Manassas Journal Messenger | Former resident charged with hotel robberies
A 22-year-old former Montclair resident was charged with robbing two area hotels last December, less than a week after Stafford County detectives charged him in a hotel robbery in Stafford County, a Prince William County police spokesman said.
Derek Malik Cornelison, formerly of 15900 Moncure Drive, allegedly robbed the Sleep Inn at 17470 Jefferson Davis Highway on Dec. 2 and the Ramada Inn at 4361 Inn Street on Dec. 6, said Officer John Bogert, police spokesman.
Cornelison is currently being held for possession of a controlled substance and eluding police Dec. 7, police said.
Last week, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office matched Cornelison’s handprint with one found at the scene of a hotel robbery in Northern Stafford County, said Maj. David Decatur, Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Detectives from Prince William County told Stafford detectives that Cornelison was a suspect in several similar cases in Prince William County.
Stafford detectives went to the Adult Detention Center and obtained Cornelison’s handprint. They sent the print to their forensics lab and it was matched with a print left at the robbery, Decatur said.
Prince William County police then charged Cornelison in the two Woodbridge hotel robberies, Bogert said.
Cornelison used to work in hotels and was familiar with their set-up, Decatur said. He is charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery in Prince William County, police said.