Fourth Suspect in Purcellville Home Invasion Arrested in Florida

After a six-week hunt that led ended in Tallahassee, FL, authorities arrested the final suspect in an Oct. 14 home invasion in Purcellville, a small town in western Loudoun County.

U.S. Marshals arrested David C. Russell Jr., 21, of Leesburg, Nov. 22 and charged him with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. He remains in the Leon County Jail in Florida. Three other men were previously taken into custody in Virginia.

Armed men entered an apartment on the 100 block of N. 21st Street in Purcellville around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and assaulted at least one person before fleeing with cash, according to reports from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators quickly recovered the weapons they believe were used, and began making arrests, starting with Jordon L. Harwell, 29, of Sterling and John C. Barwis, 23, of Ashburn in October. They are being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. Police in Harrisonburg, VA, worked with LCSO detectives to locate and arrest Dean W. Ballard, 20, who remains in custody at the Rockingham Harrisonburg Regional Jail.

“These suspects could not escape the long-arm of the law, which consisted of our partners with the Town of Purcellville Police Department, the Harrisonburg Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham RUSH Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service,” said Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman in a press release. 

All four men have been charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery and additional charges are pending.