Suspect in Virginia student abduction held without bond in Texas

By Amanda Orr GALVESTON Texas (Reuters) - A man suspected of abducting a University of Virginia student will be held without bond in Texas pending his extradition to Virginia, a Texas county judge ruled on Thursday. Jesse Matthew, 32, was arrested in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, about 1,100 miles away from the University of Virginia campus. The arrest came a day after a warrant was issued accusing him of abduction with the intent to defile. Hannah Graham, 18, a sophomore at the school, was seen with Matthew leaving a bar in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the early hours of Sept. 13. Police said they got into his orange Chrysler and drove away. Graham has not been seen since. Galveston County Judge Mark Henry ordered Matthew held without bond pending extradition to Virginia. Matthew waived his right to fight the extradition at a separate hearing and will soon be transported to Virginia. Law enforcement officials told Reuters that Matthew was arrested after the Galveston Sheriff's office received a tip of a suspicious person. A deputy found a tent pitched on a secluded beach and a blue Nissan Sentra parked nearby. The car's license plates were registered to Matthew's sister and the vehicle was sought in connection of Graham's disappearance. The Galveston Sheriff's office said investigators from Charlottesville would be in Texas on Friday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also was on the case. Detectives identified Matthew as a person of interest last week, searched his car and apartment and issued the warrant for his arrest on Tuesday. At a news conference in Charlottesville on Thursday, police asked property owners near the university campus to look for any signs of Graham, who last seen wearing a silver sequined halter top, black Capri pants and white shoes. "The more time that goes by, the more difficult this is going to become for everyone," Longo said. "I can't lose hope. But we all know that as each day goes by that hope will diminish," Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said. Police would not discuss evidence collected during two searches of Matthew's apartment and then sent to a forensics lab. Authorities said Matthew, who has worked as a nursing assistant at the University of Virginia's medical center since 2012, appeared at a police station on Saturday. But he left after a brief discussion and took off at high speed, shaking officers who tried to tail him. (Additional reporting by John Clarke in Washington; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)