February 1

ANSONVILLE — At 8:41 a.m., Deputy Mullis spoke with a gentleman about his estranged wife, whom he encountered on his ride into work. The gentleman stated to Deputy Mullis when he left a gas station in Norwood, he inadvertently pulled into traffic behind his wife. He claimed he did not drive too closely to her vehicle or try to provoke her in any way. He further claimed when he reached the city limits of Ansonville, his estranged wife suddenly pulled over and began firing a firearm. The gentleman admitted to increasing his speed to put some distance between himself and his gun toting wife. Following up with the caller’s estranged wife, Deputy Mullis learned she believed her ex-husband to have been following her, allegeding he struck her vehicle three times. She claimed when she pulled over, it was to speak to her ex-lover, and she rolled her window down as proof of her intentions. She said instead of a conversation, her estranged husband swerved at her vehicle again. In fear of her life at this point, she explained to Deputy Mullis she decided to get out of her vehicle and shoot a warning shot into the air, which did not strike her ex or his vehicle. Both parties assured Deputy Mullis they went on to work after the early morning shoot-out in Ansonville. Deputy Mullis advised each party of their legal rights. Case closed by means other than arrest.

WADESBORO — At 11:42 a.m., Deputy Cash initiated a traffic stop at Greenwood Ln. and E. Caswell St. on a vehicle whose plates matched a reportedly stolen tag. When Deputy Cash approached the vehicle, a dark-colored Subaru, he observed an open can of beer inside the vehicle and noticed the smell of intoxication on the driver’s breath. The driver provided Deputy Cash with a Michigan identification card but did not have registration for the vehicle. When Deputy Cash inquired as to why the vehicle had North Carolina registration if he is from Michigan, the driver insisted to Deputy Cash he did not, despite Deputy Cash clearly seeing a North Carolina tag on the vehicle. According to Deputy Cash, the suspect appeared nervous and jumpy while being questioned. The driver gave permission for Deputy Cash to search the vehicle, after which, Deputy Cash ordered the driver to park the vehicle in the Wendy’s parking lot and cited him for a fictitious registration plate, driving while license revoked, and possession of stolen property due to the stolen registration plate on the vehicle. Case closed by means other than arrest.

WADESBORO — At 11:38 a.m., Deputy Glavan responded to a residence on City Pond Rd. following a report of a disgruntled worker making threats against their employer. During a home remodeling job, too many workers cause friction in the project, with one ultimately making threats and demanding payment for his work in advance of the agreed upon time. Deputy Galvan took down the information and advised the employer on their options. Case closed by exception.

PEACHLAND — At 9:19 a.m., Deputy Mullis responded to the Dollar General following a report of someone shoplifting household and grocery items from the store. Similar to the shoplifting that occurred at the Dollar General in Polkton January 26, a lone black male entered the store, loaded his buggy full of items, and drove it out to a car waiting in the lot. In the Polkton robbery, the male drove away in a red Buick. During the Peachland Dollar General store robbery, the male unloaded the stolen items into a 2004 silver Ford Taurus registered to Jaqualine Leon. Witnesses at the scene claim to have seen a female driver behind the wheel of the Taurus. It is unclear if the two cases are related. Case is active.

WADESBORO — At 10:35 p.m., Deputy Benoist responded to a residence on NC 52 South following a female caller stating to dispatch services her landlord assaulted her boyfriend and busted a glass door. At the scene, Deputy Benoist was greeted by the caller’s landlady who insisted the caller “pay me no money and assault me.” Learning she was the landlady, Deputy Benoist asked her to step away while he spoke with the caller who reported the incident. The caller stated the landlady came over to the home, yelling, and beating on the door. The landlady allegedly used her own key to let herself inside the residence. The caller stated when the landlady was asked to leave she became angry and shoved the boyfriend. The boyfriend admitted to returning the push which landed the landlady back outside so he could again lock the door to the home. The couple claimed to have next heard the shatter of glass, the sound spurring the girlfriend to make the call into law enforcement for help. After speaking with both parties, Deputy Benoist explained to each their rights in the matter and the steps needed to be taken to fix the situation. Case closed by exception.

MORVEN — At 10:33 p.m., Deputy Wylder Kuhn responded to a residence inside the Sandy Ridge Mobile Home Park in reference to a “Mr. Wendell Watts drunk in the trailer park and causing a disturbance.” Hearing from dispatch Watts was allegedly busting out the windows of a residence, Deputy Kuhn approached the residence cautiously, observing many broken windows on the front and sides of the home. After several failed attempts to get anyone to the door, Deputy Kuhn went back to his patrol car to rethink his next move. While on hold with dispatch attempting to obtain a contact number for the home, Deputy Kuhn observed a small, dark colored truck begin to pull out of the home of a driveway down the street. The truck appeared to contain multiple occupants and since he did not know where the homeowner or vandalizer was, Deputy Kuhn initiated a stop of the slowly approaching vehicle. As he was asking the occupants of the truck where Wendell Watts might be, he noticed a black gentleman in the bed of the truck. Having previously had run-ins with the man, Deputy Kuhn knew him to be none other than Mr. Wendell Watts. Once Watts removed himself from the bed of the truck, Deputy Kuhn observed his slurred speech and the odor of alcohol emanating from his breath as he talked. Watts became very agitated at being named as the culprit for the vandalism. Two black men were walking down the road at this time and the truck’s occupants pointed to them as possibly having information about the damaged home. Both men stated to Deputy Kuhn they lived in the home. One of the men was identified to be the brother of Watts. As Deputy Kuhn was speaking with the two men, Watts suddenly picked up a TV from the flatbed of the truck and slammed it down in the middle of the road. He claimed the TV belonged to him, but his brother claimed otherwise. Not knowing the TV’s true owner, Deputy Kuhn merely asked Watts to calm down and stay close to him during the investigation. Watts repeatedly made efforts to slink away to a different residence every time Deputy Kuhn was engaged in questioning. Deputy Kuhn phoned the situation into his superior who made the decision for Watts to be brought to the magistrate’s office where he was served for resisting a public official. Initially, Watts was placed under a $500 secure bond, but after needing and receiving medical care at the hospital, Watts bond was later made unsecure. Watts was served a second time and was then free to go when he completed his medical care. Case closed by arrest.