Murder, shooting, break in arrests made thanks to Crime Stoppers
By Other
Published in News on August 20, 2004 2:04 PM
Tips to Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers led to arrests last month for a murder, a shooting and a school break-in.
A 27-year-old Goldsboro man, Leandren Andre Wilson of Brownrigg Street, was arrested in Benson and charged with the murder of Corey Lavon Grantham on July 11. Grantham's body was found near Corporate Drive and Clingman Street.
After investigating the shooting, police issued a murder warrant for Wilson. His photograph appeared the next day in the News-Argus with a news story about the crime.
Two days later, a confidential informant, carrying a copy of the News-Argus with the photo, told Benson police Detective Sarah Harris that Wilson was in her city. The detective confirmed the information with Goldsboro police Investigator Paul VanWijk, located Wilson and arrested him, police said.
Shooting arrest
A shooting that left a woman critically injured May 3, 2003, was cleared with the arrest of a man near Kinston, police say. Rose Mary Forte was shot in a home in the 700 block of Bain Street. After an investigation, Goldsboro police secured warrants for Jonathan Devon Lofton, 25, of West Grantham Street.
An anonymous caller told Crime Stoppers that Lofton was in the West Parke Inn Suites on U.S. 70. Goldsboro police and State Bureau of Investigation special agents converged on the motel and arrested Lofton.
Lofton was charged with discharge of a firearm into occupied property and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill while inflicting serious injury.
Break-in charges
Another caller's information enabled the Wayne County Sheriff's Office to arrest two people after a break-in and theft May 25 at Eastern Wayne High School.
More than $6,400 worth of property was stolen. The caller reported that three men had committed the break-in and gave the names and addresses of two of them. The third suspect, a foreign exchange student, had returned to his home country.
Sheriff's Detective Robert Chunn investigated the information, obtained a search warrant and recovered about $5,300 worth of stolen property. Some property had been left by the foreign exchange student in boxes at his sponsor's home and was to be mailed to him in Spain.
As a result of the information, Christopher Scott Wilson, 18, and Brandon Michael Eberst, 18, both of Cuyler Best Road, were arrested and charged with breaking and entering and larceny.
The Crime Stoppers police coordinator, Sgt. Dot Ardes, also told the agency's board meeting that confidential tips in late June and July helped law authorities arrest four other fugitives and solve a illegal drug case and another theft.
Since the inception of Crime Stoppers in 1982, Executive Director Bill Troutman said the calls have helped officers clear 6,494 cases with arrests, apprehend 1,127 fugitives, seize more than $7 million in narcotics and recover more than $2 million in stolen property.
Anyone with information on any crime in Wayne County was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 735-2255. Callers may remain anonymous, and they may be eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000, if their information leads to arrests in felony cases.