THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 23, 1996 TAG: 9601230239
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
One of the city's most sought-after drug-related murder suspects was taken into custody early Monday after a tactical response unit, acting on a Crime Line tip, confronted the man coming out of his mother's apartment.
Corey M. Jackson, 18, walked down the steps of the apartment in the 300 block of Ansell Ave. shortly after midnight and was arrested by members of a SWAT team that had kept the apartment under surveillance for 48 hours.
Officers had received a tip that Jackson was staying in the apartment. Later information, also supplied by police informants, confirmed that the apartment was being rented to Jackson's mother.
Jackson has been a fugitive since he was indicted on capital murder and robbery charges in September for the May 24 shooting death of Craig M. Robertson.
The 20-year-old Robertson was gunned down in the hallway of a residence in the 900 block of Chumley Road.
Police said they think Robertson was attempting to purchase drugs from Jackson and that Jackson shot and robbed Robertson.
Sgt. Ed Schardeis, head of one of two tactical response units that participated in the arrest, said the SWAT units staked out the apartment Friday and again Sunday.
Crime Line offers as much as $1,000 for anonymous tips leading to arrests. A committee makes the awards after analyzing each tip, according to Amber Whittaker, spokeswoman for the Portsmouth Police Department.
The units were planning to raid the apartment later Monday morning. But then police got worried that Jackson might leave the apartment before they could move in, Schardeis said.
``We had spotters observing the area and our spotters said they were coming out,'' Schardeis said.
Police suspected that two cars outside the apartment might be used to help Jackson escape, especially after they witnessed passengers from each car enter the apartment. After checking the cars, police approached the apartment. Jackson's mother stuck her head out, Schardeis said, and the police talked to her and she confirmed that her son was inside.
Jackson was taken into custody without incident. He is being held without bond at the Portsmouth City Jail.
The arrest brought a mixed response from Robertson's mother, Cathy Robertson of Suffolk. She expressed gratitude for the work done by the Portsmouth police and said the arrest may help her family get on with their lives. But she dreads the upcoming trial.
``This is just the beginning of this part of the process,'' Cathy Robertson said in an interview Monday afternoon. ``It's the beginning of all the court stuff and it dredges it all back up. We have to go through it all again.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
Corey M. Jackson, 18, has been a fugitive since September.
Photo
Craig M. Robertson, 20, was gunned down
May 24.
KEYWORDS: COCAINE MURDER ARREST by CNB