TWO BATTLEFIELD CHAMPIONS: Brandon Wittenberg and Beau Curtis shined at states. Sports, Page 7 February 20, 2019 | Vol. 18, No. 8 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Four local priests ‘credibly accused’ of sex abuse Arlington diocese names 16 priests cited since 1974
ocese of Arlington and the Diocese of Richmond. Prince William County is included in the Diocese of Arlington, which covers 21 counties and seven cities in northern and central Virginia. The Diocese of Arlington posted the names of 16 clergy members who met one of three criteria: they admitted guilt; their guilt was determined in a criminal or civil court or by an ecclesiastical process; or the Arlington or Richmond Diocesan Review Board found an allegation against them to be credible, according to the Diocese of Arlington. The names were made public ahead of the summit on preventing clergy sex abuse, which Pope Francis is leading in Rome this week. Organizers are calling Pope Fran-
By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Four priests who served Catholic parishes in Prince William County were included among the 58 clergy members who church officials say have been “credibly accused of sexual abuse” against a minor. The full list was released publicly for the first time Feb. 13 by the two Catholic dioceses in Virginia: the Di-
cis’ summit, which begins Thursday, a “turning point” in the church’s treatment of sexual abuse. The meeting is said to focus is on church leaders’ ongoing responsibilities in the wake of the now-decades old crisis. Angela Pellerano, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, said Bishop Michael Burbidge’s release of the local priests’ names was not tied to the summit or any other event but rather in response to a request from the local Diocesan Review Board to make the names public. Some of the priests who served local churches have been the subject of press releases or news reports over the years. But the Feb. 13 list was the first time the Arlington Diocese released a comprehensive accounting of all its priests
who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Those who served Prince William parishes include: Tran Dinh Nhi, who served as pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City from 2000 to 2005. Nhi was accused of sexually abusing two minor girls between 1975 and 1980, according to a report in the Catholic Herald. In 2006, Nhi was removed from public ministry, according to the diocese. A review board found the accusation of sexual abuse against him was credible. “He remains removed from public ministry pending a final determination of his canonical status,” the diocese said. See PRIESTS, Page 3
Hundreds gather to remember John Jenkins By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
PHOTO BY KEITH WALKER/PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY
Officers from Prince William County’s fire and rescue, police and sheriff’s departments escort Neabsco District Supervisor John D. Jenkins’ casket from the Hylton Memorial Chapel after a memorial service Wednesday, Feb. 13. INSIDE Calendar.............................................10 Classified............................................14 Lifestyle................................................9 News....................................................2
John Douglas Jenkins, Prince William County’s longest-serving supervisor, was remembered during a Feb. 13 memorial service as a dedicated military officer, a loving husband, father and grandfather and a “gentle giant,” who had a heart for public service. Several hundred people attended a threehour memorial service for Jenkins held at the Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge. Jenkins, a Democrat, represented the Neabsco District on the county board since 1982. He died Wednesday, Feb. 6, after battling pneumonia, which he contracted after having knee-joint-replacement surgery in October. He was 79. See JENKINS, Page 2
Obituaries...........................................13 Opinion.................................................5 Real Estate..........................................12 Sports...................................................7
86 WARRENTON, VA
703.754.3301 appletoncampbell.com
No Bones About It…
We
Our Customers!
AC PrinceWilliamGainesvilleTimes_StripAd.indd 1
Timely profess, knowledgea ble, ion Charle al. s B. (N okesvil le) Quick response and very professional! -Laura M. (Fairfax Station)
12/27/18 11:18 AM
2
NEWS / FROM PAGE 1
Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | February 20, 2019
Special election to fill supervisor’s term in limbo Parties scramble to nominate candidates for April contest By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors’ effort to fill the late John Jenkins’ seat before the board considers both its budget and a possible bond referendum this spring sent local Democrats scrambling this week to nominate a candidate for an April special election. Whether the contest to fill Jenkins’ term will happen on April 2 or April 9 was still up in the air as of press time. The supervisors voted on Tuesday, Feb. 12 – the day before Jenkins’ memorial service – to ask Prince William Circuit Court Chief Judge Tracy Hudson to issue a writ of election for April 2. Several factors led the board to settle on April 2, including the June 11 primary. Special elections can’t be held fewer than 60 days before a primary. But if the board waits until after the primary, the special election can’t be held fewer than 30 or more than 45 days afterward. As a result, the special election can be held either before April 12 or
between July 11 and Aug. 10. Supervisors Marty Nohe, R-Coles, and Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, said the board hoped to have an interim supervisor in the seat before the April 9 public hearing on the 2020 budget. But the choice of April 2 proved problematic almost immediately after the supervisors requested the date. Hudson issued the writ for the election on Wednesday, Feb. 13. That triggered a five-day deadline – Tuesday, Feb. 19 – for the local political parties to select their candidates, as stipulated by law for special elections scheduled in fewer than 60 days. Jenkins’ widow, Ernestine Jenkins, objected immediately, according to several people familiar with discussions around the event, because she is traveling to Alabama this week for her husband’s burial and will not return until Sunday, Feb. 24. Jenkins is chairwoman of the Neabsco District Democratic Committee and is said to be considering a run for the seat. She could not be reached for comment last week. Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At Large, said the board was not initially aware of the five-day deadline when they requested the April 2 date and regretted leaving Ernestine Jenkins without an opportunity to play a role in picking a candidate to fill her husband’s term.
