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Virginia Beach, VA

Former Leesburg Resident Caught With Child Pornography: Police Former Leesburg Resident Caught With Child Pornography: Police
Former Leesburg Resident Caught With Child Pornography: Police A former Leesburg resident is being held behind bars after being charged with allegedly possessing child pornography, authorities announced. Vikram Joshi, 49, now of Virginia Beach, was arrested and charged with four counts of child pornography after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was tipped off to his alleged activities. Following the investigation, officials said that the Leesburg Police Department obtained warrants for Joshi, who was arrested over the weekend and is now being held without bond pending his transfer back to Loudoun County to face the ch…
These Party City Stores To Shut Down In Maryland, Virginia Amid Massive Closure These Party City Stores To Shut Down In Maryland, Virginia Amid Massive Closure
These Party City Stores To Shut Down In Maryland, Virginia Amid Massive Closure Dozens of Party City locations in the DMV region are among the hundreds set to be closed as the company announced it is going out of business. Both Maryland and Virginia were hit hard by the reported closure, which will impact approximately 800 stores across the country. Party City was founded in 1986 and is the largest retailer of party goods in North America. In Maryland, there are 19 stores among those set to be shut down in these locations, according to the company's website:  Annapolis; Baltimore; Bel Air; Catonsville; Cockeysville; Columbia; Forestville; Frederick; Gaithersb…
Hundreds Of Jobs On The Table As Wegmans Expands With New Location In Rockville Hundreds Of Jobs On The Table As Wegmans Expands With New Location In Rockville
Hundreds Of Jobs On The Table As Wegmans Expands With New Location In Rockville Progress is rolling right along in Montgomery County as Wegmans prepares to open its ninth Maryland location next year.  Applications are now being accepted for the new Rockville store, which is slated to open in late summer 2025 near Rockville Pike and Halpine Road in the Twinbrook Quarter neighborhood. The 80,000-square-foot grocery store is expected to bring upwards of 500 full- and part-time jobs to the community and will be part of the new Twinbrook Quarter development.  For those worried about parking in the area, fear not—Wegmans officials confirmed the location will inclu…
Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Gets Years In Prison For Fraud Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Gets Years In Prison For Fraud
Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Gets Years In Prison For Fraud A former congressional candidate from Westchester who once held several leadership positions in county and city government will spend several years in prison for stealing restaurant workers' wages and using them for himself.  Mount Vernon resident Derickson Lawrence, age 67, who unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat to represent New York's 16th Congressional District in 2018 and 2016, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for defrauding his payroll company's client and a COVID-19 relief program, according to court documents.  Lawrence had been the chief…
Sex Offender Who Got Into Child's Bed Sentenced For New Child Porn Offenses In Virginia: Feds Sex Offender Who Got Into Child's Bed Sentenced For New Child Porn Offenses In Virginia: Feds
Sex Offender Who Got Into Child's Bed Sentenced For New Child Porn Offenses In Virginia: Feds An already registered sex offender who was busted with thousands of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files in Virginia will spend years in prison, federal authorities announced. Woodford native Theodore William Cathers - who was previously found naked in the bedroom of two children - has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of sexually explicit materials of prepubescent and pubescent children. In June 2023, the Virginia Beach Police Department was tipped off about the upload of child porn online by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, leading investi…
Columbia Listed As Safest Home And Community In New Ranking Columbia Listed As Safest Home And Community In New Ranking
Columbia Listed As Safest Home And Community In New Ranking Some neighborhoods in the DMV region rank among the safest in the United States, according to a newly released report from WalletHub.  Two from Virginia were in the top 10 in the new ranking, with the state boasting five overall, joining two from Maryland and the District of Columbia as the safest cities in America in 2024.  In making their rankings, WalletHub evaluated a variety of "threats to safety," including the possibility of natural disasters, mass shootings, traffic accidents, and other dangers.  “When people think about safety in a city, their minds probably immedia…
Bloomingdale Ex-Con's Stash Of Assault Rifles, High-Capacity Ammo Seized, Police Say Bloomingdale Ex-Con's Stash Of Assault Rifles, High-Capacity Ammo Seized, Police Say
