BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – One teen was arrested and another suspect is still at large following a pursuit that took place in Botetourt County on Friday night and into Saturday morning, Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office said.
BCSO said a deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle going 87 mph in a 60 mph zone around 11:45 p.m. on Friday. After a traffic stop was attempted, the vehicle fled and eventually crashed into a barrier at a Sheetz construction site along Route 460.
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Authorities said that two suspects then left the vehicle and fled on foot, and dropped a stockless rifle. After a short pursuit, the suspects entered a wooded area, and law enforcement had to temporarily halt due to safety concerns. A K-9 tracking team was quickly brought to the scene, and multiple other firearms were found discarded along the suspects’ escape path.
Law enforcement said after notifying residents, they received multiple reports of sightings of the suspects, many of which were retrieved footage from doorbell cameras.
BCSO said that a vehicle was reported stolen from the Knollwood area around 6:31 a.m. on Saturday morning, and the vehicle that had earlier crashed was also found to be stolen out of Campbell County.
Deputies said they found and arrested a 16-year-old boy around 9:10 a.m. on Saturday morning in a wooded area near Gospel Light Baptist Church off Alternate Route 220.
The other suspect has not been found at this time, and is still at large. The Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office is still actively searching for this suspect, who is believed to be involved in the theft of the vehicle from Knollwood.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Detective Sergeant Mioduszewski at 540-928-2263. We will update you with more information as it becomes available.