News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

Police said they discovered suspicious chemicals while searching a home in Herndon, Virginia.

Herndon police said they went to a home in the 200 block of Herndon Station Square to execute a search warrant about 11:30 a.m. Friday on behalf of a police department in Pennsylvania. The man who lives at the home, Steven Timothy Kyle, 44, was wanted by the Central Bucks Regional Police Department for criminal mischief, stalking and three counts of harassment.

While searching for items related to the stalking and harassment charges, Herndon police said they found chemicals and other evidence that alarmed them enough to call in the Fairfax County bomb squad and the ATF.

“Based on their training, they knew they had to call somebody else,” Herndon Police Chief Steve Pihonak said.

Kyle was taken into custody without incident.

Residents of about 20 nearby townhouses were evacuated, and police deemed it safe for them to return home Friday evening.

Pihonak said the chemicals found in the home were “safe.”

Police couldn’t comment on what the chemicals are or what they could be used for. However, the chemicals they found were not related to the charges in Pennsylvania, they said.

Kyle was the only resident in the home.

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Naresh Bhatt appeared in court on Thursday, and a judge agreed to the defense’s motion to waive a grand jury, paving the way for a trial within months.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt has not been seen for over a month. The 28-year-old originally from Nepal moved to the U.S. for an arranged marriage in 2021. She recently missed her baby girl’s first birthday, and her family members rushed to the U.S. to take care of the child.

Her husband was arrested at the couple’s home last month on a single charge of concealing a body. But in the criminal complaint, police accused him of killing Mamta Kafle Bhatt. Prosecutors have laid out chilling allegations, including that pooling blood was found in the primary bedroom and bathroom of the couple’s home.

Naresh Bhatt’s defense gets speedy trial

Judge Carroll Weimer granted Naresh Bhatt’s defense team their request to skip the grand jury process in favor of a speedy trial. The rare legal maneuver means prosecutors will have five months from the next hearing, which is scheduled for Sept. 16, to bring the case to trial.

Prosecutors had argued against a speedy trial, saying it would be challenging to be ready that quickly.

“I have no doubt that the Commonwealth is putting together a very strong case,” Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s coworker Holly Wirth said outside the courthouse Thursday. “Mr. Bhatt thinks he’s smart, but I can guarantee you the weight of justice is leaning hard on him and we are going to see this come to fruition.”

Wirth was among dozens of friends and community members who came to the hearing. Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother and brother were also in court for the first time since they arrived from Nepal.

“They absolutley feel the love of the community and appreciate everyting the community is doing,” Wirth said.

The defense is expected to ask for funds for expert testimony at the Sept. 16 hearing.

Manassas Park police do new search

As Thursday’s hearing ended, Manassas Park officers and the Prince William County police search and rescue team were searching several areas for evidence, including the Blooms Crossing Community, the area surrounding Manassas Christian School, Camp Carondelet and part of Blooms Park.

It’s still unknown if searchers found anything relating to the case.

“Hoping that they’re getting closer to leads or something so we can just have closure and she can be laid to rest the right way,” Manassas Park resident Patty Winske said.

Investigators with the Manassas Park and Prince William County police departments searched a different park on Friday.

Timeline of Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s disappearance

Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a nurse, was reported missing after failing to show up for her shifts at work. Friends said that was highly unusual since she was caring for her baby and often active on social media.

Investigators have conducted multiple searches at the Bhatt home. Search warrants have revealed details about what investigators believe were Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s last days.

A detective wrote that on July 29 – the last day friends heard from Mamta Kafle Bhatt – there were numerous calls with her husband. After that, all calls went to voicemail.

Naresh Bhatt told police his wife destroyed her phone before July 31 — the day he told police that he last saw her.

But on Aug. 1, her phone was pinging in the Aldie area of Northern Virginia. Naresh Bhatt told police he was at a cafe there.

Police say they have video showing Naresh Bhatt at a Walmart purchasing cleaning supplies. He also went to a Walmart in Prince William County and purchased a set of knives. Two of those knives are now missing, prosecutors said.

Police conducted a welfare check on Aug. 2, and Naresh Bhatt reported his wife missing on Aug. 5, police said.

Bhatt was arrested on Aug. 22, one day after investigators were seen in the Bhatt family home.

Passports for Bhatt and his daughter were in full view when police entered the home for a search. Prosecutors said there’s evidence that Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his home and selling his car.

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The suspect, 25-year-old Arturo Elmore-Adon, is already in custody for alleged crimes against a minor. Now, he’s charged with several more felonies.

“Holding a really disturbing and sick man accountable for his actions that targeted little, little children,” Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis said.

The investigation started at a Safeway in Reston Aug. 10, where, police say, he touched a 7-year-old girl’s buttocks. According to a police search warrant, Elmore-Adon walked toward the victim and knelt directly behind her. A black object appearing to be a cellphone was placed under the victim’s legs. Police believe Elmore-Adon then filmed the victim.

Detectives executed search warrants on his Reston home and his cellphone.

“What our detectives discovered inside Elmore-Adon’s phone was nothing short of disturbing and disgusting,” Maj. Dan Spital said.

Police say they discovered more than 400 pictures and videos of child sexual abuse material downloaded from the internet. They also found several videos allegedly taken by Elmore-Adon in which he filmed up the shorts of young girls, police say.

He’s charged with unlawfully filming two girls, ages 7 and 8, at Fox Mill Elementary School in 2023. There are several charges from Churchill Road Elementary School in 2023, including one incident in which Elmore-Adon is accused of having an 8-year-old girl look for something while he filmed up her shorts and pulled down the victim’s shirt.

Elmore-Aaron worked as a contractor for Fairfax County Public Schools during the 2022-23 school year, helping with afterschool programming.

“The background check on this individual was done in 2022, and our human resources department reviewed and cleared the candidate at that time,” Superintendent Michelle Reid said.

Fairfax County Public Schools says Elmore-Adon worked afterschool programming at six other elementary schools, and police are urging parents to take a look his picture and let them know if they believe their children may also be victims.

Reid said the suspect worked for Overtime Athletics, which is a vendor of Baroody Camps that Fairfax County and several other school districts have used and still use in various capacities.

Reid said they are working with the families of the victims and giving them every resource available.

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Christian Whalen was at a bonfire party in a wooded area off Spotswood Furnace Road when another teenager shot him. A sheriff’s deputy drove him from the scene to a rescue station, from where he was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Whalen’s girlfriend, Lacy Milling, said she warned him against going to the party and became worried when he didn’t return her text messages. Then she saw frightening posts on social media.

“Then I go on Snapchat and I see people posting on their story ‘pray for Christian,’” she said. “Just, it was everywhere.”

Soon she got a message from Whalen’s father confirming her fears. 

“I see a notification from his dad saying, ‘Christian died,’” she said. “Literally, those two words.” 

She was not surprised to learn investigators believe he was trying to stop trouble. 

“He does not like arguing at all,” she said. “He hates it so much.”

Lacy said she lost the love of her life. She had been in a serious relationship with Whalen for almost a year. Her father said Whalen lived with their family for several months.

“He’s the most, like, kindest person,” Lacy said. “He would help anybody, like, even it came down to his worst enemy.”

Kenneth Watson, 18, is charged with homicide, accused of firing the fatal gunshot.

“He took what I wanted the most, which was almost a family to grow up with,” Lacy said. “I almost had what I wanted, but he took it from me.” 

The sheriff’s office wants to hear from anyone with information about the shooting.

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Charles F. Koehler Jr. was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication after someone saw him walking down the Leesburg Bypass near South King Street about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, the Leesburg Police Department said.

Koehler was sworn in to the Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Aug. 23, according to the Loudoun Times–Mirror.

Officers took Koehler to jail, and he was released later on his own recognizance, police said.

News4 has reached out to a spokesperson for the Loudoun County judicial system for comment, and is awaiting a response.

Stay with News4 for updates to this story.

News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

Mamta Kafle Bhatt has not been seen for a month. The 28-year-old originally from Nepal moved to the U.S. for an arranged marriage in 2021. She recently missed her baby girl’s first birthday.

Dozens of people packed the courtroom on Thursday to show their support for Mamta Kafle Bhatt.

“We are Mamta’s voice,” Holly Wirth, her coworker, said. “And we are going to continue to be in that courtroom to be a voice and a presence for Mamta.”

Search warrant reveals new details on timeline of Mamta’s disappearance

Police filed a search warrant to get a DNA sample from her husband, Naresh Bhatt.

The search warrant made public Thursday provides new details that reveal sharp contradictions in what he said to police and what they learned through their investigation.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s husband was arrested at the couple’s home last week on a single charge of concealing a body. But in the criminal complaint police accused him of murder.

“Naresh Bhatt murdered his wife Mamta Bhatt,” the document says.

Investigators say they found evidence to show Naresh Bhatt bought knives, allegedly killed his wife and dragged her body out of their home. Prosecutors previously said there was evidence of pooling blood in the primary bedroom and blood splatter in the primary bathroom.

