Police believe the same man who robbed a Wachovia Bank branch in the 3500 block of West Broad Street yesterday also attempted to rob a BB&T bank in the 5600 block of West Broad Street in Henrico County.  The two incidents occurred within 30 minutes of each other. 

In the Wachovia robbery police say the suspect approached a teller, indicated he had a gun and demanded money.  The man then fled the bank and headed east on Broad Street.

The suspect in the BB&T robbery ran from the bank before getting any money.

The suspect in each incident is described as a bearded thin black male, between 5 feet 8 inches tall and 5 feet 10 inches tall.  He wore a dark Kangol-style cap, a black jacket, black pants and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.

Strong winds, torrential rain and lightning left their mark on the Metro Richmond area last night.  Rain caused flooding on many area roadways leaving some motorists stranded in stalled cars.  Lightning sparked a house fire in the 3500 block of Old Williamsburg Road.  Chris Buehren with the Henrico County Fire Department said the blaze on Old Williamsburg Road was caused when a lightning strike sparked an electrical fire in the house.  The home's second floor was badly damaged.  Buehren said the residents are being cared for by friends and relatives.  There were no injuries.  At 5:00 this morning, more than 10,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers in the Metro Richmond and Tri-Cities area were without electricity.

A CSX coal train derailment near Quantico, VA has closed rail travel between Richmond and Washington, DC.  Amtrak service south of DC will be disrupted today.  The shutdown is affecting rail travel from New York to Miami.  If you are planning on traveling by Amtrak south of Washington today, call 1-800-USA-RAIL or go to http://amtrak.com for the latest information.      

The Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into why an illegal immigrant who had been arrested several times and reported to immigration authorities was not deported.  23-year-old Carlos Martinelly Montano is charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence in connection with a car crash Sunday morning in Prince William County that claimed the life of a nun from Richmond.

A Louisa County woman convicted of hiding her dead boyfriend's body in a well has been charged with his murder.  61-year-old Ulisa Chavers is charged with first-degree murder and ten counts of embezzlement.  The body of Reginald Bowles was found in a well on Bowles' Louisa property in March of 2009, more than two years after he disappeared.  The cause of Bowles' death has not been determined.

A former Henrico County police officer has been sentenced to ten years in prison for running a real-estate ponzi scheme.  Prosecutors say 42-year-old Donald Lacey swindled a total of nearly ten million dollars from investors.  Lacey will not have to report to prison until September 20th. 

Richmond police are looking for a person of interest in connection with a double shooting that left one man dead and another seriously wounded.  29-year-old Elsumakeal Lamar is wanted on several charges related to the shootings early yesterday morning in the 700 block of North 35th Street.

Elsumakeal Lamar 

Police identified the deceased as 47-year-old Keith Bates of the 700 block of North 35th Street.  Investigators say Bates was dead at the scene when police arrived.  The injured victim, whose identity has not been released, was taken to VCU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

Anyone with information about Lamar's whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.

Richmond police are also investigating a fatal shooting that took place late last night in the 500 block of Chamberlayne Avenue.  Around 10:15, police responded to a call of random gunfire and found the driver of a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound.  The victim, 29-year-old William Ennis III of Ashland, was taken to VCU Medical Center where he later died. 

Investigators are asking the community for help identifying three possible suspects in the shooting.  The first is described as a black male with a "low" haircut who was last seen wearing a white and black checkerboard shirt and dark blue jeans.  The second suspect is described as a black male last seen wearing a dark shirt and dark pants.  The third suspect is described as a black male wearing dark clothing at the time of the shooting.

Police ask anyone who was driving or walking in the area and may have information about the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.

Petersburg police are looking for a suspect in connection with a shooting yesterday afternoon in the 900 block of Halifax Street that left one person injured.  35-year-old Anthony Pegram is wanted on charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. 

Pegram is described as a black male, 5' 9" tall, weighing 175 pounds.  His last known address is 710 Mount Airy Street in Petersburg.

Anyone with information about Pegram's whereabouts is asked to call Crime Solvers at 861-1212.

Henrico County police arrested one of their officers early Sunday morning for driving under the influence.  Police say 35-year-old Jeffrey Seal will be arraigned today in a Henrico County courtroom. 

In a statement, the Henrico County Police Department said, "Seal, a Henrico County Police officer, was arrested after it was determined that he was operating his personal vehicle while over the legal limit of .08% of alcohol."

Seal

Police say Seal has been removed from duty pending a personnel investigation. 

The relentless heat and dry conditions in central Virginia have prompted Hanover County officials to enact a ban on open burning effective today.  Violators face a misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $500.  Earlier this month, Governor McDonnell warned Virginians that dry conditions present a wildfire hazard.  Some area localities are also considering water restrictions.

The Virginia Department of Transportation yesterday reopened the Huguenot Bridge.  After two days of inspection, VDOT says the bridge is structurally sound and no repairs are needed.  The inspection followed a weight restriction placed on the bridge earlier this month after deterioration was discovered in one of the structure's support piers.  Emergency repairs corrected the problem.

The Huguenot Bridge, completed in 1950, spans the James River in the west end of the City of Richmond.  The bridge is slated to be replaced by a new bridge.  Construction is expected to begin this fall. 

Today the Richmond Police Department released the following traffic advisory regarding 4th of July fireworks at Dogwood Dell:

To keep both the increased numbers of pedestrians and drivers safe during the annual fireworks display at Dogwood Dell on Sunday, July 4th, Richmond Police are urging citizens to make note of the below traffic detours, restrictions and suggestions.

• The Boulevard will be closed at Forest Hill Avenue to northbound traffic beginning at 7 p.m.  The detour is west on Forest Hill Avenue to the Powhite Parkway or east on Forest Hill Avenue to the Lee Bridge.
• Douglasdale Road between McCloy and Blanton streets will be closed to vehicular traffic from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.  The roadway will be used for shuttle buses only.
• Shuttle Service is provided from the University of Richmond Stadium at McCloy Street and Douglasdale Road.  Everyone is STRONGLY encouraged to use the shuttles before and after the fireworks display.
• After the fireworks, all northbound traffic on the Boulevard will be detoured eastbound onto Interstate 195.  If you are traveling east on 195, be aware that there is a .70-cent toll.  The Boulevard northbound will reopen 30 minutes after the fireworks have ended.

REMEMBER:  No parking will be allowed on grassy area, medians, bridges or roadways.  "No Parking" signs will be posted in several areas, and will be strictly enforced.  Vehicles will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense.

A judge has ruled that the man charged in the slayings of eight people in Appomattox County is incompetent to stand trial.  A Circuit Court judge last week ordered Christopher Speight sent to Central State Hospital in Petersburg for psychiatric treatment.  If Speight is found competent after treatment, he could stand trial for the January shooting deaths. 

Speight faces three counts of capital murder and six other charges.  He was arrested January 20th after an overnight standoff with police at the home he shared with his sister and her family, who were among the eight killed.

In Chesterfield County, a 17-year-old father has been charged in connection with the death of his 2-month-old son.  Police say fire and rescue crews and police were called to a home in the 4000 block of Clipper Bay Drive last Tuesday night for a report of an infant who was not breathing.  The child was taken to an area hospital, then to VCU Medical Center where the child later died. 

Doctors indicated the infant died as a result of "shaken baby syndrome."  After an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child's death, police arrested the 17-year-old and charged him with murder.

The 17-year-old's name has not been released because he is a juvenile.  He's being held in the Chesterfield County Juvenile Detention Center pending a hearing.

Petersburg residents need to renew and display their orange 2011 vehicle decals.  Beginning tomorrow, Petersburg police will start issuing tickets to those who fail to display a valid decal.  Violators face a 100 dollar fine and will have to pay any personal property taxes owed to the city before they can receive a new decal.

Triple-A Mid-Atlantic expects a 19.3 percent increase in the number of Virginians traveling this Fourth of July holiday.  Triple-A's Martha Meade credits a more stable economy.  Meade says, "[T]he U.S. economy is in a much different place than it was one year ago." 

