Virginia fugitive nabbed at Concord Mills go-kart track where he worked

A Virginia fugitive wanted in connection with a botched robbery and shoot-out was captured this week at a Concord Mills go-kart track where he worked, authorities said Friday.

Jawaun Cordell Love, 21, of Virginia Beach, Va., was arrested Wednesday at 3:55 p.m. at The speedpark at Concord Mills, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. Love was caught shortly before the track opened at 4 p.m. for the day.

Love is a Concord native who still has family in the area, said Chris Atwater, chief deputy in the marshal’s Middle District of North Carolina office in Greensboro.

Love was wanted by Virginia Beach police on charges of attempted armed robbery, felonious assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The charges stem from an incident that happened shortly before 1 a.m. on Dec. 7 in the northwest part of the city where three people tried to rob an illegal gambling establishment, authorities said.

There was a shoot-out between the would-be robbers and their intended victims, and one of the patrons was injured, Virginia Beach police said.

One alleged robber, William Knox, was killed during the gun battle by one of the robbery victims, the marshals service said. A second suspect, Marvin Dale Thompson Jr., 33, was caught and charged in the case, Virginia Beach police said.

But Love avoided capture and fled to North Carolina, according to the marshals service.

The marshals service and Virginia Beach police determined that Love was living in Concord and had been hired by the speedpark, Atwater said. Virginia Beach is about five hours northeast of Concord.

The marshals’ Joint Fugitive Task Force and Concord police began surveillance of the go-kart track on Wednesday and arrested Love without incident, Atwater said. Love is being held in the Cabarrus County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Virginia.

Love has no prior arrests but received a citation for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in North Carolina last September, Atwater said.

A spokesman for the speedpark was not available for comment.

Observer researcher Maria David contributed

This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Virginia fugitive nabbed at Concord Mills go-kart track where he worked."