In Naresh Bhatt’s court appearance Thursday, his attorney took the unusual step of waiving the preliminary hearing – a move that could be designed to get the case quickly to trial.

“They want to get him tried on this charge as soon as possible. And I know in my heart there are going to be more charges to come,” Wirth said.

Investigators focus on Mamta’s phone, canceled Uber ride

Investigators have conducted multiple searches at the Bhatt home. A warrant details new information about contradictions in Naresh Bhatt’s story.

One focus is Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s phone.

A detective wrote that on July 29 – the last day friends heard from Mamta Kafle Bhatt – there were numerous calls with her husband. After that, all calls went to voicemail.

Naresh Bhatt told police his wife destroyed her phone before July 31 — the day he told police that he last saw her.

But on Aug. 1, her phone was pinging in the Aldie area of Northern Virginia.

Naresh Bhatt told police he was at a cafe there.

The search warrant shows investigators are also trying to learn more about a ride Mamta Kafle Bhatt received the night of July 27. They write she was sitting outside the hospital where she worked with a friend. She ordered and then canceled an Uber ride.

They wrote: “Cameras … showed Ms. Kafle … entering an unknown black four-door sedan driven by an unknown subject at 10:17pm.”’

Mamta’s family members arrive from Nepal

As supporters track the criminal case, they’ve also been focused on reuniting the missing mother’s 1-year-old daughter with loved ones in Nepal. The child was taken from the couple’s Manassas Park home last week wrapped in a blanket, and friends set up a fundraiser to help get Mamta’s family members to the U.S.

Now, there’s some good news. With the help of government officials and the Embassy of Nepal, Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother and brother have arrived in the US.

“They are in a tremendous amount of pain and where their joy comes from right now is being reunited with their granddaughter,” Wirth said.

The next court date in the case is not yet known.

Naresh Bhatt’s attorney also told the judge he intended to bypass the grand jury proceeding, another step to possibly hasten the case. His defense attorney did not respond to News4’s request for comment.

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Someone shot the victims about 4:30 a.m. in a back parking lot near an office building in the 21000 block of Ridgetop Circle, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said.

The victims have been identified as Mijal Conejero-Romera, 22, of Sterling, and Diego Alexander Woollett, 22, of Arlington.

Before the shooting, an argument began at an apartment complex next to the office parking lot, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said. Crews responding to calls about the argument found the victims near a fence that separates the office parking lot from the apartment building.

The victims died at a hospital a short time later.

The shooter is still on the loose.

“It appears from everything that we see so far, that it’s a targeted shooting, but, but it does concern me that we have that person that that committed this crime is still on the loose, so that’s why we need to have the public help us with trying to determine who this person actually is, and then we can kind of go after them and make sure we get that person locked up and behind bars,” Chapman said.

Investigators could be seen examining the crime scene and marking evidence near a dumpster later Wednesday morning.

Chapman said one of the shooting victims lived at the apartment complex.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have seen the incident or who may have information to call Detective Grimsley at 703-777-1021.

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Fairfax County firefighters arrived at the railroad tracks in the 9300 block of Lee Street just after 3:15 p.m., and found a rail car full of wooden rail ties — the wooden supports laid between the two metal rails — on fire.

The train had stopped on the tracks, which lengthened the amount of time needed to put the fire out, Fairfax County Fire Rescue told News4.

As of 4:45 p.m., the fire had been put out. Footage from NewsChopper4 showed the still-smoking train on the tracks, and a rail car full of charred, blackened pieces of lumber.

It was not immediately clear whether the fire hurt anyone. The cause of the fire is also not yet clear.

Rail traffic in the area has been stopped as firefighters continue to work on the rail car.

This is a breaking news story. Stay with News4 for updates.

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Traffic camera video shows the pack flooding the streets of Arlington, including Wilson Boulevard and North Oak Street. Some of them are seen running a red light in Rosslyn as pedestrians crossed the street.

At one point, Arlington County police arrived to redirect the group. Police said they monitored the motorbikes and ATVs for the safety of pedestrians and motorists. No injuries or property damage was reported. 

Riding the ATVs on public streets is illegal. Police said their investigation is ongoing.

Arlington County police say anyone who sees ATVs on the street should report them.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

Las Vegas native Keith Lee stopped by Okonomi Asian Grill — also known as the “Asian Chipotle” for its custom rice bowls — in Fairfax, Virginia, and business has been booming.

“I literally opened this by myself,” owner Alex Kang said. “So, six months I was doing 130-hour workweeks.”

There were times when he only got six orders a day.

“I can’t sustain this with six orders,” he said. “That’s like 60 bucks. What can you do with 60 bucks?”

Ever since Lee posted a video about Okonomi, they’ve had to put signs on their door saying they can only serve people who order online because they’ve been so busy.

“It’s definitely wild,” Kang said. “I mean, it’s any restaurant owner’s dream to have this much exposure.”

Lee also went to the Flavor Hive food truck in Alexandria where one of the specialties is the walking nacho. Customers bring their own bag of chips – any size, same price – and they fill it up with meat and toppings.

“We had people bring in a size for a whole village,” owner Shihan Chowdhury said. “We still fill it up.”

Flavor Hive also serves quesadillas and tacos.  

“It looked really good,” customer Alexia Urieta said about Lee’s TikTok. “When you saw the picture, you could see the flavor in the picture. So. really wanted to come out and try it.”

For those who can’t afford the food, Flavor Hive will give it to them for free.

“Some people will come and say, ‘Hey I don’t get paid until this day, I don’t get paid until that day, can I pick up a meal?’ We’re always open to that,” Chowdhury said.

Lee donated $3,000 to Okonomi because they’ve been dealing with theft issues recently. Kang said he’ll use some of the money to feed local teachers and the rest to provide bonuses to his staff. 

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

The search for 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt continues nearly a month after she was last seen by anybody except her husband. At a candlelight vigil outside her Manassas Park home, friends focused on her baby daughter, who turned 1 earlier this week.

Bhatt was originally from Nepal, and her supporters from the Nepalese community listened to a recording of what’s known as the peace mantra — chanted 108 times to align Bhatt’s spirit with eternity.

Hours earlier her husband, Naresh Bhatt, was walked out of their home in handcuffs. Not long after, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter from the home.

• Editor’s note: Chilling details were revealed Friday as Naresh Bhatt was arraigned in court. Here are the latest updates.

Friends have started a fundraising effort to keep the baby out of foster care by bringing Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother from Nepal to care for the child.

“I’m pleased to share that we’ve set up a GoFundMe,” friend Holly Wirth said. “It’s called Justice for Mamta. We are collecting funds that will be put in a dedicated trust account to care for her daughter.”

The girl is in the care of the Department of Social Services, authorities said.

Friends say they also will start an effort to empower those suffering domestic violence.

“Better that you live happily than you die like this one day,” friend Bina Khatkalama said. “You know … we do not want anymore Mamta.”

They have planned an event Saturday at Signal Hill Park to remember Mamta Kafle Bhatt.

Manassas Park police initially said she was last seen on July 31 based on information from her husband. Since his arrest, authorities now say she was last seen on July 27, the last day she showed up to work.

Husband accused of concealing body; search continues

The charge that Naresh Bhatt faces means police have evidence that a dead body was concealed, not necessarily that a body was found.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth briefly spoke with reporters outside the family’s home on Thursday afternoon.

“Is she alive?” News4 asked.

“We don’t know! We don’t know! But we are working this investigation. We’re working carefully, and there’s just a lot of things moving very quickly right now,” Ashworth said.

During a search Wednesday, “detectives obtained additional evidence,” the statement from prosecutors and police on Thursday said, without detailing what they found or what it suggested.

“The Manassas Park Police Department is still investigating the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and hoping to locate her,” the statement said.

“There are additional investigative leads being actively pursued and may result in additional charges being brought,” it continued, in part.

Naresh Bhatt was held without bond and is set to be arraigned Friday. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt missing more than 3 weeks

Mamta Kafle Bhatt reported to her job as a pediatric nurse at the UVA Prince William Medical Center on July 27, according to a police timeline. She spoke to a friend on July 28. In earlier stages of the investigation, police said she was last seen at her home by her husband on July 31.

Her coworkers requested a welfare check on Aug. 2, after she failed to show up for work. Officers went to the home and spoke to her husband, who at that time gave them additional information and said he didn’t want to report her as missing.

Three days later, he contacted police and reported her missing.

Her disappearance was not declared involuntary until Aug. 8. The pace has frustrated her friends. 

Manassas Park police say the missing woman’s credit cards, bank statements and phone have showed no activity since her disappearance.

As her daughter turned 1 year old this week, her friends saw a time to try to renew interest in her disappearance. Some met with the police chief on Monday and said their friend’s disappearance was unlike her.