The state Medical Examiner's Office says a 6-year-old boy who died after undergoing anesthesia during a dental procedure at VCU died of natural causes.  Jacobi Hill died after a procedure to put caps on some of his teeth.  The Medical Examiner's Office says Hill suffered cardiac dysrhythmia when a breathing tube was removed.

The high temperature in Richmond yesterday was a record-breaking 102 degrees.  That's the third day in less than a week that Richmond high temperatures have topped previous record highs.  Thunderstorms rolled through the Metro area yesterday evening, mostly south of Richmond, causing some damage in Chesterfield County.  Cooler temperatures are expected starting tomorrow.

The state Medical Examiner's Office is working to determine the identity of a body found Saturday in a car submerged in the Appomattox River near Petersburg.  Police say the car was discovered by someone fishing the river near the I-95 bridge that morning.  Chesterfield County fire crews, divers and police investigators from several jurisdictions were at the scene until late Saturday night.

Henrico County police have arrested a man who allegedly went on a bizarre hour-long crime spree Saturday night.  Police say 27-year-old Bryan Keeton of Richmond drove a car into a group of pedestrians at the White Oak Village shopping center on Laburnum Avenue around 9:00 Saturday night, injuring at least one person.  According to police, Keeton then drove to the Henrico County eastern government complex where he was involved in an armed confrontation with police.  Keeton faces several charges including malicious wounding.  Police say one pedestrian at the shopping center was transported to VCU Medical Center for treatment.

Henrico County firefighters battled a blaze yesterday at a home in the 10-thousand block of Berrymeade Court near the intersection of Route 1 and I-295.  When fire crews arrived they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the house.  It took firefighters about 45 minutes to bring the blaze under control.  Henrico County Fire Department spokesman Chris Buehren said a family of three were displaced by the fire which caused significant damage to the home.  The Red Cross is assisting the family.  No one was injured in the incident, Buhren said. 

Chesterfield County police are investigating a double shooting last night that killed a woman and left a young man in critical condition at an area hospital.  Police say at about 8:15, 56-year-old Richard Parker shot his wife, 45-year-old Cindy Parker, just outside Pietros Restaurant in the 2600 block of Osbourne Road.  Investigators say Richard Parker also shot an 18-year-old male restaurant patron, a bystander who was attempting to help Cindy Parker. 

Both victims were taken to VCU Medical Center.  Cindy Parker was pronounced dead at the hospital.  The 18-year-old male victim is in critical condition according to police.

Richard Parker 

Police say Richard Parker fled the scene of the shootings but police were able to get a description of his vehicle.  Parker was arrested in the parking lot of a Taco Bell at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 10 when police conducted a traffic stop.  He is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Jail pending hearings in the Chesterfield County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and the Chesterfield County General District Court.

Police say the shooting was domestic-related.

Chesterfield County police responded to a shooting last night at a home in the 6300 block of Seti Court in the Kings Forrest subdivision.  Police say when officers arrived at the home around 7:00, they found a woman dead from an apparent gunshot wound.  Police arrested the victim's 17-year-old boyfriend and charged him with second-degree murder and with using a firearm in the commission of a felony. 

The suspect is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Juvenile Detention Center pending a hearing.  The victim's identity has not been released.

Richmond police have arrested a suspect in connection with a shooting and robbery early yesterday morning.  Police say 36-year-old Antonio Roots of the 400 block of Labrook Drive shot a man and robbed him of his wallet and cell phone as the victim sat in a vehicle in the 2500 block of Rosetta Street.  The victim's injuries are considered life-threatening. 

Richmond Police Major Crimes and Special Investigations detectives worked throughout the day to identify and locate the suspect.  Roots was arrested by Richmond Police detectives shortly after 9:00 last night in the 2300 block of Phaup Street.  He is charged with malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

With temperatures expected to soar to 100 degrees, the City of Richmond will open three cooling shelters today.  The shelters will be open until 5:00 this evening.

The shelters are located at:

• Southside Community Center, 4100 Hull Street Road
• Department of Social Services, 900 East Marshall Street
• East District Center, 701 North 25th Street

Water will be available.  Pets, with the exception of service animals, are not allowed.         

