Drones aid police in apprehending suspect after 10-hour manhunt

From Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

On June 6, 2016, at 1:38 a.m. Stafford County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed robbery that had just occurred at Mr. B’s Exxon on Warrenton Road. The victim advised dispatch that the suspect was a black male and displayed a silver handgun that had black handgrips. He also stated the suspect had fled the area in an unknown vehicle.

Spotsylvania County had earlier in the night, broadcast a lookout for an armed suspect who had committed a robbery at the Sunoco Station in the Southpoint area of Spotsylvania. The description of that subject was a black male, armed with a handgun and who fled the scene in a silver vehicle that had damage to the passenger door.

Stafford County Patrol Deputies positioned themselves along Interstate 95 in hopes of observing a vehicle that fit the description of Spotsylvania’s lookout. At 1:41 a.m., Deputy A. I. Assur noticed a vehicle traveling northbound on Interstate 95 at the 140 mile marker that was silver in color and had damage to the passenger door.

He immediately began following the sedan and ran the tag while doing so. The vehicle came back stolen in a carjacking that occurred in Fairfax County on June 4, 2017. Units initiated a traffic stop in the area of Jefferson Davis Highway and Garrisonville Road. The suspect vehicle increased in speed and entered back onto Interstate 95 Southbound, being pursued by Stafford County Deputies.

The vehicle exited onto Courthouse Road then turned north on Austin Ridge. Other units not in the pursuit set up “stingers” that when run over, deflates tires. In the area of Providence Street and Green Spring Drive the suspect ran over the “stinger” deployed there. The vehicle went a short distance and came to a stop. The suspect exited the vehicle and ran into the woods. A manhunt was launched as deputies set up a large perimeter in the Austin Ridge and Hampton Oaks neighborhoods and K-9’s were brought in for tracking.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit launched Drones continuously and captured four separate sightings of the suspect at various times during the night and into the morning hours. Extra manpower was activated and after a ten hour search, the suspect was arrested in the median strip between north and southbound Interstate 95 at the 140.9 mile marker.

Michael Anthony Pixley Jr., age 25 of Temple Hills Maryland, was arrested by Stafford County for Robbery, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Felony Eluding and Reckless Driving. Spotsylvania County has obtained a Robbery warrant for the suspect and he will possibly be charged by Fairfax County on various felonies. He is being held on no bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

STAFFORD COUNTY STAFFORD, VIRGINIA NEWS RELEASE

A State Accredited Law Enforcement Agency Assisting Stafford with the search and subsequent arrest of the suspect was the Virginia State Police, Spotsylvania County Detectives and Fairfax County Helicopter Unit.