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Three individuals have been charged in connection with the incident that led to a shelter-in-place order in Buena Vista for hours last Thursday.
Dakota Camden, 18, of Roanoke; Gregory Kersey, 44, of Buena Vista; and Tytray Martin, 44, of Highland Springs, are being held without bond in the Rockbridge Regional Jail.
All three individuals are charged with two felony charges of burglary (breaking and entering with intent to commit robbery), as well as two misdemeanor charges: one count of assault and battery and one count of obstruction of justice. Additionally, Martin has been charged with one count of possession of a weapon by a non-violent felon. The cases for all three individuals have been referred to the Buena Vista General District Court.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 26, a deputy with the Buena Vista Police Department responded to a 911 call placed from a residence on 4th Street and Sycamore Avenue. Upon arriving, the responding officer saw one suspect fleeing the scene and, after a brief conversation with an individual at the residence, attempted to pursue the suspect. Acting Buena Vista Police Chief David Clements told The News-Gazette that the victim, who had made the 911 call, had sustained “minor, superficial injuries” and declined EMS treatment.
Within half an hour of the initial call, Martin and Camden were arrested by responding officers, while Kersey eluded capture. A “shelter in place” warning was issued for the city of Buena Vista and the city’s schools were put on a modified lockdown procedure. Schools in Rockbridge County and Lexington took similar precautions. (See separate story on this page.)
Kersey was taken into custody around 4:15 that afternoon in the same neighborhood, at 5th Street and Linden Avenue, after an officer patrolling the area saw him walking down the street.
The case is still being investigated to determine a motive for the break-in, as well as whether or not the suspects had prior knowledge of what was inside the home. Clements noted that it is believed that all three arrived at the residence together.
Several organizations assisted with the search for Kersey, including the Virginia State Police, Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office and Buena Vista Sheriff’s Office. A search and rescue boat from Buena Vista Fire Department was utilized to help search the Maury River during the hunt for Kersey. Deputies from the sheriff’s offices also assisted with student pickup at the city’s schools that afternoon.
Clements expressed gratitude for those organizations and for the help received from central dispatch throughout the day.
“Everybody coming together is always a big help, especially for a department as small as ours,” he said. “Whenever anything substantial occurs, we’re always relying on those organizations.”
He also expressed thanks to members of the public who called in tips during the day, some of which were “very relevant” in determining that a third suspect was at large.
In 2017, Kersey pled guilty to a pair of misdemeanor assault charges and a felony charge of possession of a weapon by a nonviolent felon in Buena Vista Circuit Court. Charges of robbery, abduction by force or intimidation, and use of a firearm to commit a felony were dropped as part of the plea deal. The News-Gazette was unable to find further details related to Kersey’s previous felony conviction or any other criminal history for the other two suspects.