Chesterfield County police have arrested four recent Cosby High School graduates and charged them in connection with vandalism to the school that occurred on June 10th.  The four 18-year-olds turned themselves in.  They are accused of spray painting graffiti on the school's exterior and littering.  Police identified the four as:

  Sean P. Cummings of the 14200 block of Watercrest Court

  Christian J. Evers of the 4300 block of Otterburn Road

  Michael B. Ramkey Jr. of the 11700 block of Riverpark Drive

  Nicholas J. Rosswog of the 5500 block of Marsh Light Lane

Each is charged with destruction of property.

Police say the investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.  Anyone with information about the vandalism at Cosby High School June 10th is asked to call the Chesterfield County Police Department at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660.

A mother and daughter from Michigan are dead following a two-vehicle accident yesterday on Interstate 95 in Henrico County. 

Police say the driver of a south-bound 2006 Toyota Corolla changed lanes to avoid another vehicle near the Atlee-Elmont interchange.  The Corolla struck a 2003 Ford Explorer which overturned and flipped several times.  Two people in the Explorer were seriously injured and were transported to VCU Medical Center.  Two others in the Explorer, 45-year-old Theresa Supica and her daughter, 12-year-old Samantha Supica, died at the scene.

South-bound I-95 was closed for hours yesterday as police investigated the accident.  Police say no charges have been filed related to the crash.

Investigators say the Supicas were traveling to Virginia Beach for field hockey tryouts.

A Henrico County man is dead after he lost control of his 2003 Ecstasy Trike motorcycle on Cool Hill Road in Charles City County yesterday and struck a tree.  Police say 64-year-old Ronald Mabry died at the accident scene.  Investigators yesterday were trying to determine if Mabry was wearing an approved helmet at the time of the accident.       

A public memorial service will be held this morning for country music legend, actor and entrepreneur Jimmy Dean.  Dean died last week at the Varina home he shared with his wife, Donna Meade Dean.  The memorial service will begin at 11:00 at Grove Avenue Baptist Church at Ridge and Parham roads in western Henrico County. 

Dean had a successful entertaiment career in the '50s and '60s.  In 1969, he went into the sausage business, starting the Jimmy Dean Meat Company.  He sold the company to Sara Lee Corporation in 1984.  Dean will be laid to rest in a piano-shaped, granite mausoleum on the grounds of his Varina home overlooking the James River. 

Dean was 81 years old when he died.

A traffic accident Friday night in New Kent County claimed the life of a Louisiana man.  The State Police were called to the scene just after 5:00.  Police say a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt was traveling east on Interstate 64 when the vehicle ran off the road, struck several trees and caught fire.  The driver, 40-year-old Henry C. Kobbah of Natchitoches, Louisiana, died at the scene.  Investigators are still trying to determone whether Kobbah was wearing his safety belt.

Richmond Police have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with a Friday shooting in Hillside Court.  20-year-old Marcellus Walters of the 1400 block of Drewry Street is charged with robbery, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the robbery and assault of a man in the 1800 block of Southlawn Avenue.

Walters 

 
Police say Walters was identified through the cooperation of police patrol officers, Aviation and K-9 units, detectives and Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority officers with information from the community.

Police have not released the victim's name but say that his injuries are life-threatening.    

Richmond and Henrico police have arrested a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting last month in Henrico County.  Henrico County police say Cedrick A. Harvey was arrested yesterday without incident outside his home on Westover Hills Boulevard.  Harvey was charged in the non-fatal shooting of a man at the Essex Village apartments in the county.  Harvey is also charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle. 

Help is available for low-income families and individuals who need help staying cool as area temperatures soar.  Now through Monday, August 16th, local social services departments throughout the state are accepting cooling assistance applications.  For those who meet eligibility requirements, the cooling assistance program can help pay electric bills related to household cooling and pay for air conditioners or fans.  Contact your local Department of Social Services for more information.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have identified a key enzyme in melanoma cell development.  The finding could someday lead to more effective drugs that attack cancers and make them more responsive to treatment.  Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer.  New research at VCU suggests an enzyme discovered in 2003 might be used to target a genetic component that helps regulate gene expression and defends melanoma cells against treatment.

