BY KEITH EPPS
Police are saying that at least eight people pummeled a young Stafford man after he accused someone of cheating in a card game.
Stafford Sheriff's spokes-man Bill Kennedy said three people have been arrested and more arrests are possible.
According to Kennedy, Deputy R.J. Grella was on patrol shortly after midnight when he was flagged down by the victim's girlfriend at the WaWa on Garrisonville Road in North Stafford.
The victim's face appeared to have been beaten severely, Kennedy said, and an ambulance was summoned to take him to the hospital.
The investigation revealed that the victim had been playing cards at a home on Cross Ridge Court off Garrisonville Road.
At some point, the victim exchanged words with people who he had accused of cheating.
The victim eventually went upstairs, where police said he was jumped by at least eight people. The attackers punched and stomped on the victim's head repeatedly.
Deputies went to the home and blocked the outside doors after hearing people running around inside.
When Grella got inside, Kennedy said, everyone claimed they weren't involved in the alleged beating and people were laughing about the incident.
Police later returned with warrants for three of them. The victim identified the three from pictures shown to him at the hospital.
Trebreh T. Jackson, 20, of Woodbridge, Anthony Scroggins, 18, of Stafford and Markita N. Moore, 22, of Hyattsville, Md., were all charged with malicious wounding and assault by mob.
They were placed in Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond. A preliminary hearing for all three is scheduled for Feb. 18 in Stafford General District Court, court records show.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com