Update: CC fugitive arrested in national kidnapping case; faces six felony charges at state level

Devin Barnes was arrested on Nov. 5 in Maryland in a national abduction case. Six charges in Charles City were dropped, but may be brought up again according to Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Tyler.

Photo courtesy of Charles City Sheriff's Office

A Charles City fugitive, sought in an alleged brutal attack on a teenage girl, has been arrested in connection with a kidnapping case that drew national attention this week.

Delvin Barnes, 37, was arrested Wednesday in Jessup, Md. in connection with the abduction of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, in Philadelphia, Pa. Barnes also faces charges of attempted murder, abduction, malicious wounding, malicious wounding with chemical, inanimate object penetration, and forcible rape stemming from an Oct. 1 incident in Charles City involving a 16-year old female from Richmond.

Barnes waived extradition in Maryland court and was returned to Virginia late Thursday night by Charles City deputies. Arraignment for the suspect is expected to be scheduled in Charles City General District court on Nov. 12 on the six felony charges involving the juvenile. He could be directly indicted during circuit court grand jury proceedings on Nov. 18.

The investigation in Charles City, meanwhile, triggered a timeline of events that eventually landed Barnes in custody.

“This was a collaborative effort among Charles City Sheriff’s Office, New Kent Sheriff’s Office, and federal agencies,” said Charles City Sheriff Javier Smith, during a press conference held today (Thursday) at Charles City Courthouse.

With Charles City deputies putting together a case against Barnes, information on the teen’s abduction was kept secret while authorities investigated the defendant. Capt. Jayson Crawley of Charles City spoke about details received through that investigation.

“The 16-year-old was reported missing on Oct. 1 from the city of Richmond,” Crawley said. “We received a call from Stock Builders Supply on Roxbury Road and had a deputy respond.”

Deputy Floyd Miles Jr. arrived to the scene where he detected the scent of bleach on the girl’s body. The deputy added that a visible gash appeared on the victim’s forehead.

“She was hesitant when speaking to a male,” commented Miles. “She was visibly shaken and we wanted to give a couple of days for her to recover before we could get an idea of what happened.”

The interview with the underage victim revealed gruesome details of her alleged abduction by Barnes. According to Crawley, the victim was abducted somewhere between Richmond and Charles City before being taken to Barnes’ home. At the house, Barnes’ reportedly showed the victim pictures of other women that he said he had assaulted. The defendant allegedly poured gasoline and bleach on the victim and her clothes, made threats to her, and dug a shallow grave in the backyard. The victim added that while Barnes was distracted, she escaped into nearby woods, later appearing at the door of the Roxbury business.

Charles City’s Sheriff Office initiated an investigation shortly afterwards, submitting DNA evidence to a forensic science department in Richmond. On Oct. 28, the evidence matched Barnes, whose DNA was on file due to his previous criminal record. An Oct. 29 sealed warrant was issued for a search of his house and his arrest, but the defendant could not be found.

New Kent sheriff’s deputies were alerted to be on the lookout for Barnes. But it was a phone conversation between a New Kent deputy and the deputy’s father that shed light on determining the suspect’s whereabouts.

Deputy Wyatt Johnston spoke with his dad on Nov. 3 and the topic turned to the Philadelphia kidnapping. Video surveillance footage, which showed the victim, Freeland-Gaither, being forced into a vehicle by an assailant dressed in dark clothing, had drawn national attention.

“He was telling me about the case and the information that was received and in the back of my mind it sounded similar to the one in Charles City,” commented Johnston. “I knew from the investigation that Barnes had ties to Philadelphia and I acted on a hunch.”

That hunch became a key cog in locating Barnes, who moved to Charles City from Philadelphia in the late 1980s/early 1990s and graduated from Charles City High School in 1994. Johnston contacted Charles City Deputy Charlie Hargis and New Kent Detective Joey McLaughlin.

On the morning of Nov. 5, McLaughlin and Crawley reviewed footage from the Philadelphia abduction. There, a green Ford Taurus was seen, one similar to the vehicle Barnes was known to drive. Also visible on the video was an inspection sticker on the windshield.

“That inspection sticker really stood out,” said McLaughlin. “Not many states have an inspection sticker in the center of a windshield at that spot like the state of Virginia does.”

Investigators pressed forward, realizing the vehicle had a factory-installed GPS device. Information from the device revealed the car had recently been in Pennsylvania and currently was located in Maryland.

“That is when we made the call to federal authorities,” said Crawley. “We proceeded to Maryland shortly afterwards.”

When local investigators arrived, they met with Baltimore police. That discussion led to discovery of more surveillance film of Barnes in a Maryland supermarket and an ATM machine. At the ATM machine, he allegedly used a credit card belonging to Freeland-Gaither.

“We knew at that time it was him,” added Crawley.

Cooperating with state and federal authorities, the use of the GPS on Barnes’ car led authorities to his location. Inside the car, police found Barnes, along with Freeland-Gaither, ending the nationwide search for the kidnap victim, who was not harmed.

Crawley indicated he spoke with the suspect in Baltimore, but did not comment on specific details.

Crawley said keeping tabs on the suspect and not alerting the public played a vital role in Barnes’ capture.

“We didn’t want to alert the subject in any way and let him know in any way he was being watched,” the captain said. “We had a hard time developing a profile on him until the DNA evidence returned.”

Speaking on the widespread national attention the case has received, Crawley said that working with neighboring New Kent contributed to Barnes’ capture.

“Deputy Johnston recognized the similarities in the case and alerted us,” added the captain. “I’d like to thank all of New Kent Sheriff’s Office for the work they have put in.

“Something of this caliber never happens here,” Crawley continued. “You never know who lives among us and I’m just glad he’s in custody.”

Information revealed that Barnes didn’t know the 16-year-old juvenile or Freeland-Gaither. Crawley, however, acknowledged that both victims appeared young-looking.

New Kent Chief Deputy Joe McLaughlin Jr. said it was the attentiveness of all parties that helped take Barnes off the street.

“I want to thank citizens, Charles City Sheriff’s office, federal authorities, and the joint investigation team from Charles City and New Kent,” he said. “I think it was good police work between all parties and the open line of communication made a big difference in Barnes’ apprehension.”

Even with Barnes’ capture, both sheriff’s offices are advising possible victims to come forward if they have information involving similar crimes that could relate to the suspect.

“We are urging anybody who has come in contact with this man to come forward,” Crawley said. “He is in custody now and it was because he committed a similar offense somewhere else that led to his capture.”

The investigation surrounding Barnes in Charles City is ongoing. He is expected to face federal charges relating to the abduction of Freeland-Gaither.