“John Jenkins is being put into the ground on Monday,” Stewart said. “It’s just very, very disrespectful to his family” to force a primary so soon. Stewart pledged Saturday to lead a new vote Feb. 19 to ask Hudson to vacate the original writ and reschedule the special election for April 9. Stewart further said he would ask Hudson not to sign the writ until Thursday, Feb. 21, which would set the new deadline of Tuesday, Feb. 26 for picking candidates. Still, the Prince William County Democratic Committee, concerned those plans could fall through, rushed to organize a one-hour, “firehouse primary,” originally set for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, to nominate a candidate by the initial 5 p.m. filing deadline – if necessary, according to Tonya James, senior vice chair of the Prince William County Democratic Committee. But that event was called off Monday after state party officials refused to grant the committee a waiver to hold the caucus with less than seven days’ notice. Party officials objected to the plan to allow only one hour of voting, according to DPVA Political Director Shyam Raman. The local GOP also called a meeting Tuesday, Feb. 19 in hopes of naming or at least endorsing a candidate, said committee Chairman Bill Card.
Hundreds gather to remember John Jenkins PRIESTS, from Page 1 The service, steeped in his family’s Christian faith, reflected the duality of Jenkins’ public and personal life. Speakers included two Virginia congressmen: U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D) and U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-11th; as well as two state legislators: Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-29th, and Del. Luke Torian, D-52nd. Local government officials were represented by Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At Large, and Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, R-Potomac. All praised Jenkins’ service to his country and his community, but also thanked him and his wife, Ernestine, for their decades of friendship. They noted the two were most commonly seen together, comprising a “dy-
ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Published every Wednesday by Piedmont Media LLC How to reach us ADDRESS: 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 PHONE: 540-347-4222 FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 24-hour answering service Publisher Catherine M. Nelson, 540-300-4780 cnelson@fauquier.com NEWSROOM Managing Editor Jill Palermo, 540-351-0431 jpalermo@fauquier.com Web/Copy Editor Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 aheincer@fauquier.com
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D) shares memories of “old school politicking” with his friend of 30 years, the late Supervisor John Jenkins, who was honored during a memorial service Wednesday, Feb. 13.
namic duo” who worked side-by-side on everything from Dale City’s annual July 4 parade to various campaigns in support of Virginia Democrats. “Your dad was the colonel. But for many of us – at least those in Democratic politics – your mom has always been the general,” Warner told Jenkins’ three sons during his remarks.
PHOTO BY KEITH WALKER/PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY
‘You are my Sunshine’
Jenkins was also eulogized by his family. Sons Warren, Mark and Gordon described their father as a “principled man” who was loyal and generous but set high standards for his kids. Jenkins’ 26 grandchildren and great-grandchildren took the stage to tell stories of their grandfather’s love of country music and his efforts to be involved in each of their lives. Together, they sang the song they
Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540-351-1635 asherman@fauquier.com Associate Editor John Toler, 540-351-0487 jtoler@fauquier.com Staff Writers James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com Karen Chaffraix, kchaffraix@fauquier.com Sports Editor Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com Sports Staff Writer Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 jmalmgren@fauquier.com ADVERTISING Ad Manager Kathy Mills Godfrey, 540-351-1162 kgodfrey@fauquier.com Classified Sales Consultant Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jcobert@fauquier.com
To place Classified and Employment ads: Call 540351-1664 or fax 540-3498676, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday — Friday or email fauquierclassifieds@fauquier. com Chairman Emeritus George R. Thompson SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 540-347-4222 Help with your subscription? Call 540-878-2413 or email CirculationFT@fauquier.com Missed your paper? Call 540-347-4222, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays Subscription: $39.95 per year within the United States. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fauquier Times, 41 Culpeper St., Warrenton, VA 20186. Periodicals postage paid at Warrenton, Va. and at additional mailing offices
As of press time, the local Dems had set their sights on nominating caucus held sometime over the Feb. 23-24 weekend as long as Hudson changes the date. That would allow Ernestine Jenkins to help select a Democratic candidate or run for the interim seat if she wants to, which is something she is considering, according to Keith Scarborough, a local Democratic leader and secretary of the Prince William Electoral Board. “Whatever she ends up doing – whether she wants to run or not – at least she can be involved in the process,” Scarborough said Monday. So far, only Don Shaw, who is chairman of the Prince William Democratic Committee, has publicly announced an interest to run for the seat. On Saturday, Shaw said he would wait to have a conversation with Ernestine Jenkins “to get her blessing” before formally declaring his candidacy. What happens if Hudson declines the supervisors’ request to reschedule the election? Candidates – regardless of party nomination – would still have had to file the necessary paperwork with the state department of elections by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, according to a candidate bulletin posted Monday. Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com
said they heard most often from their grandfather: “You Are My Sunshine.” Warren and Mark Jenkins talked about what it was like to grow up with a parent who split his time between family and public service. During their childhood years, Jenkins was in the U.S. Army and served two tours in Vietnam, the last of which occurred in 1968, when Warren, the oldest, was just 8. Jenkins was appointed to the board of supervisors in 1982, nine years after he settled his family in Dale City. The Jenkins family moved to Prince William County in 1973 when John Jenkins was stationed at the Pentagon. He retired from the military in 1980 as a lieutenant colonel. Warren Jenkins said his dad taught his children that “love was action.” “Dad made friends with so many different people. He had friendships that lasted and ran deep,” Warren Jenkins said. “He said ‘I love you’ with a helping hand – often to people who had never seen that before,” said Warren Jenkins.
