Patience is a virtue, and man oh man do our deputies have it. A Washington DC man wanted for felonies in two different counties was found, pursued, and arrested by the hard working and patient deputies of Stafford County.

On June 27th at approximately 1:17 p.m. Deputy J.E. Alford was traveling on Warrenton Road near the Olde Forge neighborhood when he observed a vehicle in the Exxon parking lot that was identified as stolen. While investigating, deputies observed the vehicle was empty; however, a witness advised a black male wearing a black shirt and black shorts was seen exiting the vehicle and into a store located behind the Exxon. Within that store, it was advised there was a man who matched that description asking employees if he could leave out the back. Staff politely declined. Believing this could be the suspect, deputies waited patiently outside of the store for him to exit.

Their patient waiting game paid off, for the suspect exited the store. It wouldn’t take the suspect long to realize what was happening and he began running. Sergeant K.J. Simpson, Deputy B.W. Gildea, and Deputy T.G. Croson gave chase, initiating a foot pursuit. The suspect fled past the Motel 6, through a wooded area, up the off ramp for Northbound I95, before crossing Northbound traffic on I95 to the median separating North and Southbound lanes.

Again, patience is a virtue. Instead of attempting to play a real-life game of Frogger, deputies tracked the suspect from the shoulder, buying time until units traveling Southbound could reach the suspect and pause traffic. Captain L. Peters and Deputy J.W. McAlister were those units, and were able to stop the suspect from fleeing further. The fleeing suspect, identified as Job Coffer, 35, had in his possession the keys to the stolen vehicle.

We hope you’re patient enough to read through all his charges. Coffer was wanted out of Fairfax for 18 charges: six counts of receiving stolen goods, five counts of identity theft, four counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, two counts of forgery, as well as, failure to appear on felony offenses. Coffer was also wanted out of Maryland for two counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, two counts of identity fraud, two counts of larceny, as well as, forgery. Stafford County charged Coffer with possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing law enforcement, fugitive from justice for his Maryland warrants, as well as, served him on all his Fairfax warrants. Coffer, was held without bond.

The story does not end there. At approximately 6:08 a.m. this morning while at Mary Washington Hospital, Coffer escaped from Rappahannock Regional Jail Officer’s custody and attempted to flee once again. Jail staff and Fredericksburg police officers worked together in order to locate him once again. Additional charges may be obtained.