Police briefs

Police briefs

Date published: 8/23/2006

Culpeper seeks help in catching vandals

Vandals struck again this past weekend just north of the town of Culpeper.

Less than a week after several homes, a church and several cars were hit with paintballs and a roadway was spray-painted, vandals spray-painted signs and asphalt along State Route 729 Saturday night.

Early Sunday night, vandals destroyed 18 mailboxes along Alum Springs and Mountain Run Lake roads, according to Culpeper County sheriff's Maj. Jim Branch.

Damage was estimated at several hundred dollars.

Branch said that while authorities have no leads in the case, the three incidents of vandalism may be linked.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 540/727-7520 or Crime Solvers at 540/727-0300.

--Donnie Johnston

Retrial in Colonial Beach slaying set this week

A 20-year-old Oak Grove accused of killing a Maryland man last year on a Colonial Beach street will face a new trial tomorrow and Friday in Westmoreland County Circuit Court.

In July, a jury found Robert Dermott Reynolds guilty of the voluntary manslaughter of Rashad M. Baken. But the jury was unable to agree upon Reynolds' sentence and a mistrial was declared.

A new jury will be impaneled tomorrow for Reynolds' new trial for manslaughter and shooting from a vehicle. Both charges carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison.

Baken was killed March 6, 2005, by a gunshot fired from a red Camaro that had stopped on Sixth Street near Riverwood Apartments. Police found the car a half hour later near Reynolds' home at Oak Grove.

--Frank Delano

Culpeper pastor to be arraigned next month

A Culpeper minister facing child-endangerment charges will be arraigned Sept. 18 in Culpeper County Circuit Court.

The Rev. Charles Shifflett, 54, faces eight counts of child endangerment stemming from the 23-year period when he was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.

Complaints by former students of the Calvary Baptist Academy, which was part of the church's outreach ministry, range from paddling to forcing students to split wood during physical-education classes.

Shifflett briefly appeared in court yesterday for a hearing on a defense motion seeking a bill of particulars from Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Close. The prosecutor's office agreed to provide an evidence memorandum in lieu of a bill of particulars, which satisfied defense attorney Sammy Higginbotham.

--Donnie Johnston

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Date published: 8/23/2006