VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Court documents are shining additional light on an incident earlier this month that left a 45-year-old man dead and a U.S. Navy sailor — who police said was “on a crack bender” — charged with murder.
Jason Jablonski, 41, is charged with second-degree murder. His girlfriend, 35-year-old Heather Totty, is charged with accessory after the fact.
A search warrant for Jablonski’s vehicle, a white Toyota Camry that was impounded after the fatal incident, was filed March 16 in an effort to find evidence.
The warrant said authorities were looking for blood, DNA, hairs, fibers, clothing items, any identifying information belonging to victim 45-year-old Herbert Bryant, edged weapons, dumbbells and any documentation relating to the motive behind the March 11 homicide.
A narrative establishing probable cause for the search warrant was included in court documents. The narrative gives additional insight into what led up to Bryant’s death.
Virginia Beach EMTs responded to the 1200 block of Edenham Court around 7:30 a.m. for a report of a man who wasn‘t breathing. They arrived shortly after the call and pronounced him dead at the scene.
The man, later identified as Bryant, had no wallet, phone or other personal identification on his person; only a set of keys. He had bruises and a cut on the back of his shoulder.
Police found a woman outside of the apartment who was attempting to leave. She was detained and then taken to the detective bureau for an interview with police, the warrant said. The woman said she lived in the apartment with Totty and another person.
The woman said she was with Totty, Totty’s boyfriend Jablonski, the other roommate, and the roommate’s boyfriend “Herb,” as they were all awake smoking crack around midnight.
The woman told police she laid down on the floor to sleep while the other roommate was on the couch watching television. Totty and Jablonski then went into Totty’s room.
She then woke up to the sound of screaming and banging in Totty’s room, court documents state. The woman heard Totty saying “He’s freaking out! Knock him the f— out!” She told police she also heard Jablonski say “You don’t come in my girl’s house and destroy it.”
The woman added she heard Totty say “Gotta get him out of here,” followed by the other roommate — the one who had been on the couch watching TV — saying “Here’s a weight.”
Her interview with police included information that Jablonski allegedly took Bryant and put him outside on the apartment’s steps.
The woman told police she got up and went to the bathroom, where Totty joined her. Totty had a dumbbell and started rinsing blood off of it in the sink, court documents said.
Court documents said Totty “attempted to clean up the scene, collecting the victim’s belongings in a bag which police later found in a trash dumpster.”
Totty and Jablonski then packed up and left in Jablonski’s Camry, police said.
Authorities searched license plate reader information and found an area where Jablonski’s car had recently traveled. They tracked the vehicle to an Extended Stay parking lot, where detectives confirmed Jablonski had rented a room.
Jablonski and Totty were taken into custody without incident, and the Camry was taken to the city impound lot, documents state.
Court documents state police also interviewed Totty, Jablonski and the other roommate about Bryant’s death. All three said a silver dumbbell was used to strangle Bryant, and Totty and Jablonski both said they left the apartment in the Camry.