Bloomingdale Ex-Con's Stash Of Assault Rifles, High-Capacity Ammo Seized, Police Say A 50-year-old New Jersey ex-convict is facing multiple charges after police responding to a call for service found assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and more stashed in safes in the home, authorities said. Bloomingdale officers had responded to a local home on Sept. 19, when they discovered two safes, " which officers reasonably believed contained illegal firearms," the department said in a news release. In the following days, the Detective Bureau conducted a follow-up investigation and executed two search warrants on the safes, owned by Omar Dudley, police said. They uncovered seve…
World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby
World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby Shortly after Debby made landfall along Florida's west coast as a Category 1 hurricane earlier this month, it produced something no forecaster — or anyone else — could have predicted. Suzanne Flament Smith, age 46, of Tampa, discovered it on Wednesday, Aug. 7, in the form of a World War II-era artifact. She said she found it while collecting debris in the city of Safety Harbor. It was a bottle sealed by a cork. Inside was a handwritten letter from a location in Virginia over 800 miles away near Virginia Beach. Above is a closer view of the letterhead, which reads, "United States Navy Amphi…
Virginia Man Sentenced For Distributing 'Horrific Images Of Child Sexual Abuse:' Feds Virginia Man Sentenced For Distributing 'Horrific Images Of Child Sexual Abuse:' Feds
Virginia Man Sentenced For Distributing 'Horrific Images Of Child Sexual Abuse:' Feds A Virginia man who chatted online with other like-minded individuals online will spend years in prison for sharing child sexual abuse imagery, including a file involving a newborn baby, according to federal authorities. Dustin Roy Harrell, 39, of Virginia Beach, has ben sentenced to seven years in prison for the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), during an eerie investigation that unearthed "horrific" findings. According to court documents, in October 2023, Harrell distributed CSAM in a group on an end-to-end encryption messaging app that keeps communications private, …
Amber Alert Ends With Infant Dead, Children Injured In Prince George's County Crash: Police Amber Alert Ends With Infant Dead, Children Injured In Prince George's County Crash: Police
Amber Alert Ends With Infant Dead, Children Injured In Prince George's County Crash: Police An Amber Alert issued in Virginia ended tragically with a rollover crash in Prince George's County that left infant dead and two other children injured after being abducted by their father.  Shortly before 11 p.m. on Wednesday night, Virginia State Police issued an Amber Alert for 36-year-old Dana Plummer, 36, in connection to the abduction of Zayir Plummer, 5, Zayin Plummer, 7, and 16-month old Zariyah Plummer. Virginia State Police According to Virginia Beach Police, shortly after 8:45 p.m. on Aug. 14, there was a reported stabbing in Virginia beach in the 900 block of Jay Are…
Pursuit From Virginia Into Oxon Hill Ends With Three Children, Adult Injured (DEVELOPING) Pursuit From Virginia Into Oxon Hill Ends With Three Children, Adult Injured (DEVELOPING)
Pursuit From Virginia Into Oxon Hill Ends With Three Children, Adult Injured (Developing) One adult and three children were injured in a Thursday morning crash following a pursuit that started in Virginia and ended on I-495 in Maryland, officials say. Shortly after 8:45 a.m. on Thursday morning, Virginia State Police attempted to stop a vehicle heading north on I-95 in Fairfax County, when the driver sped away, prompting a pursuit. The driver was reportedly the subject of an Amber Alert that was issued out of Virginia Beach late on Wednesday night. Prince George's County fire officials say that three children and one adult were all injured in the rollover crash in Rockville at …
Carjacker Who Killed Man Fighting For His Lexus Arrested In Virginia Beach (UPDATED) Carjacker Who Killed Man Fighting For His Lexus Arrested In Virginia Beach (UPDATED)
Carjacker Who Killed Man Fighting For His Lexus Arrested In Virginia Beach (Updated) Manassas resident Keith Anthony McBride has been identified as the person wanted in connection to a fatal hit-and-run that left a Lexus owner dead. Officers were called to the Oasis at Montclair Apartment Complex on Stedham Circle in Dumfries shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, to investigate a reported hit-and-run. On Saturday, July 27, authorities announced that McBride was located and arrested by Virginia Beach City police. According to a spokesperson from the Prince William County Police Department, 37-year-old Vasquez Galvan was approached by McBride while he was outside of hi…
