4th man arrested in arson, theft
Published 9:37 pm Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Police on Monday added a 25-year-old Virginia Beach man to the list of people facing charges in connection with the burglary and arson of a Hosier Road home and its detached shed.
On Monday, Ashby Ray Brill of Sagamore Court became the fourth person charged in connection with the incident, in which more than $100,000 worth of damage was done to the home.
Brill was implicated during the continuing investigation of two Portsmouth men and a teenager, who were arrested on Saturday in connection with the March 4 home-invasion robbery of a 65-year-old Freeman Mill Road woman, according to a police statement.
In the course of their investigation, police turned up evidence that led them to charge the three with burglary and arson in connection to the February Hosier road incident.
Though they do not believe Brill was involved in the home invasion, police said, they uncovered evidence they believe links him to the Hosier Road incident and have lodged eight different felony counts against him.
Brill was charged with attempted arson of a residence, arson of a structure (garage), conspiracy to commit a felony — arson, residential burglary, grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell and conspiracy to commit a felony — burglary.
Police said that a home in the 1700 block of Hosier Road was burglarized Feb. 20. The home was ransacked and vandalized, with cabinets ripped from walls, windows broken and about 35 holes knocked in walls throughout the house. All of the appliances were stolen, a shed was burnt to the ground and an attempt was made to burn the house.
Suffolk police announced on Sunday that they had arrested two Portsmouth men — Clinton Matthew Ivey, 30, and Aaron James Brennan, 22, both of County Street — and an unidentified juvenile for the home-invasion robbery.
All three face charges of burglary, abduction, robbery, grand larceny, malicious wounding, credit card theft, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, wearing a mask on private property and conspiracy to commit a felony, according to a city press release.
In that release, city spokeswoman Debbie George said the three men also would be charged with attempted arson of a residence, arson of a structure, burglary and grand larceny in connection with the Hosier Road incident on Feb. 20.