Man accused in rash of store holdups will stand trial for robbery

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Parker to be tried in Page County court Nov. 24

By Linwood Outlaw III -- loutlaw@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- A Rileyville man who police say tried to rob two local stores on the same day in May will stand trial in Page County later this month on another robbery charge.

Christopher Bryan Parker, 35, of 852 Compton Hollow Road, Rileyville, appeared in Warren County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon to be arraigned on charges of feloniously robbing a cashier, Elena Scott, of U.S. currency by placing her in fear of serious bodily harm, and attempted robbery of cash from another cashier, Leah Collins, on May 2. Parker was indicted on the charges last month.

Before Parker was arraigned, however, his attorney, Ilona L. Beatty, told Judge Dennis L. Hupp that Parker will have a jury trial in Page County Circuit Court on Nov. 24, and that she wants to see how it turns out before moving forward with his case in Warren County. Hupp agreed to delay proceedings in Parker's case until Dec. 7.

Parker was indicted in Page County on one count of feloniously robbing a clerk at Bo's Belly Barn of money on May 3, the day before he allegedly robbed a Dollar General and attempted to rob a gas station in the Front Royal area. Coincidentally, Parker also is suspected in an attempted robbery of the Gas Mart at 8002 Winchester Road on May 3, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office.

According to documents filed in Page County Circuit Court, Parker robbed Bo's Belly Barn in a similar fashion to the other robbery and attempt in Front Royal. He "presented a note saying that he had a gun" and demanded money during the May 3 incident, according to court records. Parker also admitted to robbing Bo's Belly Barn, according to a criminal complaint filed in Page County. "[Parker] said he just wrote the note to scare [the clerk]," the complaint says.

According to charging documents filed in Warren County Circuit Court, officers from the Front Royal Police Department responded to a reported robbery at the Dollar General at 470A S. Commerce Ave. at 4:42 p.m. on May 2. The cashier told police that Parker showed a "demand note" and told her to fill a yellow plastic bag with money from the register, court records state. Parker fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Later that night, at around 11:12 p.m., police were called to an attempted robbery at the Wilco gas station at 1710 N. Shenandoah Ave. Based on video surveillance and interviews with the cashier, authorities discovered that "physical characteristics of the suspect matched that of the suspect" from the previous robbery, court documents state. Police said Parker also showed a similar note during the attempted heist, but did not get away with any money.

Soon after the robberies, police issued a lookout alert for a Chrysler Concorde believed to have been driven by Parker. He was spotted walking near the vehicle on Reliance Road on May 3 and subsequently arrested.

Parker confessed to the robberies while being interviewed at police headquarters, court records state. He also told police that he returned to a local residence after each robbery to "purchase crack cocaine for his personal use and that he had been staying at the residence over the past 24 hours," according to documents.

Parker, meanwhile, is expected to appear in Warren County General District Court for a hearing on another robbery charge on Dec. 9. He is being held without bond at the Warren County Jail.