Darwin Martinez Torres, 25, pleaded guilty today (Nov. 28) to raping and murdering Nabra Hassanen of Reston, according to news reports.
His trial was set for January, according to the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The prosecution agreed not to pursue the death penalty after consulting with the Hassanen’s family, NBC 4 reported.
Torres’ defense team said Torres has a learning disability and a low IQ, but that he is competent enough to take responsibility for the crime and to plead guilty to eight counts in Hassanen’s murder trial, ABC 7’s Tim Barber tweeted.
The plea deal imposes a life sentence, and he will not be eligible for probation, the Associated Press reported.
Prosecutors in the case planned to introduce evidence that Torres was a member of MS-13, though police are not saying that the crime was gang-related, according to the Washington Post.
The Washington Post also reported that Torres’ defense team planned to allege that Torres is intellectually disabled as a result of toxins in a gold mine near where he grew up in El Salvador.
Torres faces the possibility the deportation after ICE placed a detainer on Torres following his arrest.
Hassanen was attacked when she was walking with a group of Muslim teens after a Ramadan service at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling in June 2017. Fairfax County police say Hassanen was attacked with a baseball bat before she was abducted, sexually assaulted and killed.
Her body was found in a pond near Torres’ apartment.
Police said they believed the crime was not motivated by Hassanen’s religion, but by a road rage incident.
Hassanen’s death drew widespread attention, with #JusticeForNabra vigils held in Reston and across the country.
https://twitter.com/ABC7TimBarber/status/1067818916049756161
Photos via FCPD and LaunchGood.com
(Updated at 10:28 a.m.) Police arrested Osman Osman, a 37-year-old resident of Herndon, in Manhattan Beach, New York yesterday (Nov. 27) in connection with the assault and abduction of his wife and child, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“Osman was arrested in [New York] for charges related to the assault and abduction,” FCPD 2nd Lieutenant John Lieb told Reston Now. “NYPD will need to be contacted for clarification on any local charges he may face there.”
Detectives from the FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau worked with the New York City Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Task Force to locate Osman and take him into custody, the report said.
Osman is currently awaiting extradition to Fairfax County.
FCPD sought the public’s help in March to help find Osman, who was wanted at the time for two counts of abduction, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, two counts of assault on a family member, a protective order violation and transporting a firearm while subject to a protective order.
Detectives had said they believed Osman headed to New York after the assault and temporary abduction, which happened on March 24 in Chantilly.
Photo via FCPD
Birthday bash for Mark Twain — Reston Regional Library will celebrate from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the famous American humorist, who died in 1910 and would have been 183 years old on Nov. 30. [Fairfax County]
Senior movie day — The Reston Association’s “Meet Me at the Movies” will screen “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” — the 2018 documentary about Fred Rogers — at 10 a.m. with free refreshments. Tickets are free for people age 55 and older. The monthly movie event is done in cooperation with the Bow-Tie Cinemas at Reston Town Center and is sponsored by Tall Oaks Assisted Living. [Reston Association]
Paid parking lawsuit ends in a settlement — Boston Properties agreed to a settlement with Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge, bringing a close to the restaurant’s lawsuit over the mixed-use development’s paid parking system. [Faifax County Times]
Reston Rotary Club networking — The club will host a networking event tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Reston Hyatt’s bar in the lobby. [Reston Rotary Club]
Flickr pool photo via Chris Gordon
Loudoun County police arrested three Herndon residents after a traffic stop early in the morning last Saturday (Nov. 24) in Sterling.
A sheriff’s deputy stopped a car going over the posted speed limit by Atlantic Blvd and Warp Drive at 1:14 a.m., according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
The car’s driver, 19-year-old Moises A. Ayala of Manassas, was arrested and charged with possession of alcohol under 21, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving by speed and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The deputy also arrested two of the three passengers in the car — Briayan A. Navarro-Cerritos, 20, and Orlin Chirino-Hernandez, 21, who are both Herndon residents. The third passenger was a juvenile male who police released to his guardian.
