Nighttime Search Ends with Robbery Suspect's Arrest

By Sam Thrift Friday, July 01, 2011

 

After a nearly seven-hour search involving five law enforcement agencies, the Virginia State Police Helicopter and K-9 units, James City County police found and arrested one of two men they believe robbed the Wendy’s on Richmond Road in Lightfoot at gunpoint Wednesday night along with two other armed robberies earlier this month.

 

James City County Police have charged 23-year-old Gary Piggott of Raintree Way in Williamsburg with robbing Wendy’s and the 7-Eleven on Merrimac Trail June 8. He has also been charged with four counts of abduction for the Wendy’s robbery and three counts of abduction for the 7-Eleven robbery.

Police believe Piggott’s crime spree began June 7 when he and another man robbed the Miller Mart on Lightfoot Road in upper York County at gunpoint.

The next day a female customer walked into the Merrimac Trail 7-Eleven around 1 a.m. to find two armed men robbing the store. Along with taking money from the store, the suspects robbed one of the two employees and the customer, according to James City County Police Major Stephen Rubino. As they left the store the robbers attempted to steal from the customer's mother, who waited in a car. They weren't successful, and ran from the area.

At the time the police believed the Lightfoot and Merrimac Trail robberies were related because of the suspect description and surveillance video from both stores.

It wasn’t until yesterday that the two men reappeared. With only the Wendy’s drive-thru open at 11:10 p.m., the suspects climbed through the window wearing masks and armed with handguns. They ordered the four employees to go to the back of the restaurant and lie on the floor. They then instructed the manager to open the safe, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and fled out the back door.

One of the victims reported seeing an SUV - either silver, tan or gold in color - leaving the parking lot traveling west on Richmond Road. James City County police saw the vehicle a short time later on Croaker Road, turning into the Station at Norge Apartments. When police gave chase, both suspects left the SUV and fled on foot into the woods behind the apartment complex.

James City County Police, along with the Virginia State Police, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, Williamsburg Police and James City County Fire Marshal’s Office searched the area with a helicopter and K-9 units. Approximately six and a half hours later they took Piggott into custody on the railroad tracks behind the Colonial Carwash on Richmond Road.

The police are continuing to look for the second suspect, who is described as a black male. A more complete description was not available.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.