Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

Gaithersburg, MD
Obituaries
Teen Charged As Adult After Midday Stabbing Near Maryland High School, Police Say Teen Charged As Adult After Midday Stabbing Near Maryland High School, Police Say Teen Charged As Adult After Midday Stabbing Near Maryland High School, Police Say
Teen Charged As Adult After Midday Stabbing Near Maryland High School, Police Say A midday stabbing near a Maryland high school has led to criminal charges for a teen who will be charged as an adult, police said. The violence broke out shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Monday, March 16, in the area of the 400 block of South Frederick Avenue in Montgomery County, not far from Gaithersburg High School and a busy Wawa.  Officers from the Gaithersburg Police Department arrived at the scene and found two teens suffering from cuts and stab wounds. They were already being treated by Good Samaritans in the area. Both were taken to the hospital with what police described as "crit…

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by Zak Failla
College Park, MD
Breaking News
Gunman In Sports Car Opens Fire Across PG County Highways In Late-Night Rampage, Police Say Gunman In Sports Car Opens Fire Across PG County Highways In Late-Night Rampage, Police Say Gunman In Sports Car Opens Fire Across PG County Highways In Late-Night Rampage, Police Say
Gunman In Sports Car Opens Fire Across PG County Highways In Late-Night Rampage, Police Say A gunman in a speeding sports car is being hunted after a string of late-night shootings lit up major highways across Maryland. The chaos unfolded in Prince George’s County, where Maryland State Police say three separate shootings — all within hours — are now believed to be connected. It started around 10:35 p.m. Monday on Route 5 at Allentown Road. Then, just minutes later, more gunfire — this time on the ramp from northbound Route 5 to I-495/I-95. Hours passed, but it didn’t stop. Around 1:30 a.m., on Tuesday morning, shots were fired again — on the Beltway near Ardwick Ardmore Road. …

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by Zak Failla
Reston, VA
Obituaries
Fairfax Woman Came To US To Build Loving Home — Now Family Mourning Her Loss At 21 After Crash Fairfax Woman Came To US To Build Loving Home — Now Family Mourning Her Loss At 21 After Crash Fairfax Woman Came To US To Build Loving Home — Now Family Mourning Her Loss At 21 After Crash
Fairfax Woman Came To US To Build Loving Home — Now Family Mourning Her Loss At 21 After Crash Aylin Gil Deleon came to America to "build a home full of love with her mother, her sister, and her little niece."  Then the 21-year-old Salvadoran native had her life cut short in a fiery crash in Virginia that left three dead and two seriously injured.  Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, to the intersection of Fox Mill Road and Folkstone Drive in Reston, where there was a reported crash. Police say Herndon resident Kevin Josue Rodriguez-Lopez, 25, was driving a 2021 RAV4 south on Fox Mill Road when he lost cont…

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by Zak Failla
Manassas, VA
Breaking News
Manassas Child Predator Accused Of Trading Robux For Porn, Feds Warn: ‘DO NOT RELEASE HIM' Manassas Child Predator Accused Of Trading Robux For Porn, Feds Warn: ‘DO NOT RELEASE HIM' Manassas Child Predator Accused Of Trading Robux For Porn, Feds Warn: ‘DO NOT RELEASE HIM'
Manassas Child Predator Accused Of Trading Robux For Porn, Feds Warn: ‘DO NOT Release HIM' A disturbing child predator case in Virginia is now drawing national attention — with federal officials issuing a blunt warning: do not release Angel David Rubio Marin. The 20-year-old Manassas man is being held after allegedly offering young children money — including Roblox’s in-game currency “Robux” — in exchange for sexually explicit videos, according to investigators. Now, the US Department of Homeland Security says it has lodged an immigration detainer and is urging officials not to let him walk free. “VIRGINIA, DO NOT RELEASE THIS CRIMINAL,” DHS said in a public statement Tuesday. …

