Public records
By Other
Published in News on February 14, 2006 1:49 PM
Worker slashed;
man is charged
in murder attempt
A woman employee at a mental health facility in Goldsboro was slashed Monday morning on the neck and hand by man wielding a razor.
A man whom she knew was arrested later in the day and charged with an attempted murder, according to Goldsboro police reports.
Austin
Pauline Gassaway, 56, of Goldsboro was assaulted at about 9:15 a.m. at Area Services and Programs, or ASAP, at 715 Simmons St. She was rushed by ambulance to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released, a spokeswoman said.
Police responded to the business, obtained the identity and description of the suspect and searched all day for him. Officers from B-shift, the Special Enforcement Unit and the support services division found the man at 4:45 p.m. in Willowdale Cemetery and arrested him.
Samuel Donnel Austin, 42, of South John Street was charged with attempted first-degree murder and possession of cocaine. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $52,500 secured bond.
Austin had a first appearance Monday in District Court to determine his legal representation.
5 hurt in wrecks
Five people were injured and damages were estimated at $33,300 in six recent traffic collisions in Wayne County, the Highway Patrol reported.
*Two people were injured and damages were estimated at $6,000 in a two-vehicle, hit-and-run collision at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at U.S. 70 and Bridgers Road, the Highway Patrol said. One driver, Lisa Jean House Aycock, 39, and a passenger, Alex Gray, 13, both of Selma, were treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said. The report said an eastbound van turned left without yielding the right of way and collided with Ms. Aycock's oncoming sport utility vehicle. The van ran off the left side and struck a ditch, and the driver fled.
*A sport utility vehicle was demolished in a wreck at 6:15 p.m. Sunday at U.S. 117 Alternate and Outlaw Road, the Highway Patrol said. The report said the SUV had left a convenience store parking lot, run off the right side, then careened across the road off the left side and overturned. The driver, Mario Antwan Cozart, 21, of Georgia Farm Drive, Dudley, was charged with driving left of center. The SUV was valued at $4,000.
*A driver was injured and his pickup truck was destroyed in a wreck at 8:45 a.m. Saturday on Saulston Road near Wayne Memorial Drive, the Highway Patrol said. James Dale Sotello, 48, of Patsy Lane was treated, admitted and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital. The report said the pickup had run off the right side, hit a mailbox, then crossed the road, run off the left side, struck a ditch and overturned. Sotello was charged with driving left of center. The pickup was valued at $8,000. Damage to the mailbox was set at $100.
*A passenger was injured in a one-vehicle crash at 11:22 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 70 near Westbrook Avenue, the Highway Patrol said. Justine Huggler, 12, of Mallie Drive, Pikeville, was released after emergency-room treatment. The report said the eastbound SUV had run off the left side out of control, careened across the road, overturned off the right side and struck a porch. The driver, Casper James Huggler Jr., 34, of Mallie Drive, was charged with having unsafe tires. Damage was put at $2,000 to the SUV and $500 to the porch.
*A motorcyclist was injured slightly in a collision with a sport utility vehicle at 11:11 a.m. Friday at N.C. 111 and Daw Pate Road, the Highway Patrol said. Joseph Eugene Martin, 68, of Sandhill Drive, Dudley, declined hospital treatment. The report said an eastbound sport utility vehicle had collided with Martin's northbound bike. The other driver, Loretta H. Cox, 51, of Corbett Town Road, Snow Hill, was charged with a safe-movement violation at a stop sign. Damages were fixed at $4,700.
*A driver was injured and his pickup truck was demolished in a wreck at 3 a.m. Feb. 5 on U.S. 13 near Herring Road, the Highway Patrol said. Anthony Scott Bunn, 29, of James Adams Lane, Mount Olive, was released after emergency-room treatment. The report said Bunn had lost control of the northbound pickup and it overturned several times into a ditch. No charges have been filed. The truck was valued at $8,000.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*A combination gas pack and air conditioner and 15 feet of copper tubing were stolen between Feb. 5 and Monday from a rental mobile home in the 700 block of Old Smithfield Road, sheriff's deputies said. The thief also had damaged a window. The stolen property, owned by William D. Lane of Goldsboro, was valued at $4,100. Damage was set at $150.
*Video-game equipment and a video were stolen Monday after a door was forced open at a home in the 200 block of Lou Alma Drive, deputies said. The resident, T.N. Whitfield, put a $530 value on the missing property.
*A gold, four-door 1991 Toyota Corolla was stolen Feb. 1 from the Berkeley Mall parking lot, Goldsboro police said. The owner, Deleak Lofton Sr. of Goldsboro, said he tried to find the car before reporting that it had been stolen. The auto was valued at $1,500.
More charges
A 20-year-old man now faces more felony charges after he allegedly stole a relative's debit card and used it to buy numerous items.
David Jacob Lambert was charged by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office with financial transaction card theft and financial transaction card fraud. Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour said Lambert bought property worth $1,165.75. Lambert's secured bond was set at $10,000.
Lambert already was in the Wayne County Jail on numerous other theft-related charges filed by the Sheriff's Office and Goldsboro police. His secured bonds total $70,000.
Missing
Two teenagers were reported missing by relatives to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
*Timothy W. Alston, 17, of 127 High Meadow Circle, Pikeville, was described as black, 6-feet-3 and 187 pounds with a medium build, short brown hair, hazel eyes and a medium complexion. When he was seen last at 5 p.m. Sunday, he was wearing a white coat with brown sleeves, blue jeans and light brown boots.
*Asherion Shamane Atkinson, 16, of 132 S. Running Deer Circle, Dudley, was described as black, 5-feet-3 and 135 pounds with a medium build, short black hair, brown eyes and a scar on her face. When she was seen last at 9 p.m. Thursday, she was wearing a black shirt, checkered pink pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on the location of either teen was asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 731-1481.