FINNERTY HEADED TO NOKESVILLE: After seven successful years at Liberty, Sean Finnerty is coming to Patriot. Sports, Page 11
December 19, 2018 | Vol. 17, No. 51 | 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.
Judge sentences 21-year-old to life in prison for murders of YouthQuest counselors Program for at-risk young adults operated in Lake Ridge apartments By Amanda Heincer Times Staff Writer
A 21-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2016 murders of two youth-support counselors at his independent living program in Lake Ridge, a Prince William Circuit Court judge ruled Friday. At a Dec. 14 sentencing hearing, Judge Tracy Hudson sentenced Ronald Francis Dorsey to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of Lizeth Lopez, 36, and Erica Hickson, 37. The women were counselors at YouthQuest, an independent-living program for at-risk young adults transitioning out of foster care and juvenile-justice system. It was housed in the Dominion Middle Ridge apartment complex on Creekview Circle in Lake Ridge but shuttered shortly after the Dorsey was arrested for the murders in August 2016.
The women were killed about three months apart. Dorsey was a 19-yearold resident of one of the YouthQuest apartments at the time, authorities said. Dorsey pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in July 2017. His sentencing hearing was once delayed so a forensic psychologist could prepare Ronald Francis Dorsey a report in the case. At the hearing, two family members of the victims -- Lopez’s mother and Hickson’s son -- gave emotional testimony about the impact their loved ones’ deaths have had on their families. “I’m unable to accept still the absence of my
daughter,” Lopez’s mother, Gladys Lopez said, testifying through a Spanish-language interpreter. Lopez read a written statement to the judge, the paper in her hands visibly shaking at times as she spoke. “She was the best sister, aunt, friend and person,” Lopez said of her daughter. “She was always wanting to help and in doing that, she lost her life.” “She had dreams of her own, of having her own home, children, a family, and none of that came about because of the hands of a murderer. All of her hopes have been truncated,” Lopez said. Nathaniel Hickson, Erica Hickson’s son, said his mother’s death, which happened during his senior year of high school, has affected him “in the worst way.” See DORSEY, page 5
What to do about Virginia’s coal ash? Debate about Dominion’s legacy waste stretches into a third year By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
There’s still more than 4 million cubic yards of toxic coal ash sitting outside Dominion’s Possum Point power plant, and for the third year in a row, Sen. Scott Surovell says he will spend the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly trying to thwart the utility’s plan to leave it there forever under a controversial disposal plan opponents call “cap in place.”
Surovell, D-36th, held a town hall meeting about the status of coal-ash cleanup efforts at Dumfries Elementary School Dec. 12. About 60 area residents showed up to hear the latest on the coal ash ponds, which have been the subject of much debate since Dominion announced its plans back in 2015 to close the ponds in accordance with then-new U.S. Environmental See COAL ASH, page 4 INSIDE Calendar.............................................15 Classified............................................18 Lifestyle..............................................13 Obituaries...........................................17
PHOTO CREDIT ROGER SNYDER
This photo, taken in April 2018, shows the work Dominion has done to consolidate its 4 million cubic yards of coal ash at Possum Point into a single pond. The utility has been digging up ash and moving it into “pond D,” top left, since 2015.
Opinion.................................................9 Puzzle Page........................................10 Real Estate..........................................16 Sports.................................................11
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Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | December 19, 2018
Prince William fire chief announces January retirement Chief Kevin McGee oversaw a rocky transition to ‘strong chief’ model By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Prince William Fire and Rescue System Chief Kevin McGee announced Monday he will retire in January after 39 years with the county, the last two of which were marked by dissension between the county’s professional and volunteer ranks. McGee entered the Prince William
County Fire and Rescue Academy in 1979 and spent the last 11 years as the department’s chief, according to a county news release. “Chief McFire Chief Gee is a proven Kevin McGee leader and dedicated public servant,” County Executive Chris Martino said in a statement. “We are grateful for his efforts to shape the fire and rescue system into one of the premier systems in the nation, and we will certainly
Occoquan man killed in Friday plane crash outside Spotsylvania airport Staff Reports The pilot killed in an ultralight-plane crash outside Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County Friday morning has been identified as Leonardo Ospina Villada of Occoquan. The crash occurred at 7:40 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14. The plane, a fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft, banked to the left shortly after taking off and was caught by the wind, “which forced the plane to crash into the ground,”
according to Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police. The pilot was the only occupant of the plane when it crashed. He was transported to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, where he succumbed to his injuries, Geller said in an email. His age was not released. In addition to the state police, both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, Geller said.
