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All-Metro basketball player Threatt arrested: He and two others face charges in connection with a carjacking case(Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jul. 11--All-Metro basketball player Jay Threatt, who helped Highland Springs High School to the Group AAA championship in March, is facing robbery and abduction charges in a West Broad Street carjacking case, Henrico County authorities said. Threatt, signed by George Mason University in late April to a letter of intent, is one of three teens charged in a June 11 incident in which a 17-year-old boy was abducted while driving his car on West Broad Street at Libbie Avenue. Police said the victim was accosted at gunpoint by two males as he was stopped at a traffic light about 4:30 p.m. The two tried robbing the victim of cash, but when he said he didn't have any, they got into his vehicle and forced him to drive to a Bank of America ATM machine at Broad Street and Malvern Avenue, police said. A green Honda Civic occupied by a third person followed. Police said the robbers sought to have the victim withdraw cash from the ATM, but he managed to escape. The robbers then took the victim's cell phone left in his car, got out of his vehicle and ran to the Civic, which sped off. Authorities believe Threatt was the driver of the Civic that fled the scene. Police later arrested Threatt, who was 17 at the time, along with another 17-year-old male and Madaris Woods, 18, a former Varina High School basketball player. Threatt was charged with robbery and abduction. Woods and the other 17-year-old were charged with abduction, robbery and two counts of using a firearm in a felony. Threatt appeared yesterday morning in Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Judge S.L. Williams Jr. yesterday continued the case until Aug. 10 at the request of Henrico prosecutor William R. Coleman. Coleman said a key witness was out of the country. Threatt's attorney, Judson W. Collier Jr., expressed disappointment at the continuance. Threatt is not able to enroll at George Mason until proceedings are completed, Collier said at the hearing. Jay Threatt Sr., the father of the Highland Springs player and himself a former Petersburg High School and Virginia State University basketball player, declined to comment outside the courtroom after the hearing. Collier also did not comment. Threatt, 5-foot-8, averaged 13.7 points, 5.6 assists and 3.2 steals as a Highland Springs senior. According to a spokesman for George Mason, the school has no comment other than to confirm that Threatt signed a letter of intent with the Patriots. Threatt was one of three Highland Springs players named All-Metro. Each signed a scholarship with a Division I school. Former Springer Brandon Rozzell, 6-foot-2, is going to Virginia Commonwealth University. Teammate Jamar Abrams, who is 6-foot-6, is headed to East Carolina University. The Springers finished the 2006-07 season with a 28-2 record. Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or [email protected]. Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or [email protected]. To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com. Copyright (c) 2007, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |