SALEM, Va. – UPDATE:
The Salem Police are still searching for a man they say committed multiple crimes in a rash of incidents on Wednesday morning in the city.
The Police have listed a timeline of events and the timeline is as follows:
- 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 in the 1800 block of Braeburn Dr. 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 in the 1800 block of 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.
Salem PD 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.
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.