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miss his presence.” The last two years have been rocky for McGee as the county’s professional fire and rescue service merged its leadership with that of the county’s volunteer departments. Under a decision by the Prince William Board of Supervisors last fall, the county adopted a “strong chief” organizational model that put McGee in charge of both the professional and volunteer firefighter and rescue personnel. McGee was a finalist earlier this fall to lead the fire department in Austin, Texas, but that job went to another candidate, a former Atlanta fire and rescue chief, according to a notice on the City of Austin website. Prince William County Supervisor Frank Principi said the county “knew the writing was on the wall” regarding McGee’s departure after county officials learned of his application with Austin. Principi, D-Woodbridge, further said it was “not a secret” that McGee had a strained relationship with the
volunteer rank and file and said he looks forward to bringing on a new fire and rescue chief with the experience and “a better understanding” of the needs of both the professional firefighters and volunteers so that the unified department can serve the community more effectively. “With a growing population, [fire and rescue] response is one of the essential functions you can’t get wrong,” Principi said. McGee could not be immediately reached for comment. In a statement, McGee said it has been an “honor and a privilege to serve the Prince William County community for 39 years.” “I will forever cherish the opportunity I had to serve with so many amazing men and women over the years, and I am proud of the changes we have implemented to make Prince William County a safer community,” McGee said. McGee’s last day in the office will be Jan. 11, 2019. Deputy Chief Tim Keen will serve as acting chief of the fire and rescue system, the news release said.
Police investigate robbery at Dale City Pizza Hut
Police investigate armed robbery at Woodbridge CVS
Prince William County police are investigating an armed robbery reported at a Dale City Pizza Hut. Officers were called to the Pizza Hut at 4101 Dale Blvd. at 2:08 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, to investigate the robbery, Prince William County police said in a news release. A Pizza Hut employee told police that two men entered the business and approached the counter. One of the men then brandished a firearm and demanded money, police said. The suspects took an undisclosed amount of money before running from the restaurant, police said. No injuries were reported. Police searched the area with a police dog, but did not locate the suspect. The investigation continues. The suspects are described as black, between 16 and 18 years old, both 5 feet 5 inches tall and thin. Both suspects were last seen wearing ski masks and dark clothing.
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An armed, masked man robbed a CVS pharmacy early Friday morning, Prince William County police said. Officers were called to the CVS at 13600 Jefferson Davis Highway at 1:53 a.m. on Dec. 8 to investigate a robbery, Prince William County police said in a news release. A CVS employee reported to police that an unknown man wearing a mask entered the business, approached the pharmacy counter, brandished a handgun and demanded prescription medication, the police news release said. The employee complied and the robber fled the business on foot, police said. Police searched the area for the suspect, who was not located. No injuries were reported. The suspect is described as 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, with a medium build. His race and age are not known. He was last seen wearing a black mask, a gray beanie hat, a black jacket, blue jeans, black sunglasses, black shoes and red gloves.