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
Garrett Park Man Who Mailed Antisemitic Threats To Jewish Institutions Gets Prison Time Garrett Park Man Who Mailed Antisemitic Threats To Jewish Institutions Gets Prison Time Garrett Park Man Who Mailed Antisemitic Threats To Jewish Institutions Gets Prison Time
Garrett Park Man Who Mailed Antisemitic Threats To Jewish Institutions Gets Prison Time A Maryland man who sent dozens of threatening, antisemitic letters to Jewish institutions across multiple states is heading to federal prison. Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, was sentenced to 37 months in prison in federal court on Monday, March 16, for a campaign of threats that targeted Jewish communities in Pennsylvania and beyond, the Department of Justice announced. Seferlis will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $40,000 fine along with a $2,200 special assessment. The case stems from a months-long investigation into letters mailed to more than 25 Jewish…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Phillies OF Johan Rojas Suspended 80 Games For PED Violation, Ineligible For Postseason Phillies OF Johan Rojas Suspended 80 Games For PED Violation, Ineligible For Postseason Phillies OF Johan Rojas Suspended 80 Games For PED Violation, Ineligible For Postseason
Phillies OF Johan Rojas Suspended 80 Games For PED Violation, Ineligible For Postseason It's official: center fielder Johan Rojas will not make the Philadelphia Phillies out of camp this year. In fact, no one will see Rojas until around the All-Star Game in July. Major League Baseball announced on Monday that the 25-year-old outfielder — who was already battling for a roster spot — has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.  The suspension begins at the start of the upcoming regular season. Even after he returns, Rojas will be ineligible to play for the Phillies if they make it to the postseason. Rojas' …

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by Zak Failla
Centreville, VA
Breaking News
Gas Leak Hours Before Blast Linked To Explosion That Rocked Centreville Neighborhood: NTSB Gas Leak Hours Before Blast Linked To Explosion That Rocked Centreville Neighborhood: NTSB Gas Leak Hours Before Blast Linked To Explosion That Rocked Centreville Neighborhood: NTSB
Gas Leak Hours Before Blast Linked To Explosion That Rocked Centreville Neighborhood: NTSB A massive home explosion that rocked a quiet Virginia neighborhood earlier this year may have been preceded by a gas leak reported just hours before the blast, federal investigators revealed in a new report. A residence in Centreville was destroyed in a natural gas–fueled explosion and fire at 14389 Quail Pond Court around 9:48 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board. Two people were injured, and nearby homes were damaged in the blast that shook the Fairfax County community. Earlier that same day, around 10:28 a.m., a …

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Obituaries
Rockville Bakery Reopens Days After Funeral For Master Pastry Chef Killed In Crash Rockville Bakery Reopens Days After Funeral For Master Pastry Chef Killed In Crash Rockville Bakery Reopens Days After Funeral For Master Pastry Chef Killed In Crash
Rockville Bakery Reopens Days After Funeral For Master Pastry Chef Killed In Crash A beloved bakery in Maryland is reopening its doors just days after the funeral for the pastry chef who spent decades building it into a community staple. Les Délices French Bakery in Rockville will reopen Tuesday, March 17, following the death of owner and master pastry chef Harry George Kazanjian, who was killed in a crash earlier this month. Kazanjian, 69, was struck and killed while crossing Norbeck Road near Avery Road in Montgomery County around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, according to Montgomery County police. The chef’s death shocked customers across the region who had come to kn…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later
Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later A brutal murder inside a Maryland clothing store that shocked a community nearly four decades ago is back in the spotlight as investigators again ask the public for help. Tracey Kirkpatrick, 17, was working alone at Aileen Ladies Sportswear in Frederick on Wednesday night, March 15, 1989, when her shift took a deadly turn, according to the Frederick Police Department. Kirkpatrick was last seen alive inside the Westridge Shopping Center store along Route 40 around 8:45 p.m., police said. Nearly two hours later, at approximately 10:50 p.m., a security guard conducting routine patrols noticed…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff
Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff A former hospital worker in Northern Virginia who allegedly sexually assaulted elderly patients has been arrested after a months-long investigation, authorities announced on Monday. Fredericksburg resident Adam Hall, 29, has been arrested and charged with sexually battering patients at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center over the course of several months, according to the sheriff's office. In October 2025, deputies from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office were called to the medical center after receiving reports of inappropriate conduct involving a patient and a staff member. The…

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by Zak Failla
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