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Friday, apr 25

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

Teen Killed In Alexandria Parking Lot Shooting Identified By Police Police in Virginia have identified the 19-year-old shot and killed in a weekend parking lot attack outside an Alexandria apartment complex. Officers responded to the 2200 block of Canterbury Square around 10:15 p.m. Saturday, April 19, and found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the ground, according to the Alexandria Police Department. First responders rushed in and began life-saving efforts, but the victim — identified Monday as Deaundre Jack, of Alexandria — died at the scene. Detectives canvassed the complex and processed evidence overnight. Now, they’re re-canvassing the…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Schools

Middle School Sub Caught In Sex Act Outside Stone Hill Middle School Campus, Sheriff Says A substitute teacher at a Loudoun County middle school is behind bars after he was allegedly caught performing a sexual act inside a parked car just feet from the school’s perimeter, authorities said. Wade Ponce De Leon, 31, was arrested Monday morning, April 21, after deputies responded to a suspicious activity call near Stone Hill Middle School in Ashburn, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. It happened around 10:45 a.m. in the 22000 block of Carter Meadow Terrace — just 30 feet from the school’s fence line and roughly 200 feet from a rear entrance. Deputies say Ponce De Le…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Politics

Deported Maryland Dad Caught Up In MS-13 Gang Stop Years Before Removal: Hyattsville Police The Hyattsville Police Department confirmed they previously interacted with deported Maryland dad Kilmar Abrego Garcia, though at the time he was not identified as a member of any gang. Abrego Garcia has been at the center of a political firestorm after being mistakenly sent to a high-security, highly controversial prison in El Salvador. He has since been questioned about alleged ties to MS-13. On Monday, April 21, Hyattsville Police officials clarified that several years ago, they encountered Abrego Garcia as part of a suspicious group loitering outside a retailer in the 3300 block of East…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Police & Fire

Falls Church Couple Killed In Fiery Lake Barcroft Tesla Crash Identified By Police A husband and wife from Falls Church were killed when their Tesla veered off the road and slammed into a tree in a quiet Northern Virginia neighborhood, police said. Officers responded around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 20, to the 6400 block of Lakeview Drive in Lake Barcroft, where they found a 2023 Tesla destroyed after a single-vehicle crash, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The driver, 75-year-old Ashraf Bhagat, was pronounced dead at the scene. Nazir Bhagat, 81, who was riding in the passenger seat, was rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, but later…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Police & Fire

Virginia Family Loses Home, Dogs In Easter Sunday Fire While At Church A Virginia family is picking up the pieces after a devastating Easter Sunday fire destroyed their home — and claimed the lives of their two beloved dogs — while they were at church. Tom and Diana Rosner were at services on Sunday, April 20, with two of their three children — Reese and Eli — when a fire tore through their Woodbridge home, leaving behind nothing but charred remains, loved ones said. Their oldest son, Tommy Jr., was away at school when his mom called to deliver the heartbreaking news. While the family was unharmed, their pets, identified as Walter and Bernard, did not survive…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Police & Fire

Man Hiding In Clothing Rack At Reston Target Sexually Assaulted Woman: Police A man is behind bars after allegedly hiding inside a clothing rack and sexually assaulting a shopper at a Target in Virginia, police said. Officers were called around 1:45 p.m. Monday, April 14, to the store in the 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road in Reston, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Detectives said the suspect, 24-year-old Jonathan David Bavon, who has no fixed address, was found hiding inside a clothing rack after he “inappropriately touched” a victim inside the store. Bavon was arrested at the scene and taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where h…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Police & Fire

Good Samaritan Helps Police Catch Armed Suspect After Silver Spring Shooting: Officials A sharp-eyed Good Samaritan is being credited with helping police in Maryland capture a man who pulled a gun, pistol-whipped someone, and fired shots after an argument, authorities said. Montgomery County Police say 46-year-old Isaias Orellana, of Silver Spring, was arrested on Sunday, April 20, after a concerned bystander spotted him lurking in a nearby apartment complex and called 911. It came after a violent fight broke out around 3 p.m. in the 600 block of University Boulevard East. According to investigators, Orellana and a friend got into a heated argument with a group of people at t…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Police & Fire

DWI Suspect Charged With Manslaughter After Alexandria Teen’s Death: Police A Virginia man who was allegedly drunk behind the wheel when he struck and killed a teenager in Alexandria is now facing manslaughter charges, police announced. Jilmar Doria-Medina, 42, of Fairfax, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter and driving while intoxicated following the death of 19-year-old Abdullahi Mumin, according to the Alexandria Police Department on Monday, April 21. The fatal crash happened around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in the 4700 block of King Street. When officers arrived, they found Mumin in critical condition and a downed utility pole. He was rushed to …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Sports

NFL Hall Of Famer Shannon Sharpe Sued For $50M Over Sexual Abuse, Secret Recordings: Reports NFL Hall of Fame tight end turned talking head Shannon Sharpe has been sued by a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her, according to reports. The former Baltimore Raven and Denver Bronco was named in a 13-page, $50 million civil lawsuit filed on Easter Sunday in Nevada, alleging that the 56-year-old abused "Jane Doe" with "the intentional infliction of emotional distress." "Jane Doe" is reportedly being represented by celebrity attorney Tony Buzbee, who has previously represented disgraced NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, rapper Travis Scott, and Sean Combs. The complaint allege…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

Business

Dunkin’ Opens High-Tech ‘Next Gen’ Restaurant In Chevy Chase With Cold Brew On Tap Coffee and donut lovers in Maryland will soon have a new reason to "run on Dunkin’" with the grand opening of its Next Generation restaurant in Montgomery County. The new business is scheduled to host a grand opening celebration on Thursday, April 24, complete with discounted coffee at 8500 Connecticut Ave. in Chevy Chase. The 1,500-square-foot restaurant now employs 12 crew members and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will be operated by local franchisee Jesse Luis, who will also be on hand for the celebration on Thursday morning. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected to be h…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2025

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