Public records
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on November 25, 2004 1:55 PM
Electrical failure
caused store fire
An electrical failure has been blamed for causing a fire in the Delmus Hardware building at 1003 N. Berkeley Blvd., a police official said Wednesday.
Sgt. David Kelly said the fire started late Tuesday night in an upstairs bathroom that was used for storage.
Kelly said it would take an electrical engineer to determine if the fire was caused by either an electrical outlet or a rechargeable battery for a cordless drill that was plugged into the outlet.
Kelly and State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent John Rea examined the rubble for about three hours Wednesday. The owner, Paul Bridgers, was notified of their findings.
A preliminary estimate put damages to the building and contents at $40,000. They were valued at a combined $1 million, a Fire Department official said.
Firefighters needed more than five hours to put out the blaze, ventilate the building and finish salvage work.
The next-door Bingo World parlor also sustained minor damage.
Fatal shooting still
under investigation
The shooting death of 37-year-old Johnny Ray Walston remains under investigation by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
"We're still gathering information and following up on leads," Capt. George Raecher said Wednesday.
Walston was shot Friday at Christopher Stancil's mobile home at 205 Ruskin Road. The victim staggered from the home to his pickup truck, got inside and drove away.
Walston lost control of the truck near the intersection of Ruskin and Outlaw roads, about three-tenths of a mile away from the home. The pickup ran off the road and slammed into a home. Walston died at the scene.
The resident, S.H. Warrick, estimated damage to the house at $400.
Raecher declined to say if Walston, who lived nearby at 832 Genoa Road, Dudley, and Stancil knew each other.
Raecher said a handgun had been recovered at the scene. He said items will be submitted to the State Bureau of Investigation lab for analysis.
The captain also said he was waiting on a formal autopsy report from the state Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill. Completion of a report usually takes six to nine weeks.
The District Attorney's Office is assisting in the investigation.
Kitchen fire
A kitchen fire on Tuesday night caused an estimated $1,000 in damages to a rental home at 1109 N. James St., according to a Goldsboro Fire Department report.
An unidentified woman occupant suffered smoke inhalation and grease burns on her feet, the report said. Firefighters administered oxygen, but she refused hospital treatment for the burns, the report said.
Unattended cooking was blamed for the fire, officials said.
The home was valued at $35,000, and contents were valued at $15,000. The homeowner also was not identified.
Twelve firefighters answered the 9 p.m. call and needed 36 minutes to put out the fire, ventilate the house and finish salvage work.
Thief drops loot
A thief stole about $1,425 worth of tools, firearms and other property Wednesday from a home, then may have cut himself on the broken window glass and left most of the property behind, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office report.
The resident, Franklin D. Greenfield of Arrington Bridge Road, said six fishing poles, two weed trimmers and a vacuum cleaner also were stolen. All property but the vacuum cleaner, valued at $100, was recovered by the road.
The investigating deputy, W.P. Wells, recovered blood at the scene.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*A 1955 Ford Crown Victoria was damaged and two drills, a saw and other tools were stolen from outside between Oct. 8 and Wednesday at a home in the 100 block of Ash Landing, sheriff's deputies said. Keith C. Horne of Pikeville estimated damage to the car at $200 and said the tools were worth $114.
*A thief drove a bus into two doors at Edwards Truck Service at 915 Dr. M.L. King Jr. Expressway in an attempt to break in, Goldsboro police said. Damage was estimated at $1,100 to the doors and $200 to the bus. Only the bus key and a license plate, valued at $30, were stolen.
*Video-game equipment, a 9-millimeter handgun, two pairs of leather boots, a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of diamond earrings were stolen Wednesday from a home in the 500 block of Rudolph Street, police said. The resident, Shawn Sandiford, put a $1,260 value on his property. Another resident, Thomas Snell, said his DVD player, valued at $80, also was stolen.
*Four 18-inch chrome wheels and tires were stolen Wednesday from a fenced yard in the 500 block of Boxwood Lane, police said. The owner, Josiah Shores, said his property was worth $2,500.
Four hurt in wrecks
Four people were injured in four recent traffic collisions in Wayne County, officers reported.
*Both drivers were injured in a two-vehicle collision at 1:37 p.m. Wednesday at South George and Hemlock streets, Goldsboro police said. Betty Jewel Holloman, 57, of Gold Park Drive, Dudley, was listed Wednesday night in stable condition at Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said. Sue W. Staton, 55, of Roseboro was treated and released. Ms. Holloman was charged with failure to reduce speed after the rear-end collision. Damages were estimated at $3,500.
*A passenger was injured in a two-vehicle crash at 3:51 p.m. Wednesday at Royall Avenue and Sunburst Drive, police said. Shealea Parks, 41, of North Jefferson Avenue was being treated Wednesday night in the emergency room, a spokeswoman said. She was riding with James Leroy Parks, 57, of North Jefferson Avenue. A southbound motorist, Kathaleen L. Taylor, 59, of Williamson Farm Road, Dudley, was charged with a yield violation at a stop sign. Damages were set at $300.
*A man on a moped was injured at 1:32 p.m. Tuesday in a collision with a car on Center Street near Chestnut Street, police said. Jerry Vance Joyner, 58, of Royall Avenue was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment, the report said. His condition was not immediately available. The moped collided with a car backing from an angled parking space. The driver, Judy Marie Samuel, 34, of Edgerton Street, was not charged. Damages were put at $350.
*A pickup truck was demolished in a wreck at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday on U.S. 13 near Loop Road, the Highway Patrol said. The northbound truck ran off the right side, struck a ditch and overturned. The driver, Justin Ray Humbles, 19, of Loop Road, was not injured, but he was charged with a lane-control violation. The 17-year-old truck was valued at $1,300.