Airman recovering from assault
By John Joyce
Published in News on March 9, 2016 1:46 PM
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Ricky Donald Oddon Jr.
A 22-year-old airman assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is recovering from life threatening injuries sustained in an attack he suffered after leaving a bar in downtown Goldsboro on Saturday night.
The Goldsboro Police Department announced today that a suspect is in custody.
Ricky Donald Oddon Jr., 26, of Mount Olive, is charged with assault inflicting serious bodily injury and common law robbery. He is currently being held in the Wayne County Jail under an $85,000 secured bond.
The victim, Michael Jacob Phillips, is recovering at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Officials there said his condition this morning is listed as good.
According to a police report, Phillips was found lying in the street in the 100 block of West Walnut Street at 2:10 a.m. Sunday morning. He was able to tell police he was attacked by an unknown number of people as he walked down the street after leaving the Rail House Bar and Grille at 108 N. Center St.
"His cell phone was taken," Maj. Anthony Carmon said. "It has not been recovered."
Wayne County EMS transferred Phillips to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment. The emergency room staff at the hospital determined Phillips' injuries were more serious than they initially suspected and he was transferred to Vidant Medical Center, according to the press release.
On Tuesday, via the Goldsboro Police Department Facebook page, still photos from downtown Goldsboro security cameras captured images of vehicles going through the roundabout at the intersection of Walnut and Center streets in the early morning hours Sunday. In addition, officers spoke with friends of Phillips, and with several downtown employees whom they believed might have knowledge of the incident.
Through information received from the community, Oddon was developed as a suspect. Officers working Tuesday evening located Oddon in the 100 block of West Walnut Street. He was arrested without incident, the press release said.
Oddon is scheduled to appear in Wayne County District Court today.