HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Henrico mother was arrested and charged with several crimes after she sped through the Wyndham neighborhood Tuesday, drove into someone’s yard and struck a home, according to police. The woman’s seven-year-old son was in the SUV when it crashed at about 6 p.m. Neither the mother, nor son were seriously hurt.

Laurissa Jarvis, 37,  was charged with driving under the influence / with a child in the vehicle, assault on law enforcement officers, refusing to submit to a blood or breath test, obstruction of justice (interfered with medical staffs efforts to obtain blood sample) and child endangerment, according to Henrico Police.

Laurissa Jarvis (PHOTO: Henrico Police)

The crash, near the intersection of Kelbrook Lane and Old Wyndham Drive, happened less than a mile from Jarvis’ Kelbrook Lane home. Professional photographer Amar Talwar captured photos and video at the scene.

“The investigation revealed that the driver [Jarvis] had driven off of the road and through two yards before striking the garage of the residence,” Henrico Police Lieutenant Richard Cosby said. “The vehicle sustained approximately $6,000 in damage and the home had obvious signs of damage where the mortar and bricks were damaged on one end of the garage and the interior suffered damage as well.”

Police said Jarvis’ son was properly restrained in a child seat at the time of the crash.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — Police investigated a home invasion in Henrico’s East End Tuesday night.

It happened at around 11:20 p.m. in the 300 block of Newbridge Road. Police said a man broke into the apartment, brandished a gun, stole several things and left.

It’s not clear how many people were inside the apartment at the time, but no one was hurt.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The FBI has offered a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a man involved in a “brazen” crime. The man, according to agents, used a stun gun on a Brinks Armored Truck driver putting cash in the ATM outside the Wells Fargo in the White Oak Village shopping center. The July 3 robbery and assault was captured on security video.

“While attempting to unlock the ATM, one of the guards was assaulted with a taser by an unknown black male. While the guard was incapacitated, the robber grabbed the Brink’s bag and fled the scene on foot across Audubon Drive,” FBI spokeswoman Dee Rybiski said.”During the escape, some money was dropped at which time the robber retrieved it and ran into the wood line near the entrance to the Audubon Village Apartments.”

The FBI described the robber as a five foot six inches to five foot ten inches black man with an average build. He was wearing tan Khaki pants, a light blue button down dress shirt, a navy blue blazer, a tan Fedora type hat and Ralph Lauren Polo Shoes.

Anyone with information about this man was asked to call the FBI at 804-261-1044.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Laurissa Jarvis told a Henrico judge she had never been in trouble before. The argument was not enough to persuade the judge to grant the 37-year-old mother bond. Jarvis was arrested Tuesday after police said she drove her SUV off the road, through two lawns and into Eric Topp’s home near the intersection of Kelbrook Lane and Old Wyndham Drive in the Wyndham community.

Topp said his 12-year-old daughter saw the SUV hit their home.

SUV hits Glen Allen home (PHOTO: Amar Talwar Photography)

“She heard the screech and saw the car come right into the house,” Topp said. “What’s amazing is there isn’t really any brake marks in the yard.”

Police told Topp it appeared the vehicle was traveling between 60 and 65 miles per hour when it crashed. Jarvis’ seven-year-old son was in the SUV when his mother crashed. Neither Jarvis, nor her son was seriously hurt.

“She [Jarvis] was very emotional and very upset, but she was also very caring and concerned about my daughter,” Topp said. “It was obvious that she wasn’t 100 percent.”

Police agreed and attempted to give her a field sobriety test. Jarvis was eventually charged with driving under the influence / with a child in the vehicle, assault on law enforcement officers, refusing to submit to a blood or breath test, obstruction of justice (interfered with medical staffs efforts to obtain blood sample) and child endangerment, according to Henrico Police.

From jail Wednesday, Jarvis said she suffered from anxiety and was on medication to control the condition. She said her doctor recently increased her dosage. She added she could not believe what had happened.

Professional photographer Amar Talwar captured photos at the scene.

“The investigation revealed that the driver [Jarvis] had driven off of the road and through two yards before striking the garage of the residence,” Henrico Police Lieutenant Richard Cosby said. “The vehicle sustained approximately $6,000 in damage and the home had obvious signs of damage where the mortar and bricks were damaged on one end of the garage and the interior suffered damage as well.”

