A Maryland man’s criminal activity reached an inflection point as he fired a handgun at another person during a quarrelsome child custody exchange Sunday evening.

On January 8th at 8:35 p.m. deputies responded to the area of Windsor Circle and Federal Drive in Argyle Heights for a disturbance with a weapon. However, to fully understand the story, we are going to back up to a few minutes before deputies responded to the scene.

Just prior to the disturbance with a weapon, Almon Wheeler, 28, was at the Dixon Street 7-Eleven in Fredericksburg conducting a child custody exchange of his one-year-old child with the child’s mother. Wheeler was in the passenger seat, with a female driver and his child was in the backseat. Before the mother could take custody of the child, a disturbance started and the female driver proceeded to drive away from the scene with Wheeler and the child.

The mother followed the other car into Stafford County and both vehicles stopped in Argyle Heights. As the victim again exited her car to retrieve the child, Wheeler fired several rounds at her. The victim was not struck, but her car received two bullet holes.

Wheeler’s driver proceeded to flee the area toward King George with Wheeler and the child in the vehicle. A lookout was broadcasted for the suspect vehicle, but it was not located. Fortunately, a short time later, deputies learned Wheeler had dropped the child off with a relative. The uninjured child was subsequently turned over to the mother.

Wheeler was already wanted in Fredericksburg for failure to appear, in Spotsylvania for a Capias and in King George for assault and battery and showed no sign of quiet quitting by adding charges of attempted murder, malicious shooting at a vehicle and possession of a firearm by a felon in Stafford. Detectives worked with the King George County Sheriff’s Office and were able to take Wheeler into custody yesterday afternoon in King George. Wheeler was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. This is an ongoing investigation.

Thank you to the King George County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this case.