Northern Virginia Aug 21

Missing Manassas Park mom's husband is person of interest in case

Northern Virginia Aug 12

‘Worried': Northern Virginia nurse and mom missing since July 31

Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home Wednesday evening. A heavy police presence was seen surrounding the home. Forensic investigators were inside the family’s home on a cul-de-sac, taking pictures in what appeared to be the primary bedroom on the second floor.

Police have conducted hundreds of interviews and received hundreds of leads, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said.

A large crowd at Wednesday night’s news conference grew heated. Friends of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and members of the Nepalese community are frustrated with what they perceive as a lack of information.

Lugo gave his statement and then tried to leave, but he returned to the podium as people yelled questions. Only then did he answer that her husband has been a person of interest and was not cooperating.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt is 5 feet tall and about 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact Manassas Park police.

Fairfax County police said Nicholas Giampa, 24, was pronounced dead at about 2 a.m. in his cell at the county jail, where he had been incarcerated since 2018. Police said they are investigating Giampa’s death but said that preliminarily they do not believe foul play was involved.

Giampa was arrested in December 2017 in connection with the fatal shootings of Scott Fricker, 48, and Buckley Kuhn-Fricker, 43, in their Virginia home.

The case attracted national attention because of evidence Giampa espoused neo-Nazi philosophies. Neighbors said the then-teen also mowed a swastika into a community field.

At the time of the killings, Kuhn-Fricker’s 16-year-old daughter told police she and Giampa had formed a suicide pact after her family forbade their relationship, discussing “wounding her parents if they tried to intervene,” according to court records. Officials said the Frickers objected to the relationship after learning that Giampa associated with neo-Nazis online, as well as the fact that he had been charged as a juvenile with possessing child sexual abuse images.

Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker were shot after finding Giampa in their daughter’s bedroom. The daughter told police she had given Giampa a security code that allowed him to enter the home after her parents had gone to bed.

According to police, Giampa reached for a handgun and shot Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker after the daughter unlocked her bedroom door. The daughter told police that Giampa put a gun to her head, but it did not fire. Giampa, then 17, then shot himself in the forehead. He was hospitalized for weeks but survived the injury.

At a 2018 hearing, psychologists testified that brain damage from the self-inflicted gunshot wound rendered Giampa unable to understand trial proceedings fully. At least one psychologist testified that Giampa would eventually be able to recover sufficiently to participate in his defense.

Giampa’s jury trial was postponed three times and had been scheduled to take place in January, according to online court records.

News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

Russell Richardson Vane IV, 42, of Vienna, Virginia, had been in jail since his arrest in April.

At a plea hearing Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria, Vane admitted that he used castor beans to create ricin at his home.

Ricin is a toxin that occurs naturally in castor beans, and federal law requires anyone in possession of ricin to register and obtain a license.

Vane came to authorities’ attention after an online news outlet reported that a militia group, the Virginia Kekoas, had severed ties with him because they were alarmed by what they considered his loose talk about homemade explosives.

The Kekoas questioned whether he might be a government informant, according to court papers.

Authorities searched Vane’s home and found a plastic bag with castor beans along with a handwritten recipe for extracting ricin, according to an FBI affidavit. Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of ricin.

At earlier court hearings, Vane’s lawyers argued that prosecutors overstated the danger of Vane’s conduct and said it was virtually impossible for ricin produced in the home to be used as a lethal weapon. They also said that Vane had never threatened anyone.

Prosecutors, though, said Vane’s actions were alarming. They said there is no legitimate reason for an ordinary person to produce ricin, and they also expressed concern about Vane’s efforts to fake his own death. Prosecutors introduced evidence that Vane tried to legally change his name in Fairfax County court and that he posted a fake online obituary of himself.

At Wednesday’s plea hearing, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga agreed that Vane could be released until a sentencing hearing set for November. He faces up to five years in prison but would likely receive far less time. His plea deal does not include any recommended sentence.

A call and email to Vane’s attorney seeking comment were not immediately returned Wednesday evening.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

In 1939, when the Alexandria Library was only open to white people, Samuel Tucker and five other young Black men organized a sit-in at the library. As they expected, staff called police and had the men arrested for daring to read at a whites-only library.

“We need to know who these individuals were who took such a dramatic stance and risked going to jail,” Alexandria Library Director Rose Dawson said.

Eighty-five years later to the day, the library system unveiled an exhibit about the sit-in. It will travel to schools and libraries across Virginia.

The first stop? The elementary school named after Samuel Tucker.

“I think it was just really cool and that was really nice of them for the school to celebrate Samuel W. Tucker for all the stuff he’s done for us,” student Khloe Smalls said.

After the sit-in, it took another 23 years for the library to be fully integrated.

Lifelong Alexandrian Jimmy Lewis remembers the discrimination he and other Black people faced.

“They opened a Black library, and back then – separate and unequal — we knew where we could and could not go,” he said.

Lewis is helping organize the celebrations for the sit-in’s 85th anniversary.  

“We need to continue to tell the stories of our history,” he said. “Just so proud that we were a part of that generation.”

As the search for a missing Northern Virginia mother intensifies, police say her husband is a person of interest in her disappearance and is not cooperating with authorities.

Although authorities are still actively investigating the whereabouts of 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt, her husband is — and has been — a person of interest in her disappearance, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said during a news conference Wednesday night. She was last seen on July 31.

Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s Manassas Park home Wednesday evening. A heavy police presence was seen surrounding the home. Forensic investigators were inside the family’s home on a cul-de-sac, taking pictures in what appears to be the primary bedroom on the second floor.

About 9:30 p.m., Lugo said the search would likely take another three to four hours to complete. Police will make another statement when they get that report, he said.

This was the 10th search warrant of the investigation. Police have conducted hundreds of interviews and received hundreds of leads, Lugo said.

Bhatt has been missing for three weeks. Her baby girl turned 1 year old on Tuesday without her mother present.

When asked if Bhatt’s husband is cooperating with police, Lugo responded, “No, he is not.”

A large crowd at Wednesday night’s news conference grew heated. Friends of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and members of the Nepalese community grew frustrated with what they perceive as a lack of information. Lugo gave his statement and then tried to leave, but he returned to the podium as people were yelling questions. Only then did he answer that Bhatt’s husband is a person of interest.

The search at Bhatt’s home could be a significant development. Forensic investigators from Prince William County’s police department were present at the search, lending their abilities to Manassas Park police, who are the lead investigators on the disappearance.

Missing mom’s friends frustrated with pace of investigation

Bhatt’s friends and coworkers have said they are extremely concerned for her and frustrated that it’s taking so long to get answers.

“We trust the law, and then now, when this is happening here, I really don’t want to go home and tell my kids that it took them 21 days to search her own home,” one friend said. “She could be there, looking for us to come. Or maybe something has happened in the house. We could have done something.”

“I will say on behalf of everyone who’s been searching for her: We’re not sleeping well. We’re not thinking clearly,” Bhatt’s friend Holly Wirth said. They’ve been texting each other at 2 or 3 a.m., trying to figure out how to get Bhatt’s story out there and generate leads.

As Bhatt’s daughter’s first birthday came and went, her friends saw this as a time to kick up some renewed interest in her disappearance. Some of them met with the police chief Monday and said the disappearance was extremely uncharacteristic of her.

Bhatt’s friends and coworkers turned out twice to search a park just a short distance from the home, but no trace of her was found.

Bhatt reported to her job as a pediatric nurse at the UVA Prince William Medical Center on July 27, according to a police timeline. She spoke to a friend on July 28 and was last seen at her home by her husband on July 31, police said.

But it was her coworkers who requested a welfare check on Aug. 2, after she failed to show up for work. Officers went to the home and spoke to her husband, who at that time gave them additional information and said he didn’t want to report her as missing.

Three days later, he contacted police and reported her missing.

However, her disappearance was not declared involuntary until Aug. 8. The pace has frustrated her friends. 

Manassas Park police say her credit cards, bank statements and phone have showed no activity since her disappearance.

Bhatt’s husband spoke to News4 very briefly last week, saying he was busy taking care of the couple’s child, but he said he needed his wife to be home.

Stafford County Public Schools acknowledged the problem last week — the first week of school — and made improvements over the weekend.

But Tameka Franklin, who told News4 her son Daniel’s school bus is routinely an hour late, said it’s gotten worse.

“Today was the worst,” she said. “I waited almost two hours out here this morning before I finally just gave up and just drove him to school.”

She said Daniel was super excited for his first day of first grade last week.

“We’re waiting at the bus stop, singing songs and taking pictures and holding hands,” she said.

But the eagerness on their neighborhood corner turned to concern.

“Twenty minutes passed. Thirty minutes passed. An hour passed. There’s no bus,” Franklin said.

She took Daniel to school, and they brushed it off.

“We thought it was just one of the first-day-of-school hiccups,” she said.

