NEWPORT NEWS — The man police believe robbed a Virginia Educators Credit Union here shortly before noon Wednesday, is now facing a plethora of felony charges, including three counts of making a bomb/burn threat.
Oscar Von Alston II, 31, of Newport News, also is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, wearing a mask in certain places and entering armed with intent to commit a felony.
He is being held without bond in the Newport News Jail. Hampton Police said Alston called in a bomb threat that caused an evacuation of the General District Courthouse Wednesday morning in Hampton.
RELATED STORY: The man who called in this bomb threat is the same man who robbed a Newport News credit union, police say
Dispatchers fielded a call about an alarm activation at the credit union at around 11:55 a.m. Wednesday. As police were approaching the location in 800 block of Main Street, the call was upgraded to a robbery.
Police said Alston, who was armed with a gun, went into the bank, jumped the counter and took cash.
At the time of the incident there were five Newport News Public School students taking a financial class at the bank. The students were in a separate room and were not harmed.
Bank employees also were not injured, police said.
Alston was “taken into custody” during a traffic stop in the area of 74th Street and Chestnut Avenue, police said.
“Thank you to our officers and detectives who worked diligently to apprehend the suspect in less than 15 minutes from when the alarm activation was received,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said. “Because of their attentiveness and expertise, the victims have closure and know the person responsible is in custody.”
