$1M Nightmare: Fire Near Chest Freezer Damages Three Northern Virginia Homes $1M Nightmare: Fire Near Chest Freezer Damages Three Northern Virginia Homes
$1M Nightmare: Fire Near Chest Freezer Damages Three Northern Virginia Homes A fire that started near a chest freezer turned into a million-dollar nightmare for a Northern Virginia neighborhood before most residents were awake. Multiple 911 callers reported the house fire in the 25100 block of Fortitude Terrace in South Riding at approximately 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, prompting a heavy response from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames pouring from the garage and exterior of the two-story home, where investigators say the accidental blaze began near a chest freezer. It didn't stay there for long. The fire quick…
Harvard Agrees To Pay $53M To Families After Body Parts Stolen From Morgue Were Sold Harvard Agrees To Pay $53M To Families After Body Parts Stolen From Morgue Were Sold
Harvard Agrees To Pay $53M To Families After Body Parts Stolen From Morgue Were Sold Harvard has agreed to pay $53 million to settle lawsuits brought by families who fear their loved ones’ remains were stolen from the medical school’s morgue and sold for cash.  The university announced the settlement on Monday, Aug. 17. A Suffolk Superior Court judge granted preliminary approval, and a final approval is set for December. Federal prosecutors said former Harvard morgue manager Cedric Lodge sold stolen human remains across state lines. Investigators said Lodge secretly removed organs, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts from donated bodies.  He…
Beaver Still At Large After Attacking 10-Year-Old At Maryland Swimming Hole: DNR Beaver Still At Large After Attacking 10-Year-Old At Maryland Swimming Hole: DNR
Beaver Still At Large After Attacking 10-Year-Old At Maryland Swimming Hole: DNR Maryland's beaver problem isn't going away quietly. Five days after a 10-year-old girl was attacked at Seneca Creek State Park, the beaver remains at large, parts of the park remain closed, and state wildlife officials have now corrected a key detail about what happened on Thursday, Aug. 13. The girl was not canoeing when she was attacked, as initially reported. According to an updated account released Tuesday, Aug. 18, by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the girl was attending summer camp and was swimming and wading with an organized group and other members of the public at a…
Former Fauci Adviser Admits Hiding COVID-Era Communications From Public View: Feds Former Fauci Adviser Admits Hiding COVID-Era Communications From Public View: Feds
Former Fauci Adviser Admits Hiding Covid-era Communications From Public View: Feds David Morens spent years advising one of the biggest names in America's COVID-19 response. Now the Maryland man has admitted conspiring to keep some of his pandemic-era communications out of public view. Morens, 78, of Chester, pleaded guilty in federal court in Greenbelt on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to conspiracy to commit offenses and defraud the United States, months after the former senior National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases official was indicted in the scheme. Morens served as a senior adviser in NIAID's Office of the Director from 2006 through 2022 and was an adviser to Dr.…
Hayden Panettiere's Mom Makes Stunning Claim About Boyfriend After Actress's Death: Report Hayden Panettiere's Mom Makes Stunning Claim About Boyfriend After Actress's Death: Report
Hayden Panettiere's Mom Makes Stunning Claim About Boyfriend After Actress's Death: Report Hayden Panettiere's mother has released a statement to NBC News following her daughter's death, revealing how she felt about Panettiere's boyfriend. The 36-year-old former child actress had apparently rekindled her relationship with Brian Hickerson, according to NBC News. In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, called Hickerson "a person in her life we have been trying to get rid of." Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest after a 911 call brought first responders to a Greenville, SC home on Aug. 16. The word "overdose" can be heard duri…
Basketball Coach Stabbed Dead; Flock Cameras Help Track Boyfriend Across State Lines: Police Basketball Coach Stabbed Dead; Flock Cameras Help Track Boyfriend Across State Lines: Police
Basketball Coach Stabbed Dead; Flock Cameras Help Track Boyfriend Across State Lines: Police A teacher and basketball coach was found stabbed to death inside her North Carolina home, sparking an interstate search aided by Flock cameras that ended with her boyfriend's capture at a Pennsylvania mall, authorities announced on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Sheremy Gwenette Dillard, 57, was found dead at 2201 Whistling Straits Way in Raleigh on Thursday, Aug. 13, according to the Raleigh Police Department. Officers were dispatched to the home around 12:18 p.m. after family members reported they had not heard from Dillard and told police she lived there with her boyfriend, Rickey Andra Harper. Offi…
