Prince William County news summary, Dec. 13-19, 2009

News that appeared Dec. 13 to 19 in The Washington Post that is of interest to readers in Prince William County.

Wednesday 16

N.Va. narcotics sting leads to 38 arrests

Nearly 40 people have been arrested across Northern Virginia in a sting targeting drug dealers ranging in age from 18 to 54, many of whom sold large amounts of heroin and prescription narcotics to high school students and young adults in Prince William and western Fairfax counties. The recent overdose deaths in Prince William of Matthew Mittong and Mindy Weakley, both 26, played a large role in prompting police to infiltrate a group of dealers who primarily sell heroin bought in Baltimore and the District, as well as prescription drugs containing oxycodone and methadone. Prince William police said they will continue to target the sources of such drugs and are working with federal authorities to unearth fraudulent prescription practices.

Thursday 17

NVCC preparedness credited to Va. Tech

Lessons learned from the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings led directly to the quick response of faculty, staff and students during the recent shooting on the Woodbridge campus of Northern Virginia Community College, columnist Robert McCartney writes. History professor Bill Rhatican, whose class was meeting directly below the site of the shooting, said he followed the procedures outlined in an e-mail to faculty this year. His preparedness helped put a group of huddled, scared students at ease. "The teacher calmed everyone down. He really took control," said student Kevin Rogers, 19, of Manassas. Two days before the incident, the school's police team had gone through a mandatory, eight-hour training session that included a scenario in which a student shot a teacher. One of the participants was the campus officer whose quick radio call triggered the rapid response.

Serial rapist suspected in Halloween assaults

A masked man who raped two Dale City teenagers on Halloween night has been linked to a string of sexual assaults along the East Coast that span more than a decade. Police said the serial rapist's DNA has been found at 13 crime scenes in four states. In addition to the Halloween assaults, he is believed to have attacked four women in Fairfax County, one in Leesburg, seven in Prince George's County and one in Connecticut. He was spotted peeping through a sliding glass door in Rhode Island, police said. Although officials have known his genetic fingerprint for at least seven years, efforts to attach a name have hit dead ends.

For these and other articles, visit washingtonpost.com/princewilliam.