By Sam Thrift
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wanted: Eric Roach, a 40-year-old Philadelphia man. (Photo courtesy of Henrico County Police)
One suspect is still at large after a Tuesday morning jewelry store robbery in James City led to an early-afternoon police pursuit during which shots were fired and one suspect was taken into custody as the other escaped.
Virginia State Police, Henrico County Police and James City County Police have scaled back the search for 40-year-old Eric Roach of Philadelphia, whom they suspect of robbing the Goodman and Sons Jewelers in the Monticello Marketplace shopping center. A phalanx of officers had cordoned off an area in eastern Henrico until just before midnight to search for Roach, who had bailed from the getaway vehicle after exchanging gunfire with police.
Henrico police said Roach was wanted on charges of felony eluding law enforcement and possession of firearm by a felon.
The second suspect, who has not been identified, crashed the vehicle and then exchanged gunfire with police before being taken into custody. The Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting the man is on life support at a Richmond hospital, although a Henrico police spokesman could not confirm that Wednesday morning.
According to Maj. Steve Rubino of the James City Police Department, two black males, both armed with handguns and wearing pantyhose as masks, went into the jewelry store at 10:55 a.m. Tuesday and forced the four employees and a man working on the air conditioning system into the back of the store. The suspects then zip-tied the five victims and made them lie on the floor. The suspects stole watches and jewelry, along with all of the victims’ keys and one female victim’s cell phone.
Prior to being tied up, one of the employees hit the silent alarm. When the first James City County police officers on scene came to the front of the store, the suspects fled out the back. A witness saw the suspects jump into a black SUV and turn onto Old News Road.
Rubino said the JCC Police Department sent the description of the car and information of the crime to surrounding police departments, telling them to keep an “eye out.” They received call a short time later from a Charles City County Sheriff’s Office deputy in an unmarked vehicle who believed he was following the suspects, who were in a black SUV with tinted windows and a Pennsylvania license plate.
The deputy then followed the vehicle and waited for assistance from marked vehicles. Once the marked vehicles arrived, the officers attempted to stop the vehicle as they crossed into Henrico County but the vehicle tried to speed away, according to Rubino.
Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Molnar said shortly before noon the Henrico County Police Department and the Virginia State Police Department joined the chase near Interstate 295 and Route 5 in Henrico County. The suspects shot at the officers during the chase and the officers returned fire, Molnar said.
Lt. Eric Owens of the Henrico County Police Department said the vehicle stopped at Technology Park Drive in Henrico County and one of the suspects fled into the woods. Owens is unsure if the suspect who fled was the shooter.
Rubino said the vehicle continued until the suspect crashed the car into a wooded area on Charles City Road in Henrico, where additional shots were fired. The Henrico SWAT team responded, extracted the suspect from the vehicle and took him into custody. They then transported the suspect to the VCU Medical Center in Richmond.
“I don’t know what type of injuries the suspect had from the accident, but he had two gunshot wounds,” Rubino said. “I’m not sure if the wounds were self-inflicted or from the police.”
Owens said a perimeter had been set at Technology Park Drive, and Henrico County and James City County police searched until 11:45 p.m. Tuesday for Roach, who had fled on foot into the woods. Virginia State Police canine units, a tactical team and helicopters assisted in the search.
Rubino said one trooper was injured during the pursuit, but there were no injuries during the robbery. A gunshot struck the injured trooper's windshield and glass fragments struck the trooper's right arm, causing minor cuts, according to Molnar. The trooper was assessed at the scene and did not require further treatment.
Rubino said there was evidence in the car that linked the suspects to the Goodman and Sons robbery.
The crime scene on Charles City Road is currently being swept for forensic evidence, according to Owens.
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let me guess johnny c lately, you are one that makes everythign a partisan argument too....just can't answer a question simply.
perhaps you should run for office.