Police said Jarvis’ son was properly restrained in a child seat at the time of the crash.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Dulong sisters are siblings in concert when it comes to improving the world from their dining room table. Emma, Lucy and Sophie are on a mission to stitch and send special care packages around the globe. The kits, which take about eight hours to make, include feminine hygiene products for girls in impoverished nations like Haiti and South Africa.

The sisters call their kits Days for Girls. Emma said the items are crucial for teens who may be forced to miss class time during their menstrual cycle.

“Girls on average miss about 80 days of school a year because of something that is completely natural to us around the world,” Emma said.

So far, the home schooled sisters have spent their own money to create dozens of cloth bags which includes soap, plastic bags and shields which snap onto a girl’s underwear. For the girls, it is a year-round project rich in rewards.

“To us they really aren’t strangers. It is almost like we know them,” Sophie said.

Recently, the siblings traveled to the Philippines to hand deliver 50 homemade bags. Snapshots of grateful girls holding their new kits just arrived from the Philippines.

“They are my age and they have the kit and they’re holding it and proud to have it and happy to be there with each other,” Emma said. “Honestly, I want to take this photo and frame it.”

While the siblings will probably never meet the recipients, they said just knowing they can make a small difference in the lives of young girls their age is music to their ears.

“I know it’s going to stick with us for a long time and that dining room no matter how messy it gets from all of the fabric pieces that will be worth it,” Sophie said.

Greg McQuade and CBS 6 News are featuring local heroes in a weekly “Heroes Among Us” segment. Watch Greg’s reports Thursdays on CBS News at 6 or here on WTVR.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on “Heroes Among Us,” click here to email heroes@wtvr.com.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. —  A man driving on Interstate 95 in Henrico County said he saw two people standing on a highway overpass throwing rocks at cars below. One of the rocks hit the man’s 2013 Toyota Camry as he traveled under the Chamberlayne Avenue overpass and smashed his windshield Thursday morning. Brian Parker, 42, said he swerved after the rock shattered his windshield.

Rock smashes windshield on I-95 (PHOTO: Brian Parker)

“My main fear was maintaining control of the vehicle,” he said. “I started to swerve. It was a good thing there was not a car in the other lane.”

Parker called police from the side of the road. He described the rocker throwers as a white male and a white female.

“The female had black hair and was wearing a black tank-top,” he said. “The white male had black hair and dark shirt.”

Parker said he saw the pair throw several rocks, but was not sure what happened after his car was hit.

“My main concern and the reason I want my story heard is to  maintain awareness out there,” he said. “This could have ended up in a totally different situation.
Someone could have been injured or killed.”

Rock smashes windshield on I-95 (PHOTO: Brian Parker)

Parker was not hurt, however his windshield must be replaced and scratches on his car hood repaired.

The rock throwing incident happened Thursday morning at around 11 a.m., Parker said. When contacted about the incident, a Henrico Police spokesman said they had not developed any suspects at this time and urged drivers to call police at 804-501-5000 if they saw anything suspicious.

Incident on I-95 in Chesterfield

Earlier this week, a woman came forward with a similar story. She said someone threw a rock at her SUV on Interstate 95 near Willis Road early Monday morning. She said the rock came from a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.

“I was just passing the Willis Road exit, there was an oncoming car in the southbound lanes, the left hand lane, and I see something leaving the car, and I see something white come flying at my car,” the woman, who is afraid for her safety and spoke to WTVR CBS 6 under the condition she could remain anonymous, said. “If I hadn’t taken my foot off the gas, this one would have come through my windshield, I feel sure.”

The rock slammed into the woman’ s SUV and became wedged under the hood.

Four months ago, the same woman said a similar incident happened to her and her son along Interstate 95 near the Bells Road exit. That time, the object smashed their windshield.

“Whoever’s doing this, they need to stop, someone’s really going to get hurt,” she said.

State Police Response

While Virginia State Police did not handle the most recent incident on Interstate 95, Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Vick said similar incidents have been reported up and down I-95 from Willis Road in Chesterfield to Parham Road in Henrico.

“We’ve had several calls lately for incidents occurring on the interstate,” Sgt. Vick said. “We’ve increased patrols in the area.”

He stressed if something like this were to happen to you, quickly and safely call #77 on your mobile phone to report the incident so investigators can get a better idea about where the incident occurred.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — A Richmond man is accused of trying to take a picture up the skirt of an underage girl at a store in Willow Lawn.

