Public records
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on May 5, 2004 2:09 PM
Armed robbery
A 22-year-old Goldsboro man was arrested Tuesday by Goldsboro police and charged with armed robbery and two firearms violations.
Derrick Raymond Best of Mimosa Street was accused of trying to rob Jamethon Howard of Goldsboro before dawn Sunday in the parking lot of the 1400 block of Courtyard Circle, Investigator Dale Foster said.
Best had brandished a firearm, police said. Then Howard tried to take it away from Best, and the weapon discharged, striking Best in the groin, the report said. Best was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where he was treated. He was released to police custody and then charged.
Best also was charged with possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 secured bond on the three felony charges.
Burglary
A 27-year-old man from Fayetteville was arrested Tuesday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and charged with four felony offenses.
Dennis Earl Washington was charged with committing first-degree burglary, armed robbery, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape on Sept. 13. A secured bond for Washington, who was already detained in Cumberland County on other charges, was set at $250,000.
Washington had been charged with taking part in numerous armed robberies and assaults last summer in Wayne County. Among the victims were the owners of a Chinese restaurant in Goldsboro and employees of two stores on U.S. 70 East.
Mower thefts
An increased number of larcenies of lawn-care equipment has been reported to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Carey Winders said expensive name-brand lawn tractors and even smaller push-type lawn mowers have been stolen. He said much of this equipment is being stolen in the daytime and then taken outside of the county for a quick sale.
Winders made these suggestions to stop these larcenies:
*Lock mowers in a secure area.
*Record the serial number and mark the equipment with a driver's license number so that the property can be identified if it is stolen.
*Watch neighbors' property and alert authorities of any suspicious persons in the area.
"Together we can make a positive change in your neighborhood," Winders said.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*Two televisions, three phones, clothing, a luggage set, a grill, a combination radio and tape player, a cooler and a necklace were stolen between Friday and Tuesday from a home in the 4000 block of U.S. 117 North, sheriff's deputies said. The thief had damaged a garage door, three exterior doors and a lamp in the home. The resident, Edward Earl Garris, put a $1,620 value on his property. The necklace, owned by Betty Horne of Wilson, was valued at $55. Damage was set at $2,000.
*Living room tables, two lamps, a cordless drill, a stereo and speakers were stolen between Monday and dawn today after a door was damaged at a home in the 400 block of North Daisy Street, Goldsboro police said. The resident, Bernard Woods, estimated the value of his property at $934 and damage at $25.
Missing
A 16-year-old boy was reported Tuesday by relatives to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office as missing. David Phelps of 1109 Bryan Blvd. was described only as being white. No clothing description was available. Anyone with information on his location was asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 731-1481.