Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s former boyfriend

A judge in Arlington General District Court on Monday (19) ruled that it's probable Jitesh Patel may have killed his girlfriend's former boyfriend.

Patel is believed to have broken into John Giandoni’s townhouse in Ballston on March 15 and shot Giandoni to death.


“It’s clearly a case of circumstantial evidence,” Judge Frances O’Brien said, according to The Washington Post. But certain pieces were “certainly incriminating,” she added, pointing out that a gun found in Patel’s home safe matched bullets from the crime scene.

“It’s simply not coincidental,” she said.

Patel, 42, a resident of Woodbine, Md., was charged with murder only four months after Giandoni’s death.

Giandoni's sister Jenna testified on Monday that her brother met his former girlfriend through work. Although they became close, their's was a “tumultuous relationship.” Giandoni's new girlfriend reportedly lied about being separated from her husband and also lied to her then-spouse about the child she and Giandoni had in 2013, Jenna said.

“He had fought a long battle to gain custody,” Jenna testified. “They had a strained relationship.”

The female started dating Patel, a married father, sometime following the custody battle.

On Monday, a surveillance video played in court from the afternoon of Giandoni’s death that showed a dark minivan parked by the victim's townhouse about 2 pm. The video shows someone exiting the car and going inside the building.

Giandoni arrives three hours later and half an hour later, the figure is seen leaving the townhouse.

In May, after several weeks of surveillance, police officials searched Patel's home where they found a safe with a 9-millimeter pistol inside. They found eight boxes of cartridges. Seven were full but one was missing two bullets, officers testified in court.

One bullet was found behind a smashed candle on Giandoni’s kitchen counter, and the other was found in his body.

A firearms examiner testified that the bullets matched Patel’s gun.

“The evidence in this case, while circumstantial, is very strong,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Andy Parker said in court.

The case will now move to a grand jury.

More For You

uk-snow-getty

People drive their cars past a landscape covered in snow and along the Snake pass road, in the Peak district, northern England. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK records coldest January night in 15 years at -17.3 degrees Celsius

THE UK recorded its coldest January night in 15 years as temperatures dropped to -17.3 degrees Celsius in Altnaharra, Sutherland, by 9 pm on Friday.

This is the lowest January temperature since 2010, when Altnaharra hit -22.3 degrees Celsius on 8 January, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chandra Arya

Arya, who represents Nepean in Ottawa and was born in India's Karnataka, made the announcement on X. (Photo: X/@AryaCanada)

Liberal MP Chandra Arya declares bid for prime minister of Canada

CANADA’s Asian MP Chandra Arya has announced his candidacy for the prime ministership, just hours before the Liberal Party confirmed that its next leader will be selected on 9 March.

Arya’s announcement comes days after prime minister Justin Trudeau declared his decision to step down while continuing in office until a new leader is chosen.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'
Dr Chaand Nagpaul

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'

LABOUR's latest announcement to cut NHS waiting lists, while welcome, does not go far enough, the former leader of the doctors’ union, Chaand Nagpaul has told Eastern Eye.

Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, unveiled his plans on Monday (6). He pledged Labour would set up more NHS hubs in community locations in England, and the service would make greater use of the private sector to help meet the challenge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'
Nazir Afzal

Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'

POLITICIANS must dial down “dangerous and inflammatory” rhetoric and recognise the contributions of all communities in Britain, prominent south Asians have told Eastern Eye.

They are concerned that recent social media attacks on asylum seekers, immigrants, especially British Pakistanis, as well as ministers will lead to unnecessary deaths.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa-Nandy-Getty

The culture secretary retains powers to refer the case to the Competition and Markets Authority, which could trigger an investigation into press freedom concerns linked to Abu Dhabi’s involvement. (Photo: Getty Images)

Calls grow for Lisa Nandy to end Telegraph ownership stalemate

THE SALE of The Telegraph newspaper has drawn widespread political calls for culture secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene and end the prolonged uncertainty surrounding its ownership.

The newspaper has been in limbo for 20 months after an auction process initiated by RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund, failed to secure a suitable buyer.

Keep ReadingShow less