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Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

Police & Fire
Coach Who Sexually Abused Minor For Years In Montgomery County Released On Bond, Police Say Coach Who Sexually Abused Minor For Years In Montgomery County Released On Bond, Police Say
Coach Who Sexually Abused Minor For Years In Montgomery County Released On Bond, Police Say A former coach in Montgomery County has been accused of sexually abusing a minor, and now investigators are worried there could be other victims. Gaithersburg resident Damon Junior Cruz, 32, has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor and displaying obscene material to a minor, according to police. Investigators say that the alleged assaults came between November 2021 and February 2024 when Cruz was the victim's hitting and pitching coach. He was arrested earlier this month following an investigation by the Montgomery County Department of Police that was launched on Tuesday,…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Curious Cat Rescued Hours After Crawling Into Car Engine In Maryland Curious Cat Rescued Hours After Crawling Into Car Engine In Maryland
Curious Cat Rescued Hours After Crawling Into Car Engine In Maryland A ferocious feline in Maryland may have used one of its nine lives after being caught in a precarious position that required intervention by first responders in Washington County. Crews from the Hagerstown Fire Department made a special save this week after a cat found itself trapped in the engine well of a parked vehicle.  The driver said that she was driving in the area when she spotted a cat going under her car, prompting the first call to the department, though they initially found nothing under her vehicle. She then went home, and slept more soundly than the cat that had navigate…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Kidnapper Convicted For Taking Car Dealership Employee On Wild Ride In Maryland: Prosecutors Kidnapper Convicted For Taking Car Dealership Employee On Wild Ride In Maryland: Prosecutors
Kidnapper Convicted For Taking Car Dealership Employee On Wild Ride In Maryland: Prosecutors The man who took an unexpected joyride with an unwitting car dealership employee in Southern Maryland has been convicted, according to the St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office. Lusby resident Joshua Terrell Tripplet, 28, was found guilty of kidnapping and false imprisonment for an incident that was reported in November last year, authorities announced on Wednesday afternoon. State's Attorney Jaymi Sterling said that Tripplet kidnapped the employee under the guise of a test drive, then took him on a terrorizing ride, refusing to return to the dealership, despite the employee's pleas t…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Release Sketch Of Woman Whose Body Was Found Decomposing In Baltimore Police Release Sketch Of Woman Whose Body Was Found Decomposing In Baltimore
Police Release Sketch Of Woman Whose Body Was Found Decomposing In Baltimore Recognize her?  Investigators from the Baltimore Police Department are seeking the public's assistance as they attempt to identify a woman whose body was found decomposing in the city nearly a year ago. A new sketch has been released by the agency as they continue to investigate after a woman's body was found decomposing in the afternoon of June 3, 2023 in the 400 block of South Calhoun Street. According to police, when officers arrived last summer, they found an unidentified woman unresponsive, in the early stages of decomposition, though there was no apparent signs of trauma. She w…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman Without License Busted With Drugs During Traffic Stop In Maryland, Sheriff Says Woman Without License Busted With Drugs During Traffic Stop In Maryland, Sheriff Says
Woman Without License Busted With Drugs During Traffic Stop In Maryland, Sheriff Says A purported drug distributor in Northern Maryland was arrested in Carroll County during a traffic stop in Westminster, according to the sheriff's office. Cristen Joanne Connors, 42, of Westminster, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon during a traffic stop in the area of Sullivan Avenue and Maryland Route 140, where it was determined that she did not have a valid driver's license. That was the least of her worries. According to a spokesperson from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, a police K9 scanned Connors' Chevy Malibu, and determined that there were drugs inside the vehicle, leading to…

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by Zak Failla
Weather
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued In Parts Of DMV Region Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued In Parts Of DMV Region
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued In Parts Of DMV Region Severe weather could be heading toward the DMV region on Wednesday, according to forecasters. An advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service cautioning that a "severe thunderstorm watch" is in effect on May 22 through at least 8 p.m. in Northern Virginia, Central and Northern Maryland. Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued until 8:00 pm tonight, May 22. Residents should remain aware for threatening weather. More info: https://t.co/aJCzkSvykK — Montgomery Co OEMHS (@ReadyMontgomery) May 22, 2024 Residents have been warned to "remain aware for threatening weather."  Storms …

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Who Shot At Brothers During Manchester Dispute Charged With Maryland Murder: Prosectors Man Who Shot At Brothers During Manchester Dispute Charged With Maryland Murder: Prosectors
Man Who Shot At Brothers During Manchester Dispute Charged With Maryland Murder: Prosectors The man arrested by Maryland State Police for a fatal shooting in Carroll County last month has been indicted on murder and other charges, the state's attorney's office announced on Wednesday. Jose Manchame, 41, was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Mauricio Guzman-Leon in April. According to police, shortly after 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, troopers were called to investigate a reported shooting in the 4900 block of Hanover Pike (Route 30) in Manchester. It is alleged that on t…

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by Zak Failla
News
Teen Girl Reported Missing In Maryland Since March May Be With Adult Boyfriend, Sheriff Says Teen Girl Reported Missing In Maryland Since March May Be With Adult Boyfriend, Sheriff Says
Teen Girl Reported Missing In Maryland Since March May Be With Adult Boyfriend, Sheriff Says Seen her?  Concerns are mounting for friends and family of a 15-year-old girl in Charles County who has not been seen since March and may be with her adult boyfriend. An alert was issued by the Charles County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday as they seek the public's assistance in locating Patricia Castro, who was last seen on Thursday, March 28 in the 4100 block of Bluebird Drive in Waldorf. According to investigators, family members believe she left on her own with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Jose Leon-Gutierrez. Castro was described as being 5-feet tall and weighs an estimated 160 pou…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Vietnam Vet Credits Good Luck Kiss For $90K Win On Maryland Lottery 'Big Spin Wheel' Vietnam Vet Credits Good Luck Kiss For $90K Win On Maryland Lottery 'Big Spin Wheel'
Vietnam Vet Credits Good Luck Kiss For $90K Win On Maryland Lottery 'Big Spin Wheel' A Vietnam Vet is crediting a kiss from his wife of nearly 50 years for a $90,000 Maryland Lottery windfall.  "Rolling Thunder," a Baltimore County retiree, walked over to his wife to exchange a good luck kiss before taking his position at The Big Spin Wheel at Lottery Headquarters, where he was the happy winner of a five-figure prize. According to Lottery officials, when the wheel came to a stop at the $90,000 mark, the room erupted into applause and the prize brought tears to the woman's eyes. The second BIG SPIN. Maryland Lottery “I don’t believe this,” she said after her husba…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Teen Student Charged As Adult For Carrying Gun On School Grounds In Montgomery County: Police Teen Student Charged As Adult For Carrying Gun On School Grounds In Montgomery County: Police
Teen Student Charged As Adult For Carrying Gun On School Grounds In Montgomery County: Police A 16-year-old who came to school armed with a handgun in Montgomery County will be charged as an adult, according to police. An eagle-eyed teacher at Paint Branch High School spotted what was believed to be a gun on a boy at the school on Tuesday morning, leading to his apprehension, officials say. Shortly before 10:15 a.m. on May 21, Montgomery County Department of Police Community Engagement officers were called to the campus in the 14100 block of Old Columbia Pike to investigate the incident. The student, Derreon Vick, consented to a self-search, which police say led to the recover…

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by Zak Failla
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