Six MPD Members Got Paid While Traveling Outside DC, Working Side Hustles, Feds Say Six MPD Members Got Paid While Traveling Outside DC, Working Side Hustles, Feds Say
Six MPD Members Got Paid While Traveling Outside DC, Working Side Hustles, Feds Say They allegedly got paid to police DC while some weren't even in DC. Arrest warrants were issued on Tuesday, Aug. 18, for six current and former Metropolitan Police Department members accused of collecting more than $441,000 for thousands of hours they didn't work in 2024, federal prosecutors announced in DC. Some of those claims came while the officers were purportedly on annual leave, traveling outside the District, and even working a second job. Federal prosecutors say it was all part of a sprawling overtime scheme involving members of MPD's Fifth District that ultimately covered 5,…
Woman Found Dead Near Her Own Car At Virginia Park As Killer Hunt Begins: Police Woman Found Dead Near Her Own Car At Virginia Park As Killer Hunt Begins: Police
Woman Found Dead Near Her Own Car At Virginia Park As Killer Hunt Begins: Police A quiet morning at a Virginia park began with a grim discovery. Fairfax County police were called to Difficult Run Park in Great Falls at 6:43 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, where an unconscious woman had been spotted lying in the parking lot near a 2011 Honda Civic. When officers arrived, they found 42-year-old Reston resident Carmen Lizet Puch suffering from trauma to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Now, homicide detectives are searching for answers. Investigators determined that the Honda Civic parked near Puch belonged to her, police said. Detectives from the departm…
2 People Beaten To Death Before Killer Set House On Fire, Only To Die In Blaze: Police 2 People Beaten To Death Before Killer Set House On Fire, Only To Die In Blaze: Police
2 People Beaten To Death Before Killer Set House On Fire, Only To Die In Blaze: Police Two people were beaten to death before their killer intentionally set a house on fire — only to die in the blaze, police announced on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The deadly fire at 508 Morgan Drive in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was not accidental, forensic evidence revealed during what Lower Swatara Township Police called an "exhaustive investigation." Two of the victims suffered severe blunt-force trauma at the hands of the third person before that individual intentionally set the fire inside the house, according to Lower Swatara Township police. The person who set the fire then died of fire-rel…
Man Dies After Metro Bus Strikes Him In Northern Virginia Crosswalk: Police Man Dies After Metro Bus Strikes Him In Northern Virginia Crosswalk: Police
Man Dies After Metro Bus Strikes Him In Northern Virginia Crosswalk: Police The 59-year-old man who was struck in the crosswalk by a Metro bus in Northern Virginia has died, police confirmed. Idylwood resident Adam Ali has been identified by the Fairfax County Police Department as the pedestrian who was struck over the weekend in Bailey's Crossroads. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, officers were called to the intersection of Columbia Pike and Carlin Springs Road when a pedestrian was hit by a bus. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, investigators say they believe the driver of a 2022 New Flyer Metro bus was traveling eastbound on Columbia Pike and stopped at a red tr…
Third Arrest Made After Two Related Attacks 12 Minutes Apart In Maryland: Sheriff Third Arrest Made After Two Related Attacks 12 Minutes Apart In Maryland: Sheriff
Third Arrest Made After Two Related Attacks 12 Minutes Apart In Maryland: Sheriff The fallout from a violent night in Southern Maryland isn't over yet. A third person has now been arrested in connection with two related attacks at separate Lexington Park homes on Thursday, Aug. 13, according to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office. Katina Marie Knott, 39, of Lexington Park, was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 15, as detectives continued investigating the pair of incidents that unfolded just 12 minutes apart. Her arrest comes after Tina Marie Tippett, 37, who has no fixed address, and Lexington Park resident Javone Lawrence Warrick, 35, were taken into custody following the…
'Erratic Man' Charged With Attempted Murder After Triple Stabbing In Maryland Home (UPDATED) 'Erratic Man' Charged With Attempted Murder After Triple Stabbing In Maryland Home (UPDATED)
'Erratic Man' Charged With Attempted Murder After Triple Stabbing In Maryland Home (Updated) A late-night disturbance in Maryland left three people stabbed and a man in handcuffs. Officers were called to the 400 block of Morningside Drive in Glen Burnie at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, where they found 38-year-old Ryan David Matthews inside a home displaying “erratic behavior,” according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Then they found the victims. Three people at the scene had suffered stab wounds, police said. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation before ultimately deploying Tasers to take Matthews into custody. All three victims were rush…
