By Heather Michon
Correspondent
Residents along Ruritan Lake Road (Rt 619) noticed a major law enforcement presence on Thursday evening (Aug. 17), reporting on local social media pages that the road was blocked for a time as camouflage officers in what looked “like an army tank” moved on a residence.
Lt. Aaron Hurd of the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) said three individuals were arrested at the scene: Kenneth Allen Walton, 34, Melissa Gail Dudley, 37, and Jessie Marie Cromer, 28.
Each was charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance.
FCSO requested Virginia State Police (VSP) support in serving the warrant. “They have the tactical team resources to secure the scene for us,” he said. “Once it was secured, they departed, and the searches and arrests were made by the Sheriff’s Office.”
The tactical team approached in an armored personnel carrier, dressed in “subdued green uniforms,” Herd added.
Part of Ruritan Lake Road was closed to traffic for about 10 minutes. “We realize that is inconvenient for the public, but we felt it was necessary to provide space for the law enforcement assets to safely conduct the initial part of the response,” he said. “Once the scene was secure and law enforcement vehicles were able to be removed from the state road, it was reopened.”
Along with VSP, Herd said the department was also assisted by the Fluvanna Department of Social Services and the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force.
All three suspects were arraigned in General District Court on Monday (Aug. 21) and are currently being held without bond.
