RICHMOND, Va. — What began as a quiet Sunday afternoon in Henrico County swiftly escalated into a violent and chaotic sequence of events, culminating in a high-speed car chase that ended in Richmond. The incident, which began with a stabbing, involved a crash, a foot pursuit, and a child being rescued from the backseat of a fleeing vehicle.
Around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, Henrico County Police responded to a report of a stabbing near Reynolds Road and Howard Street. Officers arrived on the scene to find a woman suffering from a serious neck injury. The victim was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.
Shortly after the stabbing, police spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s car. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle on Laburnum Avenue, the driver refused to pull over, prompting a high-speed chase through Henrico County and into Richmond. Authorities reported that the pursuit quickly became chaotic, with officers in pursuit on foot after the suspect’s vehicle crashed.
Eyewitnesses described the tense moments that followed. Henry Wright, a bartender at The Continental Manchester, was working when he heard the sound of sirens followed by two loud bangs and a “big boom” as the car collided. “I knew it was serious when I saw all the cops with their guns drawn, running after whoever was in the car,” Wright said. “Everything was kind of a blur at that point.”
The chase ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed near 6th and Hull Street in Richmond, though authorities initially reported the crash location as 7th Street and Route 360. After the crash, police gave chase on foot, apprehending the suspect shortly thereafter.
In a disturbing turn of events, a woman exited the moving vehicle during the chase and was subsequently taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The scene grew even more dramatic when officers discovered a toddler, estimated to be around 3 or 4 years old, in the backseat of the car. The child appeared to have minor injuries and was quickly pulled from the wreckage. Wright, who witnessed the aftermath, recalled the harrowing moment. “I saw an officer pulling the child out of the car,” he said. “We brought him into the restaurant and gave him a cookie and a Sprite.”
The suspect, 30-year-old Tyler Renard Robinson-Thomas of Henrico, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, felony stabbing, felony eluding, and felony child endangerment. Authorities have not released further details regarding the suspect’s background or the motive for the stabbing.
The original stabbing victim remains hospitalized in critical condition, and police are continuing their investigation into both the stabbing and the subsequent car chase. The chaotic sequence of events has left the Richmond community shaken, with residents and businesses alike stunned by the violence and the close call involving a child.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward.
