Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia
Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia Andrew Wayne "A.J." Mitts, Jr. was weeks from graduating when he was killed in the crossfire of an illegal handgun deal in Virginia.  Now, the 18-year-old high school senior's family's lives have been changed forever. Mitts was taking out the trash in Staunton when he was struck five times during a suspected robbery that landed two people in jail. The Buffalo Gap High School senior was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Two people later surrendered to investigators in connection with the deadly shooting that also left another teen with critical injuries. Both me…
Beloved Maryland Conservation Leader Charles 'Chip' Heaps Killed In $2M Home Explosion Beloved Maryland Conservation Leader Charles 'Chip' Heaps Killed In $2M Home Explosion
Beloved Maryland Conservation Leader Charles 'Chip' Heaps Killed In $2M Home Explosion Before the flames lit up the sky over his Maryland town on Valentine's Day, Charles “Chip” Heaps was known for something else entirely. Steady leadership. A 42-year marriage. A lifelong devotion to conservation. And four grandchildren who called him “Ducky.” Charles William “Chip” Heaps Jr., 68, of Chestertown, died Feb. 15, following the explosion and fire that destroyed his home. The scene of the Maryland fire.  Charlestown Volunteer Fire Company His wife, Patty, his children, and his grandchildren were in another part of the house when the explosion occurred and were able to es…
Xzayviia “Zay” Bundy, 18, Virginia High School Football Star, Leaves Lasting Mark on Community Xzayviia “Zay” Bundy, 18, Virginia High School Football Star, Leaves Lasting Mark on Community
Xzayviia “Zay” Bundy, 18, Virginia High School Football Star, Leaves Lasting Mark on Community In Virginia, a small-town football field just got a lot quieter. Xzayviia “Zay” Bundy — a multi-time All-State linebacker, starting quarterback, and the 2025 Class 1 Defensive Player of the Year — died on Monday, Feb 9, in Tappahannock.  He was 18. Bundy was a four-year starter for Essex High School, where he became one of the most dominant players in program history. Known for his physical presence on defense and leadership on offense, he earned All-State honors each season and most recently committed to play football at Shepherd University in West Virginia. His sudden passing has s…
Maryland Pastor-In-Training Taken By ICE On Way To Work As DHS Defends Removal Order Maryland Pastor-In-Training Taken By ICE On Way To Work As DHS Defends Removal Order
Maryland Pastor-In-Training Taken By ICE On Way To Work As DHS Defends Removal Order A Maryland father, who is also a pastor-in-training, was taken by ICE on his way to work — and within days, students were walking out of class, churches were rallying, and federal officials were firing back. Jose Juan Martinez-Castillo was arrested at around 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, on W. Padonia Road near Public Storage and Flagship Car Wash in Cockeysville, according to a GoFundMe organized by his son, Wilson Martinez, a senior at Dulaney High School. Photos shared online show an ICE officer at the window of a work van along the roadside. Wilson Martinez said his father is the primary …
Family Remembers Ricardo Lee Vance After Fatal Shooting In Maryland: 'Always Ready With A Joke' Family Remembers Ricardo Lee Vance After Fatal Shooting In Maryland: 'Always Ready With A Joke'
Family Remembers Ricardo Lee Vance After Fatal Shooting In Maryland: 'Always Ready With A Joke' Ricardo Lee Vance was a "loving son, brother, uncle, and cousin who meant so much to so many" before he was gunned down in Maryland, his family says. Now, they and the Prince George's County Police Department are seeking his murderer. At around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, officers were called to the 6100 block of Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill to investigate a reported shooting. Upon arrival, they found Vance suffering from a single gunshot wound. The 47-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Now, his family is left with "a void in our hearts that words ca…
Maryland Detective Who Spent Career Helping Others Now Faces Long Recovery After Serious Injury Maryland Detective Who Spent Career Helping Others Now Faces Long Recovery After Serious Injury
Maryland Detective Who Spent Career Helping Others Now Faces Long Recovery After Serious Injury A veteran police detective in Maryland known for protecting others is now fighting to recover after being seriously injured off the job, friends say. Det. Gregory Travis, a longtime member of the Prince George’s County Police Department and a task force officer, was described by friends and colleagues as a dedicated public servant who spent his career helping people during their most difficult moments. Now he is the one in need. Friends say the injury occurred off duty and has left Travis unable to work while he undergoes extensive rehabilitation, compounding the financial strain and emoti…
