Manassas city police officers receive awards from Prince William Chamber

On Wednesday, April 24, four City of Manassas Police Department personnel were recognized by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce for life saving, valor and with the Hillary Robinette Award.

Life Saving Award
On May 25, 2012, Police Officer First Class D.T. Villanueva was providing assistance at the scene of an accident at the intersection Wellington and Cloverhill Roads when a citizen flagged him down.  The citizen let him know that a juvenile had fallen from a skateboard and was seriously injured.  When Officer Villanueva appeared on the scene, the youth was unconscious and not breathing.  Officer Villanueva, with the assistance of a concerned citizen, performed CPR on the young male, reestablishing a pulse as Emergency Medical Services arrived on the scene.

As Officer Villanueva contacted the family and began to investigate the incident, he learned that the juvenile had a previous heart condition and was able torelay this information to medical personnel.  The victim was flown to INOVA Fairfax Hospital where it was determined that the victim had experienced a cardiac emergency.  The young man has since made a full recovery.

Office Villanueva was selected as the Manassas City Officer of the Year for his life saving efforts with this young man.

Bronze Medal of Valor
On May 25, 2012, Officer A. Plourde and Officer C.J. Golick were working in the Point of Woods neighborhood when they heard screams coming from a nearby residence.  After notifying dispatch that the residence was on fire, the two officers entered the home and safely escorted four residents, including a young child and an elderly man with a medical condition, out of the house.  The officers were then able to question the residents and found that another person was possibly in an upstairs bedroom.  Officers Plourde and Golick tried to locate the person, but the smoke grew too thick.  As they exited the residence, Fire & Rescue personnel were arriving on scene and were able to locate the last individual due to these officers’ quick thinking and attention to detail.

Hillary Robinette Award
The Hillary Robinette Award is given for integrity in investigative work.  Master Detective Dave Abbott of the Manassas City Police Department began conducting an investigation in 2011 regarding a series of sexual assaults involving students that occurred in the 1990’s.  As a result of the investigation, the suspect was charged with four counts of forcible sodomy against a juvenile.  After making the initial charges, Master Detective Abbott was contacted by multiple victims of this suspect detailing abuse over a period of three decades.  After hundreds of hours of interviews, follow-up investigations, multiple search warrants and countless pieces of evidence to examine, a 63-count indictment was handed down against the suspect.  In June 2012 the suspect pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

Through Detective Abbott’s efforts and detailed investigation work, a serious sexual predator was taken off the streets.