Leesburg, VA – Brendan Brown, 35, of no fixed address, has been charged with two counts of shoplifting, one count of eluding, and one count of possession of a stolen vehicle. Jenna Wilber, 22, of no fixed address, has been charged with two counts of shoplifting, one count of reckless driving, one count of eluding, one count of possession of a stolen vehicle, one count of possession of schedule II controlled dangerous substance, and one count of possession of schedule III controlled dangerous substance.
On Tuesday, August 29, 2023 shortly after 1:00 PM, the Leesburg Police Emergency Communications Center was notified of a shoplifting that had occurred at Tractor Supply (935 Edwards Ferry Road NE). The suspects fled the store in a U-Haul van with Arizona license plates. Leesburg officers began to canvass area retail centers and located the vehicle in the Lowes parking lot (1390 Russell Brach Parkway SE). Two subjects, later identified as Brendan Brown and Jenna Wilber, entered the van and fled the parking lot at a high rate of speed. Wilber refused to stop for officers and ultimately crashed in a grassy area adjacent to the intersection of the Leesburg bypass and Fort Evans Road NE. Both fled the vehicle on foot and were taken into custody nearby. Suspected methamphetamine, suspected buprenorphine, and drug paraphernalia were located on Wilber’s person, and additional drug paraphernalia was located in the van. It was determined that Brown and Wilber had shoplifted from the Leesburg Lowes before fleeing. Additionally, the van had been reported stolen out of Maryland, and Brown and Wilber were found to have recently been involved in multiple other theft incidents in other Virginia and West Virginia Jurisdictions.
“I would like to commend the diligent efforts of our officer on this investigation. I would also like to thank our retail partners for their continued cooperation in the prosecution of shoplifters,” advised Leesburg Police Chief Thea Pirnat. “These are not victimless crimes, and as evidenced this week, are not harmless incidents.”
Brown and Wilber both remain held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center with no bond.
