A report of an attempted armed robbery near VCU turned out to be a hoax. VCU Police say 20-year-old Sidharth Kaleekkal. filed the report last week saying an armed man demanded his wallet then ran away. Investigators found no evidence to corroborate the story and have determined it was fake. Kaleekkal is facing a charge of filing a false police report. His connection to the university is unknown. This is the second false report filed with VCU Police this year. A case earlier involved a woman who claimed she had been sexually assaulted.
A Prince William County Public School teacher has been arrested for indecent liberties with a child. Choir teacher at Woodbridge High, Joel Shapiro, has been placed on indefinite administrative leave. Virginia State Police say Shapiro was arrested Thursday for the alleged crime with a child that took place before he started working at Woodbridge. They say the crime took place in Leesburg in 2017 while Shapiro was working for Clarke County Public Schools. Woodbridge High officials sent a letter to parents notifying them of the arrest last week.
The wife of a Virginia Delegate has gotten a protective order against him. WRIC reports it comes after allegations of abuse last year against Michael Jones, who represents the Chesterfield area. Claims of the abuse were reported and the protective order also covers a 13-year-old child. A hearing is set for tomorrow. Jones has denied the allegations calling them unequivocally false."
Gas prices in Virginia are on the rise. Across the state, they've risen 2 point 8 cents per gallon in the last week. The average price is three dollars forty six cents for regular. Prices are more than 20 cents higher than a month ago. Still, Virginia is lower than the national average which is three fifty seven for a gallon of regular.