(Updated at 6:40 p.m.) Fairfax County police have arrested an Arlington man who allegedly shot two women, including his wife, at a day care center in West Springfield.
Officers were dispatched to the West Springfield KinderCare at 8518 Bauer Drive at around 2:14 p.m., according to the police scanner on Open MHz.
“Right now, all we have is an unknown suspect shooting outside, still trying to get more,” the dispatcher said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe Julio Pascual Sejas, 41, of Arlington, approached the day care center in an attempt to speak to his wife, who works there, Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Brooke Wright said at a press conference around 5:15 p.m.
When she declined to open the front door, Sejas fired three shots through the door, hitting his wife and another employee of the day care, Wright says. Both women were transported to a hospital with injuries determined to be not life-threatening.
There were more than 70 children inside KinderCare at the time of the shooting, but none of them witnessed it or appear to even have registered that it happened, according to Wright. The children were evacuated to the West Springfield District Police Station (6140 Rolling Road), where they have all now been reunited with their parents or guardians.
“I’m so relieved that kids were not harmed today, because we are talking too much about kids and gun violence that’s happening,” Wright said. “We want parents to know that we’re going to be protecting children as best we can.”
The FCPD announced at 6:37 p.m. that Sejas has been arrested. Detectives had obtained warrants charging him with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and three counts of shooting into a school building.
At the earlier press conference, Wright said no protective order was sought against Sejas “to my knowledge,” but the nature of his relationship with his wife is still under investigation.
KinderCare offers day care and after-school programs for kids ranging from toddlers to 12 years old, including programs that are available during school breaks.
Image via Google Maps
An 18-year-old suspect turned himself in last night in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old Westfield High School student on Wednesday (March 20), police say.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced the arrest of Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon at a press conference this morning (Friday).
Police suspect Cruz-Delcid knew the victim, who died after being shot outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon. Another teen was shot at during the two rounds of firing but managed to escape without injury.
The FCPD identified Cruz-Delcid as a suspect in the shooting yesterday. He has been charged with second-degree murder, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and felony distribution of cocaine.
The drug charge stems from “a previous narcotics investigation,” police previously stated.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a verbal argument between the three teens in the hotel parking lot.
Police Chief Kevin Davis emphasized that, while it’s unclear if the encounter was gang-related, the victims knew each other, characterizing the encounter as a “neighborhood association.”
Davis lamented the proliferation of guns in small disputes as a nationwide challenge.
“Seemingly petty disputes are resolved with firearms,” Davis said.
Police said that the teens were involved in ongoing verbal disputes that remain under investigation.
Cruz-Delcid turned himself shortly after 11 p.m. last night after a discussion between law enforcement and an attorney. He did not provide any statement to police and is being held without bond.
The suspected shooter recently graduated from Mountain View Alternative High School in Centreville, according to police.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said the school system is providing counseling to students at Westfield and Herndon High School, along with other high schools on an as-needed basis.
Fairfax County police are still searching for a teen who they believe fatally shot another teenager yesterday (Thursday) outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon.
The Fairfax County Police Department has identified Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon as the suspect in the shooting, which allegedly followed a physical altercation between three teens.
The encounter began after Cruz-Delcid pulled into the hotel’s parking lot in the 13700 block of Coppermine Road yesterday afternoon, according to police. At some point, he and two other teens began fighting.
“Cruz-Delcid then disengaged from the fight, pulled out a firearm, and shot at the victims,” the FCPD said. “Only one of the victims was struck and the second victim was not injured. Cruz-Delcid left his Honda Civic at the scene and took off on foot after the shooting.”
Officers arrived the scene shortly after 3:35 p.m. and found the teen who got shot suffering from gun shot wounds “to the upper body,” police said. After attempting life-saving measures, responders transported the boy to a hospital, where he died.
At a media briefing yesterday, FCPD Deputy Chief Brooke Wright said at least three shots were fired, and it wasn’t yet clear how many hit the victim. Another teen who wasn’t hit remained at the scene.
Police said the shooter was seen headed toward neighboring Coates Elementary School, prompting Fairfax County Public Schools to place the school under secured status just before students were scheduled to leave.
Detectives have obtained warrants that would charge Cruz-Delcid with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The FCPD says he is involved in “a previous narcotics investigation,” prompting detectives to also get a warrant for cocaine distribution.
“Our officers, our Fugitive Track and Apprehension Unit, and our Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau are working to locate Cruz-Delcid,” the FCPD said.
Updated at 2:40 p.m. on 3/22/2024 — An 18-year-old from Herndon has been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting in McNair, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.