From Work To ICU: Virginia Woman Critically Injured Walking Home In Winter Storm From Work To ICU: Virginia Woman Critically Injured Walking Home In Winter Storm
From Work To ICU: Virginia Woman Critically Injured Walking Home In Winter Storm A winter storm turned a routine trip home into a nightmare for a young Virginia woman who was struck by a vehicle while trying to get home from work amid dangerous conditions. ShiAnn Graves was critically injured during the storm after unsafe roads and sidewalks forced her into harm’s way, leaving her fighting for her life in a Richmond hospital and a community holding its breath. Family members say Graves was walking home from work when she was hit during the severe weather, which left much of the region coated in snow and ice. She was rushed to the hospital and placed in the ICU, where s…
Community Steps Up After Fishing Boat Sinks, Search Halted With 6 Missing: 'Just Devastating' Community Steps Up After Fishing Boat Sinks, Search Halted With 6 Missing: 'Just Devastating'
Community Steps Up After Fishing Boat Sinks, Search Halted With 6 Missing: 'Just Devastating' A fishing trip out of Gloucester turned tragic Friday when the vessel Lily Jean sank about 25 miles off the coast of Massachusetts with seven people on board. Now the community is coming together to help the families who lost their loved ones.  The fishing boat went down silently on Saturday, Jan. 31. The Coast Guard located a debris field in the water, and one crewmember was later found dead. Officials suspended their search with six still missing at sea. The Coast Guard identified all seven people on board on Monday. Among them was Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, the boat’s captain. …
Teen Killed In Hit-Run On Way To First Day Of Work In Maryland: 'He Didn't Deserve This' Teen Killed In Hit-Run On Way To First Day Of Work In Maryland: 'He Didn't Deserve This'
Teen Killed In Hit-Run On Way To First Day Of Work In Maryland: 'He Didn't Deserve This' Todd Hines Jr. was headed to his first day of work when his life was cut short in a hit-and-run that killed the 19-year-old in Baltimore County. Hines was walking along North Point Boulevard in Dundalk at approximately 7:35 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, when he was struck by a 2006 Ford F-250 that continued traveling southbound, police said. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later located and stopped the pickup truck, and crash investigators determined the driver was responsible for striking him. Charges are pending as of Thursday, January 29, according to police. …
Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring
Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring A grease fire brought service to a sudden stop at Campestre Chicken on Saturday night, forcing the Maryland restaurant to close after heavy smoke and water damage. The fire in the ductwork of the kitchen at the popular eatery was reported shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, when crews rushed to the restaurant at the Maryland Farms Shopping Center on Cherry Hill Road, officials said. Campestre Chicken GoFundMe Firefighters were able to knock down the flames at the chicken joint, which sits in a shopping center split between Montgomery and Prince George's counties, but not before it …
'Erratic' Man Killed After Being Struck By Four Hit-Run Drivers Was 'Loving Father To Two' 'Erratic' Man Killed After Being Struck By Four Hit-Run Drivers Was 'Loving Father To Two'
'Erratic' Man Killed After Being Struck By Four Hit-Run Drivers Was 'Loving Father To Two' Demarko Shamsiddin is being remembered as a loving father and family member after he was struck by multiple hit-and-run drivers and killed in Virginia.  Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called shortly after 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, to the intersection of Richmond Highway and Mount Eagle Drive in Huntington, where there were reports of a pedestrian "acting erratically" who had been struck by at least four vehicles. According to police, the 34-year-old Shamsiddin was in the middle of the highway north of Mount Eagle Drive when he was struck. Detectives say …
Maryland Police Cadet Killed In I-70 Motorcycle Crash: Had ‘Genuine Heart For Service’ Maryland Police Cadet Killed In I-70 Motorcycle Crash: Had ‘Genuine Heart For Service’
Maryland Police Cadet Killed In I-70 Motorcycle Crash: Had ‘Genuine Heart For Service’ A police cadet in Maryland killed in a motorcycle crash on I-70 is being remembered for his "genuine heart for service" after dying weeks before his 23rd birthday. Bowie native Joshua Ikerionwu was involved in a motorcycle crash on Sunday, Jan. 4, in the eastbound lanes of the interstate, leaving behind friends and family devastated by his passing. "Joshua was a dedicated police academy cadet with the Prince George’s County Police Department, working tirelessly toward graduation and deeply passionate about serving and protecting others," Samuel Ikerionwu said. "He was driven by purpose and…