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics A strong contingent of athletes and para athletes from Maryland and Virginia are headed to the Paris Olympics. A total of 24 athletes from Maryland and 15 from Virginia have all qualified for the Olympics and are ready to make their run at the gold when events kick off Friday, July 26. Athletes from Maryland set to sport the Red, White, and Blue during the Olympics:  Phoebe Bacon, of Chevy Chase, in swimming; Aaron Brooks, of Hagerstown, in wrestling; Kevin Durant, of DC, in basketball; Erin Gemmell of Bethesda, in swimming; Noah Hanssen, of Maryland, in wheelchair fencing; Jahmal …
Fraud Fugitive Found With Cameras, VR Systems In BMW During Stafford Stop, Sheriff Says Fraud Fugitive Found With Cameras, VR Systems In BMW During Stafford Stop, Sheriff Says
Fraud Fugitive Found With Cameras, VR Systems In BMW During Stafford Stop, Sheriff Says The BMW driver busted with thousands of dollars in electronics after attempting to commit return fraud at Target in Stafford County was given bond after members of the sheriff's office caught her red handed, officials say. Chloee Davis, 32, who was already wanted by Virginia Beach Police, is facing new charges in Stafford after a failed attempt at subterfuge at the store on South Gateway Drive. According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the Target late on Sunday night after staff recognized Davis from an incident in June and alerted the agency. Davis was abl…
9-Foot Shark Pings Off Virginia Coast To Kick Off Memorial Day 9-Foot Shark Pings Off Virginia Coast To Kick Off Memorial Day
9-Foot Shark Pings Off Virginia Coast To Kick Off Memorial Day In what appears to be the first of beach season, a shark has pinged off the Virginia coast. According to OCEARCH, a non-profit organization dedicating to researching sharks and other forms of marine life, a 9-foot, 3-inch gal named Anne Bonny "pinged" just off the coast of Virginia Beach around 7:20 a.m. on Memorial Day. OCEARCH OCEARCH tracks its sharks using a Smart Positioning and Temperature Tag, or a SPOT Tag. The tags create a "ping" when sharks fins break the surface of the water, according to its website. Anne Bonny is a 425-pound white shark who was first tagged by OCEARCH in Ap…
Chester City Cop, US Navy Reservist Dies In 'Non-Combat Related Incident': Officials Chester City Cop, US Navy Reservist Dies In 'Non-Combat Related Incident': Officials
Chester City Cop, US Navy Reservist Dies In 'Non-Combat Related Incident': Officials Officials are investigating the death of Pennsylvania police officer and US Navy reservist Daniel McCracken.  Chester City police officer Daniel D. McCracken died on May 6, 2024 of a non-combat-related incident while deployed in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy said. CENTCOM's area of responsibility "stretches from Northeast Africa across the Middle East to Central and South Asia," according to defense officials.  Chester city police said McCracken enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1998 and joined the department in 2017. …
Daycare Commercial Casting Paid Roles Across Northeast Daycare Commercial Casting Paid Roles Across Northeast
Daycare Commercial Casting Paid Roles Across Northeast Do you want to be in a commercial about daycare? A commercial for highlighting the benefits of a daycare communication technology for parents and teachers is seeking talent for four roles, according to a casting notice.  The commercial is looking for people from Baltimore, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Jersey City and Virginia Beach. The roles include: A female daycare owner between the ages of 30 and 50, a female daycare director between the ages of 25 and 50, a daycare teacher between the ages of 18 and 40, and the parent of a daycare child between the ages of 18 and…
Country Star Colt Ford In ICU After Suffering Heart Attack: Reports Country Star Colt Ford In ICU After Suffering Heart Attack: Reports
Country Star Colt Ford In ICU After Suffering Heart Attack: Reports Country-rap star Colt Ford is in a hospital after suffering a heart attack after a performance in Arizona, casting doubt on his summer performances across the northeast. PEOPLE magazine reported that Ford had a heart attack last week after performing at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row venue in Gilbert, AZ. He was taken to the ICU at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the 54-year-old musician said he's slowly on the road to recovery. "Ford remains in the ICU, with his condition steadily improving in a positive direction," read a statement from Fo…
NY Student Who Survived Chimpanzee Attack Now Dominates At Wrestling Competition NY Student Who Survived Chimpanzee Attack Now Dominates At Wrestling Competition
NY Student Who Survived Chimpanzee Attack Now Dominates At Wrestling Competition A Long Island teen who, as a child, narrowly survived a chimpanzee attack in his native Central Africa is now showing his resilience by making a name for himself in high school wrestling. When Dunia Sibomana Rodriguez was only 6, his life was forever changed. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he traveled into Virunga National Park to play with his brother and cousin one day when the trio was attacked by a chimpanzee. Sibomana Rodriguez’s younger brother and cousin were killed in attack and the 6-year-old suffered severe injuries to his lips and face. In 2015, rangers from …
Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Nabbed On Fraud Charges, Feds Say Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Nabbed On Fraud Charges, Feds Say
Former Congressional Candidate From Mount Vernon Nabbed On Fraud Charges, Feds Say A former congressional candidate from Westchester who held several leadership positions in county and city government has been convicted of federal fraud charges, officials announced.  Mount Vernon resident Derickson Lawrence, age 67, was convicted of fraud charges after defrauding his payroll company's client and a COVID-19 relief program, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on Friday, March 22.  According to federal officials, Lawrence, who unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat to represent New York's 16th Congressional District in 2…
Virginia Beach Ex-Con Guilty Of Burning GF's Dog Alive, Killing GF, His Father Figure Virginia Beach Ex-Con Guilty Of Burning GF's Dog Alive, Killing GF, His Father Figure
Virginia Beach Ex-Con Guilty Of Burning GF's Dog Alive, Killing GF, His Father Figure A 32-year-old Virginia man has been convicted of charges filed in the horrific killings of his girlfriend, his father figure, and his girlfriend's dog. Cola Winborne Beale IV, formerly of Linda Court in Virginia Beach, went on a violent crime spree between March 22 and 24, 2022, City of Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin D. Stolle said. Cola Winborne Beale IV.      US Marshals Service In a chilling interview shared to YouTube by 13News Now, Beale details the killings, admits to them, and said he had even more planned. Beale and his girlfriend, Czavi’er Hil…
Murder Suspect Arrested In DC 18 Months After Stabbing 20-Year-Old In Northeast DC: MPD Murder Suspect Arrested In DC 18 Months After Stabbing 20-Year-Old In Northeast DC: MPD
Murder Suspect Arrested In DC 18 Months After Stabbing 20-Year-Old In Northeast DC: MPD More than a year after 20-year-old Rashawn Phifer was stabbed to death in Northeast DC, a suspect was apprehended in Virginia, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Northwest DC resident Christian Wilkerson, 21, was arrested by members of the department's Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force in Norfolk this week following a lengthy investigation into the death of Phifer in November 2022. At around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, police say that officers from the department were called to the 500 block of Riggs Road NE to investigate a reporting stabbing, where they …
Navy Service Member From VA Staying In MD Hotel Sentenced For Sexual Contact With Minor: Feds Navy Service Member From VA Staying In MD Hotel Sentenced For Sexual Contact With Minor: Feds
Navy Service Member From VA Staying In MD Hotel Sentenced For Sexual Contact With Minor: Feds A US Navy service member from Virginia will spend years in prison and will register as a sex offender for targeting an underage girl through social media in Maryland, federal authorities announced. Virginia Beach resident Delvon Lashawn Redd, 30, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to abusive sexual contact with a minor, according to a judge on Wednesday, Feb. 7. According to his guilty plea, between April 17 and May 28, 2022, Redd, a serviceman staying at the Naval Lodge Hotel at the US Naval Air Station Patuxent Riv…
Drug Kingpin Peddling Nearly Pure Meth In Virginia Convicted For 15th Time: Feds Drug Kingpin Peddling Nearly Pure Meth In Virginia Convicted For 15th Time: Feds
Drug Kingpin Peddling Nearly Pure Meth In Virginia Convicted For 15th Time: Feds A Virginia Beach man just earned himself his 15th conviction — this one federal. Malik Dillard, who guys by “Mayo,” used out-of-state methamphetamine suppliers to import bulk packages of nearly pure methamphetamine (98.6% purity) to Virginia through the U.S. Postal Service, according to Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Dillard employed a network of sub-dealers to scale and expand his methamphetamine operation across the Hampton Roads region over multiple years, Aber's office said. "Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affec…
Newly Minted Millionaire: Arlington Trucker Claims $1M Lottery Prize Newly Minted Millionaire: Arlington Trucker Claims $1M Lottery Prize
Newly Minted Millionaire: Arlington Trucker Claims $1M Lottery Prize A local trucker is one of the Virginia Lottery's newest millionaires.  Berhane Meharena, of Arlington, was driving a truck in Texas when he decided to check the winning numbers in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. That’s how he found out his ticket was one of five $1 million winners. “I was by myself in the truck,” he later told Virginia Lottery officials. “I was screaming!” He then drove all the way from Texas back to Virginia to claim his prize. Once he arrived in Virginia, he got sick and had to wait a bit more to claim his prize. When he started feeling better, he went to …
