Virginia Mother Seeks Ouster of Fairfax Prosecutor Over Immigrant Crime

On 27 February 2026, Stephanie Minter, 41, was stabbed near a bus shelter in Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia. Police identified the suspect as Abdul Jalloh, a Sierra Leone national who entered the United States illegally in 2012. Cheryl Minter filed a civil-rights complaint seeking the removal of Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, alleging his office’s practice of avoiding prosecutions that could trigger deportation gives illegal immigrants preferential treatment.

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Jalloh had over 30 arrests, including rape and stabbing convictions. In 2023 he was sentenced to seven years for stabbing an elderly man; five years were suspended and he served about 100 days before a November 2025 hearing re-suspended the remainder, leading to his release. Descano’s campaign website listed a “Consideration of Immigration Consequences” policy, calling differential punishment based on deportation a “perversion of justice.” The page was later removed.

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• 2012 – Jalloh entered the U.S. illegally.

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• 2023 – Sentenced to seven years for stabbing; five years suspended.

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• Feb 2026 – Stephanie Minter killed.

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• May 14 2026 – Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid to testify before House Judiciary subcommittee.

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Jalloh had over 30 arrests and a 2023 seven-year sentence with five years suspended, serving about 100 days before release. Minter had dozens of arrests for public intoxication and theft and spent roughly six years incarcerated.

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The case pits Fairfax County’s sanctuary approach against federal immigration enforcement and has drawn criticism from the Trump administration, which links the county’s homicide rate to illegal-immigrant suspects.

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Descano said favoring one group over another is “completely wrong,” and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office said the contested website page was removed because it was mistakenly presented as official policy.

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Minter accused Descano of ignoring police warnings and allowing a dangerous individual back onto the streets, arguing her daughter’s record received harsher consequences than Jalloh’s.

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The DOJ has not responded to the complaint, leaving the scope of any federal investigation unknown.

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• “What makes them any different than any other criminal out there?” — Cheryl Minter

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• “He’s ignored law enforcement.” — Cheryl Minter

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• “Why are the illegals getting away with it when nobody else can? Why is Descano getting away with doing what he’s doing?” — Cheryl Minter

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• “If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County.” — Steve Descano

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Descano and Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid are scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary subcommittee on 14 May 2026.

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