THE NEWS DESK
The News Desk is a collection of news, notes and breaking items affecting the Fredericksburg community.
Police: Invasion suspects tied to other cases
BY KEITH EPPS
Two 16-year-old boys who were arrested after a June 19 home-invasion robbery in Widewater Village in Stafford County have since been tied to two similar robberies, court records show.
The teens, along with 18-year-old Terry Adolfo Welch III, were arrested after a robbery on Everglades Lane that ended when a male resident of the house grabbed a kitchen knife and fought off the two younger assailants.
One boy, who lives on nearby Kings Crest Drive and is identified in court records only as “MCN,” was arrested after he showed up at the emergency room at Stafford Hospital to be treated for a laceration to his hand.
The other, listed as “RDC III,” was found lying on the ground in Widewater Village suffering from stab wounds. He was later taken to Mary Washington Hospital.
According to an affidavit filed in Stafford Circuit Court by Detective Michelle Gibbons, one of the boys later admitted that he and the other 16-year-old committed two home-invasion robberies on May 21, one in Stafford and one in Spotsylvania County.
One also took place in Widewater Village. In that case, the residents were awakened by two black males who had a knife and their faces covered with blue bandannas.
They forced a man and his wife to walk around the home naked while the intruders took their property.
They then took the couple, who had a baby with them, to the basement and tied them up.
Among the items taken were watches, a camera, money and a cellphone.
A few hours earlier, a 46-year-old woman was robbed and tied up at her home in the 5500 block of Slater Street in Oak Grove Terrace in Spotsylvania.
Two young males tied the woman with cords found in the home and took jewelry and electronics.
It was not clear Monday night if the two teens had been formally charged in the May 21 robberies.
On June 19 in Widewater, court records show, the intruders rang the victim’s doorbell several times. By the time the man got to the door, three males were already inside displaying knives and some sort of club.
The three assaulted the man, rummaged through his home and packed up bags of items to be taken, the affidavit states.
Meanwhile, his wife was physically restrained and held hostage.
The man finally got a knife of his own and attacked the younger males, who fled.
Welch was picked up by a friend that night in Widewater Village, one of the affidavits state. He was wearing no clothes when he got into the friend’s vehicle.
Clothing believed to have been discarded after the aborted robbery was recovered by police and will be tested for DNA.
Police have not yet named the younger teens because they are juveniles, but they may be tried as adults when the cases get to court.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
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