‘His was a life of service’
Warner praised Jenkins’ years of
service and his support for public education. “There are literally thousands of children who are going to better Prince William County schools because for decades John Jenkins chose to make education a priority,” Warner said. Connolly said Jenkins was “the epitome” of a public servant. “If you want to give lie to the notion that all politicians are in it for themselves or are crooked, take a look at John Jenkins,” Connolly said. “His was a life of service. Look around you. This is what community is. He not only served this community, he helped build it.” McPike, a native of Dale City, recalled meeting Jenkins when he threw out the first pitch to open youth baseball seasons. “He was a giant. … and I wasn’t the only kid who grew up looking at John that way,” McPike said. “He’s meant so much to so many people in Prince William County,” McPike said, noting the Jenkins’ family is large but includes more than those who are related to him. “If you believe as I do, today we’re all Jenkinses.” Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com
NEWS / FROM PAGE 1
Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | February 20, 2019
Yorkshire man assaulted with electric-shock device in home-invasion robbery A Gainesville man and two women, from Centreville and Fairfax, were arrested Sunday after a Yorkshire-area home-invasion robbery during which a man was assaulted by an electric-shock device and then robbed, according to Prince William County poMicheal lice. Anthony Adamo Officers were called to the 7500 block of Prince Cole Court at 4:40 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, after a 31-year-old man reported two people entered his apartment without permission Jordan Mary through an unlocked Crawford door and proceeded to hit him with an electric-shock device before robbing him, according to Officer Nathan Probus, spokesman for the Prince William County Police Department. Officers determined the victim knew the suspects, and the incident was not random. The victim suffered minor injuries during the robbery, Probus said in a news release. Officers detained three suspects without incident at an apartment on Yountville Drive in Gainesville. Police recovered the stolen property as well as an undisclosed amount of heroin, prescription drugs and marijuana after executing a search warrant on the apartment and
a vehicle, the news release said. Michael Anthony Adamo, 24, of Gainesville, and Jordan Mary Crawford, 20, of Fairfax, were arrested and charged with robbery, burglary while armed and drug charges in connection with the incident. Another occupant of the apartment, Kindra Lee Harrison, 24, of Centreville was charged with drug possession. Adamo and Crawford were being held without bond Monday at the Prince William County jail. Harrison was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
Additional arrest made in 2017 murder Prince William County this week made another arrest in connection to the killing of an 18-year-old man whose remains were found in Nokesville in 2017, the police department announced. Miguel Angel Ruiz Carrillo’s body was discovered in the area of Nokesville Road and Fauquier Drive in Nokesville on Aug. 22, 2017. He was initially reported missing to Fairfax County police earlier that month, Prince William County police said in a Feb. 12 news release. On Monday, Feb. 11, detectives identified and charged an additional suspect in connection with Ruiz Carrillo’s killing, the news release said. The suspect, identified only as an 18-year-old man, has been incarcerated at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on unrelated charged and was served with warrants there charging him with murder for Ruiz Carrillo’s death. He was transported to the Prince William County Adult Detention Center overnight, police said. The man’s name was not released because he was a juvenile at the time
3
Woodbridge man sentenced for sex trafficking Staff Reports A Woodbridge man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison in connection with sex-trafficking young women held against their will at Dumfries and Springfield-area motels in 2017 and being in possession of a firearm as a felon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Cornell Devore Rhymes, 32, conspired with others, including Justin Robinson and Markus Plummer, who were previously convicted, to force and coerce young women into commercial sex work during August 2017, U.S. Department of Justice prosecutors said in the news release. Over a period of about three months, Rhymes and the other men “recruited young women, including a minor, into commercial sex work,” prosecutors said. “The men advertised the women for sex acts, set their ‘dates’ and collected and retained the profits,” the news release said. The men’s crimes came to light after one of their victims, a 16-year-old
