Victims of break-ins knew suspect, police say

BY ALLIE ROBINSON

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

A string of break-ins and thefts that plagued Washington County, Va., for about a month have one thing in common, investigators said – most of the victims knew the man charged.

  Those people, whose homes span from Meadowview to the southern end of the county – several in the town of Abingdon – noticed they were missing items like firearms and jewelry, said Lt. Byron Ashbrook with the Washington County, Va., Sheriff’s Office.

“Most all the victims had a connection with [him],” Ashbrook said. “They were relatives or general acquaintances, and had had recent interactions with the suspect.”

Once authorities noticed the pattern – the people targeted and items taken – they took out warrants for the arrest of Christopher Adam Barrett, 29, of Black Hollow Road in Abingdon.

Barrett eluded arrest for about a week-and-a-half, and was taken into custody in a “pretty intense arrest,” Ashbrook said.

“Sgt. [Steve] Crawford [of the Bristol, Va., Police Department], me and another detective drove by the residence where we believed him to be, and he was on the front porch,” Ashbrook said. “He fled back into the house, and we found him hiding in the closet buried under Christmas decorations.”

Barrett has been charged in Washington County with six counts of grand larceny, five counts of breaking and entering, four counts of grand larceny with intent to resell, four counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count each of violating probation and obstruction of justice. Barrett is additionally charged with a count of obstruction of justice in Bristol.

Barrett’s girlfriend, Beth Noel Widener, 22, of Hawthorne Drive, Meadowview, was arrested and charged with one count each of breaking and entering and grand larceny.

“From what we’ve gathered, we believe she was present when one of the break-ins was committed,” Ashbrook said.

Also arrested was Barrett’s ex-wife, Brittany Santana Calloway, 25, of Rainbow Road in Bristol, Va. She was wanted out of Tazewell County, Va. on an unrelated incident.

At least five homes have been broken into, and as the investigation continues, Ashbrook expects Barrett, who has previously been convicted of drug and larceny charges, to face more charges in this case. Ashbrook said it seems as though the thefts have been drug-related.

“This guy, for whatever reason, had to feed his [drug] habit, and he targeted people he knew,” Ashbrook said. “We’ve had quite a few cases like this where the victim knew the suspect, where there was some relationship there.”

Some of the stolen items – including a Vietnam War veteran’s service medals – have been recovered, Ashbrook said. He estimates that about $12,000 worth was recovered and returned to the owners. But some items have yet to be found. One theft involved about $30,000 worth of jewelry, he said.

Barrett is being held without bond in the Bristol, Va., Jail. Ashbrook said he had been previously arrested in the string of break-ins and bonded out, and then rearrested with new charges stemming from the time Barrett was out of jail.

Widener was released on a $5,000 bond. Calloway was released on her own recognizance.

arobinson@bristolnews.com

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