Juvenile suspect faces attempted murder charges over Chilhowie incident

The violent incident at the Whitetop Road gas station began when a man of Hispanic descent entered the gas station around 12:45 a.m. and asked the clerk for help. As the clerk walked away, the suspect attacked him with a knife, Chilhowie Police Chief Andrew Moss said.

“They fought for control of the weapon throughout the store until another witness entered the store and helped the clerk disarm the suspect,” Moss said in a news release Saturday.

The suspect then fled toward Highway 11, he said, in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. However, Moss said the plates were not registered to the vehicle.

The employee was taken to Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon for treatment of facial and neck injuries and was released later that morning.

On Monday, July 15, Moss said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper notified CPD that he observed a vehicle swerving while the driver was holding a cell phone at approximately 1:48 a.m. on July 13. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver continued to attempt to evade the trooper. A chase ensued. During the chase, Moss said, the driver drove with extreme recklessness and was eventually taken into custody.

The suspect is currently on trial in Tennessee and has been identified as a runaway juvenile from Massachusetts. He is awaiting extradition to Virginia on attempted first-degree murder charges.

On Wednesday evening, Moss said the case was still under investigation and additional charges could be filed.

“Although our officers and our agency staff developed and collected strong leads and evidence in this case, an arrest was very unlikely because the suspect was a minor and attempted to flee. Without the outstanding work of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, this arrest would not have been possible. It is this spirit of partnership that allows us to keep our communities safe,” the police chief said.

Moss further expressed that the CPD “thanks the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for their assistance in bringing this case to justice.”