A security alarm at a Plank Road tobacco shop cut short an alleged break-in attempt early Sunday, leading Spotsylvania County Sheriff's deputies to a masked man behind the building with a tire iron in hand. Travis Garton Jr., 34, now faces burglary, destruction of property and mask-wearing charges after deputies say he was actively trying to get inside the Tobacco Hut when they arrived.
Alarm Sends Deputies Racing to Plank Road
The alarm at Tobacco Hut, located in the 3500 block of Plank Road, went off around 4:57 a.m. Sunday, according to WJLA. Deputies responded quickly and found Garton behind the business, per deputies, still wearing gloves and a ski mask and carrying a tire iron. The attempt was thwarted, according to The Free Lance-Star.
Garton was arrested and charged with burglary, destruction of property, and wearing a mask in public. He is being held in jail without bond. The Rappahannock Regional Jail is in Stafford and serves Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George and Fredericksburg.
What the Charges Actually Mean
Virginia Code § 18.2-91 addresses burglary involving intent to commit larceny; the offense is a felony that carries a punishment ranging from 1 to 20 years in prison, regardless of whether anything was actually taken. The mask charge stems from Virginia's decades-old anti-mask statute, Code § 18.2-422, which makes it a Class 6 felony for anyone over 16 to wear a mask, hood or face covering in public with intent to conceal their identity. The destruction of property charge falls under Code § 18.2-137, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor if damage is under $1,000 or a Class 6 felony if it reaches that threshold or higher. It remains unclear how much damage, if any, was done to the storefront before deputies arrived.
A Familiar Target on a Busy Corridor
The Tobacco Hut sits along Plank Road. A Tobacco Hut sign permit was approved in January 2026.
This case is not linked here to any other specific tobacco-shop incident or broader regional targeting trend. In July, four Spotsylvania teens were charged in connection with burglaries reported from February 25 through July 7. Separately, broader enforcement efforts tied to tobacco storefronts remain unspecified.
What led Garton to allegedly target this particular shop, and how much damage the attempted break-in caused, remain open questions. His next court appearance in Spotsylvania has not been disclosed.
