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Weekly Brief Sheet From Blowing Rock Police, More Tanger Outlet Thefts, Check Fraud, DUIs, Car Crashes

March 26, 2013. Courtesy of  the Blowing Rock Police Department, here is the weekly “Brief Sheet,” compiled by Capt. Aaron Miller on Tuesday, March 26.

BRPDThe closure of Hwy 321 between Blowing Rock and Lenoir kept Blowing Rock officers busy last Wednesday. The road had to be closed at Greenhill Road due to a fatal vehicle crash on Hwy 321 near Waterfalls Road. The crash involved two trucks and at least one other vehicle. The accident kept the highway closed for approximately six hours and caused lots of delays for motorist trying to get up or down the mountain. Blowing Rock Police officers closed the highway at the request of the Highway Patrol who investigated the accident. 

One suspect was charged last week for a series of thefts from Tanger Outlets. Captain Miller responded to Tanger Outlets on March 18th to a report that a white female had taken some merchandise from Sketchers. A vehicle driven by Sherry Newell Billings, 42, of Sparta, was stopped leaving Tanger. Merchandise that had been stolen from six different stores at Tanger was discovered in the vehicle. Billings was charged with six counts of misdemeanor larceny. 

A fraudulent check passed at Food Lion led to the arrest of a suspect by Lenoir Police. On March 22 a black male entered Food Lion and used a counterfeit check and a fake identification to obtain $271.69 in merchandise and cash. Food Lion employees became suspicious of the check and contact police. Officers Lance Dotson and Anthony Biard investigated the incident and concluded that the check was indeed a counterfeit. The same suspect had attempted to pass checks at the Food Lion stores in Boone and Deep Gap. Other Food Lion stores in the area were alerted and on March 23 the suspect was arrest by Lenoir Police trying to pass checks at stores in Lenoir. The suspect was identified as Jeremy Dennis, 27, from Charlotte. Officer Dotson secured warrants for Dennis’s arrest. Dennis was processed and held in the Caldwell County Jail. 

Brandon Lamar Dula was arrested on March 22 at 2:43am for driving while impaired. Dula was arrested following a traffic stop for speeding on Valley Blvd. Dula was released by the magistrate on a written promise to appear in court. 

One traffic crash was reported in Blowing Rock last week. On March 21 Taylor Victory Smith of Pfafftown NC lost control of her vehicle on a snow covered roadway. The crash occurred on Valley Blvd near north Main Street. According to the report, Smith’s vehicle, a 2005 Ford, slid off Valley Blvd and down the embankment onto Main Street. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $7,500.

Thirteen citations were issued last week. Charges include possession of drug paraphernalia, seat belt violation, speeding, no operator’s license and expired registration plate.