Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The individual who went on a crime spree last Wednesday, Sept. 18 morning in Salem is now in custody. Salem Police officers arrested Bradley Poff, 18, of Salem Friday afternoon and charged him with multiple crimes related to the rash of incidents that occurred in city on Wednesday morning.
Poff was indicted by a Salem Grand Jury Friday and charged with the following felonies:
- 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
After an extensive investigation, Salem Police identified a person of interest early Thursday. Poff was taken into custody at a home on Maple Street late Thursday morning and held on an unrelated probation violation. Within 48 hours of the crimes, Poff was formally charged with seven counts. He is being held in Salem-Roanoke County jail without bond.
“This was a multi-layered case that was solved by hard work, collaboration, and technology,” said Salem Police Chief Derek Weeks. “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.”
During the crime spree, the suspect had his head and face completely covered with garments and a mask. The coverings made it virtually impossible to compile an accurate description that could have assisted in his capture.
“We understand there was some frustration in the media and in some circles of the public that a description of the suspect was not immediately given,” said Chief Weeks. “However, the last thing you want to do is provide information that is not only misleading, but also incorrect. It was a very unusual set of circumstances.”
Timeline of the chain of events:
- 7:27 a.m. – Salem Police received reports of a stolen car at the Riverland Mobile Home Park on W. Riverside Dr.
- 8:00 a.m. – It is believed the suspect drove the car to the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County 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. The suspect attempted to steal a female’s purse.
- 8:58 a.m. – The suspect abandoned the stolen car in a retail parking lot in 1800 block of Electric Rd. and stole another vehicle. The newly stolen car also had a young child inside of it. Soon after exiting the lot, the child was abandoned and left alone just over a mile away on Intervale Drive. Minutes later, Salem Police engaged the suspect in a pursuit that culminated back in the vicinity of the mobile park where the original car was stolen. The suspect fled the vehicle along West Riverside Dr. 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 on Intervale Drive, reunited with his mother, and taken to Lewis Gale Medical Center where he was evaluated.
- 1:12 p.m. – All Salem City Schools except South Salem Elementary are taken off “secure” mode to allow for end of the day dismissal at their normal times. Additional police are placed at South Salem to assist in dismissal. All Salem schools were dismissed, and students were returned home without incident by 4 p.m.
