Two men and an 18-year-old juvenile have been charged with three vehicle break-ins which occurred between sometime late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
Roanoke Rapids police Chief Bobby Martin said the men were arrested after Sergeant M. Hunsucker responded to the Rollingwood Road area on a call of a motor vehicle breaking and entering that was in progress.
The call was from a person who Martin described in a statement as an alert citizen who gave a vehicle description to officers.
While enroute to the area Hunsucker, shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, noticed a vehicle fitting the description and followed and eventually stopped it for further investigation.
In the gallery: Gatling, left, and McGee-Knight
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Three people were taken into custody — the juvenile, Darerin McGee-Knight and Deontre Gatling.
While checking the vehicle several items were located linking the ones in custody to other vehicle break-ins near the area. Three guns were also taken.
The juvenile was charged with three counts of felony breaking or entering a motor vehicle, three counts of carrying a concealed weapon, and a count of felony conspiracy.
He received a $10,000 bond and September 1 court date.
McGee-Knight, 20, from the Weldon area, was charged with three counts of felony breaking or entering a motor vehicle and a count of felony conspiracy. He received an $8,000 bond and September 1 court date.
Gatling, 21, from the Weldon area, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, three counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, and a count of felony conspiracy.
He received a $50,000 bond and September 1 court date.
Martin said the cases are still being investigated and if police determine the three are linked to any other motor vehicle break-ins they will be charged accordingly.
There have been as many as six motor vehicles broken into recently, Martin said this morning.
Anything with value has been taken and Martin encourages residents to not leave firearms, pocketbooks or wallets inside vehicles.
There were no reports of vehicle damage, which is a sign perpetrators are going house to house checking for unlocked vehicles.
Officers D. Newsome, J. Wind, and N. Powell assisted with the investigation, Martin said. “This was great work by Lieutenant J. Baggett’s squad. We would like to thank the alert citizen as well because this helped officers quickly apprehend these subjects before they were able to target anyone else’s property.”
