NORFOLK, Va. - A Petersburg robbery and abduction suspect was arrested Thursday morning in Norfolk, according to Petersburg Police.
Kristopher T. Jones, 32, was taken into custody in the 1000 block of North Military Highway around 10:15 a.m. However, the search for Minnie Woodard, a 76-year-old woman whose husband was allegedly abducted by Jones on Wednesday, continues.
The incident began Wednesday morning when police were called to the Bank of America in the 1900 block of S. Crater Road in Petersburg.
The victim, Mr. Woodard, told police he was at his home in the 200 block of S. Jefferson Street when he was forced into his BMW SUV by a man believed to be Jones, and then forced to drive to a Dinwiddie ATM.
When Jones learned Mr. Woodard could not get money from the ATM, Woodard said Jones made him drive to the Bank of America to get cash.
“Apparently, he alerted a teller at the bank that he was under some type of duress. And they, in return, called the police,” Petersburg Police Capt. Brian Braswell told WTVR.
Before police arrived, Jones drove off in the Woodard’s vehicle.
Petersburg Police later spotted the BMW and pursued it toward Dinwiddie, then to Hopewell and back to Dinwiddie before it ended without a suspect in custody.
Minnie Woodard
According to WTVR, when police arrived back at Mr. Woodard's residence to continue the investigation, Minnie Woodard was not there.
Mr. Woodard told police he believed his wife was at home and that he had not seen her since earlier in the morning.
Police say Minnie is possibly in need of medical attention due to evidence located at the residence.
Additionally, police sources told WTVR Jones was also involved in an attempted robbery at a convenience store in Chesterfield County Wednesday afternoon.
A
Wednesday evening, police discovered that the girlfriend of 32-year-old suspect Jones was found dead in her home.
Janice Celeste Lugo, 52, was found dead inside her home located at 103A S Jefferson St. A family member who saw Jones linked to an abduction and carjacking called police and asked them to do a welfare check at the home, where they found her dead around 9:30 p.m.
Lugo’s home is located about a block away from where the abduction and carjacking took place in the 200 block of Jefferson Street.
Police say the Woodard's SUV was spotted in the parking lot of the Lowe's Home Improvement store in the 1000 block of Military Highway in Norfolk around 10:15 a.m. Thursday morning.
Jones was spotted standing near the vehicle and when he noticed law enforcement vehicles in the area, he quickly got into the driver's seat of the SUV.
Authorities immediately blocked in the BMW so Jones could not drive away and he was taken into custody.
He is currently in the custody of the Norfolk Police Department.
According to WTVR, Jones reportedly told authorities he hid a body near a woodpile at a convenience store in Chesterfield County. Authorities are currently at the scene and have discovered a body. At this time, it is unknown if the body is that of Minnie Woodard. However, family members of Minnie Woodard were crying at the crime scene where police found the body. Though police did not identify the woman found, they did confirm at a press conference that the body is related to Wednesday's abduction.
