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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

Schools
Falls Church Teacher Sold Vapes To Students, Police Say Falls Church Teacher Sold Vapes To Students, Police Say
Falls Church Teacher Sold Vapes To Students, Police Say An Alexandria woman teaching at a Falls Church High School has been accused of selling vape cartridges loaded with nicotine and THC to her own students, police said. Detectives with the Major Crimes Bureau’s Child Abuse Squad arrested Kaitlyn Cresent, 28, on Monday, Dec. 30, following a two-month investigation, according to Fairfax County police. The investigation began in October 2024, after Child Protective Services received a tip alleging Cresent had been selling vape cartridges to students at school, and detectives determined the sales occurred between December 2023 and June 2024 a…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Former VA Hospital Worker Arrested Amid Probe Into Multiple Mysterious Fractures In NICU Former VA Hospital Worker Arrested Amid Probe Into Multiple Mysterious Fractures In NICU
Former VA Hospital Worker Arrested Amid Probe Into Multiple Mysterious Fractures In Nicu A Virginia and former hospital employee has been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into mysterious fractures among babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, officials said. Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, of Chesterfield County, is facing serious charges after detectives identified her as a suspect in an incident involving a child that allegedly occurred in November 2024. She has been charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse. On Friday, Jan. 3, the hospital announced it would not be admitting any new patients into …

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by Zak Failla
News
Maryland Man Gets Prison Time For Role In Killing Cookie-Carrying Victim Outside Firehouse Maryland Man Gets Prison Time For Role In Killing Cookie-Carrying Victim Outside Firehouse
Maryland Man Gets Prison Time For Role In Killing Cookie-Carrying Victim Outside Firehouse A Charles County man will spend decades in prison for his role in an ambush murder of a 46-year-old man outside a Bryans Road firehouse following a birthday celebration more than three years ago, authorities announced. La Plata resident Ryan Lamont Bell, 38 was sentenced to 35 years in prison in connection to the fatal shooting of Leon Nathaniel Inabinett, Jr. in June 2021 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. His co-conspirator, Jahad Karim Frierson, 27, was found guilty last month following a nine-day trial,…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Body-Worn Footage Of Cross-State Police Pursuit From Virginia To La Plata Released By AG Body-Worn Footage Of Cross-State Police Pursuit From Virginia To La Plata Released By AG
Body-Worn Footage Of Cross-State Police Pursuit From Virginia To La Plata Released By AG New shocking body-worn camera footage from an officer-involved high-speed police pursuit that started in Virginia before crossing state lines and ending with a violent crash in Charles County that left multiple people injured has been released. Last week, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General identified the officers and deputy involved in a high-speed police pursuit, which left several hospitalized. The officers include Police Officer First Class Jacob Shuar, a two-year veteran, and Cpl. Tommy Johnston, a 20-year veteran, both from the La Plata Police Department.  The Charles Co…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman Killed After Car Crashes Into Fort Washington Home (DEVELOPING) Woman Killed After Car Crashes Into Fort Washington Home (DEVELOPING)
Woman Killed After Car Crashes Into Fort Washington Home (Developing) A woman was killed Friday afternoon when a car crashed into a home in Prince George's County, police said. Officers responded to the 7300 block of Allentown Road around 1 p.m. in Fort Washington to investigate a single-vehicle collision that left a woman inside the vehicle with critical injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No one inside the home was injured, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.  Allentown Road remains closed between Lanham Lane and Webster Lane as of 2 p.m. on Friday as t…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Found Unresponsive Near I-95 Ramp In Woodbridge Suffered Self-Inflicted Wounds, Police Say Man Found Unresponsive Near I-95 Ramp In Woodbridge Suffered Self-Inflicted Wounds, Police Say
Man Found Unresponsive Near I-95 Ramp In Woodbridge Suffered Self-Inflicted Wounds, Police Say The tragic death of a 27-year-old man found unconscious in the roadway in Prince William County near an I-95 northbound ramp in Woodbridge was self-inflicted, authorities confirmed on Friday.  Following the autopsy of the man who was found in the roadway near the intersection of Dale Boulevard and the interstate, officials said it was determined that his injuries were self-inflicted, and there was no evidence to indicate that he had been struck by a vehicle. The initial investigation by the Prince William County Police Department began after a passing motorist spotted the man lying in …

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by Zak Failla
News
Temporary Caregiver Accused Of 'Grooming, Predatory Behavior' In Nanjemoy Learns Prison Fate Temporary Caregiver Accused Of 'Grooming, Predatory Behavior' In Nanjemoy Learns Prison Fate
Temporary Caregiver Accused Of 'Grooming, Predatory Behavior' In Nanjemoy Learns Prison Fate A man who groomed and sexually abused a young boy in Maryland will spend decades behind bars, the Charles County State's Attorney announced on Friday. Delorean Andre Romond Skinner, 38, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted by a jury in October of sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree rape involving his actions with a victim who was 12 years old at the time while purportedly "caring" for the boy. In September 2023, an officer with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office spoke with the 13-year-old victim’s father, who alleged that his son was sexually abused by Skinn…

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by Zak Failla
News
Two Airlifted To Trauma Centers After Multi-Vehicle Crash In Lexington Park: State Police Two Airlifted To Trauma Centers After Multi-Vehicle Crash In Lexington Park: State Police
Two Airlifted To Trauma Centers After Multi-Vehicle Crash In Lexington Park: State Police Two people were flown to regional trauma centers after a serious three-vehicle crash Thursday morning  in St. Mary's County, according to Maryland State Police. The crash was reported shortly before noon on Jan. 2, when the driver of one vehicle made an unsafe lane change, on Three Notch Road near Corporate Drive, colliding with another vehicle and causing both to overturn, police said.  The driver of a third vehicle involved was not injured. The driver of the at-fault vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to Shock Trauma in Baltimore by Trooper 7. Meanwhil…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Some DMV Schools Closing Early Due To Inclement Weather: Here's The Latest Breakdown Some DMV Schools Closing Early Due To Inclement Weather: Here's The Latest Breakdown
Some DMV Schools Closing Early Due To Inclement Weather: Here's The Latest Breakdown With rain expected to turn to snow across parts of Maryland and Virginia, some school districts are being proactive and have already announced early dismissals or closures for students and staff. A Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and I-95 corridor through central Maryland, northern Virginia, and District of Columbia. Temperatures are expected to continue dropping over the weekend, with a wintry mix expected on Sunday night into Monday. Rain and snow will develop across the region today with higher snow accu…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Social Media Clue Cracks Case Of Arson At Maryland Church: Fire Marshal Social Media Clue Cracks Case Of Arson At Maryland Church: Fire Marshal
Social Media Clue Cracks Case Of Arson At Maryland Church: Fire Marshal An investigator randomly scrolling through Facebook was key in apprehending a man who set a tree ablaze at a Maryland church last month, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Shortly after 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, first responders were called to the Radiant Life Church in Cumberland, when a tree was found burning outside, which was extinguished within minutes. An investigation led by the Cumberland Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was intentionally set, prompting assistance from the State Fire Marshal, who were able to obtain surveillance footage that captured the suspect in …

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by Zak Failla
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