Norfolk Man Sentenced to 1 ½ Years for 2022 Ward’s Corner Burglary Spree
NORFOLK, Va. – Today, 51-year-old Roger Lee Hess Jr. was sentenced in Norfolk Circuit Court to an active one year and six months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of burglary from breaking into numerous Ward’s Corner businesses last winter.
On Dec. 26, 2022, around 3:25 a.m., Mr. Hess broke in the drive-thru window of the Wendy’s restaurant located at 208 E. Little Creek Road but did not steal anything. About an hour later, Mr. Hess also broke in the drive-thru window at the Taco Bell located across the street at 227 E. Little Creek Road and stole an unknown amount of cash.
Just after midnight on Dec. 28, 2022, Mr. Hess broke into the glass front door of the Subway located at 7550 Granby St. and stole around $200 in cash. About five hours later, Mr. Hess broke into the same Taco Bell a second time and stole about $100 in cash.
The following night, around 11:45 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2022, Mr. Hess broke into the glass front door of La Botica Hispana restaurant located at 7552 Virginian Drive and stole $400 in cash. Moments later, Mr. Hess moved on to the Moe’s Southwest Grill located at 7550 Granby St. and broke into that restaurant’s glass front door but did not steal any cash. Then, just after midnight on Dec. 29, 2022, Mr. Hess broke into the Metro PCS located at 155 E. Little Creek Road, but he again did not steal any money.
The following evening of Dec. 29, 2022, Norfolk Police officers responded to the Big Al’s Mufflers and Brakes located at 287 E. Little Creek Road and saw Mr. Hess trying to escape through a bay door he had broken in to. After a brief foot pursuit, officers arrested Mr. Hess.
All of Mr. Hess’ burglaries were captured on surveillance cameras. When detectives questioned Mr. Hess, he confessed to some of the burglaries but also claimed that he was intoxicated on each of those dates and did not remember committing the other burglaries.
On Thursday, Mr. Hess pleaded guilty to six counts of statutory burglary, and Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted his plea. Pursuant to Mr. Hess’ plea agreement, Judge Lindsey sentenced him to one and a half active years in prison, with an additional five years suspended on the conditions that Mr. Hess complete substance abuse treatment, five years of uniform good behavior and an indeterminate period of supervised probation.
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney William S. Maydosz prosecuted Mr. Hess’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth.
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