AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. — A Stuarts Draft man was taken into custody last Tuesday morning after allegedly firing multiple shots into a residence in the Lyndhurst area.
According to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), the incident occurred October 7, 2025.
At about 6:54 a.m., deputies responded to reports of gunfire at a home on Blackford Way.
When they arrived around 7:20 a.m., the suspect had already fled the scene in a 2003 white Jeep Liberty.
Deputies located the vehicle a short time later in the Stuarts Draft area and arrested the suspect without incident on View Drive.
The suspect, identified as Jose Martinez-Cruz, 41, of Stuarts Draft, faces multiple charges, including:
Maliciously shooting into an occupied building (Code §18.2-279, felony)
Shooting from a vehicle (Code §18.2-286.1, felony)
Six counts of child abuse or neglect—reckless disregard for life (Code §18.2-371.1, felony)
Reckless handling of a firearm (Code §18.2-56.1, misdemeanor)
Discharging a firearm in a public place with no injury (Code §18.2-280, misdemeanor)
Shooting across a road or street (Code §18.2-286, misdemeanor)
Out of an abundance of caution, Stuarts Draft schools were placed on “secure” status while deputies searched for the suspect. The lockdown was lifted once he was taken into custody.
No injuries were reported, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Martinez-Cruz is being held without bond at the Middle River Regional Jail.
