Police: 2 Suffolk teens among 5 charged in Newport News carjacking

Published 7:30 pm Monday, April 18, 2022

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Two Suffolk teens were among five charged in connection with a reported carjacking Saturday afternoon in Newport News. 

Newport News Police responded at around 1:24 p.m. to Walmart in the 12400 block of Jefferson Avenue, where officers said a 51-year-old woman told them she was sitting in her car when an unknown person opened the door, displayed a handgun and demanded that she get out of the vehicle. A second person demanded that she get out of the vehicle, and the woman complied, according to Newport News police, and the robbers got in her vehicle and drove away. 

No injuries were reported. 

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A subsequent investigation showed that a second vehicle reported stolen from Norfolk was involved in the incident. A vehicle matching the description of that vehicle was located in South Precinct a short time after the carjacking occurred. 

Officers attempted to stop that vehicle, but the driver did not comply. Officers pursued the vehicle onto Interstate 664 and into Portsmouth.

The vehicle experienced an equipment failure near City Park in Portsmouth, and the teens attempted to get away on foot. With help from Portsmouth police, two of the suspects were immediately detained and a third person was caught a few blocks away. A fourth person was not caught.

The teens caught in Portsmouth included a 17-year-old Norfolk boy, a 16-year-old Newport News boy and a 14-year-old Suffolk boy, who were each issued juvenile petitions for one count of carjacking and conspiracy to commit a felony. They were turned over to juvenile intake. 

Two more teens were detained in Virginia Beach after the vehicle matching the description of the one taken from Newport News was found in Chesapeake just before 10:30 p.m. and pursued by police into Virginia Beach. Police stopped that vehicle in the 2400 block of Shell Road and they detained a 14-year-old Suffolk boy and a 14-year-old Virginia Beach boy, who were each issued juvenile petitions for one count each of carjacking and conspiracy to commit a felony. They were also turned over to juvenile intake. 

Police are continuing to investigate the incident. 

“Thanks to the hard work and determination by Newport News officers — with the assistance of our law enforcement partners in Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach — we were able to quickly make arrests in this case,” said Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew in a news release. “Newport News and the other police departments in this region continue to work together to combat gun violence. The Hampton Roads law enforcement community is united in this effort.”