UPDATE: Albemarle Police and Fire Rescue Departments released the following statement at 4:06 p.m.

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA – On Thursday, May 2, 2024, at approximately 10:39 am, career and volunteer units from Albemarle County Fire Rescue and officers from Albemarle County Police Department responded to the 1800 block of Secretarys Road for a domestic incident. That incident resulted in a vehicle crashing into a single-family home and starting a fire.

The home’s occupants were evacuated safely with no injuries. The single-family home is considered a total loss due to the fire damage. Four adult residents and one juvenile resident of the home are displaced by the fire.

(Pictured: Residence hit by a motor vehicle that subsequently caught on fire, courtesy of Albemarle County Police Department)

Officials identified a suspect in the incident, 26-year-old Jacob A. Pope, of no fixed address, who was last seen leaving the scene on foot with a baseball bat. A search for Pope followed in the immediate area. Pope was apprehended at approximately 2:47 pm in a vehicle located on Interstate 64 westbound near mile marker 121.

Pope has been charged with three felonies:

  • Attempted malicious wounding (§18.2-51)
  • Child endangerment (18.2-371.1)
  • Arson (18.2-77)

Pope is in custody pending a bond hearing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact ACPD at 434-296-5807. For those who wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000 or Crimestoppers@albemarle.org.

2:28pm UPDATE: The situation is “under control” with one lane of Secretarys Rd now open. Police vehicles have cleared but fire rescue units remain on the scene.

2pm UPDATE: The man police are looking for is identified as 26-year old Jacob Pope.

12:45PM UPDATE: CORRECTION: Trying to determine if Secretarys Road has reopened. There was scanner traffic they were looking to reopen it, but no confirmation that’s occurred.  There’s also heavy traffic showing on 511Virginia GPS on Presidents Road and Blenheim Road.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A portion of Secretarys Road in southern Albemarle is closed as of around 11 this morning after a domestic incident that has led to a fire call and a manhunt that has used a canine and a drone. It all started after 10:30 this (Thursday) morning with Albemarle Police called to a report of a man using baseball bats to break windows of a home at 1804 Secretarys. Two women reportedly locked themselves in a bathroom, and the assailant stopped. However, fire units were called a short time later for a structure fire.

They’re looking for the man who is reportedly bleeding profusely from an arm who has fled into some woods.