ROANOKE, Virginia – Matthew Bernard, 18, is accused of murdering his mother, sister, nephew and a dog on Tuesday morning in Pittsylvania County.
A neighbor called 911 after hearing a gunshot and officers found a woman's body in the driveway of a residence, and bodies of another woman and child inside the home, according to WSLS.
The officer called for backup when a neighbor told police she saw Bernard run naked toward a church.
Deputies tried unsuccessfully to pepper-spray Bernard but, according to the neighbor, the suspect didn't react to the spray.
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Bernard reportedly choked a church groundskeeper before running off a second time when he was then hit with Mace and a stun gun before being taken into custody.
Approximately 100 officers responded to the scene where Bernard was seen running around naked, WSLS reported. Schools in the area were placed on a temporary lockdown during the incident.
The victims were identified as Emily Bivens, her son Cullen and Emily's mother, Joan Bernard.
Emily is the wife of minor league pitcher Blake Bivens of the Montgomery Biscuits, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cullen was the couple's 1-year-old son.
We're with you, Blake. pic.twitter.com/gJqdUCIf7p
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 28, 2019
"This boy’s a Christian. Went to church every Sunday, every Wednesday, every Sunday night. Taught youth groups. Just an all-around perfect kid, in my opinion," Matthew's uncle Bryant Bernard told WSLS.
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Matthew was seen banging his head inside a patrol vehicle at the time of his arrest.