A man accused of a murder in Salem was apprehended at a Christiansburg hotel early Wednesday morning.
Mark Allen Bell, 32, of Roanoke, was charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, reckless handling of a firearm and discharge of a firearm within the city limits, following an incident early Tuesday morning that resulted in the death of Anthony Joseph Trovata, 32, of Shawsville.
At approximately 2:04 a.m., Salem police officers responded to the 1900 block of West Main Street in reference to shots fired.
Upon arrival at the Go Mart convenience store, officers located Trovata in the parking lot suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he later died as a result of the shooting.
After further investigation, a woman who was with Trovata at the time of the shooting, Angela Woolwine, 29, of Roanoke, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. She is being held at the Roanoke County-Salem Jail on a secured bond.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Christiansburg Police Department received information Wednesday morning that Bell was located in a motel room at the Days Inn on Roanoke Street in Christiansburg.
Law enforcement arrived at the Days Inn at 1:24 a.m. and evacuated the motel guests into the lobby. Authorities from Montgomery County, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Virginia State Police, Salem and Roanoke County were on the scene.
Officers made contact with Bell and a female inside the room and both surrendered without incident at 4:09 a.m.
After the evacuation was lifted, motel guests were able to return to their rooms.
Lauren June Leffler, 27, of Bedford, who was in the motel room with Bell, was charged with one count of possessing a controlled substance.