Woman Killed In Busy Northern Virginia Crosswalk Identified By Police Woman Killed In Busy Northern Virginia Crosswalk Identified By Police
Woman Killed In Busy Northern Virginia Crosswalk Identified By Police New details have been released after a 48-year-old woman was struck and killed at a busy intersection in Northern Virginia. Katherine Krueger has been identified by the Arlington Police Department as the pedestrian who died on Sunday night. Shortly before 9 p.m. on Aug. 16, first responders were called to the intersection of S. Glebe Road and 14th Street S. to investigate a reported crash. S. Glebe Road and 14th Street S. in Arlington Google Maps street view A driver was heading south on S. Glebe Road when he struck Krueger near the intersection. Krueger suffered critica…
Spooked Traveler Clears BWI Customs, Leaves Behind Bags Stuffed With Illegal Substance: CBP Spooked Traveler Clears BWI Customs, Leaves Behind Bags Stuffed With Illegal Substance: CBP
Spooked Traveler Clears BWI Customs, Leaves Behind Bags Stuffed With Illegal Substance: CBP Someone left a whole lot more than luggage behind at a Maryland airport. Five abandoned duffel bags caught the attention of US Customs and Border Protection officers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Tuesday, Aug. 11, after a flight from London cleared the airport. Inside was nearly 331 pounds of what initially looked like tea leaves. It wasn't tea. Field tests identified the leaves as khat, a controlled substance grown primarily in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that is chewed for its amphetamine-like effects, according to CBP. And apparently, the…
Smoke On Plane From VA Forces Emergency Landing In PA On Way To NY (PHOTOS) Smoke On Plane From VA Forces Emergency Landing In PA On Way To NY (PHOTOS)
Smoke On Plane From VA Forces Emergency Landing In PA On Way To NY (Photos) Smoke reported inside a plane traveling from Virginia to New York forced an emergency landing in Pennsylvania Monday night, officials said. The American Eagle flight was traveling from Arlington, Virginia, to Albany, New York, when it diverted to Harrisburg International Airport after smoke was reported inside the cabin on Monday, Aug. 17, according to an airport spokesperson. Emergency crews were dispatched to HIA for an Alert 2 around 9:35 p.m., according to dispatch and airport officials. The aircraft landed safely around 9:45 p.m. and stopped near the end of the runway, officials said.…
Triangle Man Hit, Killed By Lexus, BMW In Dumfries As Honduran Family Hopes To Bring Him Home Triangle Man Hit, Killed By Lexus, BMW In Dumfries As Honduran Family Hopes To Bring Him Home
Triangle Man Hit, Killed By Lexus, BMW In Dumfries As Honduran Family Hopes To Bring Him Home A 44-year-old man was struck and killed by two luxury vehicles in Northern Virginia. Now, his family is hoping to send his body home to Honduras. Triangle resident Emmanuel De Jesus Burgos Mejia was struck and killed over the weekend while walking late on Saturday night in Dumfries, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Officers were called around 11:45 p.m. on Aug. 15 to the intersection of Dumfries Road and Fraley Boulevard, where there were reports of a pedestrian who had been struck. Upon arrival, they found Burgos Mejia, who was struck by a 2017 Lexus RX350 t…
Penn State Cocaine Ring Leader From NY Surrenders: AG Penn State Cocaine Ring Leader From NY Surrenders: AG
Penn State Cocaine Ring Leader From NY Surrenders: AG The accused leader of a cocaine trafficking operation tied to Penn State students and two fraternity houses is now behind bars after failing to appear in court a day earlier, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Agostino Abbatiello, 24, of Westbury (previously of Carle Place), New York, surrendered Tuesday morning and had his preliminary arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, according to the Attorney General's Office. Gillette-Walker denied him bail. Abbatiello had failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on Monday, …
Virginia Man Opened Fire On Basketball Court After Argument, Police Say Virginia Man Opened Fire On Basketball Court After Argument, Police Say
Virginia Man Opened Fire On Basketball Court After Argument, Police Say Talk about a sore loser. A Virginia man allegedly grabbed a gun after an argument during a basketball game and opened fire toward the court. Adrian Dwight Taylor, 51, is facing more than a dozen charges following an investigation into shots fired at the basketball courts at Gunston Middle School on Saturday, July 25, according to the Arlington Police Department. Shortly before 10 p.m. that night, officers were called to the 1400 block of 28th Street South, where there were reports of gunshots in the area. Investigators later determined that Taylor was playing in a basketball game with sev…
Loaded Guns Found After Drivers Try To Duck Deputies At Maryland Pool: Sheriff Loaded Guns Found After Drivers Try To Duck Deputies At Maryland Pool: Sheriff
