Commonwealth v. Najee Chinyelu Bullock; 15 Years to Serve for Abduction of Woman on Beach

Virginia Beach, Va. – Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth's Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach, announced that Najee Chinyelu Bullock, age 22, was sentenced today for Abduction with the Intent to Defile. Circuit Court Judge James C. Lewis sentenced Bullock to thirty (30) years in prison with fifteen (15) years suspended, leaving fifteen (15) years to serve. This sentence was above the high-end of the Virginia State Sentencing Guidelines, which recommended a maximum sentence of ten (10) years and seven (7) months in prison.

Bullock pled guilty on December 1, 2021. If this matter had gone to trial, the Commonwealth's evidence would have proven that at around 2 a.m. on December 29, 2019, the victim was out with friends at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach. She and her friends called separate Ubers or Lyfts to get home as they were going to different locations. The victim's ride arrived, and Bullock approached her as she was getting into the vehicle. He claimed he lost his phone and his friends left him, and he asked her help in locating his phone. She helped him look along the sand where Bullock claimed to have lost it. She eventually let him use her phone to try to use the "find my phone" app. As he held her phone in one hand, she noticed he had his other hand near his crotch and was making masturbation motions.

She asked for her phone back and tried to leave when he grabbed her from behind, placed his hand over her mouth, and tackled her to the ground. He said, "Just let me masturbate. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to assault you. Just let me masturbate and I'll let you go." She struggled to get free and to breathe, and he kept forcing her closer to the water. The victim activated the emergency function on her iPhone by holding the side buttons. An emergency call function appeared and dialed dispatch, who was able to ping the location of the victim's phone.

On the 911 call, dispatch heard the victim whispering into the phone for help and begging Bullock not to hurt her. Bullock's voice was heard telling her they needed to get closer to the water and that he just wanted to masturbate. After repeatedly trying to flee and being grabbed and tackled, Bullock told her he had a knife. The victim then saw lights and sirens on the boardwalk. Bullock fled with the victim's phone. After a short foot pursuit, Bullock was taken into custody two streets away. Police found her phone near the spot where Bullock was apprehended. His phone was found in his pocket. The victim identified Bullock as her attacker.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys Nickie L. Herron and Andrew R. Parker prosecuted this case. Please contact Macie Allen if additional information is desired.