Earlier: A teen has died after getting shot at a hotel in the McNair area of Herndon near Dulles International Airport.
Fairfax County police were dispatched to the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the 13700 block of Coppermine Road around 3:33 p.m. for the shooting. A dispatcher reported that the suspect was seen fleeing on foot in the direction of Coates Elementary School, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
One teen was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Brooke Wright announced in a media briefing shortly before 6 p.m. that the teen had died.
“We have a teenager who’s dead and shouldn’t be, and I can’t imagine anything more devastating for that kid’s family,” Wright said. “We take this very, very seriously.”
Coates Elementary was put on “secure the building” status, meaning that there’s police activity in the area but it’s “unrelated to the school itself,” according to a Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson. Students are typically dismissed from classes at 4 p.m.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the shooting stemmed from a “physical altercation” between three teens who were all known to each other.
“At some point, they separated physically,” Wright said. “The suspect pulled a firearm and shot at least three rounds. We don’t know how many struck the victim…and there is also a victim who was also a teenager who was shot at and not struck.”
Police are still searching the area for an individual believed to be the shooter, Wright said, noting that the FCPD has “deployed a lot of resources.” Since the person is still believed to have the gun used in the shooting, the searching officers are “heavily armed.”
Officers are on scene of a shooting in the 13000 blk of Coppermine Rd in McNair. A teenager was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The suspect is described a Hispanic male wearing all black clothing. Call 911 w/ any info. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/0aO9QCuz6b
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 20, 2024
Image via Google Maps
Woman Fatally Shot Near Inova Fairfax Hospital — “A man shot and killed his ex-girlfriend in a parking lot in Northern Virginia, and police arrested the suspect in Maryland after a short manhunt Friday evening, police said. The victim had a protective order against the suspect, but he showed up outside the medical office in Annandale where she worked, police said.” [NBC4, WUSA9]
Metro Police Start Fare Evasion Crackdown in D.C. — “Metro police will crack down on fare evasion in the District starting Monday, issuing fines of up to $100 or arresting people who refuse to pay for rides. Until now, Metro Transit Police officers have only been able to ask fare evaders to pay their fare or leave the station, according to Metro.” [Washington Post]
Warm Weather Leads to More Pollen — “This year, abnormally warm weather has boosted average tree pollen counts to near-record levels in the D.C. area. The counts have already climbed into the high range on eight days this year. So far, the peak daily count was 1,171 pollen grains per cubic meter of air measured in early March.” [Washington Post]
County Seeks Input on Bicycle Parking Updates — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will host a virtual meeting on the updated Bicycle Parking Guidelines on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 6 p.m.” The county is developing guidelines for “rate of short-term to long-term bike parking spaces, acceptable rack and facility design and location guidance, and optional enhancements to improve user comfort.” [FCDOT]
Senators Warn Against Adding Long National Airport Flights — “The four U.S. senators from Virginia and Maryland are urging Congress to keep the current rules for long distance flights from Reagan National Airport (DCA) as they are.” The senators reiterated that the airport is “already overburdened” and adding more long-distance flights could affect the larger Dulles and Baltimore airports. [WTOP]
Transportation Officials Give Update on Richmond Highway Projects — “Vanessa Aguayo, project manager of the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, and Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Dan Reinhard, lead project manager for the Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements project, provided updates March 14 at the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast.” [On the MoVe]
Former McLean HS Student Publishes Debut Novel — “Small-town skullduggery, eccentric characters, humor and a gritty tone are staples of Southern crime fiction and former Great Falls resident Peter Malone Elliott was happy to indulge in them all in his debut novel, ‘Blue Ridge.'” [Gazette Leader]
Local Volunteers Bonded by Helping Feed People — “It may look like Mona Tatum works at an outdoor market along Route 1 in Alexandria. But the bounty in front of her of fresh fruits, vegetables, protein, and so much more, stems from a remarkable story of friendship between Ed Moore and Deacon James Myers…A friendship that blossomed four years ago during the pandemic’s darkest days.” [WJLA]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 51, with a west wind blowing between 9 and 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. In the evening, the sky remains mostly clear with a low temperature around 34. A northwest wind of 11 to 13 mph will continue, gusting as high as 22 mph. [Weather.gov]
A Mount Vernon man has been convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Brandon Wims outside the Old Mill Gardens apartments in 2022.
A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury returned a guilty verdict last night (Monday) against Kyjuan Trott-McLean, 44, convicting him of murder and a charge of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today.
“The extremely random nature of this crime is truly heartbreaking,” Descano said. “While one never fully heals from the loss of a loved one, especially in such an unexpected act of violence, I hope that this conviction can help provide solace to Mr. Wims’ family and the rest of our community.”
