WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — Authorities are looking for a Piney Flats, Tennessee man accused of carjacking and abducting a woman in Southwest Virginia.
The Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office has charged Joshua Robert Coleman, 36, with abduction, carjacking, robbery, and other crimes.
According to a release from the sheriff’s office, the abduction took place in Russell County when the victim provided a ride to Coleman from the Walmart in Lebanon.
When Coleman entered the vehicle, he pulled out a handgun and told the victim to drive him and a female to another location, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim then drove Coleman and the female to a mobile home on Goose Creek Road in Bristol, Virginia, according to the WCSO.
“The victim was then ordered to get out of the vehicle, put in the passenger seat, as Coleman then began driving,” the release said. “Coleman drove to the Exit 5 area of Bristol, Virginia, where he dropped the victim off near The Falls shopping center.”
The Bristol, Virginia Police Department (BVPD) released that officers responded to an Aldi’s location at 720 Merchant’s Trace, where they spoke with the victim, who told officers Coleman assaulted and threatened her multiple times.
BVPD reported the victim escaped from the vehicle when Coleman stopped in the Aldi’s parking lot. According to a release from the department, he ended up fleeing with the victim’s vehicle and her belongings.
BVPD obtained the following warrants for Coleman:
- Abduction by force
- Use of firearm in violent felony
- Possession of firearm by felon
- Carjacking
- Domestic assault
- Attempted strangulation
- Possession of firearm while under protective order
Area authorities were notified and several agencies initiated a search for Coleman.
The sheriff’s office says the victim’s stolen vehicle was found behind a home on Goose Creek Road. Authorities closed the road for several hours out of concern for the public’s safety.
“Deputies attempted to contact the occupants of the mobile home for several hours while sheriff’s office
detectives obtained a search warrant for the premises,” WCSO said in the release. “The Washington County Sheriff’s Office SRT Team executed the search warrant and discovered two females inside the residence.”
The sheriff’s office identified the females as Victoria Renee Dye of Bristol, Virginia, and Amber Nicole Walker of Pounding Mill, Virginia. Both were arrested on outstanding warrants. Additional charges are possible.
Warrants were obtained for Coleman charging him with abduction, assault and battery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, carjacking, possession of a firearm by a felon, and robbery.
Anyone with information on Coleman’s location is asked to their local police or the Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office at 276-676-6000.