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Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | December 19, 2018
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Family still searching for answers after hit-and-run near Lake Jackson By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Ethan McLaurin has undergone four surgeries and is slowly recovering this week after he was thrown over the side of an overpass on Lake Jackson Drive in a hit-and-run accident on Friday, Dec. 7. Prince William County police are still investigating but so far have no additional information to share about the make or model of the vehicle, Officer Nathan Probus, a police department spokesman said. McLaurin, 18, told his parents he thinks he might have been hit by an SUV, but he’s still not sure, his mom, Julia Sugden said last week. Sugden was sitting at her son’s bedside at Fairfax Inova hospital Dec. 11, trying to help him stay comfortable while recounting her family’s harrowing experience when Ethan went for a late-afternoon walk and ended up about 30 feet down a steep embankment along Lake Jackson Drive. McLaurin suffered a fractured pelvis and multiple broken vertebrae in his back when he fell over the guardrail after being struck by the hit-and-run vehicle. Sugden said her family considers it “just a miracle” he survived. “We’re very blessed he’s alive,” she said. “We’re very blessed he doesn’t have any neurological damage.” She expects Ethan will still have a long road to recovery. He broke his pelvis and about 50 percent of the bones in his back. This week, Ethan was moved from the hospital to an inpatient rehabilitation center to continue his recovery. The family had just moved to Manassas from Savannah, Georgia, last summer so that Julia’s husband, Larry Sugden, a U.S. Army combat medic, could take classes at George Mason University. He’s studying to be a doctor, Julia Sugden said. Ethan graduated from high school in Savannah earlier this year. He was working as a Domino’s Pizza delivery man in Manassas and had just been accepted to the University of Houston, where he wants to study to be a social worker, his mom said. “That’s who he is; he’s very caring and always wants to help other peo-
ple,” Julia Sugden said of her son. Ethan was out for a walk – and was only about a mile and a half from the family’s home on Blansford Drive – when he was struck sometime between 4:45 and 5:24 p.m., Sugden said. She said she doesn’t know exactly when he was hit. Sugden said she only knows he left the house about 4:30 p.m. She called him at 5:24 p.m. to see when he’d be back for dinner, and that’s when she realized something was wrong. At first, she said, his voice sounded almost normal. But then he said he didn’t know where he was and began to panic. “He kept saying, ‘What? What?’ and then, ‘My back! Oh my back!’” Sugden said. “Then, I started panicking. I knew at that point that he’d been hit by a car.” Sugden said she kept trying to talk with Ethan as she stormed out of the house and into her car to try to find him. She patched her husband, Larry, in on the call. He was also at home at the time, but she’d left the house before even telling him what happened. It had already started to get dark at that point, and the couple could not initially find Ethan, despite circling his normal walking path. Julia said she went back to the house to call 911. Larry, she said, continued to try to talk to Ethan and told him to use the flashlight feature on his phone to help them find him. Ethan said he could see a wall and a red traffic light. That told them he was probably close to the intersection of Lake Jackson Drive and Va. 234. Soon after that, Larry spotted the light from Ethan’s phone near the bottom of the embankment, Julia Sugden said. “It took us a half-an-hour to find him,” she added. “My husband found him between two trees and on top of some rocks.” Looking back, she said, they feel especially fortunate that Ethan’s phone remained with him during the fall. He’d lost one of his shoes when he was hit by the car – they found it on the side of the road – but not his phone. “Somehow the phone and its battery remained with him,” Sugden said. “It’s just an absolute miracle.”
Ethan McLaurin, 18, shown here with his mom and step-dad, Larry and Julia Sugden, graduated from high school in Savannah, Georgia, earlier this year. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
The family is now reaching out through social media to try to find the car and person who hit him. Julia Sugden said the family has come to the conclusion it must have been unintentional. Perhaps the driver thought they’d hit a deer. Maybe they didn’t see Ethan fall over the side of the guardrail. Maybe it was a teen who was texting – or an elderly driver – who is afraid of getting into trouble with the law, she said. “We’re very understanding people. Accidents happen. … Maybe they panicked. I fully understand if they panicked,” she said. Still, for both legal and insurance reasons, the family would like to get to the bottom of exactly what happened. Police say the striking vehicle “may have sustained damage” to the right side of the hood, headlight and/or front bumper, according to an alert the Prince William County po-
lice posted on its website. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact police at 703792-7000. The reference case number is PD180041361. Tips can be submitted to: www.pwcgov.org/policetip. The family has also set up a GoFundMe page to help defray Ethan’s medical expenses and the family’s expenses as he recovers. It can be found at www.gofundme.com/ethans-army. Julia Sugden said the family has already been touched by the support of their new neighbors, many of whom stood alongside them during a very harrowing experience last week as they frantically searched for Ethan and then waited for him to be life-flighted to the hospital. “There’s just been an outpouring of love and support … we appreciate all of it,” she said. Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com
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Ethan McLaurin with his mom, Julia Sugden, at the hospital.
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