Public records
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on September 29, 2004 1:57 PM
Man charged
at break-in site
Goldsboro police Officer Karl Rabun saw the brake lights flash on a pickup truck before dawn today in a parking lot and then saw a man inside the truck.
When Rabun finished his investigation, he reported that the man admitted that he had broken into six vehicles and had stolen a pair of pliers from one of them.
Donnie Cox Jr., 18, of Wayne Memorial Drive, was charged with six felony counts of breaking and entering of a vehicle, one felony count each of larceny and possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor communicating threats. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $25,500 secured bond.
Rabun saw the lights flash at about 3:30 a.m. in the Firestone store parking lot at 507 N. Berkeley Blvd. He said he asked the man for his name, and Cox identified himself. Cox said his uncle, whom he knew only as "Tre," had given him permission to get the truck.
When Rabun checked the license tag, he found that the truck was registered to Viola R. Figueroa of Goldsboro. Dispatchers then contacted Ms. Figueroa, who said she did not know Cox.
Ms. Figueroa came to the parking lot to determine if her pickup had been damaged and said she could not identify Cox.
After Rabun handcuffed the suspect, Cox admitted that he also had damaged a car at Quick Lube and Brakes at 402 N. Berkeley Blvd., the report said. Cox was taken to the store, and the report said he admitted to breaking into the other unlocked vehicles.
The pliers were stolen from a pickup after a window and been damaged. The pickup, owned by Othaniel Britt of Goldsboro, an employee at the repair shop, sustained an estimated $300 in damages.
False report
A 42-year-old man from Mount Olive was arrested Tuesday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and charged with making a false report of a vehicle theft.
Bienvenido Ramon Lavergne of East John Street was accused of making the report and saying another man had stolen it, Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour said.
Farfour said Goldsboro police found the "stolen" vehicle and later stopped the other man, Daniel McKnabb, 20, of Olivia Lane.
Farfour said Lavergne admitted that he was mad at McKnabb for not returning the vehicle when he was supposed to and filed the false report. Lavergne was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $4,000 secured bond.
Former officers
make first appearance
A probable cause hearing will be held Oct. 12 in Wayne District Court for former Mount Olive policemen charged with allegedly stealing from Latino drivers they stopped.
Their first appearance was Tuesday.
Former Sgt. Joshua Joseph Ehnert had his lawyer, Geoff Hulse, with him. Former Patrolman Freddy Norman Southerland Jr. had lawyer Bob Rice there to represent him. Former Patrolman David Allen Johnson asked Judge Lonnie Carraway for a court-appointed lawyer.
They were charged Monday with felony conspiracy to commit larceny and were placed under $4,000 bond each.
According to an SBI search warrant, the police chief, Emmett Ballree, had received complaints in mid-August from Latino men who said they had been "stopped by Mt. Olive Police Sgt. Joshua Joseph Ehnert. After the traffic stops the Latino males were missing money from their wallets," the search warrant said.
The search warrant was filed on Sept. 7, and the following day, Ehnert and the other two officers were sent home on suspension without pay.
They resigned on Sept. 9 and 10 and were told to turn themselves in Monday afternoon.
Eight hurt in wrecks
Eight people were injured and damages were estimated at $26,800 in eight recent traffic collisions in Wayne County, officers reported.
*Two passengers were injured at 1:21 p.m. Tuesday at East Ash and North Kornegay streets, Goldsboro police said. Myrtle Davis, 88, and Betty Davis, 56, both of North Kornegay Street, were treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said. Their driver, William P. Robinson Jr., 60, of North Kornegay Street, was charged with a safe-movement violation. The other motorist, James A. Jones Jr., 42, of Koonce Street, was charged with driving while his license was revoked. Damages were set at $3,000.
*Damages were estimated at $5,200 in a three-car crash at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday on North Berkeley Boulevard near Parkway Drive, police said. Irene Lopez Matul, 21, of North Berkeley Boulevard, was charged with failure to reduce speed. The other drivers were identified as Marianne Martha Cole, 79, of Quail Croft Drive and Antonio Blow, 37, of Greenacres Road, Snow Hill.
