Escape results in felony conviction
Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Alexander Vance Liles, an 18-year-old Victoria man was convicted recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court of felony escape as a result of fleeing from home electronic monitoring. The Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement said that pursuant to the statute such an act is considered the same as escaping from a jail or from the custody of a police officer. Liles was awaiting trial on other felony charges and misdemeanor charges in the Juvenile Court which he had incurred prior to his 18th birthday in November. He had appealed a denial of bail to the Circuit Court and had received a favorable ruling to remain free on bail after posting a bond and being ordered by the Circuit Court judge to wear an ankle bracelet for monitoring and be confined to his home. According to a police report and a summary of the evidence presented to the court, on Jan. 25, at about 11 p.m., the Victoria Police Department was notified that Liles had cut the ankle bracelet and ran from home on foot. Police officer Tonya Jones reported that a parent told her that Liles had said “that he would rather go to jail then spend another day with this ankle monitor on.” Police contacted the state police for a tracking dog, and all available units were notified to help search for Liles. Approximately two and a half hours later, Liles was found by Officer Jones about two blocks away on Marshall Avenue. Liles told Jones he was tired of being on the monitor. He also said he had walked across town and bought some marijuana and used it. He was arrested and taken to jail on charges of felony escape and a misdemeanor of damaging property, the ankle bracelet. He was held without bail at Piedmont Regional Jail until his trial date. Judge S. Anderson Nelson accepted a plea agreement in which Liles pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to five years with all suspended except time served awaiting trial on the felony and 12 months with all time suspended on the misdemeanor. Conditions of his suspended sentence include good behavior for 10 years, supervised probation for one year, warrantless searches and seizures, counseling, restitution of $65 for the ankle bracelet and not being within 100 feet of firearms and ammunition.