A Henrico County man has been sentenced to eight years and one month in prison for illegal possession of Molotov cocktails, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
This comes as additional charges following an incident from five years ago.
According to court documents, Xavier Louis Lopez, 25, was walking through his suburban Henrico neighborhood in August 2020, wielding a knife that he used to slash the tires of cars that belonged to neighbors who had political views he disapproved of.
Molotov cocktails were seized from Xavier Louis Lopez’s residence in Henrico County in 2022.
When police attempted to arrest Lopez, he violently resisted and assaulted one of the officers. He was later charged with felony vandalism.
In a search of Lopez’s home, investigators found over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, more than a dozen high-capacity magazines, rifle parts and machining equipment.
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All firearms-related items were seized after Lopez reached a plea agreement in 2021. Lopez was released from prison in November 2022.
Following Lopez’s release, investigators recovered eight Molotov cocktails in his home; these are destructive devices filled with Styrofoam and gasoline, and the combination creates an “improvised napalm.” Molotov cocktails are usually lit on fire and then thrown, shattering on impact and erupting into flames.
Investigators also found, near the Molotov cocktails, a box of 9 mm hollow-point ammunition as well as Lopez’s attempts to 3D-print the final piece of a 9 mm handgun build kit. He had purchased that kit anonymously online.
Recognize Broad Street from these Times-Dispatch archive photos?
03-20-1963 (cutline): Real Blooms Are Coming. These plastic flowers that have seemed to bloom in planters on the median strip of Broad St. in the past years will give way this year to real begonias--pink, red and white. Downtown Retail Associates announced today plans to replace the ivy int he planters with the begonias next month. The city will maintain the flowers until fall, when the ivy will be replanted. The group said it will continue this year the practice of having flower carts on sidewalks during Garden Week.
09-03-1954: Broad and Bowe Streets, looking west.
02-22-1955 (cutline): New Motorists' Guide--this large sign recently installed at Ryland and Broad Streets, is designed to prevent accidents and help northbound motorists on U.S. Routes 1 and 201 in Richmond keep on the proper route. The "next right" part of the sign flashes constantly. The Traffic Engineering Bureau said that sign was installed to prevent accidents at Bowe and Broad, where drivers frequently discover they are supposed to turn but are in the wrong lane.
08-15-1967 (cutline): New signal for Left Turns This type of new traffic signal to regulate left turns has been installed at the intersection of Bowe and West Broad Sts. The signal, which faces eastbound traffic on Broad, is designed to give motorists a chance to make left turns without guessing what westbound traffic is doing. If east bound motorists have a flashing green, west boung traffic has a red light. If eastbound motorists have a flashing amber, westbound traffic has a green light and left turns should be made at the motorist's risk.
05-24-1957 (cutline): New Help for the Motorist Motorists headed west on Broad St. now find some helpful information in the form of new route markers hitting them right in the eye. The large markers, suspended over the street, give directions to Rts. 1, 301 and 60. City Hall is in the background. The new markers are at 11th and Broad Streets.
11-27-1954 (cutline): Disputed passage--This performance at Sixth and Broad Streets wasn't unusual in the downtown traffic scene yesterday. Vehicle blocking crosswalk has attempted right trun from Broad but is blocked by traffic ahead on Sixth Street.
01-07-1955 (cutline): Appraiser H.P. Slusser (left), with counter in hand, checks pedestrian traffic on Broad Street.
06-03-1968 (cutline): A place to Relax on Broad Street W.E. Cash of Hopewell tries a bench placed on Broad Street today by the city of Richmond. Several benches were placed ont he south side of Broad between Second and Fourth Streets on an experimental basis. If the trial proves statisfactory, more benches will be located in busy downtown areas, according to City Manager Kiepper.
04-28-1966: In April 1966, Mrs. Arch Clegg inspected newly planted flowers on a median along Broad Street in Richmond. Two varieties of holly and more than 1,000 petunias were being planted on Broad that week between Adams and Eighth streets. The displays, sponsored by Downtown Retail Associates, were to stay in the planters until fall.