Navarro-Cerritos was arrested and charged with possession of alcohol under 21, public intoxication and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Chirino-Hernandez was arrested and charged with public intoxication and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
All three males were released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on unsecured bonds, the report said.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, clothing, shoes and speaker from residence
1000 block of Cedar Chase Court, jewelry from residence
11900 block of Market Street, wallet from location
11800 block of Spectrum Center, cell phone from location
1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, license plate from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
On Monday, Herndon police charged a 20-year-old Herndon man with first-degree murder for the death of a 40-year-old Herndon resident in May.
As we reported yesterday, police arrested a Reston man on Friday after determining that he had fired his handgun several times into the air from his porch. He was charged with reckless handling of a firearm and shooting in a public place.
Photo via FCPD
Starting today on Giving Tuesday, the Reston Historic Trust & Museum is taking on a challenge to get 25 new donors in 25 days via an app.
Alexandra Campbell, the executive director of the Reston Historic Trust & Museum, told Reston Now the museum partnered in October with RoundUp App, which lets users select nonprofits to give tax-deductible donations to.
RoundUp will give the museum a $1,000 bonus if 25 new donors sign up in the app between Nov. 27 and Dec. 21.
Three people have signed up so far and donated, she said.
The app can be used on computers or iOS and Android mobile devices.
“Donations are critical for us,” Campbell said. “Having individual donations supports our mission and helps us share Reston history with the community.”
The free museum relies on contributions from the community, which help fund the free educational and public programming.
While the museum has annual and lifetime membership programs, the app is a way to encourage smaller donations from individuals. “We’re trying to engage with the community in a different way with smaller donations,” Campbell said.
Social media and the email listserv are the focus for getting the word out about the app, she said, along with publicizing it at the museum’s big events. Campbell said she hopes the app grows as a funding source.
The museum is currently running a separate online campaign to raise money for a permanent exhibit featuring the Lakeside Pharmacy icons on Lake Anne’s Washington Plaza.
The GoFundMe donations will go toward cleaning, repairing and installing the icons, which were donated to the Reston Historic Trust & Museum.
We launched a new app that lets people support us by donating their change. We’re trying to sign up 25 new change donors in 25 days, which will earn us a $1,000 bonus – Please consider signing up to donate spare change! https://t.co/ELyQfSSQFN pic.twitter.com/nKBqZHT2yy
— Reston Museum (@RestonMuseum) November 27, 2018
Photo via iTunes store
#GivingTuesday is today — In the spirit of season, The Connection has rounded up places to drop off clothing and food donations in the area. [The Connection]
Work off the Thanksgiving feast — Reston Runners plans to meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. for a 50-minute workout at the Onelife Fitness gym in Isaac Newton Square. [Reston Runners]
Ways to end “wishful recycling” — These five tips are meant to help residents stop throwing trash in the recycling bin. [Fairfax County]
Reston-based Virid makes Tech 100 list — The 2018 Northern Virginia Technology Council last week listed Virid, which provides eCommerce solutions for growing retail brands, in its top 100 tech companies of the year. [Northern Virginia Technology Council]
Flickr pool photo via Reston2020
Yesterday, police charged a 20-year-old Herndon resident with first-degree murder, according to the Herndon Police Department.
Herndon police said they found the victim, Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, of Herndon, dead on the morning of May 25 at the 400 block of Patrick Lane.
Police said Castillo sustained trauma to the upper body that resulted in his death.
Police arrested and charged Denis Castillo Hernandez on Monday (Nov. 26). He is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Hernandez was arrested earlier this year.
In June, Fairfax County police arrested and charged him with aggravated malicious assault in connection to a stabbing. The stabbing happened on the 1300 block of Parcher Avenue on May 31, police said.
Photo via Herndon Police Department
A Reston man was arrested and charged with reckless handling of a firearm and shooting in a public place on Friday, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police responded to a report of gunshots in the 2200 block of Cocquina Drive at 5:49 p.m. on Nov. 23. A witness then directed the officers to the house where the shots had been fired.
Officers instructed everyone inside the house to come out, which they did “without incident,” according to the report.
Police say they then arrested and charged Manuel De Jesus Cruz, 45, of Reston, after determining he had fired his handgun several times into the air from his porch.
Photo via FCPD
An organization combatting food insecurity with an app is looking to serve more people in and around Reston
Food Rescue US uses an app to target local sites around the country, including Victorville, Calif.; Miami, Fla.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and New Haven, Conn.
