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Thursday, mar 6

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

Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, Gun Seized In Aberdeen Hotel Drug Bust: Police A narcotics investigation at a hotel in Northern Maryland led to the seizure of drugs, cash, a loaded handgun, and the arrest of two men, authorities announced. Aberdeen Police executed nine search warrants at a hotel in the 700 block of West Bel Air Avenue following an extensive probe into alleged drug sales. While executing the warrants, investigators arrested Darnell Mitchell, 40, and Riyad Carter, 21, in connection with the operation. The suspects face felony and misdemeanor drug charges, along with weapons charges. During the bust, officers seized: Over two ounces of suspecte…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Police & Fire

Knife-Wielding Man Causes Chaos In Charles County Home Invasion: Sheriff A Maryland man armed with two large knives caused a chaotic scene in Charles County, breaking into a home and shattering items inside before officers were able to deescalate the situation, authorities said. The Charles County Sheriff's Office said officers were called to the 9200 block of Kris Drive around February 28 for reports of a burglary in progress. Investigators said Michael Santa Mendez, 42, of White Plains, first approached a random woman outside a home and asked if he could go inside—while holding two knives. When she refused, Mendez dropped the weapons and ran to another …

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

News

Germantown Dad Who Left Toddler With Skull Fractures, Brain Bleeds In Learns Prison Fate A Montgomery County man will spend more than a decade behind bars after being convicted of abusing his 2-year-old son, leaving the child with severe brain injuries in Frederick. Tre Anthony Garrett, 33, of Germantown, was sentenced this week in Frederick County Circuit Court to 30 years in prison, with all but 15 years suspended, for first-degree child abuse and neglect of a minor, prosecutors announced. The case began on Jan. 5, 2024, when Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Frederick Health Hospital for a report of a severely injured child suffering from multiple skull…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

News

Missing Man With Alzheimer’s Tracked From Waldorf To Prince George’s, Not Seen Since January Authorities in Maryland are intensifying their search for an elderly Waldorf man with Alzheimer’s disease who has been missing for over a month. Richard Wilson Jr., 86, was last seen by family members on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 25, in his Waldorf home before being reported missing at about 6:15 p.m. that day, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. From the moment Wilson was reported missing, law enforcement agencies launched an all-out search using helicopters, boats, police K9s, and registered volunteer canine teams to track his movements. During the early stages of the i…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

News

Skater Breaks Down Honoring Parents Lost In DC Plane Crash: 'Mom, Dad I Love You' Maxim Naumov poured his soul into the ice. The 23-year-old figure skater channeled his grief into a performance honoring the two people who had shaped his life—his parents. Son of Evgenia “Zhenya” Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, both world champion skaters in Russia, took center stage at DC’s "Legacy on Ice" event, a tribute to the 67 lives lost in the January plane crash over the Potomac River. He performed to one of his late-parents' favorite songs, according to NBC, and fell to his knees at the end of his routine, overwhelmed with emotion. The emotional Naumov was given a st…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Obituaries

Teen Killed In Suspected DUI Crash Had ‘A Heart For Giving’ In Virginia A Virginia family is grieving the unimaginable loss of 16-year-old Elizabeth Chong, who was killed by an allegedly drunk driver in a head-on Centreville crash. The crash happened just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 in the 5600 block of Pleasant Valley Road, according to Fairfax County Police. Chong, who was driving a 2013 Toyota Camry, was struck head-on when the driver of a Toyota Corolla crossed over the double yellow line and slammed her vehicle. Chong was airlifted to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The other driver …

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Police & Fire

Assisted Living Worker Stole Medications From Vulnerable Patients In Maryland, Sheriff Says A Maryland assisted living facility worker is behind bars after investigators say she stole prescription medications from her patients and abused vulnerable adults. Deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrested Judy Marie Smith, 45, of California, early Wednesday morning, March 5, on an open warrant for drug distribution and multiple other charges. The investigation centered on Taylor Farms Assisted Living in Bushwood, where Smith was employed. Authorities allege that she diverted controlled prescription medications from patients, taking advantage of those in her care…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Police & Fire

Two Killed, Two Injured In Targeted Severn Shooting; Victims Identified: Police A deadly shooting in Severn left two men dead and two others injured, as detectives work to piece together what led to the violence, authorities said. Officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department responded around 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4, to reports of gunfire in the 8100 block of Meade Village Road. When officers arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim, identified as 23-year-old Derrick Purcell Ahmad McDonald of Severn, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The second victim, 28-year-old Mack Samuel Galloway III of Glen Burni…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Lifestyle

$50K Scratch-Off Win Stuns Frederick Man Who Picked Ticket On A Whim Sometimes, all it takes is a little beginner’s luck—just ask one Frederick County lottery player who walked into a Giant Eagle, picked a ticket at random, and walked out $50,000 richer. The self-employed local, who had never won big before, spotted a Cash to Go scratch-off at the Giant Eagle on West Patrick Street and decided to give it a shot. That spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be a game-changer. After scratching off the ticket right there in the store, he uncovered a piggybank symbol—the key to the game's $50,000 top prize. Just to be sure, he scanned it to …

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

Police & Fire

Infant's Death Ruled Homicide—Babysitter Now Behind Bars In Montgomery County: Police A Maryland man has been arrested and charged with murder after a 7-month-old infant died while in his care, authorities said. Terron Christopher Matasaran, 36, of Bladensburg, is facing second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse charges in connection with the baby’s death, according to the Montgomery County Police Department. The case began on Monday, September 23, 2024, when officers responded to a home on Stewart Lane in Silver Spring for reports of an unresponsive baby boy. Matasaran, who had been babysitting the infant as a favor to the child’s family, claimed the baby had falle…

by Zak Failla

03/05/2025

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