06/24/16 — Armed robbery suspect charged

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Armed robbery suspect charged

By Ethan Smith
Published in News on June 24, 2016 1:46 PM

A man wanted for the June 6 armed robbery of the Five Points Food Mart on U.S. 13 south was arrested Wednesday after authorities received a tip on his whereabouts.

John Earl Hinton Jr., 61, of Goldsboro, was found at 719 Slippery Bank Court, Benson, and arrested for the armed robbery and placed in the Wayne County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.

Warrants were issued for Hinton's arrest on June 7 after Wayne County sheriff's deputies interviewed witnesses at the scene after the robbery happened on June 6.

After Hinton was arrested by the Johnston County Sheriff's Office Wednesday, he was taken to the Wayne County line and given to sheriff's deputies to be taken to jail.

Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said Hinton is not cooperating with the investigation.

"He is not talking to us at all," Effler said.

Hinton allegedly entered the Five Points Food Mart at 335 U.S. 13 South on June 6 and pointed a handgun at the store clerk and demanded money.

The clerk working at the time, Mohammed Hussein Alkhanshali, handed over approximately $130, followed Hinton out of the store and watched him flee in a black 2009 Kia Sportage.

The car was found by deputies the day of the robbery in a field about 200 feet off of O'Berry Road and Durham Lake Road in Mount Olive.

An anonymous tip led to Hinton's arrest in Johnston County on Wednesday.

Hinton's first appearance in Wayne County court is today.