POLICE ARREST 5 ON MARIJUANA CHARGES

Prince William County police made a series of drug arrests this week,
seizing more than five pounds of marijuana worth nearly $6,000 and charging
five people in connection with two local drug rings exposed by the arrests.

Police arrested a Dale City couple yesterday morning after finding several
marijuana plants growing inside their Kempair Drive house, police
spokeswoman Kim Chinn said. Police said that a neighbor had called
authorities after hearing a woman screaming in the house and that they
discovered the illegal drugs after responding to the domestic dispute call.

When police arrived, they found Claudia Grace Tiscone, 21, sitting in a car
in a garage adjacent to the house, barricading herself from Jorge Eduardo
Falla, 26, who was standing nearby. According to Chinn, a police officer
noticed a "strong odor of marijuana" as Falla made a run for the house.
Police later searched the house and discovered a significant number of
marijuana plants, Chinn said.

"He was growing the marijuana, with full plants at various stages of
maturity, from seedlings to drying buds, in two rooms of the house," Chinn said.

Police charged Falla and Tiscone with distributing marijuana. Falla also has
been charged with domestic assault and battery for allegedly attacking Tiscone.

On Thursday, police arrested three men on charges of possession and
distribution of marijuana after a sting operation led undercover officers to
a supplier's home on Counselor Road south of Lake Jackson. Chinn said police
had been arranging to buy the drugs from a dealer who unwittingly led them
to his source.

Police said they arrested Randy Marshall, of Manassas, on Thursday afternoon
after he took money from them and used it to buy marijuana from his
supplier. Police have charged Marshall with three counts of distributing
marijuana and one count of distributing cocaine. All the charges stem from a
series of sales carried out earlier by undercover officers.

Police also arrested Mark Dimattina, 19, after returning Thursday night to
the Counselor Road home. Dimattina had the money police used to buy drugs
earlier in the day, officials said.

Dimattina was charged with possession of, selling and distributing
marijuana. Christopher Quinlan, 19, of Manassas, who arrived at the home
with Dimattina, was charged with possession of marijuana.

Chinn said that police have not specifically stepped up their drug
enforcement efforts but that "we've had a lucky spree recently."