But the hiccups lingered to the next day and the next at the stop where about 30 kids catch the bus.

“I think an hour, basically, passed, and then they all just started walking back to their homes,” Franklin said.

SCPS switched to a new transportation management system this year that generated new bus routes and has an app for parents to track their kid’s bus.

Franklin says the app is about as reliable as the bus.

“And it says completed,” she demonstrated. “No, it wasn’t completed.”

“Having us standing out there for almost two hours for a bus that may or may not come is totally unacceptable,” Franklin said.

The school district agrees and apologized to families. In a statement to News4, a spokesperson said, in part, “We acknowledge that this situation has broken the trust the community has placed in us and want to assure the community that we are fully committed to repairing that trust.”

SCPS said additional changes to the morning bus routes are coming Monday. They believe those changes will improve efficiency and free up drivers to reach those families who have waited for hours or don’t have a bus driver at all.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

The AWLA said in a release Monday there wasn’t enough evidence to charge PetSmart or any of its staff with a violation of the Virginia animal care codes and it concluded its investigation.

The investigation began on July 1 after the death of a 3-year-old Aussie-doodle named Clarke. The Animal Welfare League said Clarke’s owner told investigators that the dog was dead on arrival after a PetSmart employee dropped Clarke off at the vet while Clarke was being boarded at the Pets Hotel.

A necropsy, like an autopsy for humans, found Clarke had a serious medical issue: “bacterial pneumonia related to an E. Coli infection with possible sepsis.” Clarke’s illness was advanced, and “the prognosis for survival would have been poor regardless of where or how he was being cared for,” the AWLA said.

Based on the severity of the infection, the veterinarian who did the necropsy believes Clarke had the bacteria before his stay at the Pets Hotel, according to the agency.

“Furthermore, according to the veterinarian, the onset of physical symptoms related to the illness would have been sudden and worsened rapidly,” the Animal Welfare League said.

Two other dogs, named Blu and Lily, had illnesses and later died within a week of being boarded at the Pets Hotel during the same timeframe Clarke was boarded there. A fourth dog, Nova, also became very ill after staying at the Pets Hotel from June 28 to July 7.

“Without being able to perform a necropsy on Blu, we are unable to determine what may have led to his death. We were also unable to perform a necropsy on Lily; however, her cause of death could be attributed to her advanced age,” the AWLA said in its release.

The agency said it does “not believe the care provided at the PetsHotel during the time [Clarke], Blu, and Lily boarded was of an exceptional caliber due to the high number of animals in relation to care staff,” but, after reviewing the case with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, there wasn’t enough evidence to charge PetSmart or the employees.

According to the Animal Welfare League there were only four or five employees to about 100 to 160 animals at the Pets Hotel during the time in question. Pet boarding industry standards recommend having an animal-to-staff ratio of one person to every 15 animals, the agency said.

“We will be making strong recommendations to the PetSmart PetsHotel to consider increasing staff or limiting the number of animals in the facility based on current staffing levels,” the AWLA said. It also has recommended that PetSmart have a licensed veterinary technician on staff to monitor the health of animals kept at the facility.

“Although charges were not brought against PetSmart because it could not be determined how Clarke became ill, we believe charges should have been brought for denying Clarke timely medical care and ignoring the medical needs of Blue and Nova,” the owners of Clarke, Blu and Nova said in a statement Monday.

In their statement, the owners claim PetSmart staff waited nine hours to check on Clarke after he had shown signs of distress the morning of June 29.

PetSmart released this statement to News4:

“As pet lovers ourselves, we are incredibly sad to learn of Clark’s pre-existing condition that led to his passing. We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters. While the investigation’s findings do not bring Clark, Lily or Blu back, we hope their families find comfort in the closure.”

The Animal Welfare League said pet owners should do their own extensive research before choosing a place to board their animals.

“Unfortunately, with the lack of government oversight, it is 100% up to the consumer to ensure the facility is providing the standard of care promised and expected,” the agency said.

Concerns from parents and teachers led to a two-day operation targeting 32 tobacco and vape shops, the sheriff said.

“These kids are going into vape shops and buying these products,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said. “It’s just not good. The parents, they’re concerned about it. We’re concerned about it. So, we wanted to make sure we did an operation that had some teeth to it.”

If an employee is the one who violates the law, the business is issued a penalty with an additional $100 fine for the employee.

A change to Virginia law recently increased the penalty:

• First offense: $1,000
• Second offense: $5,000
• Third offense: $10,000

“So, the legislation on this is serious,” Chapman said.

The business also may have its license suspended or revoked for repeat offenses.

The infractions are considered civil, not criminal, offenses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among U.S. youth. 

To combat misinformation about ballot security and election integrity, the office staff decided to let the public see what they do and judge for themselves.

The open house was so popular that 300 county residents quickly signed up, and there was a waitlist.

Office staff led two days of tours detailing the nitty gritty of the election process.

Visitors learned how voting machines are tested before election day, how voter rolls are maintained and how absentee ballots are handled.

“We only send ballot to voters who request them,” one elections official said.

Visitors learned about the many layers of verification of election night results.

“The state system we’re using also has validation,” Elections Director Eric Olsen said.

They also heard about the challenge of staffing polling places, to make sure both major parties get represented equally.

The main takeaway of tour participants who News4 spoke with was renewed confidence in the election system.

“With this tour I’m very confident the elections are very secured,” participant Nira Sheppard said.

That confidence comes as former President Donald Trump and other political leaders continue to cast doubt on 2020 election results, with the Trump team working to assemble more than 100,000 volunteer poll watchers and attorneys to monitor the 2024 vote.

Olsen said he came up with the open house plan with the hope of giving the public a chance to see for themselves what happens.

“Bringing people into our process and showing them how it works, and then also all the steps we do to make sure our elections are fair and accurate and done really well,” he said. “We want to make sure we demonstrate that for the public.”

Some on the tour said the media spotlight on the 2020 results has raised questions in their mind — questions put to rest Friday.

“I think if you listen to some the media stuff, I think, yes, you do have doubts, but after seeing this process and the time and care that’s put into this and the effort that’s put into this, it’s really calmed some of those doubts down,” participant Doug Radoye said.

Others saw the tour as part of their civic duty. They leave armed with accurate information they can share in the community.

“They have a lot of safeguards,” participant Michelle Oha. “They have a lot of double checks, triple checks.”

“You have to know how it’s done, and a lot of the things that you hear are just not accurate,” participant Dennis Baugh said. “So, the only way you can counteract that is to have good information.”

Friends and concerned community members walked the trails in Bloom’s Park, adjacent to a large wooded area and a half-mile from Bhatt’s home.

Cellphone video shows the search for Bhatt, a pediatric nurse at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, as it moved along those paved trails and into the nearby woods.

The pediatric nurse and mother of an 11-month-old baby from Manassas Park has been missing since July 31. Concern for her welfare grows as more time passes without any sign of her.

Northern Virginia Aug 12

‘Worried': Northern Virginia nurse and mom missing since July 31

Maryland Aug 15

Maryland nursing home under historic oversight after state investigation

Some of the searchers later gathered outside the Manassas Park Police Station.

“We don’t have an answer, so we have been searching for the answer,” said community member Prabha Deuga. “So it’s been almost over two weeks now and we don’t have anything concrete. So what we are asking police is to come forward, tell us what is going on.”

News4 spoke to Bhatt’s husband, Naresh Bhatt, at the door of their home. He said he was busy taking care of their baby daughter.

“The main message, I need my wife, my baby’s mom, back,” he said.

When asked if he was worried that his wife had been hurt, he replied, “I’m worried about a lot of stuff, yes.”

Searchers chose Bloom’s Park because Mamta Kafle Bhatt often went there with her baby daughter.

Community efforts continued Thursday, when Mamta’s friends went to the Embassy of Nepal in D.C., asking for Nepali officials in the U.S. and abroad to find the mom and nurse.

It comes about five years after Boy Scouts of America started letting in girls.

“When I was working on my eagle project, I basically spent 24/7 on my Eagle project stuff,” Julia said.

All those long hours have certainly paid off. Julia says she knew early on she wanted to join Boy Scouts with her brother.

“There’s like more camping stuff, and it’s more adventurous in a way,” she said. “I think it’ll prove that girls can do scouting too, and they can be good at it just like the boys can.”

At just 12 years old, she earned enough badges to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts of America.

“It feels great,” Julia said. “I’m very honored to be an eagle scout this young. When I first joined scouting, I never thought I would be where I am today, so I’m very proud of myself.”

Her Eagle Scout project involved fixing up benches at a local church.

At times, things have been tough. Julia used to be in a different troop and says some members were less than welcoming.

“Some people were just kind of putting me down, but I got through it,” she said.

“It’s really hard as a parent to not just step in immediately and try to resolve something yourself, and so part of the process was helping her empower herself to work through the issues and help her find a good resolution,” said Kenneth Haile, Julia’s dad.

