Crime Stoppers
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on January 6, 2005 1:59 PM
A murder was solved with three arrests and a fugitive was captured as a result of recent anonymous calls, say officials with Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers.
Three Southern Wayne High School students from Dudley were charged with the fatal shooting of Billy Joe Gregory on Oct. 18 in his home at 201 Hazelwood Drive. James Marqui Bowden, 16, of Daffodil Drive was charged Oct. 21. Michael O. Mozingo, 17, of Brentwood Drive and Donovan R. Lofton, 17, of Running Deer Circle were charged Oct. 28. All three were charged with first-degree murder.
Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour, who led the investigation of the murder, said only that the shooting was drug-related.
Also, Tony Lacel Battle, 34, was located by Goldsboro police on Nov. 21 after an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers.
Capt. John Biggins said he followed a green truck that Battle was driving from Edgerton Street to Cobb and Second streets. Near that intersection, Battle jumped out and fled. Other patrol officers, with help from sheriff's deputies and a search dog, found Battle and charged him.
The truck had been stolen in Raleigh, police said.
Battle was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, a traffic misdemeanor and resisting arrest.
Battle also was wanted on two felony counts of breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods in connection with break-ins at a Palm Street home and New Hope United Methodist Church.
Investigators Dale Foster and G.N. Lynch had been assigned to the break-ins.
The anonymous callers will be paid cash rewards for their information. More than $17,000 has been paid to callers this year. Calls in November led to eight arrests.
Since the inception of Crime Stoppers in 1982 in Wayne County, Executive Director Bill Troutman said, confidential calls have cleared 6,652 cases with 5,322 arrests and resulted in the seizure of more than $7.8 million in narcotics and the recovery of more than $1.7 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.