Leesburg Hostage Crisis

William Spencer, 49, of Baltimore, allegedly led a crime spree through the town of Leesburg – pulling a gun at a jewelry store, stealing a vehicle and holding an elderly couple hostage in their home. The Loudoun Independent followed Spencer’s alleged footsteps of Friday’s events.

Spencer entered the Other Kind of Jewelry Store, a Leesburg pawnshop, at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Friday, July 10. Owner Lynn Mischler noticed a suspicious maleexamining merchandise.

“He looked very suspicious,” Mischler said.

The man then asked to see a watch, but his agenda quickly became clear to Mischler. “He really wasn’t interested in the watch – he was only interested in cash.”

When the suspect pulled a firearm from a duffle bag, Mischler took off running. “I immediately hit the alarm. I don’t know what he was thinking, we have cameras everywhere.”

The suspect ran as well–leaving the store without merchandise–possibly realizing the alarm had been sounded and his window to escape was closing. The police station is located just down Market Street.

The forensics team later determined that the suspect had discharged a bullet into a light fixture on the ceiling before leaving the store. The bullet hole was evident upon observation. While details remain unclear, it has been alleged the suspect might have had a getaway driver – who failed to make it to the scene. Police later issued a warrant for Donald L. Blount, 44, of Leesburg. Blount was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery.

Following Spencer’s exit from the store, the suspect ran behind the building and toward the street – with police in pursuit. He found himself in the 200 block of Royal Street, only a block or two away from Other Kind of Jewelry Store. The suspect then entered the Olmstead residence through an unlocked back door, encountering a two-year-old baby and his 21-year-old babysitter. Spencer allegedly tied the babysitter’s hands and left the two locked in the bathroom.

According to Jennifer Adamson, a close family friend who lives with the Olmsteads but was not home at the time, Spencer was waiting in the living room when Steve and Jamie Olmstead came home. He took several possessions including petty cash and the keys to the family’s Jeep Cherokee. He reportedly wanted to take wife and mother Jamie Olmstead hostage, but Steve Olmstead convinced him to take the $1,000 cash in his possession, having just cashed a paycheck.

By 12:55 p.m., police had received a call from the Olmstead home reporting the break-in and stolen Jeep. Spencer’s alleged journey may have led him through the streets of Leesburg, as the vehicle was found abandoned at 105 Davis Avenue shortly thereafter.

The suspect wasn’t done with his one-man crime spree. Fleeing police, Spencer allegedly broke his way into another house – the Belotes residence in the 700 block of Valley View. Police received a call at 2 p.m. from Frances Belotes, who had barricaded herself in the bedroom long enough to call 911 before the suspect broke down the door and took possession of the phone.

Spencer may have become concerned police were close, firing a possible warning shot to remind police he was armed. It remains unclear how the suspect gained access to the home.

According to Chris Jones, Public Information Officer of the Leesburg Police Department, “Police were on the scene within seconds.”

Police and SWAT authorities secured the neighborhood, with curious citizens observing S.W.A.T. troops setting up reconnaissance.

By 3 p.m. contact was made with the suspect, through a phone provided by authorities to communicate back and forth. The manhunt became a waiting game as the standoff continued for almost seven more hours.

The female hostage was released to police at 9 p.m., and the suspect turned himself in by 9:50. The police then entered the premises and found the male hostage inside. Neither was injured.

According to sources within the police department, the Belotes were instrumental in Spencer’s surrender, urging him to avoid further incident. Bob and Frances Belotes, both in their 80s, even fed the suspect in an attempt to keep him calm.

Over 100 law enforcement personnel were deployed to aid in the standoff, according to Jones.

The events remain palpable in Leesburg – especially in those communities directly surrounding the homes involved. Leesburg’s mayor left a note on every door in the 200 block of Royal Street, thanking residents for their resilience.

The Olmstead family plans to move away – leaving behind the house and the memories.

“They don’t want to come back,” Adamson said. “Can you blame them?”

“I just want people to know that it was an isolated incident. This guy was just a stranger in our town. I’m trying to work on myself not being afraid of people I see on the streets – not making false assumptions about people.”

During the incident itself, several law enforcement agencies cooperated in responding to the hostage situation—including representatives from the Town of Leesburg Police, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. After Spencer’s arrest, law enforcement responsibilities shifted to the Commonwealths Attorney’s Office.

Both Spencer and Blount were arraigned in a Loudoun County courtroom on Monday, July 13. Blount was appointed a public defender. Although Spencer initially expressed a desire to represent himself, local attorney Burke Walker was appointed.

A multimedia package including video, audio and interviews with those most affected is available on loudouni.com.