Julia says now that she’s an Eagle Scout, she looks forward to helping the next generation.

“I just want to set an example for younger scouts, too, to show them where I am today and what they can do,” she said.

Julia is celebrating her 13th birthday on Thursday. She and her brother will have their Eagle Scout ceremony together on Friday.

Boy Scouts of America will be changing its name to Scouting America next February in an effort to be more inclusive.

Friends of Mamta Kafle Bhatt are pleading for information about her disappearance. Members of Prince William County’s Nepalese community stood shoulder-to-shoulder Monday night with nurses who work with Bhatt. They’re very worried about her.

Bhatt, 28, has an 11-month-old daughter.

“This is unlike her,” her friend Sunita Basnet Thapa said. “So, you know, I’m so much worried and it’s been many days.”

Bhatt’s husband spoke to the crowd by phone, telling them he could not be there in person because he was caring for their little girl.

“I need to find her as soon as possible, using all the tools, community, society, police,” he said.

The Manassas Park Police Department is investigating the case as an involuntary disappearance. Police said investigators have spoken with neighbors, friends, coworkers and her husband.

Anyone with information is asked to call Manassas Park police at 703-361-1136. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact Manassas/Manassas Park Crime Solvers at 703-330-0330.

Bhatt is five feet tall and weighs 132 pounds, according to a missing persons poster distributed by police. She has black hair and dark brown eyes.

The victim who suffered the fatal shot was a friend of the suspect, while the other man was a complete stranger.

During the trial, prosecutors used the alleged killer’s own words against him to urge jurors to return a first-degree murder verdict.

In court, chilling police video showed the suspect, Jordan Cochran, boasting about shooting two people. It was recorded as police transported Cochran to jail shortly after he was arrested for allegedly killing his 18-year-old friend, Kebbren Leigh-Gaye.

“I’ve been geeking to click that joint all day, and I finally killed somebody,” he said in the video.

It’s become key evidence in the case, even as Cochran’s attorney tried to convince jurors that Cochran, then 20, fired in self-defense when he killed Leigh-Gaye on Jan. 8, 2022.

Crime and Courts Aug 6

‘My first 2 bodies': Fairfax County suspect boasted to police about shooting, video shows

Fairfax County Jan 10, 2022

18-Year-Old Killed, Man Shot in Eye in Hybla Valley

But prosecutors say Cochran’s comment shows that the crime was premeditated, with prosecutor Stephen Eubank telling jurors, “Jordan Cochran was looking for a reason to use that gun and within course of a half-hour, he found two of them.”

Testimony during the trial revealed that Cochran and Leigh-Gaye got into a fistfight over allegations of stolen shoes at a bus stop along Route 1 in the Hybla Valley area. But the prosecutor says the fight was over and the two had separated when Cochran pulled out the gun and fired one fatal shot.

A witness says he then grabbed the shoes Leigh-Gaye was wearing, as well as his wallet and phone. Then, about 20 minutes later, at a nearby 7-Eleven, authorities say Cochran fired the shot that blinded a complete stranger after that man and his girlfriend refused to give Cochran a ride.

Cochran’s defense attorney told jurors his client acted in self-defense because he was afraid after the beating, arguing: “Without malice, there is no murder … When you’ve been beat up in a bus stop by a guy you thought was your friend, your mind is not in a state of reason.”

But the prosecutor pushed back, saying, “A reasonable person does not bring out a gun just because they lost a fistfight.”

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Among the charges the jury can consider for the fatal shooting are first- or second-degree murder, or voluntary manslaughter — or not guilty if they believe Cochran acted in self-defense.

Cochran also faces a charge of aggravated malicious wounding for the shooting that blinded the victim at the 7-Eleven.

Kimberly Medina, 43, turned herself in at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center Wednesday, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said. She was later released from jail.

Investigators found Medina, who was the elected president for the Moorefield Station Elementary School PTO, embezzled $83,200 of the organization’s money for her own use from February to September 2023, the sheriff’s office said. Medina is not an employee of Loudoun County Public Schools and no public money was stolen, authorities said.

The principal and members of the PTO board removed Medina as president after notifying the sheriff’s office about her in Dec. 2023.

No others were involved in the alleged embezzlement, the sheriff’s office said.

It’s not yet clear when Medina will face the charges in court.

Jordan Cochran is accused of firing one fatal shot at 18-year-old Kebbren Leigh Gaye following an earlier fistfight between the two over a pair of shoes and a cellphone, police say. The shooting took place Jan. 8, 2022, at a bus stop and convenience store along Route 1 in the Hybla Valley area.

Cochran then went to a nearby 7-Eleven and demanded a couple give him a ride, police say. When they refused, Cochran allegedly shot the male passenger in the eye, leaving him blinded.

Prosecutors played video that captured the conversation between Cochran and an officer helping take him to jail.

“You just murdered someone,” the officer said.

“Two people,” Cochran replied. “Two people! You hear me? Two!”

He seemed to believe he’d killed both men he shot.

“I finally killed somebody,” he said. “These are my first two bodies.”

Later he added, “I killed two (racial slur). I proved what I have to prove.”

He rapped for police and said he was anxious about being jailed. 

“I’m honestly scared,” he said in the video. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. This is my first time going to the big boy jail.”

Gaye had recently graduated from Mount Vernon High School, where he played on the football team. 

His father testified Tuesday that just two days before the shooting, his son brought Cochran home, asking if he could stay for a few days after being kicked out of his own house. But when Gaye’s father learned Cochran had a gun, he asked him to leave. 

Prosecutors also played the 911 call Gaye made right after the shooting.

“I’m dying,” he said. “Please come get me. I’m dying. Someone shot me. I’m dying.”

The 911 operator asked Gaye where he was.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m dying.”

Police arrived and performed CPR, but Gaye died from a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Cochran’s trial is expected to last through the week. 

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News4 has previously reported that prosecutors are not filing any criminal charges against PetSmart employees, but an attorney for the pet owners argued that while the employees may not have been responsible for the deaths, the attorneys claim the Petsmart employees delayed getting one of the dogs care which could’ve lead to the dog’s death.

News4 recently received pages of notes from the investigation through the Freedom of Information Act and found a timeline of events on the day Andrew Noles’ dog, Clark, died.

The timeline shows a 10-hour window between the time PetSmart employees noticed something was wrong with Clark and when he was finally taken to the vet.

Noles’ Clark was in the care of the Alexandria PetSmart Pets Hotel on June 29, and he died later that day.

After Clark died, two employees with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria conducted an investigation and interviewed some PetSmart employees and we obtained a copy of the notes and investigation summary.

According to the report one employee says she saw vomit in Clark’s kennel at 6:15 on June 29.

That employee told a colleague who checked and confirmed vomit and diarrhea in the kennel and then relayed that to a manager who then checked on Clark.

At 2:40 p.m., another employee noticed Clark appeared lethargic, had not eaten his food, and was panting heavily.

At 3 p.m. another employee was notified about Clark’s condition and then at 3:50 that employee found Clark non-responsive. Clark was transferred to the animal hospital where he later died.

Investigators sought the medical opinion of the state doctor who conducted the necropsy on Clark, which is basically an autopsy for animals.

The Animal Welfare League’s investigation report says in part, “Dr. Wiseman stated that in her opinion, Clark had developed his illness prior to his stay at the PetSmart boarding facility and likely would have become very sick regardless of if he were at home or in a boarding facility.”

“She did add that if care had been sought out sooner, it may have increased Clark’s chances of survival but only minimally.”

The summary went on to say, “I do find it concerning that so much time had passed from when the original concern was reported to when care was provided, but the current animal care codes do not stipulate how soon care must be provided.”

News4 reached out to PetSmart on Monday to ask about the response time but we have not heard back.

Last month, when PetSmart employees were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, the company sent News4 a statement that said in part, “We take pride in our level of care and are pleased that the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria confirmed our findings that PetSmart did not have any wrongdoing in these matters.”

Noles sent the following statement to News4:

“I’ll never understand why PetSmart delayed providing the necessary medical care to Clarke. It’s heartbreaking to think that Clarke’s last hours were filled with suffering.

I’m even more heartbroken that PetSmart also neglected critical medical concerns with Blue and Nova. It doesn’t take a trained medical professional to recognize the urgency when a dog is coughing up blood, has blood in its stool, or when its eyes are hemorrhaging. Yet, none of these dogs received the care they desperately needed, and their pet parents weren’t even informed that their dogs were in distress.

Pet parents need to be very careful about where they board their pets. I didn’t realize these businesses weren’t regulated and so many bad things could happen. I hope laws will be passed to stop businesses like PetSmart from putting profits over quality care and that the Commonwealth Attorney will start prosecuting animal cruelty cases.”

Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya have been on paid administrative leave since the shooting and were told more than two years ago they would be fired. But no action has been taken, and the officers want a final decision.

