Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Video released on police-involved shooting

The Fairfax County Police Department has released the body-worn camera footage from the police-involved shooting at an apartment in Fairfax on Feb. 23. When police entered the apartment in the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive shortly after 5 a.m., Chhatra Thapa, 54, had already stabbed his wife, Binda, and daughter, Mamta, and was in the … Continued

Crime declined last year in nearly all categories

Crime in Fairfax County is down in almost all categories, Police Chief Kevin Davis reports. Homicides were down 7 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, Davis said in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors’ Safety and Security Committee on March 10. There were 13 homicides last year, which was the lowest number since 2018. … Continued

Stabbing victims honored at a vigil

About a hundred people paid their respects at a vigil for the two women who were stabbed to death at their Fairfax home on Feb. 23. Chhatra Thapa, 54, brutally murdered his wife, Binda, and daughter, Mamta, with a butcher knife. He was in the process of stabbing Mamta’s husband, Santosh Basnet, when police arrived. … Continued

Nepali community seeks funds for family of stabbing victims

The Virginia Chapter of the Non-Resident Nepali Association has organized a fundraising campaign to support the remaining family of the victims of a brutal stabbing rampage by Chhatra Thapa, 54, on Feb. 23 in Fairfax. Thapa killed his wife, Binda Thapa, 52, and daughter, Mamta, 33, a nurse. When police arrived on the scene, described … Continued

Police shoot stabbing suspect on I-495

A Virginia State trooper shot a man who was stabbing people following a crash on the beltway in Annandale shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. According to multiple news reports, a man involved in a crash between the Gallows Road and Little River Turnpike exits got out of his vehicle and started stabbing … Continued

Woman arrested for carjacking

Police arrested a woman for carjacking in Bailey’s Crossroads on Feb. 12. The victim reported that a woman approached his vehicle shortly before 2 a.m. in the 5900 block of Seminary Road and asked for a ride. When the victim refused, the suspect opened the door and pulled the victim out of the vehicle. The … Continued

Brendan Banfield convicted of aggravated murder

In a case that drew national attention, Brendan Banfield was convicted of aggravated murder on Feb. 2 for killing his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced on Feb. 2. The crime occurred at the Banfield’s home in Reston on Feb. 24, 2023. The jury convicted Banfield, a law … Continued

Virginia leaders denounce ICE

Virginia’s two senators and congressional representatives from Northern Virginia are speaking out against ICE after the murders of two protestors in Minneapolis. Sen. Tim Kaine said he won’t support the House-approved appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security because it lacks “effective safeguards against ICE operations that inflame tensions within our cities, terrorize our … Continued

Man convicted of 2021 ATM murder

Winston Nathaniel Lark IV, 20, was convicted by a jury of first-degree felony murder for killing Nelson Alexander, 73, during an ATM robbery, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced Jan. 22. Lark was also convicted of using a firearm in committing a murder. In the early morning of Oct. 20, 2021, Alexander, of Falls Church, went … Continued

Police arrest two suspects for carjacking

Fairfax County Police arrested two suspects for carjacking in Annandale. On Jan. 11 at about 1:45 a.m., officers responded to the 7400 block of Little River Turnpike in Annandale for a carjacking. The victim reported that a known suspect, who had been riding inside the victim’s vehicle, brandished a firearm and demanded that he exit … Continued

Scam targets land use applicants

Fairfax County is warning the public about a new scam. People submitting applications through the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) have been receiving fraudulent emails asking for payment that appear to come from the Department of Planning and Development. These messages may reference real application numbers or upcoming hearings and may include fake invoices … Continued