Argument Leads To Thrown Trash, Shots Fired In Stafford: Police

STAFFORD, VA — A Stafford man is in jail after he was accused of assaulting a woman who was holding a child. Police said the man, Anthony Mammarella, threw a bag of trash at the woman, struck her, and fired a gun near her and the child.

On Sunday night, police responded to an argument at a residence on Green Acre Drive in Stafford. There, a victim told police she and Mammarella were involved in an argument that escalated.

The victim told police Mammarella threw a bag of trash at her as she was holding a child. Mammarella then retreated to the house's master bedroom and retrieved a gun, police said.

When Mammmarella returned, he fired a shot near the victim, who was still holding a child, according to the report from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. The victim fled to another room of the home, and Mammarella fired "several more shots," the sheriff's office said.

After he stopped firing, the victim said Mammarella confronted her again and struck her. Authorities said he then fled from the home in his vehicle.

As deputies were responding to the call, they saw a vehicle that matched the description of Mammarella's vehicle. The license plate number confirmed the vehicle was registered to Mammarella, police said.

The vehicle was pulled over and Mammarella was detained. A deputy noted Mammarella "smelled of alcoholic beverages and had slurred speech," according to a report from the sheriff's office.

Mammarella is charged with two counts of felony assault, discharging a firearm in an occupied dwelling, use of a firearm during a commission of a felony, child endangerment, reckless handling of a firearm, assault, driving under the influence, obstruction of justice, and refusal of test. He is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.