The lawsuit claims an internal investigation of the officers’ actions has never been conducted.

Kelly Ghaisar, Bijan Ghaisar’s mother, said she had no idea the officers were still on paid administrative leave until she heard about the lawsuit. Every inquiry about the officer’s employment status in the past two years has been denied.

“Just like nothing surprises me about these two officers, nothing surprises me that the Park Police doesn’t do, because they handled Bijan’s murder very poorly from the beginning,” Ghaisar said.

Park Police never issued a statement about the Nov. 17, 2017, pursuit and shooting of the McLean accountant, instead turning the investigation over to the FBI.

“The fact that they haven’t done anything about these two officers, my belief is that their union is super powerful, so I think even the Department of Interior doesn’t have the guts to fire them,” Ghaisar said.

Video of the pursuit down the George Washington Parkway after Ghaisar was involved in a minor fender bender was captured by a Fairfax County police dashboard camera. The video showed the officers both firing their weapons as Ghaisar slowly drove away from them.

After the Justice Department declined to charge the officers, they were indicted on state charges, which a federal judge eventually dismissed, ruling what the officers had done was necessary and proper.

“It’s not like we were given a trial or there was a jury, which a jury found them guilty,” Kelly Ghaisar said. “Basically, they got away with murder with qualified immunity, which is my lifelong goal — to get rid of qualified immunity.”

The Ghaisars settled a lawsuit with the federal government for $5 million.

News4 reached out to the Interior Department and the lawyers who filed the suit but has not heard back.

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Melody Waldecker, 54, had just walked into a 7-Eleven at the Town Center at Sterling shopping center when she noticed a man getting into her Kia Sorento and tried to stop him, her family members said.

Jose Aguilar-Martinez, 21, took off in the Sorento and hit Waldecker with her own car, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s office said.

Waldecker, a mother of four and grandmother to eight, died at the scene of the crash, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies quickly got a description of the suspect and the car before broadcasting a lookout, based on police radio traffic. Within minutes, eyewitnesses reported seeing the suspect in the stolen Kia hit a car on Argonne Avenue before taking off. It was then spotted a short distance away at Cedar Lake Plaza before deputies and state police saw the car near the intersection of Frederick Drive and Leatherleaf Drive.

“According to the Fairfax units here, they have the suspect at gunpoint now,” someone said on police audio.

Officers saturated the area after getting reports the Kia was damaged and making a loud squealing noise. The manhunt ended in Trumpet Circle.

Aguilar-Martinez is an undocumented immigrant and was recently living in Sterling, according to the sheriff’s office. Homeland Security Investigations issued an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer for Aguilar-Martinez, who had a California driver’s license, authorities said.

Aguilar-Martinez was charged with carjacking, which is a felony. Authorities are holding him at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.

The sheriff’s office said they anticipate more charges against him.

Waldecker, of Silver Spring, had gone to visit her ailing mother shortly before she was killed, family members told News4.

Her Facebook page shows her taking care of her mother and going to an Orioles game at Camden Yards with her grandsons.

Waldecker worked as a caregiver at a nursing home in Montgomery County and was dedicated to her family, relatives said.

Alex Byers, a volunteer with the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department, almost died in late May while attempting a controlled burn of yard waste in the backyard of a rural Stafford County home.

Byers fell into the fire and sustained third-degree burns to 22% of his body and spent a month and a half in the hospital, said his father, Capt. Patrick Byers.

Once released from the hospital, the community held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and donated money to help him while he was out of work and recovering.

Now, Stafford County Fire and Rescue Chief Joseph Cardello is addressing details about what exactly happened. He said a county fire apparatus was used for personal use when it shouldn’t have been.

“We’ve addressed it through the disciplinary process,” he said. “In that way, I’m confident that this won’t happen again.”

The Byers took a brush truck and a tanker to their neighbor’s house to help with the yard waste burn, Cardello said. The shift supervisor did not authorize the use of the county equipment and was not aware of it.

“That’s not the best use of taxpayer resources, and we shouldn’t get in that position,” Cardello said.

Capt. Byers admitted using the county fire equipment to help a neighbor.

“So, I took the brush truck out there in case it got out of hand, and that was it,” he said.

He said he’s used county fire equipment for personal use before.

“I’ve done it over the years,” he said. “Now, I’ve learned that certain things aren’t the way we did it in the past, and that’s been handled.”

The apparatus were not damaged in the fire, but county-owned personal protective equipment was, Cardello said. Had an emergency call come in and those apparatus were needed, the shift supervisor wouldn’t have known where they were at, which could have put the public at risk.

“We acknowledge that there’s a perception issue that we shouldn’t be taking county resources out to do things like this, so we’ve addressed that,” Cardello said.

Capt. Byers and his sons remain on the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department team as Alex Byers continues his recovery.

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Melody Waldecker, 54, had just walked into a 7-Eleven at the Town Center at Sterling shopping center when she noticed a man getting into her Kia Sorento and tried to stop him, her family members said.

Waldecker, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was fatally hurt. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has not said exactly how she died.

“Witnesses on the scene say she may have been ejected from the vehicle. Unknown if she was struck,” someone can be heard saying on police dispatch audio.

Deputies quickly got a description of a suspect and the car before broadcasting a lookout, based on police radio traffic. Within minutes, eyewitnesses reported seeing the suspect in the stolen Kia hit a car on Argonne Avenue before taking off. It was then spotted a short distance away at Cedar Lake Plaza before deputies and state police saw the car near the intersection of Frederick Drive and Leatherleaf Drive.

“According to the Fairfax units here, they have the suspect at gunpoint now,” someone said on police audio.

Officers saturated the area after getting reports the Kia was damaged and making a loud squealing noise.

The manhunt ended in Trumpet Circle. The sheriff’s office said a suspect was arrested, but they have not yet released a name or any further information.

Waldecker was killed a short time after she had gone to visit her ailing mother, family members told News4.

Her Facebook page shows her taking care of her mother and going to an Orioles game at Camden Yards with her grandsons.

Waldecker worked as a caregiver at a nursing home in Montgomery County and was dedicated to her family, relatives said.

U.S. District Judge Rossie Alston set an Oct. 21 trial date for Rui Jiang of Falls Church after holding a competency hearing Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria.

Alston had placed the case on hold earlier this year and ordered the competency hearing. The findings of his competency evaluation are under seal, but Alston ruled after Wednesday’s hearing that Jiang could stand trial.

Prosecutors say Jiang intended to shoot congregation members of the Park Valley Church in Haymarket in September 2023. He was arrested during Sunday services at the church, armed with a handgun and other weapons, after a former girlfriend called police and alerted them to disturbing social media posts he made.

According to authorities, Jiang had recently joined to the church but indicated that he was mad at God and at men for blocking him from having having romantic relationships with women. He left behind a “final letter” in which he said he intended to only shoot and kill men and apologized in advance for any women who might be “collateral damage.”

In interviews with police after his arrest, Jiang acknowledged officers he was mad at God but denied planning to kill anyone, according to court documents. He admitted he was armed inside the church but said he has a concealed carry permit and is frequently armed.

He was initially charged in state court, but federal prosecutors took over the case earlier this year. The indictment charges him with attempted obstruction of religious beliefs, transmission of interstate threats and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

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The indictment also includes special findings that Jiang selected his victims because of their religious beliefs.

Police touted his arrest last year as an example of fast-moving interagency cooperation between at least three police departments in Maryland and Virginia to apprehend Jiang before any violence occurred. Security personnel at the church had also noticed Jiang’s odd behavior and had begun to question him.

The federal public defender’s office, which is representing Jiang, declined comment Thursday.

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Two groups got into a fight at Manassas Mall July 9 and several shots were fired, injuring at least one person.

“The general public is at risk,” Supervisor Yesli Vega (R) said. “We’re putting people’s lives in danger, and it shouldn’t be that way.” 

One of the suspects — 18-year-old Daevon Russell, who is facing multiple felonies — was arrested and charged last August for allegedly shooting his roommate, according to court records. He was released from jail prior to trial.

Vega says he should’ve been in jail at the time of the Manassas Mall shooting.

“We take an oath to serve and to protect and we feel that is not what we’re seeing,” she said. “We’re seeing a revolving door of justice coming out of the Prince William County prosecutor’s office, and people have questions, and they deserve answers.”

Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth said her office fought to keep Russell in pretrial detention but the judge granted Russell’s release.

“I don’t disagree with the assertion that too many people are being released on pretrial supervision,” Ashworth said. “I don’t disagree with that as a prosecutor in this county. I see it happen regularly. It is disturbing.”

Vega and other conservatives have called out Democratic prosecutors in Northern Virginia several times over the past few years, accusing more progressive prosecutors as being too lenient and endangering communities.

“It’s very easy to take one or two instances and try to make the false claim that this is everything and always, but again, I think that’s a bold misrepresentation,” Ashworth said.

