Grand jury indicts man in kidnapping and robbery
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on June 10, 2004 2:02 PM
A 27-year-old man from Smithfield has been indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury on two felony counts each of armed robbery and second-degree kidnapping.
Jose Rivera, who also is known as Jose Marlon Zelaya, was accused of robbing a bakery owner and a woman employee on Feb. 12.
Rivera and two other men entered Selana's Bakery and Mexican Store at 6078 U.S. 70 East, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office report. The suspects displayed handguns and grabbed about $2,000 from the cash drawer and $6,500 worth of prepaid telephone calling cards.
The store owner, Jesus Pacheco, reported that they stole his wallet, valued at $15, and $40 from the woman employee.
The investigating officer, Wayne County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Shawn Harris, also charged Rivera with kidnapping Pacheco and the woman during the armed robberies.
Rivera fled but was arrested Feb. 26 by U.S. Customs agents in Texas near the Mexican border. Rivera was being held in Texas. Harris said he was charged with extorting money from illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States.
The grand jury also handed up 46 other true bills of indictment during its monthly meeting. It could not act on one bill, because a witness was not present.
Twenty-two true bills were returned on such property crimes as burglary, breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods.
Ten more people were indicted on such fraud charges as forgery, uttering, embezzlement, corporate malfeasance, financial identity fraud and felony worthless check.
The grand jurors also handed up four indictments on drug charges, two each for assault and weapons charges and one each for sex and traffic violations.
In addition, four defendants were indicted as habitual felons. If they are convicted of a fourth, non-overlapping felony crime, then they would be sentenced to significantly longer terms.
One of those indicted as a habitual criminal, Reginald Antwan Henry, 30, of Goldsboro had fled from the Wayne County Courthouse in 2002 after his sentencing hearing and has not been found. Henry had been sentenced to 93 to 116 months after pleading guilty to two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.
Sheriff's Capt. Owen Jackson, who presented the case to the grand jury, said Wednesday that Henry has been seen in Raleigh.
Several defendants were indicted on charges in more than one crime category.