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Charges filed against teens in Stafford after ‘DUI crash’
Crime, News

Charges filed against teens in Stafford after ‘DUI crash’

Two teens were charged following a “juvenile DUI crash,” Stafford Sheriff’s Office announced. The incident occurred in January 14 at the intersection of Countryside Drive and Stony Hill Road. SCSO said a passerby reported an accident and deputy N.J. Amato responded shortly before 2 a.m. and found a Honda Civic that had crashed into a tree, but there were no occupants at the scene. Amato found empty cans of alcoholic beverages near the vehicle, and while he was investigating an unnamed male came to the scene and reported that his daughter was involved in the crash, SCSO stated. The man reportedly said he was asleep when his daughter and her friend woke him up and said they were in a crash and they had walked back to the residence. The deputy then went to the residence where the...
Trailer fire shuts down portion of Rt. 267 in Loudoun County
News, Traffic

Trailer fire shuts down portion of Rt. 267 in Loudoun County

A portion of Rt. 267 eastbound was shut down for hours today, January 17, due to a trailer fire. Virginia State Police said troopers were dispatched to the scene at 9:22 a.m. A tractor-trailer had pulled over on the right shoulder approaching the Exit 2 ramp for Battlefield Parkway. According to VSP, heavy smoke coming from the rear axle of the trailer prompted the driver to stop. He was able to disconnect the trailer and separate the cab, but the flames spread through the trailer before they could be extinguished. The driver was not injured, VSP reported. (Photos: Leesburg Police Department) Leesburg Police Department also responded to assist with traffic control as the highway was shut down between Exit 1 (Leesburg Bypass) and Exit 2 (Battlefield Parkway) until shortly bef...
Northern VA measles case confirmed: Health authorities trying to notify people at risk
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Northern VA measles case confirmed: Health authorities trying to notify people at risk

Virginia Dept. of Health (VDH) announced they working to identify and notify people who may be at risk of measles after a confirmed case in Northern Virginia. VDH said a person who traveled through Northern Virginia on the way back from an international trip has been confirmed to have measles. The groups of people VDH cites as potentially exposed include those who were at Dulles International Airport in the international arrivals area of the main terminal between 4 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3. Those who were at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 4 in Terminal A between 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. may have been exposed. And VDH said individuals who were on “certain flights” are also potentially at risk. But the department did not provide details about which flights i...
Mathews Sheriff’s Office uses drug money to launch an app
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Mathews Sheriff’s Office uses drug money to launch an app

Mathews County Sheriff’s Office introduced an app “paid for by your local drug dealer.” The Sheriff's Office app is intended to be a two-way channel allowing the Sheriff’s Office to communicate with the public but also allowing individuals to communicate with police. You know that saying, “See something. Say something”? That’s what MCSO is going for with this app. MCSO said people can use the app to submit anonymous tips and report suspicious behavior. Users can even snap a picture and send it through the app. Infomation that comes through will be assigned to an investigator or deputy, MCSO stated. Furthermore, the app allow people to chat directly with a deputy. This will “hopefully stop criminal acts right in the moment,” said MCSO. And what are some examples of things tha...
Man in Stafford accused of breaking into 2 businesses by tunneling through the wall
Crime, News

Man in Stafford accused of breaking into 2 businesses by tunneling through the wall

When deputies S.M. Craig and N.D. Fonseca responded to a business alarm at 198 Tyler Von Way, the address of Auto Chiefs, they found not only signs of a break-in there but also at Carplug next door, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reported. Jerrylee Stacy Adams, a 35-year-old from Romney, WV was found at the scene, according to SCSO. He reportedly told the deputies that he worked for Auto Chiefs and was there to do some drywall work and then was going next door to buy a vehicle. SCSO said after both businesses were contacted and denied knowing anything about Adams, he was detained. Meanwhile, the officers working the scene “discovered Adams attempted to break into Auto Chiefs using a crowbar on the front door,” explained a statement from SCSO. That attempt was unsuccessful, and h...
2 trapped drivers in Amelia rescued
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2 trapped drivers in Amelia rescued

Two people had to be rescued from partially submerged vehicles in Amelia on Wednesday following a storm that came through the day before leaving many areas dealing with high water. One of those areas was the 13500 block of North Lodore Rd., which was completely underwater. Virginia State Police said at shortly after 7 a.m. they arrived at the scene where it was reported two vehicles were submerged in the water and the occupants of those vehicles were in need of being rescued. Amelia Fire called in Chesterfield, which sent members of the scuba rescue team and a member of the drone team along with Powhatan, which sent water rescue crew. According to Powhatan Fire & Rescue, the cars were caught in swiftwater currents. (Photo: Chesterfield Fire & Rescue) Two people ha...
Man arrested for making threats against Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
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Man arrested for making threats against Richmond County Sheriff’s Office

Richmond County Sheriff Stephan Smith revealed that him and members of his staff were recently the  targets of death threats. According to the Sheriff, on Christmas day, some not very merry emails began coming in to him and members of the administrative staff “by an individual claiming he was going to hunt us down and give us death by a bullet. That same individual called in a bomb threat at Food Lion in Warsaw on December 29, he added. An investigation conducted by Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Westmoreland Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest of Brian Joseph Booth, a 41-year-old man from Kinsale, an area in Westmoreland. He is charged with three counts of death or bodily injury to a person and a misdemeanor of giving false report to a law enforcement o...
Drugs and gun found at River North Correctional lands 2 women in jail
Crime, News

Drugs and gun found at River North Correctional lands 2 women in jail

A visit to River North Correctional Center, a male prison in Independence, landed two women in jail with gun and drug charges. According to VADOC, certain staff members “acted on intelligence” that someone would try to supply contraband to an inmate at the facility. On Sunday, January 7, a VADOC K-9 drew attention to an unnamed female visitor, and that led to a search of that individual’s vehicle. In the vehicle, VADOC said personnel found a 9 mm handgun with a loaded magazine along with a variety of drugs and contraband, including: A baggie containing an unknown white substance A crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine A spoon containing white residue A glove containing white powder A bottle of kratom Buprenorphine THC edibles A scale Two sy...
Delays coming on Downing Bridge to and from Tappahannock
News, Traffic

Delays coming on Downing Bridge to and from Tappahannock

Drivers on Rt. 360 crossing the Downing Bridge between Tappahannock and Richmond County should brace for about 6 weeks of delays. VDOT announced a maintenance project will begin tomorrow, January 9, that will include repairing the bridge’s aluminum railing and concrete deck. That work will reduce the two-lane bridge to a single lane with traffic alternating between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Automated flagging devices will direct the  traffic through the work zone. VDOT said there will not be lane closures on weekends. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be complete by March 2024. Follow the Watchful Eye on Twitter and Facebook Help keep news you can use coming by clicking to directly support the Watchful Eye, an independent...
2 plead guilty to attacking Richmond mailman in Mosby Court
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2 plead guilty to attacking Richmond mailman in Mosby Court

The Richmond man and woman who pled guilty this week to assaulting a mailman in Mosby Court are each facing up to 8 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of VA (EDVA) said. The incident occurred on May 22, 2023. It was about 8:40 p.m. and 21-year-old Jumeka Jones was outside on the 1900 block of Accommodation Street in Richmond with her dog unleashed while a mail carrier, identified only as J.P., was delivering mail, the court documents show. J.P., fearing for his safety, asked Jones to contain the dog, which she admitted that she declined to do. J.P sprayed dog repellant at the dog, which led to an argument between him and Jones, she acknowledged in the court documents. Quintin Morris, a 31-year-old, got involved. Court documents show he a...