COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- Earnest Vines III, a 43-year-old Colonial Heights man charged with multiple crimes in connection with the shooting of his girlfriend, remains jailed without bond Tuesday. The 32-year-old female victim, who shares a three-year-old child with Vines, was last listed in critical condition at the hospital.
"It’s unbelievable, it is," neighbor Hazel Goodman, who knows the family, said. "My heart goes out to him, and I pray God will touch the mother and heal her. That’s all I can say."
A flood of 911 calls reporting gunshots prompted police to respond to the Concord Apartments in Colonial Heights on Monday night.
It was there, police said, that Vines shot his girlfriend and drove off with their son.
"She was shot three times—once in the head and twice in the leg," Colonial Heights Police Sgt. Desiree McCurry said.
Police said Vines dropped the child, who was physically unharmed, off with other family members before he was taken into custody.
"[Vines] was later arrested at the CVS pharmacy parking lot," McCurry said.
Vines was charged with a variety of crimes, including aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, felony child abuse, and domestic assault.
"Just two days ago, he was out with his son," Goodman said in disbelief. "He’ll probably never see his father or mother. It’s sad. Heartbreaking."
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