Following Russell’s arrest in connection to the Manassas Mall shooting, his bond was revoked in the previous case and he’s being held in jail.

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Seven-year-old Nova Reed is a tall, active great dane. She and her owners moved to D.C. three years ago. Nova’s owner, Sara Reed, says she started to notice changes in Nova’s health and behavior after first boarding at the Potomac Yard PetSmart.

“Over the course of the last three years, things, for the most part, were fine,” Reed said. “Other than the kennel cough that one time, and then one time she came home with digestive issues.”

Reed said Nova’s last boarding at the Pets Hotel from June 28 to July 7 is when things took a sharp turn.

“Not only was she coughing up blood, this last time that we picked her up, but she had diarrhea,” Reed said.

The latest case comes after an almost month-long investigation by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria after the League was contacted about a death of a dog during its stay at the PetSmart Pets Hotel.

Alexandria’s chief animal control officer confirmed to News4 that the agency began an investigation on July 1 after the death of a 3-year-old Aussie-doodle named Clark. The agency says Clark’s owner told investigators that the dog was dead on arrival after a PetSmart employee dropped Clark off at the vet while Clark was being boarded at the Pets Hotel.

The dog’s body was sent for a necropsy, like an autopsy for humans, and the League is still awaiting those results.

The Animal League says two additional pet owners came forward with similar allegations. Investigators say two owners told them that their dogs experienced illnesses and later died within a week of being boarded at the Pets Hotel.

Animal investigators say all three dogs boarded the Pets Hotel during that same time. Since those complaints, the League says it has been visiting and inspecting the Pets Hotel every two days.

PetSmart released this statement to News4 saying in response:

“Pet care and safety are our top priorities. As pet lovers, we are heartbroken when a pet passes away. We take this extremely seriously and have been in touch with everyone involved to offer our complete support. Based on what we’ve learned, these three incidents are each unique with different causes ranging from underlying conditions to older age – not due to the time in our care. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively conducting hands-on retraining with our Potomac Yard associates.”

Nova’s owner says she hopes no other pets are harmed as the investigation continues.

“I think the facility should be shut down until the investigation concludes,” Reed said. “I feel like I’m a long-time customer at this point, and as sweet as some of the staff members have been to my dog, my dog has come home and, like I said, there’s been a few occurrences where she’s come home and there was issues.”

News4 crews were at the site earlier in the day Saturday and saw animal service workers coming in and out of the PetSmart. It’s not clear what they were doing inside, but the League has said that PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation.

The Animal Welfare League released an update on Tuesday, July 24, saying they “do not suspect any active cruelty or intent to harm animals on the part of any PetSmart employees.”

The investigation is ongoing, and they are still awaiting Clark’s necropsy results as well as from the attending veterinarians that took care of Blue and Lily, the other dogs who died, about their examinations and findings.

“It would kill somebody if it hit ‘em in the head,” Hatcher said. Thankfully, the balls have mostly hit his vehicles and property. However, he said his son was once hit by a golf ball while riding his bike, and Hatcher himself has had several close calls. 

His repair bills have amounted to nearly $100,000 over the years.

Pointing to his car, Hatcher told us: “This whole complete side of the windshield was shattered to pieces. It just missed busting out the sunroof by what? Two inches?” 

Hatcher’s garage door displays numerous dings and dents. 

“This dent was done probably at least five years ago,” Hatcher said, pointing to a hole in the aluminum door. 

“So, if it ripped an aluminum door, what’s it gonna do to somebody’s head?” he asked. 

The damage extends beyond his garage. He’s replaced at least 40 windows over the years.

When Hatcher was growing up, there was no golf course nearby. A private company built one, and in 1979, Fairfax County took it over, making it a public course. Hatcher said the redesign of the holes then set up a problem on the second fairway, leading to the current situation.

Netting was put up to stop the golf balls, but Hatcher said it’s not high enough.

“Never has been since 1983,” he said. 

The proof lies in his yard, about 100 yards from the second fairway, where golf balls are frequently found. 

Over the years, Hatcher has amassed enough errant golf balls to start a driving range, filling several buckets. Fairfax County used to cover the cost of the damage when it had third party insurance coverage, but after switching to self-insurance, Hatcher was told he’s on his own.

The Fairfax County Park Authority sent News4 a statement, which said in part: “Legally, the Fairfax County Park Authority is not responsible or liable for property damage or personal injuries arising from involuntary errant golf balls … Errant golf shots are the responsibility of the golfer.” 

Hatcher said he’s tried holding golfers accountable, but they often deny responsibility, claiming there’s no proof.

Hatcher has repeatedly asked the county to improve the barriers, but he said his requests have been denied for nearly half a century.

Instead of enjoying his retirement, Hatcher spends his days dealing with the mess from the golf course, hoping that he or his wife doesn’t get hit by the next stray ball. 

“A lot of times, we’re serving areas – we’ll call them disadvantaged areas – and they have the greatest impact with what happens with air pollution,” said Tom Reynolds, of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. “They are in denser areas. So, if we’re running through those areas and we are contributing to emissions, that’s not good.”

The grant’s for hybrid buses instead of electric vehicles because the infrastructure’s not there, yet.

They need chargers in bus facilities, and that’s not where it needs to be.

The county said it’s going to be working on that.

“But in the meantime, we’ll have these low emission vehicles to help reduce our fleet emissions,” Reynolds said.

Meanwhile, Maryland received more than $12 million in federal funding to expand electric vehicle charging stations across the state – 130 fast chargers at 23 sites.

EV owner Cedric Smith said that goes a long way when it comes to easing fears about charging vehicles over long distances.

“The long distance is a thing,” he said. “You’ve got to be very methodical about how you are going to go those long distances right when you are traveling. You’ve got to be a little more strategic because you are not just going to pop up and get gas and go somewhere.”

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In Crystal City, there’s just once entrance to the station — but that’s going to change in the next couple of years.

An artist shows how the new east entrance to the Crystal City station will look.

The canopy is a bit more modern than those at existing Metro stations, without the signature domed glass panels and brutalist concrete. The angled, geometric structure protects riders from the rain, but two glass walls give riders passing through the fare gates a view of the Arlington block.

The station won’t become reality soon, with opening slated for spring 2027. Friday was the groundbreaking for the construction process that is expected to continue for about three years.

“This is another example of, we’ve got to be constantly thinking about how to take the Metro system, and what is it going to look like 10, 20, 30, 40 years [from now]?” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “Because as our region grows, we need to be thinking of our infrastructure to be economically competitive and to make sure people can affordably get around.”

Residents and people commuting through Crystal City on foot, on bikes and in cars will soon start to notice the construction impacts, which will continue over that three-year period.

Sidewalks along Crystal Drive and 18th St. S are already closed.

Eventually, the Crystal City station will need to temporarily shut down to allow for construction to continue — but those dates are far in the future, and have not been figured out yet, Metro told News4.

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The project will cost about $146.1 million, which will be paid by Arlington County. The county will then transfer ownership of the station to WMATA once construction is finished.

When the East Crystal City station opens, it will be closer to the Virginia Railway Express station, and to trails for biking and walking.

Gunfire broke out in the mall parking lot Tuesday afternoon after a fight inside the food court, Prince William County police said.

Eric Ronaldo Benitez, 22, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of malicious wounding, one count of willfully discharging a firearm in a public place and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Police are still searching for a fifth suspect, 18-year-old Tayvion Omari Thornton, of Woodbridge.

Daevon Russell and Joshuah Minas Hernandez, both 18 and from Manassas, were previously arrested and charged with two counts of malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied building and other firearm charges, police said Wednesday.

Skyler James Agley, 23, of Manassas, was arrested and charged with one count of malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied building, willfully discharging a gun in public and using a firearm during a felony.

‘Running and screaming’: Shoppers hid after hearing gunshots

Multiple suspects took out guns during the fight inside the mall’s food court, police said. The suspects started shooting at each other and the fight spilled out into the mall’s parking lot, police said.

A 51-year-old man who was not involved with the fight was hit in the upper body and taken to a hospital, police said.

Agley, one of the suspects, was shot and driven to a hospital by people he knew after the shooting, police said. As of Wednesday, he was in the hospital in police custody.

Customers in the food court described hearing gunshots before seeing people running.

“All of a sudden, everyone from the food court was running and screaming, and then we just heard five gunshots,” said Doris Morales, who was at the mall with her two daughters. “And then I just pushed my girls inside the Victoria’s Secret.”

One customer said they didn’t hear the shots but told News4 they were in a store when the gate lowered and customers were told to move to the back and take cover.

No shots were fired inside the mall, police said.

Officers searched the area with K-9 dogs shortly after 2 p.m. and found multiple guns, according to police. Multiple police agencies and a Fairfax County police helicopter responded.

Police initially detained Russell and Minas Hernandez during a traffic stop shortly after the shooting.

