A Kansas City man has been taken into custody in Arkansas and charged in connection with the theft of a vehicle and a burglary in Rockbridge County last week, according to a press release from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday.
James Michael Truitt, 38, was arrested by officers with the Little Rock Police Department Tuesday night. He is charged with one felony count of burglary, one felony count of grand larceny, and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny in Rockbridge County. He is also charged with one count of driving with a cancelled, suspended or revoked license and one count of reception of stolen property in Little Rock. He is currently being held in Pulaski County, Arkansas pending extradition to Virginia.
According to the release, deputies responded to the 4900 block of South Lee Highway just before 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday for a report of a vehicle that had been stolen overnight. The vehicle’s description was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and a BOLO was issued to law enforcement agencies throughout Virginia. The investigation also revealed that Layne’s Country Store had been burglarized.
During the investigation, deputies canvassed the area, speaking with neighboring businesses and residents and reviewing available security footage. Through the video evidence that was collected, a suspect was identified and investigators began tracking his movements through the area prior to the thefts. They also utilized the Flock Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) camera system to determine the stolen vehicle’s direction of travel. The vehicle was detected by a Flock camera in Tennessee later in the morning and shortly after 11:15 p.m. Tuesday night, the vehicle was located through ALPR technology in Little Rock, Arkansas. The vehicle was stopped by officers with the Little Rock Police Department and the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Truitt and taken into custody.
“This arrest is the result of good police work, modern technology, and strong partnerships,” Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin said in the press release. “Our deputies never stopped pursuing leads, and thanks to the cooperation of agencies across multiple states, a suspect is in custody and will be brought back to Virginia to face justice.”
McFaddin also expressed appreciation to the Little Rock Police Department and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.
“This case highlights the persistence of our deputies and investigators, as well as the strong partnerships we maintain with other agencies across the country,” he said. “Criminal activity does not stop at jurisdictional lines, and neither do we.”
This investigation remains active and ongoing, and additional charges are possible. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Office of the Sheriff for Rockbridge County and Lexington City at 540-463-7328.
