Stafford Sheriff’s Deputies arrested an armed robbery suspect yesterday after he robbed a gas station on Warrenton Road and led deputies on a pursuit along Rt. 3 in Spotsylvania County.

On Tuesday, July 4, 2017 just before noon, deputies from the Stafford Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Interstate Shell located at 535 Warrenton Road in reference to an armed robbery. Deputies were on scene within minutes of the call. Deputies met with the clerk who advised that the suspect entered the business, approached the counter and purchased two packs of cigarettes. At that time there were other customers in the store. After purchasing the cigarettes, the suspect went into the bathroom located to the rear of the business. The suspect remained in the bathroom for several minutes and exited only after all other customers had left. The suspect then approached the clerk, displayed a handgun and demanded the cash from the register. The clerk complied with the suspect’s demands after which time the suspect fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect was seen getting into a grey sedan displaying Pennsylvania license plates. The clerk was able to provide the actual plate number which was subsequently relayed to other deputies in the area. The vehicle was last seen getting onto southbound Interstate 95 from Warrenton Road. Second Lieutenant D.M. Stout spotted the suspect vehicle a short time later on Interstate 95. The suspect vehicle was stopped on the right shoulder of Interstate 95 just south of the rest stop in Fredericksburg. Lieutenant Stout was in the far left lane when he first spotted the suspect vehicle. He pulled to the left shoulder at which time the suspect vehicle merged back onto Interstate 95 and proceeded south before exiting onto westbound Rt. 3 at the 130 exit. Lieutenant Stout with the assistance of other deputies attempted to stop the suspect vehicle in the area of Rt. 3 and Bragg Road. Rather than stop, the suspect vehicle quickly accelerated along westbound Rt. 3. With Stafford Deputies in pursuit the vehicle continued along Rt. 3 for several miles before turning into the Harrison Crossing Shopping Center. The suspect vehicle maneuvered through the shopping center parking lot and onto the access road which parallels Rt. 3. Lieutenant Stout made intentional vehicle contact with the suspect vehicle in an attempt to safely end the pursuit. The suspect vehicle fish tailed and ran off the side of the road into the parking lot of the Union Bank. The suspect regained control of the vehicle and proceeded into the parking lot of the SONIC. Lieutenant Stout blocked the exit with his patrol vehicle so the suspect could not escape. A concerned citizen saw the pursuit as he was waiting in the drive thru of the SONIC. The citizen purposely backed his vehicle directly into the path of the suspect vehicle as it was driving around the SONIC toward the exit. The suspect vehicle collided with the citizen’s vehicle and the pursuit was subsequently ended. Deputies quickly took the suspect into custody without further incident.

The suspect was identified as Mark Francis Lahive Jr, age 25 of Bellwood, Pennsylvania. Deputies discovered that Lahive was wanted out of Altoona, Pennsylvania on two robbery charges. Those two robbery warrants were issued on July 3, 2017. Lahive has been charged by Stafford Deputies with one count of Robbery, one count of Brandishing, one count of Grand Larceny, one count of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, one count of Felony Eluding and one count of DUI. An Extradition Warrant was also obtained against Lahive related to the active warrants out of Pennsylvania. Lahive is currently incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Jail with no bond.