Suspect arrested after Stephens City robbery

On May 20, 2021, at 10:55 p.m., Deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to 121 Fairfax Pike (Shell Station/Handy Mart) Stephens City, Va., for a report of a robbery that just occurred.

When Deputies arrived on the scene, they made contact with the store clerk, Shahzad Munir, and a witness, Mr. Munir advised a black male wearing a neon yellow shirt was in the store for approximately 40 minutes at the lottery ticket machine next to the counter. The male then went to purchase items from Mr. Munir and when Mr. Munir began to check the male out, the male walked behind the counter, pulled a knife, and demanded money. Mr. Munir then began to wrestle with the male, knocking numerous items down in the store. As the suspect fled the store, he dropped his face mask and his cell phone but was able to get away with an undisclosed amount of money. The male ran outside where a witness, in this case, attempted to stop him but was unable to. The male entered a vehicle (later learned to be a green Honda Accord showing a Virginia Registration). The witness struck the passenger side windshield, damaging it. The suspect fled the scene.

Through the investigation, it was determined the suspect, in this case, was going to be Richard George Wheatly. Units across the area were advised of the vehicle description in question and BOLs for the vehicle was given. Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office was contacted since it was believed that the suspect lived in that area. Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle as it entered their County. Richard George Wheatly, age 27, was stopped and taken into custody without incident. Richard Wheatly was held without bond at the Jail at the Northwest Regional Adult Detention Center. Wheatly was charged with Assault, Robbery of a business, and vandalism.

This was one of those cases where there could have been a serious injury and numerous agencies were able to work together, develop the information needed to locate the suspect, and in the end, there was a positive outcome without any injury to anyone involved.

(Press release from Sheriff Lenny Millholland, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office)