Public records
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on April 8, 2004 2:02 PM
Fire in Fremont
hits house, car
FREMONT -- A "suspicious" fire on Wednesday damaged a home at 801 S. Sycamore St. and destroyed a car, Fremont authorities said today.
An investigation of the cause of the fire was turned over to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the county Fire Marshal's Office.
No injuries were reported.
"Any time there is a fire and there is something we don't understand, we ask for help in investigating it," said Assistant Fremont Fire Chief Donnie Wilkerson.
The fire damaged a bedroom, and smoke damaged the entire one-floor, wood-frame home, said Bryan Taylor, an Emergency Services specialist.
The amount of damage and the value of the home, occupied by Louis Gillespie, had not been determined, Wilkerson said.
The fire also consumed a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle.
About 17 Fremont volunteers responded with two engines, a tanker and a utility truck to the 3 p.m. call. They controlled the blaze in about 30 minutes, Wilkerson said, but remained for about three more hours to investigate the cause and finish salvage work. Pikeville offered mutual aid.
County volunteers also responded Wednesday to numerous grass and woods fires. Among them were calls to Central Heights Road, Hubert Drive, Thunder Swamp Road, Mills Road, Ebenezer Church Road, Arrow Point Drive, New Hope Road and Woodfield Place.
The New Hope, Belfast, Patetown, Pikeville, Mount Olive, Thoroughfare, Oakland, Mar Mac, Dudley and Arrington departments and the N.C. Forestry Service answered the calls.
Deputy's car struck
A Wayne County Sheriff's Office patrol car was involved in a collision with a car at 5:23 p.m. Tuesday at North William and Neil streets in Goldsboro, the Highway Patrol said.
Sheriff's Cpl. Craig E. Edwins, 32, of Goldsboro was going south on North William Street. Troopers said a northbound driver, Tony Lee Ezzell, 43, of Arrington Bridge Road, had started a left turn and collided with Edwins' cruiser. Ezzell was charged with a yield violation.
Damage was estimated at $3,000 to the 2004 Ford patrol car and $4,000 to Ezzell's 1995 Ford.
In other collisions:
*A southbound driver was injured and damages were estimated at $7,500 in a two-vehicle collision at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at North William Street and Hooks River Road, Goldsboro police said. April Michelle Pratt, 26, of U.S. 117 North, Fremont, was treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital. The other driver who was starting a left turn, Dina Maria Hernandez, 23, of Azalea Drive, was charged with a safe-movement violation.
*Two people were injured and both vehicles were demolished in a wreck at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday on North Berkeley Boulevard near Langston Drive, police said. A northbound driver, Alice C. Hinnant, 59, of Eastern Place, and a passenger in the other vehicle, Albert Williams, 52, of Isler Street, were released after emergency-room treatment. Williams' driver who was starting left turn, Clifton Jones, 66, of Roberts Street, was charged with a safe-movement violation. Damages were set at $15,000.
*Four people were injured and damages were estimated at $15,000 in a two-vehicle crash at 7:28 p.m. Monday at Salem Church and Stoney Hill roads, the Highway Patrol said. One driver, Monica A. Townsend, 40, of Alpha Court, was transferred to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where she was listed today in fair condition, a spokeswoman said. The other driver, Kay N. Cox, 47, of Booker Street, Pikeville, and one of Ms. Townsend's passengers, Crystal Maye, 9, of Alpha Court, were treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital. Ms. Townsend's other passenger, Jay Maye, 46, of Camera Lane, was listed today in stable condition, a Wayne Memorial spokeswoman said. Ms. Townsend, who was going west, was charged with a yield violation.
Drug charges
Two men were arrested Wednesday by the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad and charged with felony drug offenses in a home in the 600 block of Hugh Street in Goldsboro.
*David Lamont Stokes, 35, of Country View Lane was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping and selling marijuana and misdemeanor possession of non-taxpaid liquor. His bond amount was not immediately available.
*Andre Lavarr Coley, 31, of Central Heights Road was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and misdemeanor possession of non-taxpaid liquor. He was jailed in lieu of a $8,000 secured bond.
Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers assisted in the investigation.
Trailers stolen
Three utility trailer were stolen between Tuesday and Wednesday in Wayne County, and one was recovered, according to Sheriff's Office reports.
*A trailer was stolen from the 100 block of West Hill Street, deputies said. The owner and resident, Robert Lee Swisher, also reported the theft of a spare tire, a tire changing kit, two trailer hitch adapters, eight tiedown straps, eight tiedown adapters and a wrench. The stolen property was valued at $530. A skylight vent also sustained $60 in damages. The trailer, valued at $3,400, was found later Wednesday in Greene County.
*A black, five-by-10-foot trailer was stolen from the 4200 block of U.S. 13 North. The owner, Kenneth Ray Boyette Jr. of Goldsboro, put a $900 value on the trailer.
*A black, five-by-eight-foot trailer was stolen from the 300 block of Rodell Barrow Road. The trailer, owned by Craven Brooks Gay of Fremont, was valued at $590.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*A disabled white, four-door 1988 Volkwagen Jetta was stolen between Tuesday and Wednesday from the 3500 block of Salem Church Road, deputies said. The owner, John Christopher Thigpen of Raleigh, said the car did not have a battery and was worth $1,000.
*A total of $2,200 was stolen from a briefcase in a truck, deputies said. The victim, Winford Earl Langston of Goldsboro, said he had left the money while he did construction work in the 100 block of Aycock Drive.
*An estimated $2,000 worth of copper pipe was stolen from a vacant home in the 800 block of Annabelle Street, Goldsboro police said. The owner, Richard Kevin Aycock of Kenly, said the pipe was taken between March 2 and Wednesday.
*A refrigerator was stolen between Monday and Wednesday from a mobile home at Goldsboro Homes at 4387 U.S. 70 East, deputies said. The refrigerator was valued at $1,200.
Fraud charge
A 41-year-old Goldsboro woman was arrested Wednesday by Goldsboro police and charged with financial transaction card theft.
Angeline M. Powe of Olivia Lane was accused of stealing her ex-husband's debit card and purchasing items, police Investigators Mike Moore and Mike Horstmann said. She was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond on the felony charge.
Stolen goods
Three Goldsboro residents were arrested today by Goldsboro police and charged with felony possession of stolen goods.
Jenus Aubrey Hall, 32, and Jessica Elaine Stilley, 23, both of East Chestnut Street, and Larry Franklin Whaley, 35, of New Hope Road were placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of $5,000 secured bonds. They were arrested in the 2800 block of McLain Street.
Missing
A 45-year-old Mount Olive man was reported missing Wednesday by relatives to Goldsboro police. James Earl "Peanut" Pemberton of 300 Nelson St. was described as black, 5-feet-10 and 500 pounds with a bald head, brown eyes and a dark complexion.
When he was seen last at 6 p.m. Saturday, he was wearing a dark shirt, blue jeans, brown shoes, a black and red coat and a black hat. He may be driving a blue 1985 Cadillac. Anyone with information on his location was asked to call police at 736-4933.