*A truck driver was injured at 1:40 p.m. Monday on U.S. 70 near Lake Wackena Road, the Highway Patrol said. William Marvin Vinson, 54, of Yelverton Grove Road, Princeton, was released after emergency-room treatment. Vinson was charged with exceeding a safe speed after the truck struck a ditch and overturned. The truck, valued at $2,200 and registered to Cleggs Termite and Pest Control of Morehead City, was demolished.
*A driver from Dudley was injured at 9:28 a.m. Monday at Old Mount Olive and Outlaw roads, the Highway Patrol said. William Olandar Edwards, 37, of Pearl Street was released after emergency-room treatment. Jose Ramiro Rodriguez, 42, of McCullen Lane, Dudley, was charged with a yield violation. Damages were fixed at $4,500.
*A driver from Goldsboro was injured at 7:10 a.m. Monday at Antioch and Church of God roads, the Highway Patrol said. Lea F. Thornton, 45, of Gurley Avenue was released after emergency-room treatment. Troy Alan Horne, 38, of Sunnybrook Drive, Pikeville, was charged with a yield violation at a stop sign. Damages were set at $2,800.
*A driver was injured at 9:20 a.m. Monday at Buck Swamp and Salem Church roads, the Highway Patrol said. Virginia H. Carreras, 62, of Boyette Pond Road, Pikeville, was released after emergency-room treatment. Donald Ray Lewis Jr., 20, of Carlyle Circle, was charged with a safe-movement violation. Damages were put at $600.
*Two people were injured and their 37-year-old car was demolished at 7:25 p.m. Sunday on Bartlett Road near Wayne Memorial Drive, the Highway Patrol said. The driver, Michael Stewart Thigpen, 43, of Bartlett Drive, Pikeville, was released after emergency-room treatment. His passenger, Pamela Snider, 44, of Pikeville, was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where she was in fair condition. Thigpen was charged with reckless driving and suspicion of driving while impaired. The car, valued at $3,000, ran off the right side, struck the ditch and stopped.
*Damage was estimated at $5,500 at 9:20 p.m. Sunday on Emmaus Church Road near Mitchell Road, the Highway Patrol said. Anibal Roblero Gonzalez, 44, of Camp Jubilee Road, Seven Springs, was charged with driving left of center and no operator's license. His minivan ran off the left side, struck a tree, overturned and struck a parked car. The car was registered to Luis-Daniel Rojas-Rodriguez of Zion Church Road, Mount Olive.
Investigations
Wayne County sheriff's deputies are investigating these reports:
*A Sears lawn tractor, eight light fixtures, two ceiling fans and an attic fan were stolen from a vacant, flood-damaged home in the 900 block of Stevens Mill Road. The thief also damaged a fireplace, four doors and a mirror. The owner, Margaret B. Holmes of Dudley, estimated the value of the stolen property at $750 and damage at $160.
*A green, four-door 1993 Toyota Tercel was stolen from the 3500 block of U.S. 117 North. The owner and resident, Hubert Wayne Ferrell, put a $500 value on the car that had no license plate.
Break-ins
A total of $2,725 worth of property, including two big-screen televisions, was stolen from a home in the 1200 block of North Jefferson Avenue, a Goldsboro police report said.
One resident, Jonathan Daniel Drew, reported the larceny of a 32-inch television, a stereo system, seven jackets, three football jerseys and four pairs of boots, with a combined value of $1,955. The other resident, Melvin Marquise Marshall, reported the theft of a 36-inch television and a flight jacket, valued at $770. No sign of forced entry was listed.
Police also are investigating these reports:
*A purse with $5 and personal papers was stolen Tuesday after a car window was smashed in the 1000 block of Sunburst Drive. The driver, Sara Elizabeth Kennedy of LaGrange, said the purse was worth $10. Damage was put at $150 to the car, owned by Mark Hodges Kennedy Jr. of LaGrange.
*A coin safe and an undetermined amount of money were stolen and another coin safe was damaged at Quick's Car Wash at 1409 W. Grantham St. The safe was valued at $600, and damage was set at $600.
Felony arrest
A 34-year-old Pikeville man has been charged by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office with three felony offenses in connection with a July break-in.
Russell Stephen Ward of Berryridge Drive was charged with breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $35,000 secured bond. Ward was arrested by Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour and Sgt. Ian Barratt.