Man suspected of using sledgehammer to damage Iwo Jima statue in US illegally: report | FOX 5 AT 6AM

Good morning, I'm Jacqueline Matter. It is 4 a.m. on this October 23rd. Thanks for starting your morning with us right here on Fox 5 and streaming on Fox Local. Here's what's happening today. Another monument vandalized, this time the Iwo Jima statue. What police say they discovered in the suspect's hand when they responded. Plus, outrage at a local high school after a student is robbed at knife point inside of a bathroom. How parents are reacting this morning. And a federal indictment, a forceful denial, and questions about what comes next. The case against a Virginia lawmaker setting off a political firestorm just ahead of the midterms. Good morning. Thanks for joining us on this Friday. Glad to have you here with us. Taylor, as we get the weekend started one step closer to it, some beautiful weather that we are going to be having for us as we move into the weekend. A little bit cooler, but really a quintessential fall feel out there. Exactly. We're going to have a nice weekend. We have a nice day. If anything, today and tomorrow will be a little bit cooler. I know we had the Marine Corps Marathon going on this weekend. It is going to be a chilly one for sure as temperatures tonight into tomorrow morning will likely drop into the 30s for most of you. Today is looking cool, mid-60s by the afternoon. It's certainly chilly out there this morning, so grab an extra layer before heading out. Jacqueline? All right, Taylor, thank you. Our top story this morning, gunfire in one Arlington neighborhood two nights in a row. Arlington County Police still searching for the gunman. Our Melanie Alnwick, live at Arlington County Police Headquarters with what we know at this hour, Mel. Well, Jacqueline, at this hour right now, we can't say for sure, Arlington County Police can't say for sure that the two incidents are related, but they are looking into it. It was about 9.20 last night when Arlington County officers on patrol first heard those gunshots, describing it as about 15 rounds that came from multiple guns, and they began driving toward the sound. Callers from the 2400 block of South Lowell Street reached out to 911. When police got to the scene, they found several parked cars in a home riddled with bullet holes. No one that they know of was struck. Now, crime scene techs combed the scene and recovered evidence. Officers now looking into whether it's connected to a shooting the night before. Wednesday night at 11.48 p.m., a man was shot in the 2400 block of South Lowell. Police say he was outside when he was struck by gunfire, then ran to a nearby home for help. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Several more parked cars in that area were hit with bullets as well. Now, we're told in Wednesday night's shooting that the suspects fled the scene, and Arlington County Police have not yet put out any description of who they are looking for. However, they are asking anyone in that neighborhood, the Green Valley neighborhood, who may have information related to these incidents of gunfire in that shooting, or perhaps may have photos or ring camera video, that sort of thing, to please reach out to detectives. Jacqueline? Mel, thank you for that update this morning. A bus driver is dead after crashing a school bus into a tree on U.S. Route 301 in Sheltonham, Maryland, last night. Prince George's Fire Department says crews were dispatched near Dyson Road and Frank Tippett Road around 9.30 in the evening. The driver was removed but pronounced dead at the scene. The school bus was operating as a charter bus and no children were on board. A man under arrest this morning after allegedly taking a sledgehammer to an Iwo Jima statue outside of Marine Corps Base Quantico. Prince William County police say Miguel Soriano used it to break the head off of one of the soldiers. They responded to the scene on Wednesday night to find him standing on top of the statue with the weapon in hand. Repair is now expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. This morning, people are reacting to that vandalism. It's a terrible thing. You know, this is a hugely important statue to our service members, to our veterans, particularly to our Marines. This is un-American. To me, this is terrorism. It's like they blew up something on the base. This is a slap against America. We're told that Soriano is currently being held without bond. Leaders in Montgomery County will meet today to review reports detailing alleged government misconduct. Investigators say former police chief Mark Yamada failed to report time cards for nearly two years and misused county resources for a relative. A second investigation questions a county attorney employee for allegedly using an encrypted app to evade public records laws and cover up a DUI crash. The Montgomery County Council Audit Committee will meet at 2.30 this afternoon to discuss. A heads up for drivers. Expect delays tonight on northbound Fairfax County Parkway and Fairfax Station. The Virginia Department of Transportation says single-lane closures and 20-minute traffic stops will occur between Burke Center Parkway and Gnomes Court for bridge widening work there. The closures will run from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. tonight and next Friday. Authorities say to use caution and watch out for large equipment. All right, 4:05 now this morning. Let's get you back outside, take a live look across the DMV this morning and looking very picturesque as we get our Friday started, Taylor. Yeah, looking nice. Going to have another beautiful sunrise that happens out there shortly again. Chilly to start out, cool by the afternoon, but, you know, rinse and repeat, right? Without the rinse, we don't have much in terms of rain in the forecast for at least a few days. We love to hear that. Sounds good. I know. So it will be a nice weekend out there. So here's a look at the temperatures that we hit yesterday for the highs, upper 60s to low 70s. We're going to be a little bit cooler than that for today. And it is chilly to start out for some of you. We have dropped to near 41 degrees