Paul B. Fisher, Ph.D., professor and chair of VCU's Department of Human and Molecular Genetics and director of the VCU School of Medicine's Institute of Molecular Medicine said, "By selectively and specifically targeting molecules for degredation that serve as gatekeepers for cancer growth, progression and resistance to therapy, it may be possible to turn the cancer cells' defense into an offense that can be used as an effective approach to destroy the tumor."

The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation.

A federal grand jury in Richmond has indicted 27 members of a motorcycle gang on charges ranging from drug distribution to attempted murder.  Among those charged is 53-year-old Jack "Milwaukee Jack" Rosga of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Rosga is national president of the American Outlaw Association motorcycle gang.  The indictment alleges the Outlaws motorcycle gang is a highly organized criminal enterprise that has engaged in violent racketeering activities intended, in part, to gain an advantage over their rival, the Hell's Angels.

Defendants named in the indictment are from Wisconsin, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia.  Two are from the Chester area.

Officials say federal agents trying to arrest two Outlaws gang members in Maine yesterday killed one of the men in an early morning gunfight.

Around 2:30 yesterday afternoon, a Petersburg school bus carrying 21 students from Vernon Johns Middle School and Petersburg High School was involved in a fatal accident with a motorcycle at the intersection of Dupey Road and Pleasants Street.  Police say the students were "screened and cleared by emergency personnel on scene."  The Students were transferred to another bus and taken home. 

38-year-old Ron Brown of Petersburg was riding the motorcycle.  He was taken to Southside Regional Medical Center where he died shortly after the accident.

Police say crisis teams will be available at both schools through the end of the week.  Police are investigating the accident.  A police statement issued last night did not say whether charges are pending or if police had determined who was at fault in the accident.

Workers are making repairs to the roadway on south-bound Turner Road at Hull Street Road in Chesterfield County.  A large, gaping sink hole appeared in the road earlier this week.  Workers placed a temporary patch over the hole two days ago.  Engineers believe erosion caused by a broken sewer line formed the hole.  Repairs should be complete by 6:00 this evening.  Until then, expect delays and detours in the area.  A good alternate route from the east is Walmsley Boulevard.  From the west, use Goodes Bridge Road.     

The tenacity of Virginia State Police investigators has brought closure to the family of a Caroline County woman missing since 1995.  Lawrence Gaudenzi is serving a 25 year prison sentence for killing his wife, Lisa Gaudenzi.  Last week, 15 years after the crime was committed, Lawrence Gaudenzi led investigators to Lisa's remains in a remote Spotsylvania County field. 

Virginia State Police superintendent Steven Flaherty said yesterday,"It turns out that after killing Lisa in their home in Caroline County, Lawrence wrapped her in a sleeping bag.  He then put the sleeping bag in a 40-gallon metal drum and poured in masonry cleaning acid."

Virginia State Police special agents met with Lisa Gaudenzi's parents Saturday and delivered her remains, all they were able to find of her - a porcelain dental bridge.

(Find the full version of this story here: http://k95country.com/blogs/news/2010/06/police-locate-remains-of-carol.html) 

Chesterfield County police say one of the passengers involved in a single-vehicle crash Saturday has died.  Police say 18-year-old Christopher Matherly was riding in a vehicle traveling south in the 800 block of Courthouse Road when the driver lost control and struck a tree.  The 17-year-old driver has been charged with driving under the influence and will likely face additional charges.  Police have not released the driver's name because he is a minor.

The Richmond Police Department has arrested a man wanted for two arson incidents Friday.  Police say 51-year-old Irvin Conway broke into apartments in the 1400 block of Grove Avenue and the 1100 block of Franklin Street and set fires in the apartments.  Police say Conway has been known to frequent the 900 block of West Clay Street where investigators found evidence linking him to the fires.

