James City County Police are working to squash the potential for gang activity that stems from a suspected witness intimidation incident last month.
The police hosted a community meeting Monday in Grove, where the armed robbery of a 16-year-old Jamestown High student occurred Dec. 22 along Pocahontas Trail. That case yielded the arrests of a 16-year-old boy from Newport News and 20-year-old James City County resident Antoinne Leshun Watson, who are accused of robbing the Jamestown High student at gunpoint for an undisclosed amount of money.
The victim said he knew both alleged robbers.
Maj. Stephen Rubino of the James City County Police Department said one of the alleged robbers was in court last week. Several other people showed up and sat in the courtroom, and the victim, who was supposed to be at the hearing, did not show up.
“The individuals in the courtroom didn’t make any comments or say anything threatening, but it was suspected there may have been an effort to intimidate the victim,” Rubino said.
An attorney from the Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office spoke with the group in the courtroom. Someone from the group told the attorney they were there to support a friend.
The victim in the case also reported to the Jamestown High School student resource officer that after the January arrest, some people on a school bus were calling him a “snitch” and a “rat” as they rode to Jamestown High School one morning.
“There’s no indication that the people on the bus were affiliated with the suspects from the robbery,” Rubino said. “They may have been friends with him, but I’m not aware of any affiliation beyond that.”
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the robbery and any other parties that might be involved.
Rubino said police are committed to the safety and security of victims and witnesses in court cases.
He said this recent activity — which prompted the meeting in Grove — is because police are seeing some indicators of the potential start of gang activity.
“We don’t have a gang problem,” Rubino said. “We’re very proactive in our education and enforcement efforts.”
Police also mentioned potential drug activity and possession of firearms by children at the meeting Monday. Rubino said the firearms and drugs are a “blanket statement” pertaining to information police have received rather than specific incidents.
“The main message of the meeting last night is that we want to work in collaboration with the community to solve any problems,” he said. “If anyone has any concerns or they witness any criminal activity, we ask they notify us and we’ll work with them to help solve problems.”
Several officers attended the meeting, including Acting Chief Brad Rinehimer, the patrol officers who work in Grove everyday and several officers from the Community Services Division of the department. Throughout the meeting, they repeatedly stressed the importance of the community reaching out to police to discuss concerns and crime, citing that communication as a hallmark of community policing.
Anyone with information to share with the police may do so by using the anonymous tip line at 259-5176.
