Public record
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 28, 2005 1:45 PM
Crime of the Week
A residential break-in in the 900 block of Mill Road in the Village of Walnut Creek and the theft of an estimated $320,000 worth of property has been selected by Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers as this week's "Crime of the Week."
The suspects broke into the home between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. July 22 while the residents were away. Among the property stolen was a locked 900-pound safe, firearms, jewelry, computers, cash and electronic equipment, including a big-screen television.
Walnut Creek Police Chief Delisa Staps is asking village residents to come forward with any information, no matter how unimportant it might seem, that could prove useful. Her office is being assisted by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and other law agencies in the investigation.
Anyone with information on this break-in and larceny or any other 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.
Burglary foiled
An employee at the Burger King fast-food restaurant at 300 N. Spence Ave. heard someone banging on a rear door before dawn today and called police. B-shift patrol officers arrived within minutes and arrested a man driving away from the parking lot, reports said.
David Jacob Lambert, 19, of Daw Pate Road was charged with felony attempted breaking and entering and felony possession of burglary tools. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 secured bond.
False report
A woman has been charged with stealing property from homes on Central Heights Road as well as filing a false theft report herself.
Bobbie Jo Whitman, 36, of King Road was charged by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office with felony possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor larceny. She was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $4,000 secured bond.
About $2,600 worth of property had been stolen, and about $1,800 worth has been recovered, investigators said.
House fire
A home at 113 Fox Drive was damaged heavily Wednesday in a fire that may have been caused by vapors from gas and paint cans, fire officials said today.
Dudley Volunteer Fire Chief Kendall Lee said that as hot as it has been, vapors from the cans may have ignited in a storage room off the carport. He said the fire spread quickly to the carport and attic, but firefighters quickly knocked it down.
"They had it knocked down in five minutes," Lee said. "It was rolling, but the crews did some pretty work. It was as good a job as I have seen."
About 14 Dudley and 14 Arrington volunteers answered the 1:30 a.m. alarm with six trucks. They needed about two and a half hours to put out the fire, investigate the cause and finish salvage work.
The unidentified occupants escaped outside unharmed, Lee said.
Damage was estimated at $45,000 to the home and $10,000 to contents, Lee said. The home was valued at $80,000 and contents were valued at $15,000.
Witnesses sought
A driver was injured in a one-car wreck at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 117, north of N.C. 581, or Arrington Bridge Road, the Highway Patrol said. Timothy Dale Linder, 30, of Andrea Drive was treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said.
State Trooper B.W. Overton said Linder lost control of his northbound auto during a speed competition and it ran off the right side sideways, struck the ditch, spun around and overturned, hitting a power pole and a metal gate. His car, valued at $5,000, was demolished.
Linder was charged with willful speed competition. Anyone who saw the wreck was asked to call Overton at 731-7960.
Accident
A driver was injured and damages were estimated at $7,000 in a two-vehicle collision at 2:25 p.m. Tuesday at Old Mount Olive and Genoa roads, where a new stoplight was installed, the Highway Patrol said.
Janette H. Wagner, 62, of N.C. 403 East, Mount Olive, was treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokesman said. Ms. Wagner was charged with a stoplight violation. The car that she was driving collided with an eastbound sport utility vehicle driven by Katrina Nicola King, 31, of Running Deer Circle, Dudley.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*Three gas-operated tools, a hedge trimmer, a weed trimmer and a blower, and a gas can were stolen between Monday and Wednesday after a shed door lock was damaged at First African Baptist Church at 803 Harris St., Goldsboro police said. The stolen property was valued at $310. Damage was put at $25.
*A radio-compact disc player combination and a radio-cassette player combination were stolen between Tuesday and Wednesday from cars at Country Automobile Sales at 6314 U.S. 70 East, sheriff's deputies said. The thief had smashed windows on both cars to get inside. The stolen property was valued at $185. Damages were set at $185.
*A blue-green, two-door 1997 Nissan 200SX was stolen Wednesday from the 700 block of Massey Road, deputies said. The owner, Rose D. Holland of Goldsboro, put a $2,000 value on the car. The key had been left inside, the report said.