Pit bulls attack woman, dog

A Chesterfield woman and her dog were attacked in their Turner Road yard late last month by two roaming pit bulls.

According to Chesterfield County Animal Control, the pit bulls attacked the woman's Jack Russell terrier as she was walking her pet on a leash in her front yard.

The woman suffered deep puncture wounds to her arm as she attempted to fend off the attack on her dog. Paramedics were called to treat her injuries. The Jack Russell received injuries to his back and side and was treated by a veterinarian.

The pit bulls' owner has been cited for violating the county's leash law, and a judge could now declare the dogs dangerous under Virginia's new dangerous dog laws. If deemed dangerous, the owner would be required to register the dogs with the state, post signs warning visitors of the dogs' presence, increase homeowner's insurance coverage and enact other safety measures.

Eminent domain sought

Unable to agree on a purchase price, the Commonwealth Transportation Commission is seeking to claim the right of eminent domain of two small parcels of land in the Route 360 corridor near Winterpock Road in Chesterfield Circuit Court. Both parcels are for road improvements.

The state wants to take .0024 acre from Hull Street Investment Group, LLC and .0001 acre from Friendly's Realty, LLC. State law allows the court to decide the value of the land when the parties cannot agree on price.

Toddler's death ruled accidental

The suspicious death of a toddler has been ruled accidental.

The toddler's babysitter, 41-year-old Elizabeth Noakes, was arrested last month for involuntary manslaughter after the toddler died while in her care.

An autopsy by the state medical examiner shows the child died from lack of oxygen due to compression on the neck.

Noakes is expected to appear in court this month.

Chesterfield residents killed in Richmond

Timothy Burton, 32, and Joseph Seamster, 15, both Chesterfield residents, were found dead inside a Chevy van that crashed at the intersection of 26th and McDonough streets in south Richmond on Oct. 26. Both had been shot once in the head.

Motive is unknown, but police suspect the killings may have been the result of a robbery gone bad. Witnesses saw two men jumping from the back of the van shortly before it crashed into two parked cars. Both suspects were described as black males.

Anyone with information about this crime should call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.

Firefighters injured

Two Chesterfield firefighters were injured on Oct. 31 while battling a blaze caused by a child playing with a lighter. The firefighters received first and second degree burns while putting out the fire on Ecoff Avenue in Chester around 1:30 a.m. They were transported to CJW Medical Center's Chippenham campus for treatment.

Investigators believe the blaze started when a child set fire to a blanket while playing with a lighter.

One household member suffered a minor cut on his hand while escaping from the burning residence. The house was completely destroyed. The family of five is receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.

Athletic association embezzlement

Chesterfield resident Brenda Osby has been charged with embezzling around $50,000 from the Chalkley Youth Athletic Association. Osby, the youth sports association's former president, had been handling the money for the group since 2002.

Police believe the embezzlement occurred between January and September of this year, and have accounted for about $10,000 of the missing money.

The group is now trying to raise funds to keep the association going.