Here’s how the app works — restaurants, grocers and food providers can list surplus food for donation. Then, volunteers follow directions in the app for picking up and dropping off the food to receiving agencies like food pantries and community kitchens, which indicate in the app what they need.
Kate Urbank, the D.C. site director for Food Rescue, told Reston Now that the D.C.-area community started in October 2016. Since then, the efforts have helped redistribute nearly one million pounds of food. “We get hundreds of pounds a day,” Urbank said, adding that donors include Capital One and Boeing.
Last year, Food Rescue started bringing food to the Embry Rucker Community Shelter from mortgage giant Freddie Mac, which has food prepared by FLIK Hospitality.
The Reston nonprofit Cornerstones (11150 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 210), which provides support for people in need of food, shelter, affordable housing and other services, helps to operate the shelter at 11975 Bowman Towne Drive.
Volunteers pick up food five days a week from Freddie Mac and then drop off at the shelter twice a week. As the site director, Urbank operates the app, determining the type of food, amount and proximity for volunteers to take to receiving locations.
The app has had the “hottest growth” in Northern Virginia, which currently has 50 active volunteers with five from Reston and two from Herndon, Urbank said.
“I’m very open to branching off the Northern Virginia piece,” Urbank said. “It’s so ripe.”
Urbank said that she met with Food for Others, an organization in Fairfax that helps distribute food., as she looks to expand the efforts in Northern Virginia. Last week, she hired a woman in Tysons who will help with community outreach in the area.
Ultimately, Food Rescue US aims to reach all 50 states, Urbank said.
Photo via iTunes store
(Editor’s note: This story was updated Monday at 2 p.m. to clarify where the collected food items went.)
Giving Tuesday is right around the corner, and one Reston-based company got a head start.
The Goal, a technology-based consulting firm, collected more than 500 food items in its annual food drive, the company posted today (Nov. 26) on social media.
The food will go to the Reston Community Center’s Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit Cornerstones, a local nonprofit organization. The items gathered by the employees, known as “Goalies,” include cans of yams, potatoes and Campbell soup.
Founded in 2002, The Goal is headquartered in Reston at 11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 920. The company’s services include software development, cybersecurity and data solutions.
The donation is meant to help people living in poverty, the company tweeted said.
Our Goalies collected over 500 food items in our annual food drive benefiting the Reston Community Center! Our donation is helping those living in poverty in Northern VA! #proudtobetg #tg https://t.co/AMKelOf0kR
— The Goal (@the_goal_) November 26, 2018
Photo via The Goal/Instagram
This story has been updated.
A Toys for Tots drive is coming to town to bring presents to low-income kids.
Locals can drop off new, unwrapped toys in building lobbies around Reston Town Center this Thursday.
The charity toy drive benefits Toys for Tots and is held in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s annual campaign. The drive runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 7.
On the final day, a special collection event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the pavilion.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department began its toy drive last Monday (Nov. 19). The collection is part of the Annual National Capital Region Fire and EMS Departments’ 2018 Toys for Tots campaign.
Fire stations will accept checks made payable to “TOYS FOR TOTS” and new, unwrapped toy donations until Dec. 12.
The nearby stations are located at:
- 1820 Wiehle Avenue, Reston
- 2610 Reston Parkway, Herndon
- 1117 Reston Avenue, Herndon
Last year, the department collected more than 14,000 toys, according to the website.
Thanks to everyone who has already dropped off toys for #ToysForTots at our fire stations! Boxes already filling up. On this #CyberMonday if purchasing gifts, please consider purchasing a toy to donate to a needy child. #fcfrd #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/HvrfLGdpCW
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) November 26, 2018
Photo via Marine Toys for Tots Foundation/Facebook
Start planning for summer — Registration for YMCA summer camp started over the weekend. [YMCA]
What’s the update on the Silver Line? — With openings pushed back, construction on the Silver Line extension could wrap up as soon as fall of next year. [WTOP]
Turkeys found a home at Reston farm — Thanksgiving may be over, but here is some fun trivia — some turkeys pardoned by presidents wound up on a farm in Reston. [The Washington Post]
Be careful with those space heaters — As the weather gets colder, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue wants to make sure residents stay safe and warm. This video from the Federal Emergency Management Agency teaches portable heater safety. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Photo via Ray Copson
Reston-based Refraction is eyeing larger office space in the area in preparation for an expansion that will add 800 jobs in the next five years.