Henrico police said the victim saw Jonathan Terry Hanning on his hands and knees trying to take the picture Thursday.

Sources tell CBS 6 the incident happened at A. C. Moore. Hanning was detained by the store manager until police showed up.

Local shoppers said they are concerned about arrest.

“It’s very sickening. Just as a woman and someone who shops in this area it’s alarming,” said Meghan Meleski.

Jonathan Terry Hanning

This wasn’t Hanning first similar incident. Hanning had been banned from the shops at Willow Lawn.

He now faces trespassing charges along with his unlawful filming charge.

Court records show Hanning has been accused of similar upskirting crimes in the past. Back in 2011, he was charged with three counts of unlawful filming.

The documents state two of the incidents happened at the Staples and Hallmark in Willow Lawn.

Meleski said she will now be more alert when shopping. “It’s a shame that there’s people that do that, the guy is obviously a pervert,” said Meleski.

RICHMOND, Va. — This weekend marked the 10th annual Filipino Festival and organizers paused to remember a beloved member of the WTVR CBS 6 family.

The community honored longtime WTVR CBS 6 anchor Stephanie Rochon, who was a big supporter of the festival.

Rochon passed away in June Wednesday after a battle with cancer.

Hundreds of people turned out at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Woodman Road in Glen Allen.

Visitors experienced the richness of Filipino culture through music, folk dances and authentic food.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — A car struck a power pole in Glen Allen Sunday morning, knocking out power to dozens of customers and closing a section of Mountain Road.

Henrico Police said the crash happened at around 2:15 a.m. on Mountain Road near Trolley Lane. The pole was damaged so badly that it needs to be replaced.

Since the crash left low-hanging wires, Henrico Police have closed Mountain Road between Brook Road and North Run Road. Officers were on scene directing traffic.

As of 6:00 a.m., 153 customers were without power. Dominion Virginia Power estimated repairs would take between four and five hours to be completed, before power could be restored.

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. — A 68-year-old Henrico man was killed Sunday afternoon after his motorcycle slammed into the back of a minivan making a turn in Caroline County Sunday afternoon, according to Virginia State Police.

Officials said the accident happened at 3:10 p.m. on Route 1 southbound (Jefferson Davis Highway) at the intersection of Route 712 (Green Road).

“A 2005 Chrysler minivan was stopped on Route 1 (south) making a left turn onto Route 712 (Green Road) when it was struck in the rear by a 2006 Honda motorcycle,” Sgt. Steve Vick, a spokesman for Virginia State Police said.

Vick said the driver of the motorcycle, Michael B. Gabriele of Henrico County , as taken to VCU Medical Center where he died from his injuries. He was wearing a helmet.

The driver of the minivan, 63-year-old Phillip J. Coleman of Caroline County, was not injured. He was wearing a seat belt.

Officials said no charges will be filed in the crash.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico police have arrested a man for impersonating a police officer.

On August 9, 2015, Henrico Police responded to the 2900 block of Layne Court for a suspicious situation.  The victim reported that William Edward Chenault, 52, came to her residence stating he was looking into a suspicious situation.

The victim stated that Chenault was armed and identified himself as a federal agent.

This story is developing.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. There is good news for Short Pumps residents excited for the arrival of Wegmans, the countdown has officially began.

Construction of the New York-based grocery chain is set to begin Monday at the West Broad Marketplace.

West Broad Marketplace is located at 12300 West Broad St., just down the street from Short Pump Town Center. Wegmans’ said the Short Pump store will have 550 full- and part-time employees, and the vast majority will be hired locally.

“The NVRetail team appreciates playing a part in bringing value-driven companies to growing communities,” remarks Judd Bostian, Vice President of NVRetail.

West Broad Marketplace features 400,000 square feet of mixed-use retail space. The marketplace will also include Cabela’s which broke ground in April.

West Broad Marketplace is projected to open this Fall. The opening date for the Short Pump Wegmans is now tentatively planned for June 2016.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Henrico School Board will consider giving students the day off from school on September 23 due to the UCI Road World Championships. September 23 is currently a half day for Henrico students.

“Visitors from all over the world will be filling local roads that week, making it a challenge to keep school bus routes on schedule in some parts of the county. The Wednesday half-day student holiday had already been scheduled to allow for staff planning and development time, and falls during the bike race by happenstance,” Henrico Schools spokesman Andy Jenks said.