Country music legend, actor and entrepreneur Jimmy Dean has died.  His wife, Donna Meade Dean, said her husband died yesterday evening at the couple's Varina home.  Donna Dean said her husband had some health problems but his death was unexpected and a shock.  Born in 1928, Jimmy Dean was raised in poverty in Plainview, Texas.  He dropped out of high school in the ninth grade and went on to a successful entertainment career in the '50s and '60s.  In 1969, Dean started a sausage-making business, the Jimmy Dean Meat Company.  He sold the company to Sara Lee Corporation in 1984.  Dean will be posthumously inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in October.  Jimmy Dean was 81.

Dominion Virginia Power has restored service to all but a few customers in the Metro Richmond/Tri-Cities area.  More than 2,000 customers lost power over the weekend as severe storms rolled across the region.

Royal Caribbean International will no longer run cruises originating in Norfolk.  The company's last round-trip cruise out of Norfolk departed Saturday.  The company's ship Enchantment of the Seas will now be based in Baltimore.  Miami-based Royal Caribbean has sailed out of Norfolk since 2007.  A company spokesman said Baltimore offers more convenience for passengers. 

Chesterfield County police are investigating vandalism to Cosby High School on Fox Club Parkway Wednesday night.  Police say vandals climbed to the roof of the school and spray painted graffiti on walls and windows.  School officials estimate damage to the building at around $5,000.  Police ask anyone with information about the vandalism to call Crime Solvers, anonymously, at 748-0660.

Chesterfield County police are looking for a man who robbed a Chubby's convenience store in the 10200 block of Midlothian Turnpike late Wednesday night.  Police say a man entered the store around 10 o'clock, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money.  Police describe the suspect as a black male, 5 feet 5 inches tall.  He wore a hooded, light-colored sweatshirt and dark pants.

surveillance photos of robbery

Investigators say the suspect fled the store on foot.  Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Crime Solvers at 748-0660.

Amtrak service between Richmond and Washington was disrupted yesterday after a CSX employee was struck and killed by a train near Doswell.  Investigators say the 55-year-old man was working near CSX tracks in a small rail yard when he was hit by a northbound train.  Police say the victim died at the scene.  Police have not released the man's identity.

A U.S. Marshals task force yesterday arrested a Richmond man wanted by city police.  64-year-old Charles W. Wallace of the 3100 block of Zion Street allegedly threw gasoline on a neighbor and used a lighter in an attempt to set the woman on fire.  Wallace was found in an abandoned house in the 3100 block of Bashford Lane, a few blocks from his home. 

  
 Wallace

Police say Wallace suffered minor burns when he set the victim's car dashboard on fire.  He was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries. 

Wallace is charged with attempted murder, attempted malicious wounding, assault and battery and property damage.  Police have not said what may have motivated the alleged attack.

Chesterfield County firefighters battled a blaze yesterday at a home in the 20400 block of Ravensborough Drive near Ettrick.  Lieutenant Jason Elmore of the Chesterfield County Fire Department said fire crews "encountered heavy fire conditions" when they arrived at the home.

"They [were] able to get the fire knocked down.  In the process, were notified that one of the residents that had self-evacuated had suffered burns.  The patient was transported to VCU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries." Elmore said.

Fire investigators at the scene yesterday said the blaze may have started in a back bedroom of the house.

The Richmond Police bomb squad was called to a parking deck in the 500 block of North 7th Street yesterday afternoon to investigate a suspicious-looking package.  Traffic was diverted just as the afternoon rush hour was beginning.  Police say the package turned out to be an empty suitcase.   

Hundreds of Powhatan County residents opposed to a planned State Police firing range attended a public hearing yesterday.  Most said they were concerned about noise the range would generate.  The proposed range would be located on property that is currently part of the Powhatan Correctional Center.  The range would be used by the State Police, the FBI and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

A Richmond water rescue team pulled an inexperienced kayaker to shore yesterday afternoon after the woman fell from her boat and into the James River at the Hollywood Rapids.  Authorities say the woman was able to swim to a rock about 100 yards from shore.  A fire department spokesman said the woman suffered an injury to her foot.  She was not wearing a life jacket when she fell out of her kayak.

