Public records
By Other
Published in News on July 9, 2004 1:57 PM
House fire
A brick ranch home at 986 Daw Pate Road was damaged heavily before dawn today in a fire that authorities have called suspicious.
Sixteen Patetown volunteer firefighters answered the 2:42 a.m. call with five trucks. Belfast assisted with about 16 volunteers and four trucks.
"It was fully involved when we arrived," Patetown Fire Chief John Gardner said.
The firefighters needed about an hour and a half to control the blaze, Gardner said, and they remained until about 9:30 a.m., investigating the cause and finishing salvage work.
No one was home, officials said.
The home, valued at about $45,000, is owned by the resident, John Thomas Grant.
After the fire was controlled and the cause investigated, Gardner contacted Wayne County Fire Marshal Joe Gurley.
Gurley, who also is the county Emergency Services coordinator, called the fire suspicious and asked for assistance in investigating the blaze from Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Dean Roscoe.
Roscoe then asked for the State Bureau of Investigation to look into the cause of the fire. Special agents, at least one with a search dog, were examining the rubble today. Samples were to be collected and examined in the SBI lab.
Two hurt in wrecks
Two drivers were injured and damages were estimated at $22,500 Thursday in three traffic collisions in Wayne County, officers reported.
*A driver from Portsmouth, Va., was injured in a one-car wreck at 4:18 a.m. today on Royall Avenue near North Spence Avenue, Goldsboro police said. Cara Jean Mason, 24, was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where she was being treated, a spokeswoman said. She also was charged with failure to reduce speed. She told police that she had swerved to avoid an animal in the road and the eastbound car ran off the right side and struck a guardrail. Damage was put at $2,500 to the car.
*A driver from Goldsboro was injured and damages were estimated at $10,000 in a two-car collision at 11:38 p.m. Thursday at Wayne Memorial Drive and Ninth Street, Goldsboro police said. Charles Hugh Atkinson III, 21, of Shaw Court was released after emergency-room treatment. The other driver, Julie Anne Brooks, 39, of East Raintree Lane, was charged with driving while impaired and failure to reduce speed after the rear-end collision.
*A car was demolished and the driver was charged with driving while impaired and failure to reduce speed after a wreck at 10:25 p.m. Thursday on East New Hope Road near Central Heights Road, police said. Wendy Worley Fuentes, 28, of Inez Lane was going east and her car ran off the right side and struck a ditch, police said. The car was valued at $10,000.
Four charges
A Spring Creek High School student was arrested Thursday by Goldsboro police and charged with four felony offenses in connection with a residential break-in and theft of money and a rifle.
Derek Juanzel Dixon, 16, of Greg Drive was charged with breaking and entering, larceny, larceny of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 secured bond.
Dixon was accused of breaking into the Creative Cuts barber shop at 715 N. George St. on June 28 and stealing the cash and the rifle, Investigator Dale Foster said.
Child abuse
A 27-year-old teacher from Goldsboro was arrested Thursday by Goldsboro police and charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
Terrance William Thornton of Shelley Drive was released from custody on a $1,000 unsecured bond.
Break-in
A video-game system, 20 video games and $20 in change were stolen Thursday after a window was smashed at a mobile home in the 1900 block of North William Street, a Goldsboro police report said.
The resident, Benjamin Thigpen, said the video-game equipment was valued at $1,100. Damage was set at $10.
Teen charged
A teen-ager was arrested Thursday by Wayne County sheriff's detectives and charged with misdemeanor possession of stolen property.
Brandon James Werkmeister, 18, of Walters Drive was accused of stealing a cellular telephone, valued at $100, on May 27 from the home of a neighbor, Thurston Price, detectives said. A camera that was stolen during the same break-in has been recovered, Detective Sgts. Carl Lancaster and Mike Kabler said. Werkmeister was released from custody on a $400 unsecured bond.