From the information gathered it can possibly be serendipitous for Jesse Matthew to be held in Texas – Thus providing Virginia law enforcement more time to build a case against him prior to extradition and filing charges in the abduction, kidnapping, assault and/or murder (if so) of 18-year-old UVA student Hannah Graham.
GALVESTON — A man wanted in connection with the disappearance of a University of Virginia student was arrested Wednesday on the Bolivar Peninsula, authorities confirmed.
Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, was in the Galveston County jail, Charlottesville, Va., Police Chief Timothy Longo and Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said.
Matthew was found on the beach near Rollover Pass in the Gilchrist community of the Bolivar Peninsula at about 3:30 p.m. Trochesset said.
Police said they believe Matthew was the last person with Hannah Graham, 18, before she went missing.
She was last seen Sept. 13 in an area of Charlottesville known as the Downtown Mall, which is an open pedestrian-friendly area with retail shops and restaurants.
On Wednesday a Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a suspicious person call and found a man who had pitched a tent on the beach with a car nearby.
While questioning the man with the car, the deputy checked the plates and confirmed the vehicle was sought in connection to the missing woman’s case.
The deputy made the arrest without incident, the sheriff said.
Authorities were working to obtain a warrant to search the car. The sheriff’s office fingerprinted the man Wednesday night to confirm he is Matthew, Trochesset said.
It was unclear when Matthew arrived in Galveston County.
Dave Paresh, who runs Swedes Grocery in Crystal Beach, said the man came into his store on Tuesday.
“He seemed in a hurry,” Paresh said. “He walked in here asking about the beach and if it was OK to stay on the beach. He asked me two or three questions.
“I said to him if you are going to stay on the beach, the mosquitoes were real bad. He bought some (insect repellant) and left in a hurry.”
Paresh said he had video of his encounter with the man and said the car he was driving appeared to match the one Matthew was said to have been driving.
[…] Trochesset said investigators from Charlottesville, Va., would head to Galveston, a roughly 1,300-mile trip. They are expected to be in Galveston on Thursday.
Matthew is scheduled to appear before a judge early Thursday morning, when Galveston County authorities first have to confirm the Virginia warrant before taking steps to send him back to Virginia.
Matthew could fight extradition delaying his return to Virginia.
At the request of Charlottesville police, the sheriff’s office did not disclose any more details of what led to Matthew’s arrest. (read more)
from cctv footage of Matthew at Texas convenience store
[…] It was revealed on Wednesday that Matthew also has a long list of previous charges against him – from assault and grand larceny to trespassing and being in possession of stolen property.
Online court records showed that Matthew was convicted of trespassing in 2010 but provide no details about the incident.
He also faces a slew of traffic violations, according to WSLS.
In June 2009, Matthew allegedly assaulted someone during an attempted theft of a cell phone but the charges were later dropped.
Matthew has hired a former prosecutor as an attorney, WUSA9 reported on Wednesday afternoon.
Daily Mail has another outline – HERE
In addition the prior arrest record of Mr. Matthews shows a considerable criminal past which makes the flight to Texas all the more suspicious. CBS reports:
[…] “Most criminals make a mistake, said Mike Banks, a local forensics expert. “This was his; I don’t think that he presumed that everyone back home would have their phone tapped and I presume they had legal wire taps on all phones.”
The source also told me they knew he was in Texas because of highway technology.
“It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if police have a way to photograph a car that goes through say a toll that sets off an algorithm or a ping that would lead them to the Galveston area,” said Banks. (link)
As suspected he was driving in his sister’s 1997 Light Blue Nissan Sentra TAG: VAC-4575