The Board will discuss the potential change at its August 13 work session. If the calendar is adjusted, teachers would still use the day for planning and development.

VCU previously announced classes were cancelled during the race.

Classes will not be held on the Monroe Park Campus from Sept. 21 through Sept. 25. Students in the Health Sciences schools (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Allied Health Professions) will need to check with their academic program contact as each schedule will be managed separately. Please be assured that academic integrity will not be compromised as adjustments to the calendar have been made to ensure sufficient teaching hours are maintained.

Hanover County Schools will use September 23 as a student and teacher holiday, Hanover Schools spokesman Chris Whitley said.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A new Walmart grocery store opened its doors for the first time in Henrico County Wednesday.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market concept store in the 5200 block of Brook Road celebrated its grand opening at 7:30 a.m. at the site of the former Old Virginia Inn motel.

Walmart said the store, which includes a pharmacy and gas station, has created some 95 new jobs.

Additionally, the store will hold “A Big Family Welcome” on Saturday, Aug. 15 where customers will be able to meet the store manager, take part in family activities and sample free food. The event is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m.

The store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Chesterfield Police recruit arrived at the Glen Allen Courtyard by Marriott, but soon checked out with a summons for allegedly soliciting a prostitute, according to police sources. Michael Kilcullen, 26, was charged with soliciting a prostitute, a class one misdemeanor, following a recent Henrico Police prostitution sting.

“He’s a police recruit,” CBS 6 legal expert Todd Stone said. “They’re taught the laws at the police academy, so he probably should’ve been aware and makes you wonder why it happened to begin with.”

Henrico Police ran the sting at Brook Road hotel on August 5. Kilcullen was arrested and released on a summons. The incident report claimed Kilcullen used the website backpage.com to arrange a sexual encounter.

“If they have sufficient evidence, there are programs for first time offenders in Henrico,” Stone said. “It’s basically a school for ‘Johns’ that educates those arrested, on the impact prostitution has on females and a lot of times it opens people’s eyes to what they’ve really gotten into.”

Kilcullen was part of a current recruit class that had only been training for about two weeks, police sources said.

Prior to training, there is a series of steps recruits go through before making the academy. Those steps, which include polygraph tests, cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.

“The department was made aware of the situation and Mr. Kilcullen resigned his position as a police recruit the following morning,” a Chesterfield Police spokesperson said in a statement.

“In some areas of the country, if a police officer doesn’t complete the training for whatever reason, then the officer is required to pay back the cost to the agency,” criminal expert Steve Neal said. “But I’m not aware of any agency in the Richmond area that does this.”

Kilcullen had no comment when asked about his arrest. Kilcullen has a court date next week.

HENRICO, Va. — Thirty-one years ago in August, a couple was found brutally murdered in the Henrico woods which once sprawled out along Patterson Avenue, near the Kings Crossing Apartment complex at Gaskins Road and Patterson Avenue.

Family, friends and investigators have been frustrated for years, trying to find the killer — or killers — of  Donna Hall, an 18-year-old Freeman High School graduate and Mike Margaret, a 21-year-old graduate of Tucker High School.

Donna and Mike were last seen alive on August 17, 1984. Their bodies were found stabbed and their throats cut on August 21.

Donna Hall and Mike Margaret were found face up, stabbed and their throats cut.

Their murders have lately come back into the spotlight, with people more readily sharing information three decades later, and as an almost 3,000-member Facebook group aptly called “Justice for Donna Hall and Mike Margaret” crowdsources memories, clues and tips.

On Friday, August 14, 2015, a celebration of their lives will be held at Bar Louie in Short Pump.

Friends hope to solve the cold case of the murder of Donna Hall and Mike Margaret.

There will be a silent auction to build the new reward fund; the former $15,000 reward expired when Mr. Margaret passed away.

The Friedman Law Firm donated the first $1,500, of an intended $15,000 reward fund, and is routing donations to Crime Stoppers, through the firm’s trust account.