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Trott-McLean shot Wims, a 31-year-old resident of Rockville, Maryland, in the 5800 block of St. Gregory Lane on Oct. 2, 2022 during an argument with his wife, an acquaintance of Wims:
Trott-McLean’s wife, Kezia Leckey, was an acquaintance of Wims, and the two met up that night, along with another friend of Leckey’s, Sapphire Lawrence. The three were sitting in Lawrence’s car talking at the time of the shooting.
At trial, prosecutors proved that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between Trott-McLean and Leckey. As Trott-McLean stood next to the vehicle and argued with Leckey, he stepped back from the vehicle, produced a 9mm firearm, and fired, striking Wims three times and grazing Leckey. He continued to fire as Lawrence, in the driver’s seat, sped off.
Lawrence drove Wims to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. At the time, Fairfax County police said he was transferred to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Trott-McLean fled the scene and was able to evade law enforcement for nearly two months. Shortly after an $11,000 reward was offered for information, he was arrested in the 3800 block of Colonial Avenue in Mount Vernon on Dec. 1, 2022 after a brief police pursuit.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 3. Trott-McLean faces a maximum sentence of 43 years in prison.
Photo via Google Maps
Forensic evidence has led to arrest of a suspect in a shooting in Woodbridge last year that left one man dead and another injured.
Prince William police on Monday served warrants for murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in a felony on Zaire Lee Davis, 21, of no fixed address, at the Fairfax County jail, said county police Lt. Jonathan Perok.
Davis has been incarcerated since last summer in connection with a robbery in Annandale and a Father’s Day shooting in Reston.
Perok said recent forensic results linked Davis to the Jan. 16, 2023 shooting in Marumsco Plaza that left a 27-year-old man dead and another wounded.
Police were called to the 13900 block of Richmond Highway at 8:50 p.m. that night and found a 22-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower body. He was taken to the hospital where his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening, police said.
A short time later, security officers from a nearby shopping center notified officers of a second man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided first aid to the victim, identified as Akeem Rashaud Williams, until rescue crews took him to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
The investigation revealed a group was in the area when gunshots were fired, striking the two men. While investigating, officers learned that an occupied car traveling on U.S. 1 was also hit by gunfire.
Perok said the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a previous altercation and ongoing dispute between the men involved.
Mugshot via FCPD. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
A man already convicted of possessing child pornography has been sentenced to life in prison for shooting a fellow military veteran nearly seven years ago.
Jaeyoung Lee was sentenced to life, plus 48 years in prison for shooting Jeremy Tammone on Oct. 21, 2017, leaving him permanently injured, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced Friday (Jan. 26).
Lee, who served in the U.S. Navy for seven years, waited outside Tammone’s apartment in the Franconia District and shot him three times after he answered the door, according to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office.
Tammone is a 50-year-old Army and Marine veteran who was working at that time as a Defense Department contractor, according to an NBC4 report. He was also a friend of a woman who had recently broken up with Lee.
According to prosecutors, Lee had spent months stalking his ex-girlfriend, including by “hacking her social media accounts to monitor her messages, installing cameras in her home, and making copies of her apartment door locks to practice unlocking them.”
Police quickly identified Lee as a suspect in Tammone’s shooting, per NBC4, but his arrest didn’t come until Jan. 9, 2018 after detectives found a device with child pornography images and videos during a search of Lee’s apartment in the “Alexandria section” of Fairfax County.
Initially charged with 20 counts of child porn possession, Lee was ultimately convicted on 100 counts in January 2020, according to Descano’s office. The conviction was appealed and sustained by a three-judge panel in July 2021.
In that case, Lee was sentenced on June 12, 2020 to a total of 20 years in prison — one year for each of the 100 charges, with 80 of them running concurrently instead of consecutively — but 15 years were suspended, giving him five years of active jail time, a spokesperson for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office says.
For the shooting, prosecutors pushed for a life sentence because they believe Lee’s “actions indicate that he remains a serious danger to the community,” Descano said. Lee was convicted of seven felonies in a May 2023 trial.
“Over a period of months, he planned and calculated, committing multiple felonies as he stalked his ex-girlfriend,” Descano said. “This period of dangerous obsession culminated in one of the worst possible outcomes: a victim’s life permanently destroyed.”
Tammone continues to suffer from the brain and organ damage he sustained from the shooting, which left him unable to eat or drink, NBC4 reported. He and his family told the news station that they felt Lee’s sentencing was an “appropriate close of…this horrific chapter” of their lives.
