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Virginia Beach Police holding special meeting with Chimney Hill residents on recent violence

Posted at 3:46 PM, Apr 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-21 17:26:26-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The recent violence in the Chimney Hill area of the city has some neighbors voicing their concerns.

A local mom says her daughter was assaulted and robbed of her cell phone in the area of the basketball courts, along Chimney Hill Parkway on April 11.

Police could not say much about the incident, but online records show they are actively investigating an assault and robbery.

On Easter Sunday, in a community across the street from Chimney Hill, a family's home was hit with bullets.

Mom of four kids, Indian Turner, says the bullets hit her first floor window, minutes after her kids went up to the second floor of the home to get ready for bed.

"Those bullets are low, so had my kids listened to me and did their chores like they were supposed to, somebody would’ve been hit," she says. "We are scared to be downstairs past dark."

On Tuesday, in the Chimney Hill area, Virginia Beach Police say they responded to two shootings.

The second shooting involved two victims, 15 and 16 years old.

Captain Tony Yarbrough, Commanding Officer for the Fourth Police Precinct, says at this time, they do not have any forensic evidence that the shooting happened on the basketball court. However, the community locked the courts shut for the meantime.

He says the recent violence does involve juveniles, but they do not believe it is a result of any gang activity.

"In any community where you have two shootings in one day, that's going to be a concern," says Captain Yarbrough.

He says he has increased police presence by putting his community policing squad in the area.

Captain Yarbrough organized a special meeting with residents on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Chimney Hill Community Association clubhouse.

"We are interested, involved, and we will take action appropriately and necessarily when we see crime afloat."

Captain Yarbrough added that the 15 and 16-year-old victims in Tuesday's neighborhood do not live in the community.

Neighbor Richelle Jones feels most of their community is not involved in the violence, and if people are concerned about it, they need to step up.

"That’s where it’s our job as community members to be involved with our own community," she says.

Virginia Beach Police are actively working to organize a neighborhood watch group for the neighborhood. Jones feels that's an easy way to combat some of these concerns.

"If you see something, say something," she says. "It’s all very basic common sense things you just need to do to protect your neighborhood."

The Chimney Hill Community Association Board of Directors issued a statement to News 3:

"The Chimney Hill Community Association Office Staff and the Board of directors have been working closely with the VBPD for the last several years. We have met with our Community Policing Officer and met with other VBPD Officers as recently as Monday. Please contact Captain Yarbrough of the 4th Precinct for his plan of action for the escalating criminal activity in our community."