SALEM, Va. – UPDATE 9/20 2 p.m.
The man who went on a crime spree in Salem is now in custody, according to Salem Police Department.
The man was identified as 18-year-old Bradley Poff. He was charged with the following:
- Robbery in Possession of a Firearm
- Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony
- 2 Counts of Grand Larceny
- Abduction by Force/Intimidation
- Child Neglect
- Eluding Police - Endangerment
Authorities said poff was taken into custody on Maple Street late Thursday morning on an unrelated probation violation. Due to the suspect wearing various coverings, it made it virtually impossible to give an accurate description.
This was a multi-layered case that was solved by hard work, collaboration, and technology. The men and women at the Salem Police Department stayed on this investigation relentlessly and brought it to a conclusion. I appreciate each one of them and the neighboring jurisdictions that assisted us.”
Salem Police Chief Derek Weeks
Poff is currently being held at the Salem-Roanoke County Jail without bond.
UPDATED 9/19 at 6:00 p.m.:
Salem Police are still searching for a man they say committed multiple crimes in a rash of incidents on Wednesday morning in the city.
A 5-year-old boy with autism was taken on Wednesday, according to police scanner information.
Roanoke County school leaders said a Cave Spring High School student was robbed, but the incident didn’t happen on school property.
Police have listed a timeline of event:
- 7:27 a.m. - Salem Police receive reports of a stolen car at the Riverland Mobile Home Park on W. Riverside Drive
- 8:00 a.m. - It is believed the suspect drove the car to the Cave Spring area and robbed a high school student before returning to Salem
- 8:44 a.m.- Salem Police received a 911 call of an attempted robbery in a parking lot at Lewis Gale Hospital. According to Salem PD the suspect attempted to steal the woman’s purse.
- 8:58 a.m. - Police say the suspect abandoned the stolen car in a retail parking lot at a CVS Pharmacy on Electric Road and stole another vehicle, this vehicle had a child inside. Soon after exiting the lot the child was abandoned and left alone just over a mile away on Intervale Drive.
- Minutes later Salem Police say they engaged the suspect in a pursuit that culminated back in the vicinity of the mobile park where the original car was stolen. The suspect then fled the car along West Riverside Drive and ran into a heavily wooded area on foot.
- 9:30 a.m. - All Salem City schools were placed in secure mode as a cautionary measure.
- 10:24 a.m. - The abandoned child was found safe and reunited with his mother and taken to LewisGale where he is being evaluated
- 1:12 p.m. - All Salem City Schools except South Salem Elementary are taken off secure mode to allow for end of day dismissal. at 4 p.m. all schools are dismissed without incident.
Police say despite the events no one was injured at any point during the day and the incident remains under investigation and active. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact Salem PD.
“There were police out with very large guns,” neighbor Dana Clinevell said. “I’ve never seen anything like this, well in real life, other than TV.”
Schools returned as normal on Thursday.
All Salem City Schools have been placed in “secure mode” as police continue to search for a suspect in Salem, according to Salem officials.
Authorities told 10 News that this was done out of an abundance of caution due to the pursuit of a suspect who committed a crime earlier Wednesday morning in Roanoke County.
At this time, both Salem City and Roanoke County Police are actively searching for the suspect, and schools will remain in secure mode until it is deemed safe by law enforcement and resource officers.
We will continue to update this article as more information becomes readily available.
Stay with 10 News as this breaking news story develops.