December 7

MORVEN — At 7:11 p.m., Sgt. Kobersy was attempting to respond to a disturbance call at Sandy Ridge Mobile Home Park, when he observed a burgundy Ford Crown Victoria traveling on Sandy Ridge Church Rd. towards NC 145, that did not slow down as it sped up to the intersection. Sgt. Kobersy observed the car streak past the stop sign and turn right on NC 145, now in the opposite lane of travel and accelerating fast. Seeing enough, Sgt. Kobersy activated his blue lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle. Instead of stopping, the driver turned left onto Cason McLaurin Rd. Abruptly veering left again, the car crashed into a ditch, though the driver was able to get the car back on the road. Attempting to turn into the driveway of a nearby residence, the driver missed the turn and ended up with his side wheels on the driveway, and the left passenger side wheels in a ditch. The wild ride still not over, the driver next pressed the gas, accelerating fast towards the home before suddenly slamming on the brakes, bringing the car to an unanticipated stop on the front lawn of the residence. The driver opened his car door in a possible attempt to flee, only to find Sgt. Kobersy waiting. At gunpoint, he ordered the driver to show him his hands. Sgt Kobersy had to request the uncooperative driver get on the ground and quit fidgeting with his pocket several times before he was able to comply with at least the getting on the ground part of Sgt. Kobersy’s instructions. Deputy White arrived as Sgt. Kobersy was ordering the male passenger to join his driver on the ground. With both suspects now detained, the driver was identified as Mr. Mario A. Watts of Morven. Talking with the driver, Sgt. Kobersy immediately noticed the overwhelming smell of alcohol intoxication. After initially denying drinking, the driver eventually confirmed to law enforcement he had consumed an adult beverage earlier in the evening. A quick perusal of the vehicle’s interior uncovered an open 32 oz. can of Bud Ice located on the driver’s side floorboard and an empty one in the driver’s side backseat.

Due to Mr. Watts’ glassy eyes and slurred speech, Sgt. Kobersy asked him to submit a breath sample to make sure “He was not under the influence and that he was okay to drive.”

Acquiescing, Watts submitted two breath samples eight minutes apart, both returning a positive reading for alcohol. GIven this, Sgt. Kobersy decided Watts had consumed enough alcohol that his faculties were impaired and placed him under arrest. Mr. Watts was next taken to the Anson County Sheriff’s Office Intox Room for “further testing.” Following an observation period where Watts was denied food or drink, he again submitted two breath samples, achieving a final combined score of .13g/210L. Watts was taken to the magistrate’s office where Magistrate Woodburn heard Sgt. Kobersy’s testimony and found probable cause to charge Watts with driving while impaired. Watts was also issued citations for driving with no license, open container, failure to register, no insurance, fictitious tag, and reckless driving. Case closed by arrest.

December 8

WADESBORO — At 1:39 p.m., Deputy Cash responded to a residence on Airport Rd. following a report of a busted out car the suspect might have attempted to set fire to. Arriving at the scene, Deputy Cash spoke with a visibly upset female and her male companion. The female identified herself and told him she believed a woman she had caught her husband with the night prior had vandalised her car and then set it ablaze. Saying she needed to walk off her emotions, the couple asked Deputy Cash to speak with another nearby female. Upon hearing from the other female, who corroborated the couple’s story, she offered to take Deputy Cash to the residence where the burned out vehicle was. Exiting his patrol car, Deputy Cash immediately noticed a gas can on the same side of the road as the residence. Reaching the vehicle, Deputy Cash observed busted out windows and obvious signs the car had recently been on fire. With Detective Leviner en route, Deputy Cash did not touch anything at the scene and called Deputy Galvan to go by the alleged other woman’s home in the event the victim’s walking off her emotions led her there. A neighbor told Deputy Cash she saw a car back out of her driveway sometime around sunrise, but thinking nothing of it, went back to sleep. Deputy Cash remained on site to ensure the integrity of the scene until Detective Leviner could arrive. After the detective arrived, the victim returned and Deputy Cash obtained her statement. She stated to him that last night something had told her to go by her husband’s work at Tyson’s Food. When she arrived, she found her husband inside the alleged fire-starter’s vehicle, a black Chevy Impala. After gathering a few belongings, the victim decided to stay the night at the home of a relative. Processing the scene, Detective Leviner collected fingerprints from the vehicle and obtained a sample of the gasoline from the gas can left on the roadside down from the vehicle.

Meanwhile, at the reported home of the mistress, the plot deepend further. Arriving at the residence on Union St., Deputy Galvan knocked on the front door of the home and spoke with the accused, who told him she does not associate with her baby daddy and she could not imagine what had happened but was sure she had nothing to do with it. Just then the victim and her relatives arrived at the home ready for a brawl. After some tense moments, Deputy Galvan succeeded in convincing the victim and her family to return home without further incident. Before leaving the scene, Deputy Galvan noted seeing a black Challenger with tinted windows parked in the driveway. One of the victim’s family members later stated to Deputy Galvan that she noticed a black Chevy Impala parked behind the home of the alleged other woman, though Deputy Galvan could not confirm the sighting at the time as he had his hands full at the scene separating the warring parties. Case is active.