD IN HOUSE BASEMENT — 8500 blk Wild Spruce Dr in Springfield. Police have found three dead in basement. Gunshots were reported here earlier this afternoon. Police are trying to determine circumstances now. H/T @RVANOVA01 and @HCBright10 and @Gsxr98 cc: @ffxnow pic.twitter.com/y1p6tF8jk8

— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) April 27, 2023

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 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.

Officers are in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Wy in Reston for a shooting. Prelim, a woman was inside a home when she was stabbed. An occupant shot the suspect. One person declared deceased. One taken to hospital w/life-threatening injuries. All parties accounted for. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/TnZBFmTcDz

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 24, 2023

(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.

Officers are on scene of a domestic-related fatal stabbing in the 7900 blk of Janna Lee Avenue, Alexandria. A man was stabbed in the upper body. He was taken to hospital where he was declared deceased. Person of interest is in custody. Detectives are responding to investigate. pic.twitter.com/3DVYF6yAFV

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 30, 2023

NOW FATAL stabbing in the Mount Vernon area. @ffxnow https://t.co/0OFWumNyY0

— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) January 30, 2023

(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.

Officers are on scene of a fatal stabbing at a home in the 1200 blk of Colonial Rd, McLean. Adult man declared deceased on scene & an adult man is in custody. Preliminarily, believed to be domestic-related. Detectives responding to investigate. pic.twitter.com/m1V2W3criT

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 11, 2023

DOUBLE STABBING IN McLEAN WITH ONE CRITICAL. @ffxnow https://t.co/weYYaH0r2A

— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) January 11, 2023

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.”

CA Descano is proud to announce the recipients of our office's first Community Partnership grants.

These organizations received grants of $8,000 – to be used for programs and services that directly support victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence and child victims of crime. pic.twitter.com/VR8ulqJTZh

— Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Descano (@FairfaxCountyCA) December 15, 2022

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.

A 59-year-old woman died Sunday (Sept. 4) after she and her husband were found shot at a townhouse in the Mount Vernon area that morning.

The Fairfax County Police Department believes Daphne Saunders-Johnson was shot by her husband, James Johnson, who then shot himself in a “domestic-related incident.”

Johnson has been charged with second degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, the FCPD announced yesterday (Monday).

According to the police department, officers responded to the 7900 block of Central Park Circle at approximately 3:19 a.m. after getting a report of a shooting.

“Shortly after arriving, officers heard a gunshot and entered the residence to find Daphne Saunders-Johnson, 59, and James Johnson, 62, suffering from gunshot wounds,” the FCPD said. “The married couple lived in the home and were both taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.”

Saunders-Johnson died at the hospital, while Johnson remains there in “critical but stable condition,” police say.

The cause of death will be confirmed with an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The FCPD says the charges were determined in consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, noting that a firearm was found at the home.

The shooting remains under investigation. Police say Johnson will be transferred to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center once he is released from the hospital.

There have now been 15 homicides in Fairfax County this year, compared to 17 at this point and 21 overall in 2021.

Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services offers support for people experiencing or affected by domestic violence through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Services division:

The Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Division of the Department of Family Services would like to remind the community that there are many resources available for people experiencing domestic violence. The 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, 703-360-7273; TTY 711, is a way to access community resources in Virginia and surrounding jurisdictions. DSVS offers compassionate and comprehensive state-accredited programs for women, men, teens and children who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking.

A man from Arlington has been charged with second-degree murder after police found a woman who had been set on fire and stabbed multiple times in Seven Corners on Wednesday (Aug. 10).

Richard Montano, 47, was arrested at his home in Arlington around 6:30 p.m. after allegedly fleeing the scene of the homicide in the 2900 block of Willston Place, where police say he assaulted Silvia Vaca Abacay, 40, of Falls Church and set her on fire.

Officers responded to The Villages at Falls Church at 3:05 p.m. after a neighbor reported a man and woman having an argument in an adjacent condominium, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Thursday).

There, they found Vaca Abacay “on fire and suffering from multiple stab wounds to the upper body,” according to the report announcing the charges against Montano.

“First responders extinguished the fire and attempted to provide life-saving measures. Sadly, she was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the FCPD said.

According to police, a witness reported seeing a man flee the scene, prompting a shelter-in-place order for residents while officers searched the area.

The FCPD says Montano was identified as a person of interest based on “an investigative analysis” of the condo by detectives with help from professional support staff. They also located surveillance footage that showed Montano entering the home prior to the murder, according to police.

