Police arrest second city man from 2004 robbery

By Nate Delesline III

Published: July 2, 2008

CULPEPER — Police have arrested a second Fredericksburg man in connection with the 2004 robbery of a Culpeper restaurant.

Garrett Michael Sheffield, 26, is charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and accessory to abduction in connection with the Oct. 16, 2004 robbery of the Pizza Hut at 876 N. Main St.

Sheffield was arrested late Thursday afternoon and posted a $10,000 bond.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in general district court Aug. 6 at 11 a.m.

In December 2007, police charged another Fredericksburg man, 28-year-old Ernest J. Brooks, Jr., with the robbery.

A grand jury returned direct indictments charging Brooks with armed robbery, wearing a mask in public, conspiracy to commit robbery, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Police said that during the 2004 robbery, a man wearing a Halloween mask and carrying what appeared to be handgun demanded cash.

Two employees were in the rear of the pizza restaurant and another employee and a customer were in the front.

The masked gunman ordered the employees and customer into the freezer, then took an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing out the back door.

According to Lt. Chris Settle, after the arrest of Brooks, who was a former Pizza Hut employee, information that Sheffield was also involved in the robbery was uncovered.

Brooks is scheduled to be tried by a jury in circuit court Sept. 3 at 9:30 a.m.

Settle said the recent arrest shows that cold cases don’t always stay cold. “We’re always looking for new information no matter how old the case is.”

Nate Delesline III is a staff writer for Media General’s Culpeper Star Exponent.