The story of last week’s crime spree by two dopes in Nelson County has to be read to be believed. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I’m sure they were stone cold sober during this escapade.
Why in the world to people leave keys in cars in this day and age? Along with leaving your doors unlocked, it seems like a pretty imprudent thing to do, regardless of where you live.
WOW.
“They found a box of keys to the vehicles in the sales lot and from there, Adcock said, Chad Martin stole a 1999 Toyota minivan and Andrew Martin stole a 2000 Ford Mustang before they headed south toward Virginia 6 and to Adial Road.”
That’s what you decide to steal? A 1999 Toyota minivan? *really*?
At least the other guy took a Mustang. The minivan is inexcusable.
That is one of the very few news stories of which I read every single word. Great story.
I wonder if the brothers arm-wrestled to determine which one would get stuck with the minivan.
You steal a Mustang to go cross country, rob a few stores, and go flame out big time somewhere in a mid-western state. You steal a minivan for the sheer fun of destroying the thing in a snowstorm.
Does one or both have the middle name “Wayne”?
I’m actually friends with Connie and John, who had their truck stolen. (The only vehicle not destroyed, or so it sounds.) Their house is quite rural, and they have the same philosophy that I do: If you leave your keys in the car, then somebody can take it if they need it, because the only people coming up your driveway are people who know you. When you own a pickup, an inherent liability is that people come to you when they need to move something heavy—better to just say “hey, it’s a communal truck, so come get it.” :) The odds of having a vehicle stolen, when you live in the country down a long driveway, are vanishingly slim, and I think it’s worth the tradeoff.
Ditto, incidentally, for leaving your doors unlocked in the country. If you live out of earshot from any other houses or the road, then there’d be no reason for a criminal not to just break a window and stroll on into the house. Locking the doors wouldn’t seem to make a difference, at least logically. I’ve got no statistics to back that up, though, it’s just a gut thing.
Hilarious. But why didn’t they break into a convenience store and get some PBR and pork rinds?