The Arlington Police Department provided assistance in locating and arresting Montano, who is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

In addition to murder, Montano has been charged with burglary with intent to commit murder and burning of an occupied dwelling.

“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is in the process of conducting an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death,” police said.

The FCPD has investigated 14 homicides so far this year, slighly under the 15 homicides recorded by this point in 2021.

Updated at 2 p.m. — Jose Hernandez Mejia was arrested this morning in South Carolina for allegedly stabbing his wife, Evelin Molina, Fairfax County police said. 

Earlier: Fairfax County police are searching for a man wanted in a fatal stabbing in Springfield over the weekend.

Jose Hernandez Mejia asked a family member yesterday (Sunday) to come to his home in the 5200 block of Rolling Road and explained to them that he had just stabbed his wife inside, police spokesman Lt. Dan Spital said at a press conference. He then handed over some personal belongings to family members and left the scene.

He left in a 2016 black Honda HRV with Virginia tags, TXV-1986, Spital said. Officers arrived at the scene, entered the home and located a dead woman with upper body trauma consistent with stab wounds, he said. A knife was located nearby with what appeared to be blood on it.

Police issued a warrant for Hernandez Mejia, stating he’s wanted for second-degree murder. Spital said they’ve been in communication with him and thought he was going to turn himself in. He still had not turned himself in as of this morning (Monday).

The department asks anyone who sees him or his vehicle to call 9-1-1 immediately.

While police believe the stabbing was isolated to the family and home, and that there isn’t an immediate threat, they say the public should use caution if they see Hernandez Mejia, and consider him armed and dangerous.

“We are actively looking for him, we are asking for the community’s help,” police said.

Spital said there were minimal previous calls for service at the home, and none of them were domestic-related.

Hernandez Mejia and his wife have children but they are safe, Spital said.

“A tragic situation, these domestic-related homicides are awful and we are doing everything that we can to help families that are in crisis,” Spital said.

Kingstowne Man Indicted for Real Estate Loan Scheme — Calling it one of the largest embezzlement cases in Fairfax County history, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced yesterday (Monday) that Carlos Camacho has been charged with 15 counts of embezzlement and four counts of forgery. Camacho allegedly used loans to divert more than $2 million from his employer for personal expenses. [DCist]

County Sees Rise in Domestic Violence During Pandemic — “During the first quarter of 2022, our Department of Family Services’ Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) division has seen this trend in real time through its Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline, which has recorded an uptick in the number of domestic violence calls it receives.” [Fairfax County Government]

VDOT to Suspend Highway Work During Memorial Day Weekend — “Based on 2018 and 2019 traffic data, periods of moderate to heavy congestion on those pre-pandemic Memorial Day weekends were most likely to occur between noon and 6 p.m. on Friday and Monday, and midday on Saturday and Sunday, VDOT said in a news release.” [Inside NoVA]

IT Consulting Firm Octo Opens Lab in Reston — “Honored to attend the ribbon cutting for oLab today. With the relocation of groundbreaking companies and the expansion of cutting edge innovation labs in Virginia, we’re going to keep solving problems and making critical breakthroughs right here in the Commonwealth.” [Mark Warner]

Virginia Lawmakers Near a Budget Deal — “State legislators got word Monday that they should return to the Capitol on June 1 to vote on a proposed two-year state budget, even though final details on the spending plan were still being hammered out…Legislators launched the special session in April on his orders but promptly went home because there was no compromise to vote on.” [The Washington Post]

Chantilly Student Collects Medical Supplies and Food for Ukraine — “Nicholas, a student at Fairfax County’s Rachel Carson Middle School, chose to help Ukraine as part of his Eagle Scout project. All donations will be boxed by Nicholas and his fellow Scouts, and then sent to United Help Ukraine, a Maryland-based nonprofit organization founded in 2014.” [Patch]

Deputy Fire Chief Promoted — “Fire Chief John Butler is pleased to announce that Deputy Chief Dan Shaw has been promoted to Assistant Chief with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Assistant Chief Shaw will head the Office of the Fire Chief, which includes Data Analytics Management, Fiscal Services, Health and Wellness, Information Technology, Planning, and Public Information and Life Safety Education.” [FCFRD]

It’s Tuesday — Rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 66 and low of 53. Sunrise at 5:51 am and sunset at 8:24 pm. [Weather.gov]