People can donate one of two ways:

1. Make checks payable to:

Friedman Law Firm, P.C Trust
Memo Line (Required) – Donna and Mike
Mail to:
Friedman Law Firm, P.C Trust
9620 Iron Bridge Rd #101
Chesterfield, VA 23832
or

2. Online Donations Link

The memorial event for Donna and Mike starts at 6 p.m. at Bar Louie, at 11788 Broad Street,  and will run through the night.
If you have any information concerning the murders, please contact Henrico County Detective Holsinger at 804-501-5276.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Police are searching for a 64-year-old man with Alzheimer’s and other mental and physical disabilities who has disappeared in eastern Henrico County Thursday morning.

In addition to police, Henrico Fire search and rescue teams are also on the scene in the 4500 block of Williamsburg Road.

Henrico police said Francis Claiborne walked away from an adult care facility Thursday.

Claiborne, who was last seen walking west on Williamsburg Road toward Richmond,  suffers from Alzheimer’s and other mental and physical disabilities, according to police.

Claiborne is described as a black male, between six feet to six feet four inches tall and weighing 210 pounds.  He was last seen wearing a blue Marine Corp ball cap, dark jeans and long sleeve plaid shirt. Officials also said he had a slow, stooped walk.

If you have information that could help investigators, call Henrico Police at 804-501-5000.

WTVR CBS 6 has a crew on the scene. Depend on WTVR.com and CBS 6 News for updates on this developing story. 

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — With a big tug from an excavator, the sign on Fairfield Commons Mall came tumbling to the ground with a crash Thursday.  A symbolic gesture, for sure, but one county leaders hope is the start of an economic turnaround for the mall and Eastern Henrico.

When it was first constructed 1968, the mall near the intersection of Nine Mile Road and Laburnam Avenue was known as Eastgate Mall.  When it reopens in the fall of 2016, the redeveloped retail center will go by the name Eastgate Town Center, an ode to the memories many still have of the original mall.

A 190,000 square-foot Walmart will serve as the anchor store.

According to Richmond Biz Sense, Planet Fitness, Citi Trends, MetroPCS, DaVinci Pizza and Lee Nails have already signed leases to open stores when construction is complete.

“People have been talking to me about the mall, and I say, ‘What happened was the mall went comatose, and what we going to have now is this mall is going to the hospital,'” said Frank Thornton, who represents the Fairfield District for Henrico County.

“The stronger is area is the stronger our community is, and the stronger our community is, the stronger this area will be,” said Tyrone Nelson, the Varina District Supervisor.

Even though the demolition phase of the project has just begun, developers hope to begin opening stores by fall 2016.  Longtime residents in Eastern Henrico are excited to see a much needed shot-in-the-arm for the area.

“[The mall] was an eye-soar for a while, and now it’s time for it to be erased,” said Tonya Myers, who just opened a new coffee shop in Sandston.  “Let’s emerge into a new day.”

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – Multiple crews are searching an inlet off of the James River near Dutch Gap after a toddler “went into the water” near Henricus Historical Park, around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Sources confirmed to WTVR CBS 6 News that crews are searching for a two-year-old girl that fell into the water.

On the record, Lt. Jason Elmore with the Chesterfield Fire Department said that divers are searching for a juvenile in an inlet off of the James River. He said there is no moving water. He also said that they have a last known point where the female went in, at the end of the dock.

Chesterfield crews put boats in the water at Henricus Park while Henrico crews went into the water at Osborne Landing.

“The area where they are searching is a five-mile loop from where we are now to the end and then back, so about two and a half miles each direction,” said Charlie Grant, the Executive Director at Henricus Park.  “It is heavily wooded; there are a series of ponds, inlets and areas that are rather secluded.”

He said that the depth of the water varies, depending on where one is located.

James River Search

Grant said that he was alerted to the scene at 4 p.m., when he saw firefighters on the property.

WTVR CBS 6 News has a crew on the scene. Watch CBS 6 News starting at 6 p.m. and then 11 p.m., for live reports from Jon Burkett.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico students won’t go to school on September 23 thanks to the UCI Road World Championships bike race. The Henrico School Board voted Thursday to turn the scheduled half-day student holiday to a full day off for students. The Board made the move because of the threat of traffic complications from the September 19 to 27, Henrico Schools spokesman Andy Jenks said.

“Large crowds of spectators will be filling local roads that week, making it a challenge to keep school bus routes on schedule in some parts of the county,” Jenks said. “The bike race’s route for September 23 includes central Henrico County. September 23 is the only HCPS calendar day to be changed by the event.”

Henrico teachers and staff will work that day and use it for planning and development.