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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

News
Court Shoots Down Crossbow Killer’s Latest Plea For Freedom In St. Mary's County Court Shoots Down Crossbow Killer’s Latest Plea For Freedom In St. Mary's County
Court Shoots Down Crossbow Killer’s Latest Plea For Freedom In St. Mary's County A convicted Maryland murderer who fatally shot a man with a crossbow and dismembered his body in 1995 will continue serving a life sentence without parole after a court denied his latest attempt for reconsideration. Dana Collins, 63, filed a motion in January 2024 to revisit his sentence, stemming from the brutal killing in St. Mary's County nearly three decades ago.  This week, State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that the court sided with prosecutors, rejecting the motion and ensuring Collins’ sentence remains intact. In 1995, Collins lured the victim outside his home before ki…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Manassas Woman Arrested After Driving Toward Officer, Striking Two Vehicles In Virginia: Police Manassas Woman Arrested After Driving Toward Officer, Striking Two Vehicles In Virginia: Police
Manassas Woman Arrested After Driving Toward Officer, Striking Two Vehicles In Virginia: Police A Manassas woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly driving at a police officer and crashing into two vehicles during a short-lived pursuit, authorities said. The incident began on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at around 1:30 p.m., when officers responded to the 10400 block of Butterfield Street for a report of an unauthorized vehicle use.  Police determined that Jessica Siomara Rivera-Vanegas, 21, had taken a family member's car without permission, prompting the probe that led to her arrest. When officers located Rivera-Vanegas in the vehicle and attempted to make contact, she igno…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Dad Charged After Conflicting Stories Emerge About Child's Head Injuries In Woodbridge: Police Dad Charged After Conflicting Stories Emerge About Child's Head Injuries In Woodbridge: Police
Dad Charged After Conflicting Stories Emerge About Child's Head Injuries In Woodbridge: Police A Woodbridge man is facing serious charges after his 4-year-old son was found with significant head injuries over the holiday weekend, police said. Officers from the Prince William County Police Department responded to the Orchard Mills Apartments in the 15200 block of Brickwood Drive around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 to investigate a report of child abuse. Investigators determined the injuries occurred sometime between Monday, Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 27 while the boy was in the care of his father, 39-year-old Elvis Asiedu.  Police say Asiedu provided conflicting statements ab…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
District Man Accused Of Killing Maryland Anti-Gun, Mental Health Advocate In Largo: Police District Man Accused Of Killing Maryland Anti-Gun, Mental Health Advocate In Largo: Police
District Man Accused Of Killing Maryland Anti-Gun, Mental Health Advocate In Largo: Police Authorities have arrested a man wanted in connection to the fatal shooting of beloved Prince George’s County activist Cornelius McDonald, bringing a sense of closure to a grieving community. Terrelle Bailey, 35, a DC resident, faces charges in the death of the Upper Marlboro native and co-founder of the nonprofit "Stay Solid For Mental Health," which advocates against gun violence. The tragedy unfolded after an argument between McDonald and Bailey inside a restaurant escalated into a deadly encounter outside the establishment.  The shooting was reported at 12:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Man Dead After Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash In Maryland (DEVELOPING) Man Dead After Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash In Maryland (DEVELOPING)
Man Dead After Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash In Maryland (Developing) Authorities are investigating a fatal crash in Prince George's County that left one man dead early Tuesday morning. The single-vehicle crash was reported around 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3 near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Piney Branch Road, according to the police department's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit. Police say the driver of a sedan was traveling eastbound on Piney Branch Road when, for reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the roadway. The man, whose identity is being withheld until his family is notified, wa…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
11 Vehicles Damaged, Four Injured As Freightliner Plows Into Woodbridge Building: Police 11 Vehicles Damaged, Four Injured As Freightliner Plows Into Woodbridge Building: Police
11 Vehicles Damaged, Four Injured As Freightliner Plows Into Woodbridge Building: Police A chaotic multi-vehicle crash in Woodbridge left four people seriously injured, damaged 11 vehicles, and ended with a Freightliner truck crashing into a building, police say. The incident began at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2 at the intersection of Gordon Boulevard and Riverview Lane when the driver of a 2025 Mercedes GLE attempted to make a left turn without the right of way. Investigators said the Mercedes crossed paths with a 2012 Freightliner heavy-duty truck traveling southbound on Gordon Boulevard, which T-boned the vehicle, sending the car spinning into two other vehicles. The…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old Shot Stray Bullet That Killed Innocent Teen Girl In Prince George's: Police 19-Year-Old Shot Stray Bullet That Killed Innocent Teen Girl In Prince George's: Police
19-Year-Old Shot Stray Bullet That Killed Innocent Teen Girl In Prince George's: Police A 19-year-old suspect has been taken into custody after firing a stray bullet during an altercation that struck and killed a teen girl in Prince George's County earlier this year, police say. Hyattsville resident Chance Waters has been arrested and charged with the murder of 14-year-old Khamya Ferrell in May. Khamya Ferrell GoFundMe According to police, the Suitland resident was shot on May 31 while inside an apartment on the 6600 block of Atwood Street. Officers responded to the scene around 1:50 p.m. on Friday, May 31, where they found Ferrell and a woman inside, both s…

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by Zak Failla
Business
One Of Three Winning $50K Powerball Tickets Sold At Landover Gas Station One Of Three Winning $50K Powerball Tickets Sold At Landover Gas Station
One Of Three Winning $50K Powerball Tickets Sold At Landover Gas Station Talk about spreading the wealth!  Maryland saw three lucky winners each score $50,000 prizes in the latest Powerball drawing on Monday, Dec. 2, making for some very happy holidays. The third-tier winning tickets were sold in Takoma Park, Pasadena, and Landover at: 7-Eleven, 900 Merrimac Drive, Takoma Park (Montgomery County); John’s Liquor & General Store, 812 Duvall Highway, Pasadena (Anne Arundel County); Landover Hills Exxon, 6579 Annapolis Road, Landover (Prince George’s County). Although no one took home the jackpot, Maryland had 9,459 winners who snagged prizes ranging fr…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Fewer Lives Lost: Thanksgiving Traffic Deaths Drop Across Virginia For Third Straight Year Fewer Lives Lost: Thanksgiving Traffic Deaths Drop Across Virginia For Third Straight Year
Fewer Lives Lost: Thanksgiving Traffic Deaths Drop Across Virginia For Third Straight Year Seven people lost their lives in crashes on Virginia roadways over the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday, a significant decrease from previous years, according to Virginia State Police. The five-day period surveyed by officials, which ran from Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Dec. 1, saw seven fatal crashes across the state in Bath, Culpeper, Page, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, and Wythe counties, officials said.  It represents an improvement compared to 11 fatalities in 2023 and a steep drop from 19 in 2022. Among the crashes, only two of the victims were confirmed to have been wearing s…

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by Zak Failla
News
Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Silver Spring Father: Police Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Silver Spring Father: Police
Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Silver Spring Father: Police Two drivers have been arrested months after a fatal hit-and-run in Montgomery County claimed the life of 52-year-old father Ron Franzese, officials announced. Thanh Phan, 71, and Jose Saravia Gonzalez, 27, both of Silver Spring, face charges stemming from the April crash that left Franzese dead on Randolph Road. Around 10:15 p.m. on April 5, police say Franzese was walking along Randolph Road when Phan, driving a Honda Odyssey, jumped the curb and struck him, forcing him into the roadway. Moments later, Saravia Gonzalez, driving a four-door Acura, hit Franzese and fled the scene without st…

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by Zak Failla
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