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Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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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

News
Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery
Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery This cat truly has nine lives. A fearless feline in Virginia has captured the region's attention as he recovers after being shot in the face and rescued by the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. Rhett came to the SPCA in late March with unimaginable injuries that included a shattered jaw, leaving him in excruciating pain. While evaluating the cat, veterinary staff confirmed that someone had shot Rhett in the face. Despite the unthinkable injury, Rhett has not lost any of his heart. "While the bullet caused major physical damage, it missed his spirit," organizers of a fundraiser for the feli…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Trooper Thrown 25 Feet In Maryland I-68 Crash Focusing On Family, Not Pain Trooper Thrown 25 Feet In Maryland I-68 Crash Focusing On Family, Not Pain
Trooper Thrown 25 Feet In Maryland I-68 Crash Focusing On Family, Not Pain A Maryland State Trooper was thrown 25 feet into the air during a violent crash on I-68 — and now faces a long, painful road to recovery. Alvin Wilson clocked a car going 78 mph on Monday, April 28 on I-68 and attempted to flag it down during traffic enforcement — but the driver didn't stop, striking him and sending him flying. Wilson landed on his back, suffering catastrophic injuries, according to his loved ones, and he was airlifted to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Among his injuries were a gash to the back of his head, a broken pelvis, fractured sternum…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Boyfriend Shot, Killed Woman Dumped At Silver Spring Hospital, Police Say Boyfriend Shot, Killed Woman Dumped At Silver Spring Hospital, Police Say
Boyfriend Shot, Killed Woman Dumped At Silver Spring Hospital, Police Say A 24-year-old Virginia woman was fatally shot and dropped off at a Maryland hospital — and now, her boyfriend is behind bars for her murder, police said. Rogerio Palma, 32, of College Park, is facing multiple murder charges in connection with the domestic-related killing of Centreville resident Brianna Burton, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Officers in Montgomery County were called to a Silver Spring hospital around 7:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 27, for a gunshot victim who had been dropped off by a man who quickly left the scene. The woman — later identified …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Repeat Offender Busted Again With Child Porn In Virginia: Police Repeat Offender Busted Again With Child Porn In Virginia: Police
Repeat Offender Busted Again With Child Porn In Virginia: Police A repeat offender in Prince William County is behind bars following a months-long investigation revealed a disturbing collection of child pornography on his devices, authorities said. Robert Vincent Calvillo, 64, of Manassas, was arrested Tuesday, April 30, after police say he was found with multiple files of child pornography — not for the first time — following a tip from a national watchdog. The investigation began in October 2024, when the Prince William County Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that Calv…

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by Zak Failla
News
Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ
Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ A Virginia drug dealer will spend the next three decades behind bars after robbing his supplier, shooting him dead, then setting his body on fire to cover up the crime, federal officials said. Joseph Richard Walker, 30, of Roanoke, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Walker admitted to robbing and killing a Pennsylvania man known as “E.B.” — his marijuana supplier — during a premeditated setup in April 2023, then dragging the victim’s body…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Man Killed By Tractor-Trailer After Crashing, Running Into Traffic In La Plata: MSP Man Killed By Tractor-Trailer After Crashing, Running Into Traffic In La Plata: MSP
Man Killed By Tractor-Trailer After Crashing, Running Into Traffic In La Plata: MSP A man was killed in a bizarre series of crashes on Route 301 in Charles County after getting hit by a tractor-trailer in the middle of the highway, Maryland State Police said. It happened shortly before 2:40 a.m. Thursday, May 1, on southbound Route 301 at Sadie Lane in La Plata. According to investigators, a gray Infiniti was stopped in the middle of the road when it was rear-ended by a blue Nissan Rogue, driven by Virginia resident Africa Violet, 45. Violet told police that the driver of the Infiniti got out after the crash and ran across the center median into northbound lanes. Th…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Walkersville Man Attempted To Abduct Girl Minutes Before DUI Arrest: State Police Walkersville Man Attempted To Abduct Girl Minutes Before DUI Arrest: State Police
Walkersville Man Attempted To Abduct Girl Minutes Before DUI Arrest: State Police A Maryland man is behind bars after allegedly trying to abduct a young girl, then getting caught drunk driving minutes later, according to state police. Gary Lee Plummer, 55, of Walkersville, was arrested following a strange — and scary — sequence that saw him attempt to kidnap two girls before being stopped for a DUI on Wednesday afternoon. Plummer was stopped by troopers in Frederick County at around 3 p.m. on April 30 in the 8700 block of Woodsboro Pike, and during the stop, it was determined he was intoxicated and he was taken into custody for driving under the influence.  What ha…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Freight Train Slams Into Pickup Truck At Mt. Airy Railroad Crossing: Fire Officials Freight Train Slams Into Pickup Truck At Mt. Airy Railroad Crossing: Fire Officials
Freight Train Slams Into Pickup Truck At Mt. Airy Railroad Crossing: Fire Officials A freight train barreled into a pickup truck carrying three people at a railroad crossing in Maryland early Thursday morning — and everyone walked away. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after a freight train struck a pickup truck on the tracks in Mt. Airy, around 7:40 a.m. on Thursday, May 1, according to Howard County Fire & EMS. When first responders arrived, they found the truck with heavy front-end damage after the collision. Officials confirmed there were three people inside the vehicle when it was hit. All three were evaluated at the scene and refused transport to the hospital…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Tow Truck Sparks Five-Car Crash On I-495 In Montgomery County, Hospitalizing Two: State Police Tow Truck Sparks Five-Car Crash On I-495 In Montgomery County, Hospitalizing Two: State Police
Tow Truck Sparks Five-Car Crash On I-495 In Montgomery County, Hospitalizing Two: State Police A tow truck barreled into traffic on I-495 in Maryland, setting off a violent five-car pileup that sent two drivers to the hospital and shut down the Beltway for hours, authorities said. The crash happened just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, on the outer loop of I-495 west of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, according to Maryland State Police. Investigators say five vehicles were traveling along the Beltway when the tow truck driver lost control and smashed into the back of a Honda Civic.  The force of the crash sent the truck off the left shoulder — but it didn’t stop there. …

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by Zak Failla
News
Beltsville Man Indicted In Crash That Killed 19-Year-Old Poolesville Woman On I-270 Beltsville Man Indicted In Crash That Killed 19-Year-Old Poolesville Woman On I-270
Beltsville Man Indicted In Crash That Killed 19-Year-Old Poolesville Woman On I-270 A Maryland man accused of driving drunk and unlicensed when he crashed on I-270, killing a 19-year-old woman from Poolesville, has been indicted for vehicular homicide, prosecutors announced. Byron Armando Bautista Turcios, 23, of Beltsville, is facing a slate of felony charges following a deadly crash that claimed the life of Amelia Nicole Hobart on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, authorities said. According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, a grand jury returned a four-count indictment on Thursday, April 24, formally charging Bautista Turcios with:  Manslaughter by motor v…

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by Zak Failla
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