Loaded Guns Found After Drivers Try To Duck Deputies At Maryland Pool: Sheriff A late-night trip to a Maryland community pool apparently came with more than towels and sunscreen, according to the sheriff’s office. Three young men found themselves in deep water after St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducting a proactive patrol at the Wildewood Community Pool in California spotted two vehicles in the parking lot shortly after midnight on Sunday, Aug. 16. Then, deputies say, things moved quickly. As they approached a Hyundai Sonata and Ford Focus, both vehicles immediately attempted to leave the parking lot, prompting deputies to initiate traffic stops. In…
Homeowner Airlifted After Going Inside Burning Maryland Home To Investigate Smoke Homeowner Airlifted After Going Inside Burning Maryland Home To Investigate Smoke
Homeowner Airlifted After Going Inside Burning Maryland Home To Investigate Smoke He smelled smoke, went inside to find the source, and wound up being flown from the scene of a raging Maryland house fire. A 64-year-old homeowner was outside talking with a neighbor when they noticed the smell of smoke shortly before the fire broke out on North Adams Street around 7:30 p.m. on Monday in Havre de Grace, according to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal. He went back inside to investigate. That's when he discovered a fire burning in a rear bedroom, investigators said. As the homeowner tried to make his way back outside, he suffered smoke inhalation. Community F…
Mother Killed, Child Injured After Being Struck In Maryland Crash: Police Mother Killed, Child Injured After Being Struck In Maryland Crash: Police
Mother Killed, Child Injured After Being Struck In Maryland Crash: Police A woman is dead, and her young son was injured in Maryland after being struck by a car that slid onto an embankment, officials confirmed. The woman and her child were hit near Chapman Avenue and Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, according to Montgomery County police and fire officials. Both suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized, where the mother later died. The son is expected to survive. The driver remained at the scene to cooperate with the investigation, police said. It is unclear what caused the crash. Additional information i…
Hayden Panettiere's Ex Speaks Out After Her Tragic Death Hayden Panettiere's Ex Speaks Out After Her Tragic Death
Hayden Panettiere's Ex Speaks Out After Her Tragic Death Wladimir Klitschko, the ex-fiancé of Hayden Panettiere, made his first public comments since the actress' tragic death. "Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief," Klitschko, a former champion boxer, wrote on social media. "The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives." Panettiere, a Rockland County native, known for her…
Former Virginia Corrections Sergeant Admits To $1.1M Prison Drug Smuggling Plot: DOC Former Virginia Corrections Sergeant Admits To $1.1M Prison Drug Smuggling Plot: DOC
Former Virginia Corrections Sergeant Admits To $1.1M Prison Drug Smuggling Plot: DOC A former Virginia corrections sergeant is now facing prison time herself. April Parrott, of Gordonsville, pleaded guilty Friday, Aug. 14, in Goochland County Circuit Court to conspiring to deliver drugs to a prisoner and possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections. The case stems from a months-long investigation into an attempted drug smuggling operation at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland County. And this wasn't a small stash. VADOC valued the drugs targeted in the alleged smuggling operation at approximate…
Virginia Driver Hit Gas When Armed Carjacker Tapped Gun Against Window: Feds Virginia Driver Hit Gas When Armed Carjacker Tapped Gun Against Window: Feds
Virginia Driver Hit Gas When Armed Carjacker Tapped Gun Against Window: Feds A 21-year-old District man who terrorized drivers across DC, Maryland, and Virginia is heading to prison. Taurian Anderson pleaded guilty in US District Court on Monday to his role in a series of armed carjackings throughout the region that ultimately ended when he was apprehended by US Capitol Police during a bold getaway, federal authorities announced. The spree started in DC in August 2024, when Anderson pulled a gun on a DoorDash driver shortly after midnight and stole his Hyundai Elantra. Three hours later, prosecutors say, he and an accomplice struck again. This time, they confronte…
Suspect Arrested In Maryland Double Homicide After Man, Woman Found Dead (UPDATED) Suspect Arrested In Maryland Double Homicide After Man, Woman Found Dead (UPDATED)
Suspect Arrested In Maryland Double Homicide After Man, Woman Found Dead (Updated) A week after two people were found dead, Maryland detectives say they have their suspect. Baltimore County homicide detectives arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the double homicide on Banyan Wood Court in Essex, police announced Monday, Aug. 17. The arrest comes exactly one week after a man and woman were pronounced dead following a shooting investigation that brought a heavy police presence to the area. Police said the double homicide occurred at approximately 11:25 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, in the unit block of Banyan Wood Court. The investigation initially stretched beyond t…
