VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 21-year-old Virginia Beach man was sentenced to 40-years for a robbery that turned into an abduction and attempted shooting of a Virginia Beach Police officer.
The incident that Luis Fernando Vazquez was sentenced for, and pleaded guilty to, happened on May 15, 2015, in the 5900 block of Blackpole Lane.
Court documents say, Vazquez, and co-defendant Terrion Jones, approached two women and robbed them in a shopping center on Wesleyan Drive before fleeing the scene.
After the two women called the police, an officer from VBPD responded and used the app “Track My iPhone” to find the suspects, who had entered a Boost Mobile store not far from where the women were robbed at gunpoint.
When an officer arrived at the Boost Mobile store, he noticed that the store was closed with only a few customers inside, including Vazquez and Jones. As the officer attempted to enter the store, Vazquez pulled out a gun and held it to the head of a customer inside.
As more officers arrived, Vasquez dragged the customer outside. Vasquez then used the customer as a human shield in an attempt to get away while officers drew their weapons on him.
During this, officers asked multiple times for Vasquez to drop his gun, which he did not.
Vasquez would flee after letting the woman go. During his attempted escape, an officer took after him. This is when both exchanged gunfire.
Vasquez shot first and missed, before being hit by a shot fired from the officer in pursuit. Before Vasquez fired his weapon, the pursuing officer had yelled multiple times for Vasquez to drop his weapon. The officer shot the now 21-year-old after Vasquez had reached in his shirt, which is where officers would later find the gun on him.
While at the hospital for his gunshot wound, Vasquez allegedly told a nurse, “I was not expecting to live through it. It was either going to be them or me,” in reference to the shooting.
Vasquez also while in jail told another inmate that he, “tried to take his (the cop in pursuit) head off.” He also said that he was running to his mother’s house where he could continue to shoot because she had assault rifles, according to court documents.
While in jail on January 22, 2017, Vazquez threw urine on a deputy and another inmate allegedly.
Terrion Jones pleaded guilty to two counts each of Robbery, Use of a Firearm and Conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22.
Jones was a juvenile at the time of the offense, but his case was certified to the Circuit Court for trial as an adult due to the serious nature of his crimes.
Vazquez has adjudications as a juvenile for Burglary (two counts), Arson, Attempted Arson, and Grand Larceny.
