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Petersburg abduction suspect arrested in Norfolk; woman still missing

Posted at 10:57 AM, Jan 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-19 21:54:40-05

NORFOLK, Va. -- Kristopher Jones, the Petersburg man with warrants out on carjacking, abduction, attempted armed robbery and grand larceny charges, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Norfolk.

Law enforcement arrested Jones Thursday morning, but the search for Minnie Woodard, a 76-year-old woman whose husband was allegedly abducted by Jones on Wednesday, continues.

The situation began Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, when police were called to the Bank of America in the 1900 block of S. Crater Road in Petersburg.

There they met Minnie Woodard's husband, Alfred, who said a man -- believed to be Jones -- forced him into his own SUV outside his S. Jefferson Street home.

Mr. Woodard was then forced to drive to a Dinwiddie ATM.

Minnie Woodard

Minnie Woodard

When the abductor learned Mr. Woodard could not get money from the ATM, Woodard said Jones made him drive to the Bank of America to get cash.

"Apparently, he alerted a teller at the bank that he was under some type of duress. And they, in return, called the police," Petersburg Police Capt. Brian Braswell said.

Before police arrived, Jones drove off in the Woodard’s vehicle.

Kristopher Jones

Kristopher Jones

Petersburg Police later spotted the black four-door 2008 BMW 7 sedan with Virginia handicap tags 435-027, and gave chase. The pursuit headed toward Dinwiddie, then to Hopewell and back to Dinwiddie before it ended without a suspect in custody.

When police arrived at the Woodard's home to continue the investigation, Minnie Woodard was not there.

Mr. Woodard told police he believed his wife was at home and that he had not seen her since earlier in the morning.

Now her family is desperate for anyone who knows her whereabouts.

"I have faith to believe that God will take care of her and bring her home safely," Minnie Woodard's son-in-law Andrew Clement said."This could be your mother, your sister, your aunt, your daughter dragged out of the house. What would you do? This is an outstanding woman."

Additionally, police sources said Jones was also involved in an attempted robbery at a convenience store in Chesterfield County Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday evening, police discovered that the girlfriend of 32-year-old suspect Jones was found dead in her home.

Janice Celeste Lugo, 52, was found dead inside her home located at 103A S Jefferson St. A family member who saw Jones linked to an abduction and carjacking called police and asked them to do a welfare check at the home, where they found her dead around 9:30 p.m.

Lugo's home is located about a block away from where the abduction and carjacking took place in the 200 block of Jefferson Street.

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