According to Harrisonburg police, three people stole food and beer from Martin's Grocery Store in Harrisonburg, then got into a standoff with police Sunday evening. Monday, all three are in custody facing a list of charges.
Fifty-year-old Mark Wright, 54-year-old Robert Wright, and a 15-year-old boy are accused of stealing from Martin's. The two adults were tracked to a home on Boyers Road.
Authorities say two men refused to leave, and at one point they threw some sort of chemical at authorities. Around 10:30 p.m. the SWAT team went in and brought the two suspects out. Their charges include robbery and larceny.
The NBC29 newsroom received the following press release from the Harrisonburg Police Department:
The Harrisonburg Police Department has charged three individuals for taking items from Martin's Grocery Store yesterday evening, which is located at 2035 E. Market St.
Mark O. Wright, 50, of Harrisonburg was charged with robbery, larceny/theft – third or subsequent offense, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Robert F. Wright, 54, of Harrisonburg was charged with robbery, larceny/theft – second offense, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
A 15-year-old male of Harrisonburg was also charged with robbery.
Around 6 p.m. on March 25, HPD officers began investigating a shoplifting incident, where two adult males took beer and food from the store without paying for the items. The offenders were approached by an employee in the parking lot of the store. The employee took the stolen items from the offenders at which time the offenders, including the juvenile, then took the items back and threatened the employee.
All three offenders then fled the parking lot with the stolen merchandise in a van. During the investigation, it was determined that the incident changed from shoplifting to a robbery due to the use of force used against the employee.
The Harrisonburg Police Department worked closely with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and Virginia State Police during this investigation. The arrests of the three offenders would not have been possible without the assistance of each participating law enforcement agency.
Mark Wright, 50
Robert Wright, 54
