Crime Stoppers call leads to 3 arrests
By Other
Published in News on September 28, 2005 1:48 PM
Three people were arrested and charged with robbing a Goldsboro bank after an anonymous call to Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers.
A material witness and two fugitives were found and a vehicle larceny case also was cleared with an arrest during August after confidential calls to Crime Stoppers. During the month, anonymous callers were paid $800 for their information that led to six arrests and 19 cleared cases.
The agency's law-enforcement coordinator, Goldsboro police Sgt. Dot Ardes, told the Crime Stoppers monthly board meeting that three people were arrested and charged in connection with the Aug. 17 holdup of the BB&T branch at 1326 W. Grantham St. in the Little River Shopping Center.
A lone gunman entered the bank at 11:40 a.m., displayed a handgun, demanded money and robbed tellers of money in their cash drawers, a police report said. The suspect fled in a white car.
Two people were arrested later that day. Jobias Vondrea Artis, 22, of North Drive and Lashanda Novella Varn, 22, of West Oak Street were charged with armed robbery. The third person, Warren Baker, 19, of Courtyard Court, was apprehended the next day. Baker also had an outstanding arrest order for another robbery charge.
An unidentified material witness to an arson and double homicide at 206 N. George St. was found after an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers. The victims, Roy Chester Rowe, 48, and Patricia Ann Raynor, 38, died July 16 in their apartment.
Police later arrested 34-year-old Leon Edward Farrior, who had lived in an adjacent apartment, and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson.
One fugitive, Jabari Fields, 20, of Flamingo Circle, Dudley, was wanted by police on an armed robbery charge. He was found in Brooklyn, N.Y., and extradited to Wayne County. He was charged with the April 18 holdup of the Central Park fast-food restaurant at 212 E. Ash St. with two others.
The other fugitive, Tavaris Sutton, 26, of Creech Street, was wanted on five felony counts of trafficking in stolen identities and financial identity fraud. He was found at a home on Hugh Street. He was accused of stealing checking account numbers from his job site and buying goods and services, officers said.
A Goldsboro man, Kevonta King, 22, was wanted by Nash County authorities on a charge of vehicle larceny. He was found by sheriff's deputies at an apartment on Vanderbilt Circle.
Since the 1982 inception of Crime Stoppers, 5,408 people have been arrested, 1,173 fugitives apprehended and 6,916 cases cleared after confidential tips. The callers were paid $394,920 in cash rewards for their information.
Executive Director Bill Troutman said almost $1.8 million in stolen property has been recovered and $7.9 million in illegal drugs seized as a result of the calls.
Anyone with information on any crime in Wayne County was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 735-2255. Callers do not have to identify themselves, and they might be eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000, if their information leads to arrests in felony cases.