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Raphine man sought after eluding capture in Augusta County

Chris Graham

statlerA Raphine man was arrested after attempting to elude law enforcement during a traffic stop in Stuarts Draft on Wednesday.

Jeffrey Scott Statler, 26, drove his vehicle off the roadway in the area of Earhart Mini Storage and through the Stuarts Draft Baptist Church property trying to evade an Augusta County sheriff’s deputy.

The pursuit came to an end in the 3200 block of Stuarts Draft Highway when Statler drove into a cornfield and fled on foot.

Deputies with the assistance of the Virginia State Police established a perimeter and utilized a K9 to track the occupants of the vehicle.  The passenger of the vehicle was caught in the area of Round Hill School Road and detained for questioning.

During this incident, the schools’ staff in the Stuarts Draft area were notified, but there was no threat of danger therefore, no lockdown procedure was required.

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office believes property located inside the vehicle may possibly be stolen from a storage building.  The sheriff’s office is asking for assistance from the public in locating the owner of property found inside the vehicle.

Please refer to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for the pictures of the property.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].