Suspects of home invasion in custody

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: July 15, 2008

Two men who twice allegedly broke into a residence at the Mountain View Apartments in Waynesboro early Tuesday morning have been taken into custody, according to Waynesboro police.
Michael Seifert, 19, of Waynesboro, and Blake Matthew Via, 18, of Stuarts Draft, were arrested on charges of armed robbery, abduction and malicious wounding, in addition to multiple charges of breaking and entering.
Drug charges are also pending. No other charges are expected.
An 18-year old female resident in the 1600 block of Wickham Lane told police that two men kicked in her rear door and entered her apartment, taking nothing and leaving in a white car.
The two men returned about an hour and 15 minutes later, Walker said, this time armed with three BB guns, using one of them to shoot the female in the leg after forcing her into a back room. They then ordered her out of the apartment, when she called 911 and went to get help from neighbors, Walker said.
The two suspects then took a computer and PlayStation 3 games – valued at $1,400. They tried to leave, Walker said, but were confronted by four men, who used force to detain the suspects until police arrived.
One suspect then tried to escape, but was caught after a brief foot chase, Walker said. The other was found lying in the landing area of the stairs leading to the apartment.
The suspects were taken to Augusta Medical Center for injuries during the confrontation and are now being held at the Middle River Regional Jail in Verona without bond.
“It was a wild, wild thing,” Walker said.