In addition to the life sentence for aggravated malicious wounding, Lee received three years for using a firearm in a felony, 20 years for malicious computer trespassing, 10 years for possessing burglary tools, and five years each for wiretapping and two counts of using a computer to obtain personal information, per Descano’s office.
“Individuals who pose this kind of danger receive sentences that first and foremost keep the community safe,” Descano said. “I’m grateful to the detectives and prosecutors who helped bring this case through to the end, and I hope that closing the book today brings a measure of justice the victims and their families.”
The commonwealth’s attorney’s office also announced a life-in-prison sentence on Friday for McLean resident Megan Hargan, who shot and killed her mother and sister on July 14, 2017.
A McLean woman will serve two life sentences in prison for murdering her mother and sister in 2017, county prosecutors announced today (Friday).
Megan Hargan received the two life sentences for fatally shooting her mother, Pamela Hargan, 63, and Helen Hargan, 24, in their house on July 14, 2017. She also got an additional sentence of six years in prison for two gun-related charges, according to the Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Hargan was convicted by a jury in September of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in a felony. It was her second conviction after an initial one handed down in March 2022 got vacated by a judge who determined that a juror had improperly experimented with a rifle at home to see if Helen Hargan could’ve died by suicide, as defense attorneys alleged.
“Megan Hargan’s actions in July 2017 go beyond what most of us can imagine,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “On a quiet Friday morning in her mother’s home, she made an irreversible decision — one that would devastate her family and tear the community apart. First-degree murder is the most serious offense you can be convicted of in Virginia, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s crimes.”
After finding the bodies of Pamela and Helen Hargan inside their home in the 6700 block of Dean Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department initially characterized the deaths as a murder-suicide incident, but they suspected early on that the scene might have been staged.
Police and prosecutors later argued that Megan Hargan had killed her mother and sister over a financial disagreement.
More from the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney:
On the afternoon of July 14, 2017, Megan Hargan, 41, shot Pamela, 63, and Helen, 24, in Pamela’s McLean home where the three were living at the time, along with Hargan’s then-8-year-old daughter. Hargan staged the house as a murder-suicide and claimed that younger sister Helen had killed their mom before killing herself.
Evidence presented at trial showed that the conflict stemmed from a financial dispute: Megan, who was buying a house in West Virginia, resented that her mother, Pamela, wasn’t helping her financially but was at the same time helping her sister Helen to buy a house. On July 13, the day before the killings, Megan attempted to transfer upwards of $400,000 from her mother’s bank account to pay for Megan’s new house, which was closing that day. The transaction was flagged as fraud, and the next day Megan shot her mother before attempting to make the same wire transfer again from her mother’s account. She then shot her sister Helen, who was upstairs at the time. Both family members were killed by a .22 rifle, which belonged to Megan’s husband and was being stored in the McLean house temporarily.
Megan Hargan was arrested on Nov. 9, 2018.
“This was a complicated case to prosecute, and we would not be here today without the detectives, witnesses, and family members who persisted through two lengthy, emotional trials,” Descano said. “I want to express my gratitude for their resolve in bringing this case to justice.”
The police investigation into Fairfax County’s first homicide of 2024 has resulted in a murder charge against a 14-year-old.
The teen allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old boy in Annandale at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 13), killing him, the Fairfax County Police Department reported last night (Thursday).
The 14-year-old and an 18-year-old man who tried to intervene were also injured, according to police.
“During the assault, the 14-year-old lost control of the knife and was stabbed by the victim,” the FCPD said. “The 18-year-old heard the commotion, attempted to intervene, and was injured in the process.”
The 14-year-old remains hospitalized and in police custody.
Here’s more on the stabbing in the Fairmont Gardens apartments from the original police report:
At 11:30 p.m. last night, officers responded to the 4200 block of Wadsworth Court in Annandale for a stabbing that occurred outside. Officers found the 17-year-old in a grassy area suffering from stab wounds. Fire and rescue personnel transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The 14-year-old was found inside a nearby apartment and was also taken to the hospital, where he remains. As detectives were investigating an 18-year-old entered the hospital and was treated for injuries believed to be related to the stabbing.
Detectives are actively investigating the circumstances that led to the stabbing. This is not domestic related, and both juveniles are known to each other from previous disputes. Detectives believe all parties from this incident are accounted for.
The same apartment complex was the site of a shooting that hospitalized a woman on Tuesday (Jan. 16). In an update released yesterday, the FCPD said the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, but detectives don’t believe it was a random act.
“The suspect, accompanied by two other subjects, was briefly allowed into the apartment before discharging shots,” the police department said, noting that the apartment unit is “well-known to area officers.”