Newport News police arrest Woodbridge man on murder charges

Newport News police arrested Brendon Devon White, 28, from Woodbridge, Virginia, for the alleged murder of 30-year-old Taty’ana Zakiyyah Cooks, also of Woodbridge. The Prince William County Police Department released this information following the arrest. The series of events leading up to the arrest started last Thursday, when the police responded to a call about a missing woman from Stevenson Court in Woodbridge.

Upon receiving the report, officers immediately launched an investigation. The family of Cooks expressed significant distress as she hadn’t picked her child up from daycare. This information raised concern among the officers as it was a deviation from Cooks’ normal routine. The family’s worry was intensified when the initial investigation turned up some disturbing information.

Namely, the police found Cooks’ vehicle in Newport News, but with White, not Cooks, behind the wheel. This striking detail became a key part of the investigation. Further evidence led the detectives to believe that there may be a link between White and Cooks’ abrupt disappearance.

On March 22, while investigating the area near Cooks’ home, detectives made a harrowing discovery. The body of Cooks was found in a secured trash truck. This gruesome finding propelled White to the forefront of the murder investigation. More pieces of evidence were collected, and a clearer picture of White’s alleged involvement in Cooks’ death began to emerge.

By Friday, March 22, sufficient evidence had been gathered to arrest White. He was taken into custody by Newport News police. As ongoing investigations continue, more information is expected to surface regarding this incident. Until then, the entire incident, ranging from the initial missing report to the unsettling discovery of Cooks’ body, remains under careful examination.