An SUV that crashed through the front of a building at Adams and Marshall streets in Richmond this past weekend was pulled from the debris yesterday.  The building had to be braced before workers could remove a steel support beam that rested on the vehicle.  Parts of Marshall and Adams streets were closed yesterday as workers stabilized the building and pulled the SUV free.  The SUV careened into the Marshall Street Cafe Saturday after the driver failed to yield at the intersection and struck a VCU Police cruiser.  The accident sent six people with injuries to a local hospital.  None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

The Richmond school board voted last night to consolidate five pre-kindergarten programs at one location.  Maymont Elementary School will house the regional pre-school center.  Only one school board member voted against the proposal.  Pre-kindergarten classes from Clark Springs, Fox, Munford, Cary and the pre-school development center in the city's east end will be moved under the plan.

It was a rough ride yesterday afternoon for a truckload of pigs in Chesterfield County.  A tractor-trailer carrying about 80 pigs overturned on the ramp from I-95 north-bound to Route 288.  The ramp was closed for about eight hours as a HAZMAT crew cleaned up diesel fuel spilled from the truck.  The ramp was the site of a similar accident last Friday involving a tractor-trailer carrying watermelons.  The driver of the rig involved in yesterday's crash, 37-year-old Jonathan Leggett, was charged with reckless driving.  Police believe speed contributed to the accident.  One pig escaped.

UVA is headed back to the super regionals after beating St. John's 5-to-3 yesterday.  The Cavaliers will host Oklahoma in the best-of-three series that will determine a spot in the College World Series.

A traffic accident in downtown Richmond Saturday afternoon sent six people to an area hospital and collapsed part of a building.  Police say the driver of an SUV failed to yield as she approached the intersection of Adams and Marshall streets.  Traffic signals at the intersection were not working at the time due to a power outage.  Police say the SUV struck a VCU Police cruiser, then careened into the Marshall Street Cafe.  The impact caused a wall of the two-story building to collapse.  Two VCU Police officers, two children and two adults were treated at VCU Medical Center.  The SUV, with a heavy steel beam resting on it, was still at the accident site this morning.  Part of the building will have to be stabilized before the vehicle can be moved.  Police say the driver of the SUV, 32-year-old Yakea Cooper of Florence, S.C., was charged with failing to yield right-of-way.

Denny Hamlin has picked up another win at Pocono.  Hamlin pulled away from teammate Kyle Busch following a late restart yesterday to grab his fourth win of the season and fourth in nine career starts at the massive two-and-a-half-mile oval.  

A Chesterfield County woman convicted of animal cruelty was sentenced yesterday to six months in jail and will have to pay $60,000 in damages to the owner of a home she rented.  Just over a year ago, authorities found more than 50 cats inside a home on Treely Road rented by 52-year-old Patti Wheeler.  Some of the cats were dead.  The home was badly damaged by filth from the animals.  Wheeler was sentenced to seven years in prison with all but six months suspended.

A house fire in the 3100 block of Walmsley Boulevard snarled afternoon traffic for more than an hour yesterday.  When Richmond fire crews arrived around 5 o'clock, they found heavy smoke coming from the home on Walmsley between Hopkins and Castlewood roads.  It took firefighters about a half hour to bring the blaze under control.  Fire officials say one person was displaced by the fire.

Richmond Police say a suspect is in custody after he fired at Richmond Police officers.  Around 8:30 last night, Richmond Police officers stopped a vehicle carrying three people in the 2200 block of Chateau Drive.  Police say the driver ran from the vehicle and fired one shot at police officers as he fled.  One officer returned fire.  No one was injured during the gunfire exchange. 

Officers arrested the driver, 22-year-old Bryan J. Taylor of the 4300 block of Folsom Road, and charged him with attempted capital murder.

 Bryan J. Taylor 

Two passengers in the vehicle were also arrested.  22-year-old Jeremy L. Venable of the 1600 block of Boston Avenue was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  23-year-old Donte L. Green of the 1200 block of Richeson Avenue was charged with a probation violation.

Police say two firearms were recovered at the scene.        

The Richmond Police Department is looking for a suspect who assaulted a city police officer Saturday morning.  According to police, two Richmond police officers were patrolling Gilpin Court Saturday morning when they noticed a man acting suspiciously.  When the officers approached him, the man fled.  A foot chase ensued and the officers caught up to the suspect in the 1100 block of St. John Street. 

As the officers tried to detain and question the man, he pulled a gun and used it to beat one of the officers in the head and face.  The officer suffered minor injuries and the suspect again fled on foot, eluding police. 

 
Willie Clayborne Coley Jr.

Police believe the suspect is 34-year-old Willie Clayborne Coley Jr, of the 8800 block of Midway Road.  Coley is known to frequent the Gilpin Court area.  Anyone with information about Coley's whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.

Just before 1:00 Thursday morning, Richmond police were called to an apartment in the 400 block of Westover Hills Boulevard to investigate a shooting.  When officers arrived they found 21-year-old Carlos Markel Funn suffering from gunshot wounds.  Funn, of the 2100 block of Cedarhurst Drive, was taken to VCU Medical Center where he later died. 

Investigators say 43-year-old Rodney Samuel Nutall of the 400 block of Westover Hills Boulevard is charged with murder in connection with the shooting.  He was arrested at the crime scene.

Police say their investigation indicates the shooting resulted from a domestic dispute. 

A bizarre accident on Interstate 64 near the Bryan Park interchange left a woman dead early this morning.  According to State Police spokesman Thomas Molnar, a tractor-trailer was travelling east on I-64 when it lost one of its tandem wheels.  The wheel bounced into the west-bound travel lanes and struck an oncoming vehicle.  One person in the west-bound vehicle was killed, police said.  Police have identified the victim as 36-year-old Stephanie L. Bender of Colonial Heights. 

According to police, the accident occurred at 6:11 this morning.  Several lanes of I-64 were closed in both directions for hours after the accident. 

The tractor-trailer was travelling from Rockville to the east end of Henrico County with a load of mulch, Molnar said.  The rig has been moved to a site where it will be examined by the State Police Vehicle Inspection Team.

As of this morning, no charges have been filed in connection with the accident.      

The Richmond Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in finding 23-year-old Kevin Antoine Alert of the 2000 block of Q Street or the 10000 block of Woodman Road. 

Alert

Alert has been identified as the second suspect wanted in connection with last Thursday's homicide at the Host Inn in the 6600 block of Midlothian Turnpike.  24-year-old Brandon Webb was found shot to death in a room at the motel.

Alert is about 5' 10" tall, weighs roughly 175 pounds and now has short, low-cut hair.  He is known to frequent the 1800 block of Creighton Road.

The first suspect, 34-year-old Craig Butler, was arrested Friday in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Anyone who may know the whereabouts of Kevin Antoine Alert is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000. 

Richmond Fire crews battled a house fire in the 00 block of Willway Avenue in the city's west end Tuesday afternoon.  Fire units arrived just after 2 o'clock and found heavy smoke and fire coming from the home's second and third floors.  Ladder trucks were used to apply water through the roof of the structure and the blaze was marked under control after 20 minutes.  The home owner was away on vacation when the fire occurred and there were no injuries.  Temperatures in Richmond hovered around 90 degrees at the time of the blaze and the fire department supplied coolers filled with ice and cold drinks for exhausted fire crews.  The cause of the fire has not been determined.

At 3:23 Thursday morning, Richmond fire crews were called to S. B. Cox, a demolition/removal company in the 5200 block of Hatcher Street.  When they arrived, firefighters found one building ablaze and witnessed several explosions.

"The explosions, we believe, were from acetylene tanks which is used in welding here," said Lt. Shawn Jones of the Richmond Fire Department.

Firefighters were able to remove some of the tanks from the building and the city's HAZMAT team was called to the scene.

The three-alarm blaze in the city's east end brought fire crews from nearby Henrico County to assist Richmond Fire personnel already on scene.  Employees of S. B. Cox used heavy equipment to help firefighters clear a fire break, keeping flammable materials from feeding the blaze.

The fire was marked under control at 6:15 AM. 

"We are concerned about some of the environmental impact associated with some of the tires that were burning at this facility," Jones said. "The HAZMAT teams from the City of Richmond, Henrico and, at some point, maybe even the EPA will be out here to look into the situation."

Investigators have not determined the cause of the blaze.