Submitted by Administrative Sergeant Shane Robbins of the Boone Police Department
Aug. 1, 2012. On Sunday, July 29, 2012, officers with the Boone Police Department, the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, and members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol put a stop to a wild crime spree that stretched from West Virginia to the Town of Boone. Two individuals led Boone officers on a vehicle pursuit. After the suspects crashed and abandoned their stolen vehicle, one officer ran and swam to catch the suspects.
This incident all started for Boone Police at approximately 4:32 p.m., a citizen called and reported that two suspects had taken her purse by force while she was eating at a restaurant on Rivers Street. The victim or the robbery provided a description of the suspects and their Ford Explorer. Approximately 18 minutes later, a Boone Patrol Lieutenant spotted the vehicle on N.C. 105. The individual driving the vehicle refused to stop for the officer’s lights and siren. This vehicle pursuit led officers out of Boone on N.C. 105 towards Avery County. The Ford Explorer had been stolen the day before in Wilkes County.
During this pursuit, the suspect vehicle hit another vehicle on N.C. 105 causing significant damage, but no serious injury. With the vehicle still in gear, the driver and passenger exited the vehicle and ran from the officer on foot to the Watauga River. Lieutenant Goodman was alone at this point as officers were rushing to assist him. He pursued on foot down an embankment and swam after the two suspects across a deep section of a river. Lieutenant Goodman caught and arrested one of the suspects near the river. The second suspect was located about 15 minutes later in the Hound Ears community and was also arrested.
Investigators with the Boone Police Department were called in to investigate these two individuals’ activities.
It is believed that these same suspects stole a Subaru in West Virginia and then committed Larceny at the Wilkesboro Walmart. Wilkesboro Police attempted to stop the stolen Subaru and a vehicle chase ensued; however, due to the extreme nature of the suspect’s driving, the police cancelled their pursuit of the vehicle. The suspects then abandoned the stolen Subaru, and immediately stole a Ford Explorer from a Wilkesboro home. This is the same stolen Ford Explorer that these individuals were caught driving in Boone. Investigators are still looking into additional crimes in the Boone area that may be linked to these suspects.
White was charged with the following:
Agency |
Level |
Charges |
Boone Police Department |
Felony |
Possess Stolen Motor Vehicle |
|
Felony |
Common Law Robbery |
|
Felony |
Financial Card Theft |
|
Felony |
Flee to Elude Arrest |
|
Misdemeanor |
Assault w/ Deadly Weapon |
|
Misdemeanor |
(2 Counts) Larceny |
|
Misdemeanor |
Possession of Stolen Property |
|
Misdemeanor |
Financial Card Fraud |
|
Misdemeanor |
Driving Left of Center |
|
Misdemeanor |
Speeding, 90 mph in a 45mph zone |
|
Misdemeanor |
Giving Fictitious Info to an Officer |
|
Misdemeanor |
Hit & Run |
|
Misdemeanor |
No Operator’s License |
|
Misdemeanor |
Failure to Heed Emergency Lights & Siren |
|
Misdemeanor |
Resisting a Public Officer |
|
Misdemeanor |
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia |
Wilkes Co. Sheriff’s Office |
Felony |
Larceny of Motor Vehicle |
|
Misdemeanor |
Possession of Stolen Property |
Wilkesboro Police Department |
Felony |
Flee to Elude |
|
Felony |
Assault with a Deadly Weapon on an LEO |
|
Misdemeanor |
Larceny |
|
Misdemeanor |
Failure to Heed Emergency Lights & Siren |
|
Misdemeanor |
Driving Left of Center |
|
Misdemeanor |
Reckless Driving to Endanger |
|
Misdemeanor |
(3 Cts) Fail to Stop for Stop Sign/Light |
White’s bond for the crimes committed in Boone is a total of $85,000, and his total bond for Wilkes County’s charges is $25,000.
Carroll was charged with the following:
Agency |
Level |
Charges |
Boone Police Department |
Felony |
Possess Stolen Motor Vehicle |
|
Felony |
Common Law Robbery |
|
Felony |
Financial Card Theft |
|
Felony |
PWISD Schedule II Controlled Substance |
|
Misdemeanor |
Assault w/ Deadly Weapon |
|
Misdemeanor |
(2 Counts) Larceny |
|
Misdemeanor |
Possession of Stolen Property |
|
Misdemeanor |
Financial Card Fraud |
|
Misdemeanor |
Resisting a Public Officer |
Wilkes Co. Sheriff’s Office |
Felony |
Larceny of Motor Vehicle |
|
Misdemeanor |
Possession of Stolen Property |
Wilkesboro Police Department |
Misdemeanor |
Larceny |
Carroll’s bond for the crimes committed in Boone is a total of $76,000, and his total bond for Wilkes County’s charges is $10,000.
As always, any citizen who has information about crime in Watauga or Avery Counties is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 828-268-6959. Crimestoppers is an effective and anonymous way to report criminal activity.
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