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Michael David, Jr.

From Roanoke City Police: On January 17, 2017 at 6:15 p.m., Roanoke Police responded to a home in the 2300 block of Staunton Avenue NW for a person who had been shot. The victim was identified as Michael Lee Nance, age 28, of Roanoke. Nance sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The first officer on scene began rendering first aid to Nance until paramedics arrived. Nance was speaking with officers at the scene. Roanoke Fire EMS transported Nance to Carilion Roanoke Memorial where he died at 7:37 p.m. Officers determined the shooting took place in the 1800 block of Staunton Avenue. Evidence recovered indicates that Nance had been in his vehicle when he was shot. Drug activity was involved in the shooting. After further investigation, officers arrested Michael Antonio David Jr., age 19, at his residence in the 4000 block of Wyoming Avenue NW at 7:45 a.m. At this point David Jr. has been charged with second degree murder. He was taken to the Roanoke City Jail. Detectives have also obtained a second degree murder warrant for Markeith O’Shea Bryson Jr., age 19, of Roanoke. He has not been served with the warrant at this time. Anyone with information on his immediate whereabouts should call 911. Anyone with information that may help find him please call 540-344-8500. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

Bedford FD photo

Bedford County’s fire marshal says it is too early to determine what started this morning’s fire that killed a four-year-old girl, but they know the fatal blaze began in the back of the house near Bedford Middle School. There were eight people in the home — two adults and six children ranging from five months to 17 years old. Firefighters rescued four of them, but the young victim died on the way to the hospital. Fire officials say one adult male was airlifted to Wake Forest Medical Center.

(Continue reading for the Town of Bedford news release.)

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Update from the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office:  Trenton Poindexter was arrested in Roanoke City this afternoon.

Previously: Shortly after sending out the Press Release this morning the suspect was identified as Trenton Marquise Poindexter, age 21, of Franklin County Va. A Bedford County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to identify the suspect due to having knowledge of him while working at another law enforcement agency. Two felony warrants were obtained for Poindexter for having previously been convicted two or more times for petit larceny. Bedford County deputies have notified the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office of the warrants for Poindexter.

Previously: On Wednesday January 11, 2017, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Virginia ABC Store located at 14807 Moneta Road. The caller reported a black male wearing a red hoodie and khaki pants and a white female with blonde curly hair came into the store together. The caller said that the black male subject placed two bottles of liquor in his pants and left the store. Anyone with information on this crime can call the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office at 540-586-7827 or Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900. Crime Stopper callers remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward up to $1,000.00.

 

 

From Vinton Police Department: At approximately 0711 hours this morning Vinton Police officers responded to BP Food Market, 210 W. Virginia Ave for an armed robbery. A white male, described as being late 20’s to early 30’s in age, 5’11”- 6″1″ in height wearing a blue hoodie, jeans and dark ball cap entered the store, produced a handgun and demanded an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk. He then fled on foot. No further information is available at this time.

From Roanoke County Police: On Sunday, January 15, 2017 the Roanoke County Police Department responded to a reported robbery at 1:15 am at the 7/11 Gas Station in the 5000 BLK of Plantation Rd.  Upon arrival investigators were able to obtain footage of two slender African American males approximately six feet tall, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash from the cash registers while holding the store’s clerk at gun point.  The two African American males fled the scene.  Both African American males were described as having their faces covered by masks and were wearing dark clothing.  One male was wearing a recognizable white Skeleton mask.  Any tips or information on this incident should contact Detective Finney at the Roanoke County Police Department at (540) 777-5269 or contact the Emergency Communication Center at 540 562 3265.

From Roanoke Police Department: On January 5, 2017 at 9:22 a.m. Roanoke Police responded to the 200 block of Harrison Avenue NW to investigate a suspicious circumstances call involving a newborn child. Officer received information that the mother of a newborn baby, a juvenile, had recently given birth to the child at her residence. Officers and emergency personnel arrived at the juvenile’s residence and made contact with her. After initial denials about the newborn infant, an officer heard the baby in the juvenile’s room. The officer retrieved the infant from inside a closed plastic container and handed the baby off to medical personnel on scene. Both the infant and the juvenile mother were transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. Detectives obtained petitions charging the juvenile mother with attempted murder, aggravated malicious wounding, and felony child neglect. On January 7th the juvenile mother was transported to Coynter Springs Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing.

I-81 Botetourt County (State Police photo)

UPDATED Monday AM: Virginia State Police responded to more than 770 traffic crashes and aided more than 1,230 disabled vehicles statewide during this weekend’s snow storm. State Police have only investigated one reported traffic fatality, one that occurred in Greene County , and the majority of crashes involved only damaged vehicles. State Police say they also received nearly 4,000 calls for service during that time. In the Salem Division, which covers the Roanoke and Blacksburg area, there were a total of 132 crashes and 119 disabled vehicles.

The big danger Monday is icy roadways, often in places you cannot easily see. But a warming trend begins tomorrow. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.

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Isiah Surles

From Roanoke Police Department: Roanoke Police Detectives have obtained warrants for the suspect. His name is Isiah Jahad Surles, age 21, of Roanoke. He is 5’3″ and 140 lbs. Anyone with information can call the RPD tip line at 540-344-8500. Surles is charged with two counts of malicious wounding , use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and shooting into an occupied home. All those charges relate to the incident Tuesday at the residence on 13th  Street SW.

Sarabeth Hammond

UPDATED January 4 from Roanoke County Police: Police have received confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office that the body recovered Saturday afternoon off of Bent Mountain Road is that of Sarabeth Rose Hammond. The cause of death is listed as blunt force trauma to the head. Police believe speed was a factor in the accident. Hammond was traveling in the northbound lane and in a sharp curve of the road when her vehicle struck a landscaping wall in front of a home in the 9200 block of Bent Mountain Road. The vehicle then went over a steep hillside. A caretaker of the home that is vacant and up for sale stopped by the home Saturday afternoon and noticed damage to the wall and debris in the yard. Upon further inspection, he spotted the vehicle nearly 150 yards down the heavily wooded slope behind the home. He called dispatch at 2:01 p.m. Hammond was ejected from the vehicle and found 50 yards away from it. Roanoke County Fire & Rescue personnel recovered Hammond at 3:55 p.m. and the vehicle at 6:00 p.m.
(Continue reading for previous stories).