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Residents of the Meadows of Chantilly along Route 50 say the data center will create noise and cause a disruption for their community.

Data centers bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue for local governments, but critics say they’re obtrusive, noisy and environmental hazards.

“They would put the generator yard, which is about the size of a football field in length, the dumpsters and the loading dock all behind these peoples’ homes,” said Cynthia Shang, an opponent of the data center.

The lot is already zoned for a data center so the company building the data center needed little approval from the county.

News4 spoke to a couple of residents who said they didn’t know about the plans to build the data center.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is developing guidance on where to allow data centers and a board member noted that power company NOVEC estimates that in 10 to 15 years, data centers will consume 90% of its power supply while only accounting for 5% of its customer base.

The board launched the project to rehaul it’s data center guidance last year.

“They only work if they’re in the proper location and have the proper environmental mitigations as well as are properly located in an appropriate place relative to residential properties and other uses,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said last year.

“Is this the highest standard they can possibly perceive? Fifty feet from a community that was supposed to be protected. When do you stop? When do you draw the line?” Shang said.

Taty’ana Cooks was reported missing March 21 when she didn’t show up to get her 1-year-old son, Beau, from daycare. Police say they quickly suspected foul play.

Ring video from a neighbor allegedly shows Beau’s father, Brendon White, leaving Cooks’ apartment on Stevenson Court in Woodbridge, Virginia, with a suitcase on the day she was reported missing.

In court Wednesday, police said Cooks’ body was stuffed into a suitcase after White strangled her. He then tossed the suitcase in a dumpster and drove Cooks’ car to Newport News while police and family searched for her in the neighborhood.

“I had walked around the parking lot, you know, crying and stuff, but she was in that dumpster I walked past, twice. Twice,” said Cooks’ father, Saquan Ir-Rahman.

After police learned Cooks’ body might be in the dumpster, they were able to stop the trash truck before it unloaded at a landfill. Police said they found Cooks’ body inside the suitcase while police in Newport News had detained White for questioning.

White told police an argument with Cooks escalated. He claims she grabbed his gun and pointed it at him, and he strangled her to stop her. He then took his 8-month-old daughter, who was inside the apartment at the time of the killing, to Newport News.

As Prince William County prosecutors outlined the chilling allegations against White, he broke down crying in the courtroom. Ir-Rahman said he was furious and disgusted White would show such emotion now.

Beau, the son White shares with Cooks, now lives with an aunt.

“Just to see the agony of what the son’s going through in the middle of the night, waking up, screaming,” Ir-Rahman said.

The case against White goes to a grand jury Aug. 6. If the grand jury certifies the charges, the case will be set for trial.

Ir-Rahman said he’s glad Virginia no longer has the death penalty, but he hopes White is found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

White has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney made no argument on his behalf at Tuesday’s preliminary hearing.

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One of the people charged and a bystander were injured when gunfire broke out in the parking lot after a fight inside the mall’s food court, according to Prince William County police. Both injured people are expected to survive.

Daevon Russell and Joshuah Minas Hernandez, both 18 and from Manassas, are charged with two counts of malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied building and other firearm charges, police announced Wednesday.

Skyler James Agley, 23, of Manassas, was charged with one count of malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied building, willfully discharging a gun in public and using a firearm during a felony.

‘Running and screaming’: Shoppers hid after hearing gunshots

Police said that multiple firearms were brandished as two groups got into a fight in the mall’s food court.

The fight spilled out into the mall’s parking lot, then the two groups started shooting, police said.

A 51-year-old man who was not involved with the fight was hit in the upper body and taken to a hospital, police said.

Agley, one of the suspects, was shot and driven to a hospital by people he knew after the shooting, police said. He remains in the hospital but in police custody, police said.

Customers in the food court described hearing gunshots before seeing people running.

“All of a sudden, everyone from the food court was running and screaming, and then we just heard five gunshots,” said Doris Morales, who was at the mall with her two daughters. “And then I just pushed my girls inside the Victoria’s Secret.”

One customer said they didn’t hear the shots but told News4 they were in a store when the gate lowered and customers were told to move to the back and take cover.

No shots were fired inside the mall, police said.

Police responded shortly after 2 p.m. Officers searched the area with K-9 dogs and found multiple firearms, according to police. Multiple police agencies and a Fairfax County police helicopter responded.

Police initially detained Russell and Minas Hernandez during a traffic stop shortly after the shooting.

Prince William Police are still looking for other suspects involved and ask anyone with information to contact them.

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Two groups of people got into a fight in the parking lot when shots were fired, police said.

One person went to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the lower body and notified police of the shooting.

Police found another victim with a minor wound believed to have been a ricochet, police said.

Both victims will survive, police said.

Customers in the food court described hearing gunshots before seeing people running.

“All of a sudden, everyone from the food court was running and screaming, and then we just heard five gunshots,” said Doris Morales, who was at the mall with her two daughters. “And then I just pushed my girls inside the Victoria’s Secret.”

One customer said they didn’t hear the shots but told News4 they were in a store when the gate lowered and customers were told to move to the back and take cover.

Prince William County police said they detained a group of people for questioning, but they don’t know if that includes the shooter or shooters.

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The situation has left many struggling to cope with the extreme heat in their homes. 

“It’s horrible,” said resident Patryzja Dziewa. “Whenever I try to fall asleep, I wake up with my heart racing. I don’t even feel like doing anything that I do daily because of how bad it is.” 

Jeff Chan, another resident, has the same frustrations.

“It’s been extremely frustrating and it makes me feel like the company has been putting profits over people,” he said. 

Residents say management provided temporary air-conditioning units, but they have not been effective. Additionally, there have been complaints of water tanks leaking onto the floors. 

“With AC units that they installed, it’s about 87 to 90 degrees inside. Without them, it’s about 100 degrees,” Dziewa said. 

A man who appeared to be an employee asked News4 to leave Monday morning. Later, AvalonBay Communities Inc., the building’s management company, sent News4 a statement explaining the situation. 

According to the company, a cooling tower that powers the air conditioning for half the building was damaged 17 days ago. They claim to have ordered parts for repair the same day, and the shipment arrived Monday, with repairs scheduled to begin Monday night. 

“Since the incident occurred, our team has been sending email updates almost daily,” AvalonBay Communities said in a statement. “We have been in regular contact with our valued residents to try to mitigate the impacts of the inconvenience as much as possible.” 

Despite these assurances, residents are eager for the repairs to be completed. Some, like Chan, have had to make significant adjustments to their living arrangements. 

“What I’ve had to do is essentially take my mattress from my bedroom, drag it to my living room and have been sleeping in my living room for the past two-and-a-half weeks,” Chan said. “On the floor.”

Ranzo Johnson, 38, assaulted a woman in Annandale and took her car, Fairfax County police said.

Johnson crashed the car at a 7-Eleven at Richmond Highway and Lukens Lane and tried to carjack another vehicle, police said.

There was a child inside that car, and three men dragged Johnson out and chased him.

Johnson tried to steal a car at an auto dealership, police said, then crossed the street and began beating up a man and attempted to steal his car.

Witnesses stopped Johnson, police said, and officers arrived.

Johnson is hospitalized and will face multiple charges.

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Andrew Noles raised 3-year-old Aussiedoodle Clark from the time he was a tiny puppy and recalled the greetings he got from his pet.

“As soon as I turned the doorknob, Clark would literally would just, like, run and jump on me,” Noles said. “And he just knew, like, it was time to go out.”

On June 27, Noles took Clark to the Potomac Yard PetSmart to board him for three days. Two days later, he says, he got an unexpected call from a veterinarian.

“He was like, well, a PetSmart employee just dropped him off, and unfortunately she dropped him off deceased,” Noles said. “I was hysterical, you know, of course.”

Noles said the vet passed along what little information he could about Clark’s condition when he arrived.

“He showed up, and his mouth was full of blood, and he repeatedly asked her what happened, and she, honestly, had no answers and then just kind of left,” Noles said. 

Noles said PetSmart has not told him what happened to Clark, so he turned to animal control to help him get answers. Alexandria’s chief animal control officer confirmed the agency is investigating the death and Clark’s body has been sent to an animal health lab for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

Noles shared his grief and frustration on social media, which caught the attention of Nick Vanzandt, who says he boarded his dog, Buddy, at the same PetSmart at the same time and was surprised when he picked up Buddy.

“When they brought him out, he was bleeding from the snout, right at his nose. Big, open wound,” Vanzandt said. 

“Then they brought his bed out that we took for him to sleep on, and that was covered in blood,” he said.

He was not satisfied with the explanation he says he got from PetSmart.

“I think they said something about he was rubbing up against a cage, which was odd because we paid for a private suite that doesn’t have bars,” Vanzandt said.

He shared his frustration with a negative Yelp review.

News4 contacted PetSmart for comment about both dogs but still awaits a response. 

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