Police: 'Click It or Ticket' Campaign Underway

Seat belt enforcement campaign to continue through Sunday.

Prince William County police have joined with other area police departments by joining in with the "Click It or Ticket" campaign through June 3.  In a release, the department announced it would participate in high-visibility patrols day and night. The campaign started May 21. Seat belts are mandatory in Virginia for all persons riding in the front seat. Virginia car seat laws also state that: • All children under the age of 8 must ride in a secured safety seat that’s federally approved. • Children between the ages of 8 and 15 must use a safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt no matter where in the vehicle the child is riding. • It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure all children age 15 and under are properly secured. "We will do …

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Four Wanted in Dale City Rec Center Robbery

Teen made arrangements through social media to buy shoes.

A 15-year-old Woodbridge boy’s cell phone and money were allegedly stolen from him May 9 after he made arrangements through social media to buy shoes at the Dale City Recreation Center. The teen told police he made arrangements to meet the unknown man for an in-person purchase. Police reports said the man arrived in a vehicle and while the teen was speaking to the man, three other unknown males emerged from a vehicle. Prince William County Police public information officer Jonathan Perok said one of the men allegedly displayed a handgun and ordered the teen to the ground, took his phone and money before getting into the vehicle and fleeing. No injuries were reported, police responded to the recreation center at 3:25 p.m. on May 9. The men …

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Three Arrested in Strong Armed Robberies

Information comes from the Prince William County Police department. Where charges or arrests are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Police have tied together three robberies in the 2000 block of Daniel Stuart Square. According to police reports, several callers reported to police that a group of males were robbing numerous juveniles in the shopping area. Prince William County Police Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok said the investigation revealed that the group of males had robbed the victims independently.  The first victim, a 14-year-old Woodbridge boy, told police a group approached him, threatened him and demanded his watch. A second victim, a 15-year-old Woodbridge boy, told police he was approached by the same group who took his iPod touch. A third victim, 14, told police the group approached him and took a pair of headphones. No injuries were reported …

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Woodbridge Man Charged with Inert Explosive Device Hoax

Prince William County police have arrested and charged a Woodbridge man in conjunction with an incident that closed Aden Road in Nokesville Thursday. The following information came from Prince William County Police Department.

Editor's Note 8:04 p.m.: Prince William County Police issued a correction in their original release of information about the charges against the suspect at 5:49 p.m. The change has been updated in the charges.  A Woodbridge man was charged with manufacturing a hoax explosive device, a felony charge, after police shut down Aden Road Thursday. Police reported to the 14100 block of Aden Road in Nokesville, VA for a suspicious package after a caller had reported to police that he had encountered an unknown man in the area.  “Once there, the accused attempted to hand the caller, what appeared to be, an explosive device,” said Prince William County Police Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok. “The caller refused to accept it, at which point…

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Woodbridge Crime: Man Robbed from Vehicle on Telegraph Road

The following information comes from the Prince William County Police Department.

Police are looking for man that allegedly robbed a driver at the intersection behind Target on Tuesday morning. Police reports said a 48-year-old Woodbridge man was driving in the area of Telegraph Road and Morse Lane when he stopped to make a turn. “As he was stopped, the victim stated he was then approached by an unknown man, who exited the passenger side of a vehicle parked on the nearby shoulder,” said Prince William County Police Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok of the robbery. “The man initially asked the victim for directions but then brandished a handgun an demanded money.” The man allegedly took money from the victim, ran back to the vehicle and fled the area. Police said the victim was only able to provide a description …

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Ask an Officer

Ask an Officer: Playing in the Street, Strip Searches, Sworn Officers

Your questions answered by Prince William County Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok.

If you have questions for the Prince William County police department, we'll pass them along to Officer Jonathan Perok and First Sgt. Kim Chinn, public information officers with the department. Questions can be asked anonymously. Submit your questions to us via e-mail at laurenj at patch.com, by posting a comment on this article, or by sending us a Tweet or a message on our Facebook page.  Question: Can children play in the street? I see kids playing ball, riding skateboards and bikes all the time. I thought skateboarders and bike riders had to follow the same rules of traffic? Skateboarders, laying down on their boards, are the most dangerous.  Answer: To answer the first part of your question – according to county code section 13-408a, “…

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Lauren Jost

9:31 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Linda, The answers to your questions are here: http://woodbridge-va.patch.com/articles/ask-an-officer-kids-playing-in-the-street-crash-info   more ›

Woodbridge Crime: Man Charged With Burglary to Commit Murder

The following information comes from the Prince William County Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

A 25-year-old Woodbridge man has been charged with burglary to commit murder and malicious wounding following a domestic situation over the weekend. On April 15 at 1:02 a.m., Prince William County Police were called to the 3400 block of Belfry Lane where a 25-year-old Woodbridge woman told police she was inside her residence when the accused entered through an unlocked door. The victim identified Alex Isaul Aldana, a known acquaintance, as the suspect. “At one point, the accused knocked the victim to the ground, choked and attempted to suffocate her,” said Prince William County Police Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok said of the investigation into the domestic incident. “The victim was able to fight the accused off who then fled …

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Violent Crime Rates Down Significantly in 2011

The number of criminal arrests increased slightly.

The rate of violent crimes in the county fell by 20.7 percent in 2011, and the overall crime rate also declined, Prince William County Chief of Police Charlie Deane reported today.  "The rate of crime in all categories is down," he said.   In 15 years, the county's population has increased from nearly 265,000 to over 409,000, but the crime rate per 1000 residents has dropped from about 32 in 1997 to about 17.5 in 2011.  With three murders last year, murder was down by 66.6 percent, from nine murders in 2010. The highest number of murders in the county in recent years was 16 in 2006. "What we've always seen is the number of murders each year has fluctuated dramatically," Deane said.  Rape was down 13.2 percent, from 53 reported in 2010 to …

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Updated: Red Flag, Fire Warning for Northern Virginia

NWS said critical fire conditions exist.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag fire warning from noon through 8 p.m. on Tuesday.  A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions exist now or will be occuring later in the day. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create "explosive fire growth potential" said NWS. Winds are forecast to be 15 to 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 35 miles per hour.   A fire weather watch is also in effect from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday evening. 

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