Stabbing Suspect Still Wearing Same Clothes When Cops Find Him Hours Later In Virginia: Police Stabbing Suspect Still Wearing Same Clothes When Cops Find Him Hours Later In Virginia: Police
Stabbing Suspect Still Wearing Same Clothes When Cops Find Him Hours Later In Virginia: Police Kamanti Michael Taylor Washington apparently didn't get around to changing his clothes. Less than 24 hours after a 41-year-old man was left fighting for his life in a Virginia stabbing, police say officers spotted the accused attacker wearing the same clothes captured on surveillance footage before the attack. The 25-year-old Alexandria man was arrested at approximately 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, after officers found him in the 3100 block of Sherwood Hall Lane in Hybla Valley, Fairfax County Police said. Detectives say he had a knife on him. The arrest capped a rapid investig…
Maryland Strikes Back After Trump Administration Tried To Move FBI Headquarters To DC Maryland Strikes Back After Trump Administration Tried To Move FBI Headquarters To DC
Maryland Strikes Back After Trump Administration Tried To Move FBI Headquarters To DC Maryland thought it lost the FBI headquarters. Not so fast. A federal judge handed the state a major victory on Monday, Aug. 17, striking down the Trump administration's attempt to move the FBI's planned headquarters from Greenbelt in Prince George's County to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang permanently blocked the administration from taking steps to advance the Reagan Building relocation and barred federal officials from spending money to support the attempted move. The ruling also struck down the FBI's decision to redirect $555 million f…
Chemicals Contained After Explosion Forces Maryland Building Evacuation (UPDATED) Chemicals Contained After Explosion Forces Maryland Building Evacuation (UPDATED)
Chemicals Contained After Explosion Forces Maryland Building Evacuation (Updated) A chemical explosion sent firefighters scrambling in Maryland late Monday afternoon. Crews were called to the 1400 block of South Rolling Road in Halethorpe at approximately 5:06 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, after reports of an explosion inside a multi-level building, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department. The building is near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. Firefighters arrived and made quick work of the flames. The fire was extinguished at approximately 5:18 p.m., according to the fire department. The building was evacuated as crews remained at the scene. D…
Back To School, Starting From Scratch: Virginia Teacher Loses Nearly Everything In Fire Back To School, Starting From Scratch: Virginia Teacher Loses Nearly Everything In Fire
Back To School, Starting From Scratch: Virginia Teacher Loses Nearly Everything In Fire The first bell is ringing, but one Virginia teacher is starting the school year without a home. Victoria Mancuso, a K-5 general music and chorus teacher at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria, lost nearly everything she owned when her rental home burned while she was away traveling during summer break, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by coworker Sara Bukoski Lovelace. Extensive fire and water damage left the home a total loss, according to those closest to the educator. Victoria Mancuso GoFundMe Mancuso was not home when the fire broke out and is OK, according…
Wanted In Prince William: Target Shoplifting Suspect's Fake ID Backfires Wanted In Prince William: Target Shoplifting Suspect's Fake ID Backfires
Wanted In Prince William: Target Shoplifting Suspect's Fake ID Backfires A suspected shoplifter made it out of a Virginia Target. His problems were just getting started. The trouble began shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, at the Target near 25 South Gateway Drive in Stafford County, where deputies were called after a man allegedly tried to steal merchandise before running from the store, according to the sheriff's office. Deputy Myers soon spotted the vehicle carrying the suspected shoplifter and stopped the driver. That's when a relatively routine retail theft call began to unravel. Investigators say the passenger, later identified as 39-year-old F…
Maryland Man Dies 9 Days After Shooting; Accused DC Gunman May Face New Charges: Police Maryland Man Dies 9 Days After Shooting; Accused DC Gunman May Face New Charges: Police
Maryland Man Dies 9 Days After Shooting; Accused DC Gunman May Face New Charges: Police For more than a week, Oscar Guevara fought to survive after being shot in Maryland. He died Sunday. Guevara, 45, had been hospitalized since he was found suffering from gunshot wounds in the 6200 block of Oxon Hill Road at around 6:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. He died from his injuries on Sunday, Aug. 16. Jeremiah Hammond, 25, of Washington, DC, was arrested the day after the shooting and charged with attempted murder and related offenses. Those charges could not be upgraded. With Guevara's death, homicide detectives have taken ov…