Currently located in Reston Town Center, Refraction plans to use a portion of the recent $1 million investment from Fairfax County toward securing new office space.
The county’s Board of Supervisors approved the use of the economic development funds yesterday (Nov. 20) for the company’s expansion.
Founded in 2014, Refraction (11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 850) is a coworking community for startups and high-growth companies. The “innovation hub” provides educational programs, along with networking and mentoring events. Currently, more than 55 companies are a part of the Refraction community.
Esther Lee, CEO of Refraction, said conversations about the move started a few months ago. Refraction wants to keep its Reston roots in order to strengthen the area’s “innovation ecosystem” by encouraging companies in its coworking space to stay and add new jobs.
A report by the Brookings Institution last year found that the D.C.-area has had the biggest loss of digital tech jobs in a five-year span compared to 50 other cities with large digital employment.
Lee called the report “alarming” and said she wants to see Refraction take an active role in boosting job growth in the region. “We want to grow the future Googles and Amazons of the world,” Lee said.
Refraction is looking to move to an office space in Reston that it roughly 25,000 square-feet in the next three to six months, she said, adding that finding a new location, receiving tenant approval and signing the lease all take time.
Refraction is working with Boston Properties to find another space in Reston Town Center.
The move to the larger space affects the launch of the Refraction’s apprenticeship program it is currently developing with the Northern Virginia Community College.
The apprenticeship, which is supported by the funding from the county, train workers for startups and high-growth companies. The goal is to launch the program early next year, Lee said.
“Lots of companies have a hard time hiring people with the right skill sets,” she said. “Many kids coming right out of college haven’t had startup experience.”
Photo via Refraction/Facebook
(Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. to correct information from a Fairfax County press release that incorrectly said the Board of Supervisors approved the project on Nov. 20. The board held a public hearing and decided to defer a decision on the redevelopment until their Dec. 4 meeting.)
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on yesterday on Woodfield Acquisitions’ redevelopment of Roland Clarke Place.
The hearing came days after the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved a series of proffers for the redevelopment last Thursday (Nov. 15). The county’s board is set to make a decision on the redevelopment at their meeting on Dec. 4.
The development would replace a vacant, two-story office building at 1941 Roland Clarke Place with a 308-unit residential complex just south of the Dulles Toll Road.
The seven-story apartment building would be about a mile between the Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center Metro stations. Plans for the building include two interior courtyards, an outdoor pool, seating on a third-floor patio and a 409-space, eight-level parking garage behind the building. About one-third of the new development is slated to remain as open space.
The existing office buildings on the site were constructed in the early 1980s. In 2008, the redevelopment of the buildings was planned into three new office buildings, but the plan was never implemented.
Nearby, two other residential developments are happening along Sunrise Valley Drive. On the east side of Roland Clarke Place, Sekas Homes is building a townhouse community. On the west side, Toll Brothers is adding 54 townhouses in its Valley and Park development.
Photos via Fairfax County Government
This story has been updated
Crafthouse, a Northern Virginia-focused eatery, is helping families affected by the wildfires in California.
The three Crafthouse locations in Fairfax, Reston and Arlington will donate 10 percent of all bottled beer purchases to the American Red Cross, which has a fund set up for California wildfire aid.
Two wildfires burning across California this month have claimed at least 84 lives, and one of the fires is now the deadliest and most destructive one in the state’s history, according to news reports.
The restaurant posted on Facebook that the donations started last Thursday (Nov. 15) and will continue through Dec. 15.
Owner Evan Matz told Reston Now he got the idea after watching the news. “I felt so bad, and I wanted to be able to do something,” he said.
Matz said he has family near Calabasas, Calif. — they’re safe– and knows firsthand the displacement and destruction caused by natural disasters. He said his family had to move temporarily when Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana, hit in 1992.
Patrons have started expressing support for the donations, Matz said. “Instead of the draft beer, they buy the bottles instead,” he said.
Crafthouse’s Reston spot is at 1888 Explorer Street.
Photos via Crafthouse/Facebook
