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ELKINS - A Randolph County man is facing a spate of charges after allegedly injuring an elderly woman and fleeing from police.
Andrew Stephen Purdum, 38, of Montrose, is charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, a felony. He is also charged with multiple misdemeanors, including domestic assault; domestic battery; fleeing or attempting to feel from law enforcement in a vehicle; unlawful removal, injury to or destruction of property; and interfering with emergency communications.
Purdum is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $15,000 cash-only bond, a $4,000 cash-only bond, and a $2,000 cash-only bond, set by Randolph County Magistrate Tracy M. Harper.
According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Trooper Thomas J. Sclimenti of the Elkins Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on Monday, the trooper received a call about an "active domestic" in Montrose, in which a male subject was "attempting to break into this residence and the female caller was locked inside."
Deputy Connor Waldron of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, already on the scene, told the trooper that the male subject was "fleeing into the field on a vehicle," the complaint states. Officers were told that the male, later identified as Purdum, had allegedly "pushed over" an elderly female, and was causing damage to a vehicle and removing lug nuts.
The EMS was called to transport the elderly woman for treatment of her injuries, according to the complaint. The woman told officers that Purdum "threatened to kill her" and that "this is the usual behavior when he is on drugs."
She also said Purdum has a gun safe in his residence, which is located nearby the incident scene, the complaint states. Purdum is a convicted felon for the crime of malicious assault/malicious wounding, from 2018.
The same day, officers obtained a search warrant to look for firearms at Purdum’s residence, according to the complaint. Officers located a functional .22 caliber revolver on top of the gun safe, and a disassembled .22 caliber rifle, along with a "large quantity of ammunition" in the room. Officers also saw a .357 caliber firearm on a bed, as well as a second locked gun safe.