at Dulles Airport. We're in the 50s elsewhere. We do have some isolated 30s popping up as well. But there's a live look at the temperature readings right now. It looks like Manassas has dropped to 37 degrees. Once again, there's not much to talk about here on radar. We have this cold front that's going to push through. That'll be that reinforcing shot of cooler air and that's really going to bring in that chill later on tonight. So today will warm up. I may get a little bit breezy low 60s around noon. I think low to mid 60s around 5 p.m. It gets colder for tonight with 30s potentially for most of you. So we'll talk more about that in the seven day coming up. Jacqueline Taylor, we'll talk to you then. Thank you. Let's take a look at traffic this morning. Some construction on the outer loop if you're in the Fallsville area this morning. That is between Maryland 4 and Maryland 214, the two left lanes are closed at this hour, but as you can see, no real delays to tell you about right now. During her time as Virginia State Senator, instead of enforcing the law, she was actually breaking the law as alleged in the indictment and then using her position of power and public trust to deflect and defend against her own criminal enterprise. Truly the epitome of hypocrisy for a public official. Strong backlash this morning over the indictment of Virginia State Senator Luen Lucas. The longtime Democratic lawmaker is accused of helping operate a multi-million dollar criminal enterprise. The vocal Trump critic released a statement saying, quote, I grew up under Jim Crow. I've seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back and I'm not stopping now. The Department of Justice charging her with drug trafficking, money laundering and wire fraud. Members of her family also accused. The FBI raided cannabis businesses connected to Lucas in May, executing search warrants and court-ordered wiretaps. The state Senate Majority Leader questioned the timing of the indictment. I think a lot of people have questions about the Trump administration. I mean, they indict people for throwing sandwiches at people and for picking paint chips off the floor of the reflecting pool. But they pardon people that assault federal law enforcement officers with hockey sticks and flagpoles and bear spray. So, you know, this office just doesn't seem to be a credible office. The 82-year-old state senator will remain free. Her arraignment is scheduled for November 16th in Newport News. Lucas is expected to formally enter a plea. Meantime, the U.S. attorney for D.C. says prosecutors will retry D.C. Councilmember Trayon White after a mistrial last month in the bribery case against him. Janine Pirro says the government has video evidence showing cash handed to White as part of a bribery scheme. She says in a statement, quote, we will retry this case and take every corruption case to verdict. Trayon White has asked a judge to toss out the case after a jury could not come to a consensus. A Bowie High School student in jail this morning charged as an adult after an armed robbery inside of a campus bathroom. Police say two students confronted a teen at knife point yesterday afternoon, demanding his phone and a money transfer. Officers removed both suspects from campus, arresting one while the investigation into the second continues. It's really unsettling and it's unfortunate for the kid who was a witness to that. Police have not released names of the suspects involved. Meantime, the principal at Bowie High School did send a letter home to parents sharing that safety remains their top priority, adding that no one was harmed. Meantime, four people detained in a North Bethesda shooting that locked down several schools have now been released. Police say they were victims, not suspects, as they continue to hunt for the gunman. That shooting happened just after noon on Wednesday along Rockledge Drive and triggered lockdowns at seven nearby schools. Police say the gunman shot at a group of four people and then ran off. Officers detained three teen boys and a man based on witness descriptions, but later determined they did nothing wrong. Police still searching for answers in a fatal school vigil shooting from more than two years ago. 26-year-old Jamal Speaks currently in custody, but facing assault and gun charges rather than murder for the death of 24-year-old Shahid Omar Jr. That shooting happened on July 12th of 2024 at Wise High School during a vigil for three students that were killed in a car crash. Documents show Speaks claims that he only fired into the air in self-defense. We spoke to Omar's parents and they shared their grief, noting it is difficult not having a murder charge, but they say they are grateful for an arrest. And some days it hits you harder than others that he's not here, he's no longer here. You know, he did leave us with two beautiful grandchildren. One is one and then the other one's five years old. And, you know, just seeing themselves in him or seeing him in them is a joy. But at the same token, you know, you deal with a five-year-old that's still questioning, breaks down and cries and says, I want my daddy back. And so how do you deal with that? Speaks previously pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a separate 2017 case. An update now on the Prince George's County grant controversy. Executive Ayesha Braveboy says $7.6 million has been returned by the Edward Charles Foundation. That money was meant for the nonprofit Community on the Front Lines to help serve people in need. But questions remain about the grant's approval and the foundation's ties to the council chair. The county expects another $5 million back soon. Still to come this morning, data centers aren't just a hot topic. they're also a hot target. The thieves targeting data center sites in Virginia. And more than 2,600 cases sent for a new review after Virginia State Crime Lab fails to pass a proficiency test. The impact it has on criminal cases in the Commonwealth. Plus, Taylor. All right, gonna be another nice day, a little bit cooler for the afternoon and chilly tonight. I'll have a full check on how cold it's gonna get coming up after the break.