Manassas Journal Messenger | Dumfries man identified for Tuesday’s hostage
A 42-year-old Dumfries resident was identified Wednesday as the man arrested for holding a woman and her baby hostage in a car Tuesday evening in Triangle, Prince William County police said.
Jerome M. Ball, of 1753 Fort Henry Court, allegedly held a 33-year-old woman and her 1-year-old baby in his car following an argument around 5:15 p.m., said 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn, police spokeswoman.
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The three were in the car when an argument started around 5:15 p.m., police said. They drove into the 3900 block of Oakdale Circle and Ball allegedly pulled out a gun.
The car, a lightly colored mid-sized sedan, was parked near a single-family home at 3925 Oakdale Circle.
Residents in the area saw the incident and called police. Police and the Prince William County police SWAT team arrived a short time later.
Sonya Dodson said her husband Roger was doing yard work when the car drove past and the victim was screaming for help.
Other residents said they saw the woman and the man in the car, but did not see anything else.
At one point, the woman began to struggle with the man and she was shot in the foot, She was able to escape with the baby, police said.
Chinn did not know the severity of the woman’s injury.
Two Dumfries police officers at the scene had a previous relationship with Ball and his family and were able to talk him into surrendering after a brief standoff, said Calvin Johnson, Dumfries Chief of Police.
“We believe that because of the good rapport we had with the family our officers were able to bring this incident to an end,” Johnson said.
Ball is charged with malicious wounding, abduction and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, police said. He is being held without bond.
He is believed to be an acquaintance of the victim. It is not know if the two were involved in a romantic relationship or if Ball is the father of the baby in the car, Chinn said.
Ball was found guilty in February 2004 of contempt of court in January of that year and sentenced to 10 days in jail, according to court records.