Penn State Alumna, Preschool Teacher, Grad Student Killed By Rare Brain Disease Penn State Alumna, Preschool Teacher, Grad Student Killed By Rare Brain Disease
Penn State Alumna, Preschool Teacher, Grad Student Killed By Rare Brain Disease A 30-year-old former preschool teacher in her final year of graduate school has died of a rare brain disease possibly caused by a severe autoimmune disease, her family says.  Jennafer Alayna-Lee Palmer, a Harrisburg native, passed away at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on Friday, Jan. 19, according to her obituary.  "She had Encephalitis, which is the swelling of the brain," her sister Jhayda Washington wrote on a GoFundMe fundraising campaign page launched to cover her final expenses. Jhayda noted that Jennafer had been suffering from a terrible case of rheumatoid arthritis.  …
Man Celebrates Million Dollar Virginia Lottery Win While On Caribbean Cruise To Kick Off 2024 Man Celebrates Million Dollar Virginia Lottery Win While On Caribbean Cruise To Kick Off 2024
Man Celebrates Million Dollar Virginia Lottery Win While On Caribbean Cruise To Kick Off 2024 What started as a relaxing Caribbean cruise to celebrate the New Year turned into something far more exciting for a Virginia man who won $1 million while on vacation. Jerome Testa III is laughing and smiling his way to the bank after being the final person to claim a seven-figure prize after purchasing a ticket for Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle. The timing couldn't be better, as the lucky lotto player learned of his unexpected windfall while checking online during a holiday cruise, though they had to wait to return to Virginia before redeeming the life-altering ticket. “My wife …
Woman Back From Vacation Wins $1M Virginia Lottery Prize While Out Of The Country Woman Back From Vacation Wins $1M Virginia Lottery Prize While Out Of The Country
Woman Back From Vacation Wins $1M Virginia Lottery Prize While Out Of The Country Genese Rogers left her Virginia home to head out on vacation and came back a millionaire. The Woodbridge woman was out of the country when the winning ticket numbers were announced in Virginia's "New Year's Millionaire Raffle," but when she came back stateside, she was in for a heck of a welcome home present. Days after stepping out of the plane back in Virginia, Rogers found out that she had one of the five top-prize winning $1 million tickets. "I literally just started screaming," she exclaimed while giving the thumbs up at Lottery Headquarters. A smiling Rogers says that she isn't a re…
Check Your Tickets! Winners Of Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle Announced Check Your Tickets! Winners Of Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle Announced
Check Your Tickets! Winners Of Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle Announced Five newly minted millionaires may be sitting on a Virginia Lottery ticket worth seven figures and might not even realize it.  Lottery officials have announced the winning numbers for Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle, which included five $1 million winners and seven $100,000 prizes. The odds of winning the million dollar prize were 1 in 125,000.  Winning million dollar tickets were sold at:  Ticket 007094: Paddy’s 32 Steakhouse & Pub on Center Street in Stafford; Ticket 125311: Wawa on Plank Road in Fredericksburg; Ticket 168420: 7-Eleven on East Market St…
Amber Alert Issued For Virginia Child 'In Extreme Danger' After Abduction (DEVELOPING) Amber Alert Issued For Virginia Child 'In Extreme Danger' After Abduction (DEVELOPING)
Amber Alert Issued For Virginia Child 'In Extreme Danger' After Abduction (Developing) An Amber Alert was issued on Saturday morning after a 2-year-old was abducted in Virginia. The Virginia State Police and Virginia Missing Children's Clearinghouse say that at around 7:15 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, Zuri Dorsey was possibly taken by Deandre Alante Dorsey in Virginia Beach, officials say. According to police, the girl was last seen at her home in the 1300 block of Sapphire Drive.  The child was described as having brown hair, brown eyes, standing at around 2-feet tall, weighing 34 pounds. She was last seen wearing only underwear.  Dorsey, 27, was described as being …
Grown Man Busted Bringing Handgun Into High School Football Stadium In Virginia: Police Grown Man Busted Bringing Handgun Into High School Football Stadium In Virginia: Police
Grown Man Busted Bringing Handgun Into High School Football Stadium In Virginia: Police Friday Night Lights nearly turned into Friday Night Fights after a man was busted with a handgun walking into a football game in Prince William County. Albert Trayvon Smith, 29, is facing several criminal charges after he was caught on campus at Potomac High School at a non-school-related football game late in the afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 18, according to police. The Virginia Beach resident was caught by off-duty officers who were working security at the game. According to police, while checking bags at the entrance of the football stadium, they found a gun inside Smith's belongings, an…