Man charged in shooting at Loudoun Walmart
STERLING — Police say a man has been arrested on 11 felony charges following a shooting last weekend that left a sheriff’s deputy and two civilians hurt at a Walmart store.
The Loudoun Sheriff’s Office said Steven E. Thodos of Sterling was facing multiple charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder, in the shooting. He was being held on no-bond status after being released from a hospital.
The incident occurred the afternoon of Jan. 2 at the Walmart in Dulles Crossing Plaza when two employees confronted a man who they believed had stolen items, authorities said.
As two deputies responded to take Thodos into custody, he began to struggle with them, pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds, striking a deputy and the two employees, authorities said.
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Thodos was also shot but fled in a stolen vehicle, authorities said. He was later taken into custody by Fairfax County police and taken to a hospital. Authorities said the sheriff’s deputy remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
Va. Beach public defender’s office seeks to boost pay
VIRGINIA BEACH — The public defender’s office in Virginia Beach is asking the city to contribute money to help boost its attorneys’ salaries.
Virginia Beach public defender Cal Bain told The Virginian-Pilot that low pay is leading to high turnover rates and inexperienced attorneys representing poor criminal defendants.
The Pilot reported that Bain has decided to ask the Virginia Beach City Council to consider providing up to $850,000 in its next budget.
Public defenders earn a starting salary of $53,000. Bain said that’s about $20,000 less than the lowest-paid attorney in the commonwealth’s attorney’s office.
The state funds both offices and provided almost $2.9 million to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office and $2.1 million to the Virginia Beach public defender’s office.
The city also provides extra financial support to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office. Spokesperson Macie Allen said the prosecutor’s office has other duties that the public defender’s office does not. That work includes community outreach, providing legal training, and handling expungements and asset forfeiture.
Nonetheless, Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle recently urged the City Council to approve the public defender’s request to ensure that the city has well-trained and experienced public defenders.
Rosie’s Gaming Emporium opens Dumfries location
DUMFRIES — Northern Virginia’s first licensed gambling operation has opened up to the general public.
Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Dumfries in southern Prince William County opened Friday after a soft opening of several days.
The gambling hall has 150 machines that function like slot machines, but the payoffs are actually tied to the results from an archive of old horse races.
Rosie’s outlets have been popular in Richmond and three other locations in Virginia. State law dedicates a small portion of the machines’ proceeds to supporting purses at Virginia’s only horse track, Colonial Downs in New Kent County.
While Rosie’s is the only gambling hall licensed in the wealthy Northern Virginia market, it will face competition from full-fledged casinos bordering the state in Maryland and West Virginia.