female runaway, managed to escape from the Motel 6 in Dumfries and contact police, who rescued her at the motel, according to court documents. Before his trial, Rhymes pleaded guilty to the firearm charge after law-enforcement officers executed a search warrant and seized a gun from his home. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents, and detectives from the Fairfax County, Arlington County, Prince William County, Leesburg and Alexandria City Police departments, the Loudoun County and Fauquier County sheriff’s offices, Washington Metropolitan Police, George Mason University Police, the United States Marshal’s Service and agents of various Office of Inspector Generals. This case was brought to the task force by the Prince William County Police Department as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
of the offense, police said. Several other suspects have been charged in connection with Ruiz Carrillo’s killing. In 2017, police charged Hector Armando Gamez-Amaya, 28, of Georgia; Tomas Antonio Pino-Mejia, 19, of no fixed address; and Ismael Antonio Hernandez-Navarro, 19, of no fixed address, with first-degree mur-
der for Ruiz Carrillo’s death. All three were later directly indicted on charges of criminal gang participation. Pino-Mejia is set to stand trial beginning April 1. Gamez-Amaya’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5, and Hernandez-Navarro is set to stand trial on Sept. 16, according to online court records.
Four local priests ‘credibly accused’ of sex abuse
PRIESTS, from Page 1
William J. Erbacher, who served as pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manassas from 1993 to 1997, according to press reports. The Diocese of Arlington reported in 2018 that it received notice from a Louisiana diocese that Erbacher had been accused of the sexual abuse of a minor in 1974. Erbacher denied the allegation. The Diocese of Arlington said it had no knowledge of the accusation at the time Erbacher was admitted to the seminary or ordained a priest. Erbacher was removed from active ministry in 2001 and directed in 2010 to live “a life of prayer and penance” as a result his being found guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor, the diocese said. Andrew Krafcik was defrocked in 2004 in connection with a charge of child abuse in Henrico County in 1984. At the time, Krafcik was sentenced by the court to counseling instead of jail and continued in the priesthood until he retired in 1996. Krafcik lived in retirement at Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City from 1996 to 2002, according to a 2004 Associated Press report. Krafcik also served for a time at Sacred Heart in Manassas, but Pellerano declined to disclose when he was assigned to Sacred Heart, citing privacy concerns. Kevin Downey, O.F.M., served as
pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Triangle from July 2011 to May 2016, according to an April 2017 statement from Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province in New York. Downey was placed on a leave of absence in May 2016 and removed from all public ministries in 2017 after a complaint of alleged misconduct with a minor was made against him. The statement did not say where or when the abuse occurred.
List stems from 2018 review
In September 2018, Burbidge commissioned a new, “thorough review of the files of all priests and deacons who have ever served in [the Arlington] diocese, including those who are deceased or no longer living here,” said a fact sheet accompanying the release. The review was conducted by two former FBI agents and followed previous reviews of clergy personnel files conducted in 2003 and 2011. In a letter accompanying the announcement, Burbidge wrote: “The publishing of this list will bring a range of emotions for all of us. Embarrassment, frustration, anger and hurt are all natural emotions to experience in a time such as this. I share those emotions.” Burbidge also said he remains open to meeting with victims and survivors of abuse by members of the clergy.
“Having met with numerous victims and survivors of sexual abuse, both in group settings and in individual meetings, I continue to be inspired by your strength and your resolve,” Burbridge wrote. “I am deeply sorry for what has happened to you.” No priest who is still practicing in active ministry has been credibly accused of sexual abuse, the diocese said.
State investigation continues
In October, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) announced that his office and the Virginia State Police would investigate sexual abuse within the Richmond
and Arlington dioceses. Herring’s action came after a grand jury in Pennsylvania found “credible” evidence that more than 300 “predator priests” in Pennsylvania sexually abused more than 1,000 children since the 1940s. Virginia is one of 13 states that have launched investigations. The Virginia State Police have set up a toll-free hotline at 1-833-4549064 and a website, www.virginiaclergyhotline.com, to take reports about child sexual abuse by clergy. Capital News Service reporters Emily Holter and Rodney Robinson contributed to this report.
Warrenton Urgent Care Center Local Care When You Need It
Warrenton Urgent Care
EXTENDED HOURS! Now Open 8 - 8 Mon - Fri • 8 - 5, Sat & Sun
(540) 351-0662
75 W Lee Hwy • Warrenton, VA
Oak Springs Plaza - Just below Giant Foods