News

Actions

Man sentenced to 12 years for carjacking elderly woman

Posted at 4:59 PM, Feb 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-05 16:59:29-05

Colin D. Stolle

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A man was sentenced in court on Tuesday for carjacking an elderly woman and then committing a hit and run.

Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach, announced that 57-year-old Antonio Tyrone Jones, formerly of the 200 block of Doyle Way in Virginia Beach, was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Stephen C. Mahan for Carjacking, Robbery, and Hit and Run. Judge Mahan sentenced Jones to 12 years in prison.

Jones plead guilty on August 20, 2018.  Had this matter gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proven that on April 27, 2018, the victim had just exited the Kroger Grocery Store located at 3330 Virginia Beach Boulevard in the City of Virginia Beach.

As she arrived at her vehicle in the parking lot, she unlocked the doors and began placing her groceries into the vehicle.  In that moment, Jones walked up to her and demanded the victim’s keys to her vehicle and her purse.

The victim refused to give them to Jones. He then grabbed her purse and a struggle started between them.  Jones then pulled out a knife at which time the victim stopped resisting and gave him both her purse and keys to the vehicle. The victim’s purse contained credit cards, cash, and other personal belongings.

During the struggle between the victim and Jones, a woman was driving through the parking lot when she heard the victim screaming for help.  She stopped behind the victim’s parked vehicle to investigate just as Jones backed the victim’s vehicle rapidly out of the spot.

Jones slammed into her vehicle then proceeded to speed off out of the parking lot, nearly striking several people who had to get out of the way of the vehicle.

Virginia Beach Police officers responded to the area and officers located the victim’s vehicle which had been abandoned in a bank parking lot a few blocks away.  A six inch butcher knife that was left behind by Jones was located on the front seat of the victim’s vehicle.

Officers also learned that Jones had used the victim’s credit card at a Walmart located on First Colonial Road.  Video surveillance both from the Kroger store and the Walmart showed Jones entering at approximately the time of the incidents.

Based on all of the information obtained from the surveillance videos and items left behind at the scene, officers were able to locate and arrest Antonio Tyrone Jones.

Detectives advised Jones of his Miranda rights and after denying being involved in the crimes, he told the detective that he took the stuff from the lady and hit the other car.  Jones said he pulled a knife on her because he really needed a fix.

Jones said that he slept on a bench all day in the store parking lot and observed three or four other people as possible victims.  He said he did not know why he chose this victim.

Jones’ prior record includes convictions of Robbery, Forgery, Use of a Firearm, and Possession of a Schedule I/II Drug.