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Release Date: 2/2/2012
An apparently mentally disturbed woman was arrested
Wednesday after a string of unusual vandalisms on King Street.
On Wednesday morning, Boone Police responded to a
large amount of vandalism on various businesses in the downtown King Street
area. Buildings and fixtures had been
written on, fire hydrants had been tampered with, an ATM had been damaged, and
other strange incidents of damage were observed.
Later in the morning, police responded to a report
of a woman acting strangely in the same area of King Street. Officers encountered Jacqueline Kathleen
Bryant, 21 years old from Banner Elk, who admitted to officers that she had
perpetrated all the damage from the previous night. Officers were concerned for Bryant’s mental
state as she acted strangely and described the damages as “expressions” and an
“art project”.
Bryant was taken into custody and charged with
misdemeanor possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug
paraphernalia. She was detained under a
$500 secured bond with a March 20 court date and will be likely be mentally
evaluated by Daymark Recovery Services. Officers are continuing the investigation
into the various vandalisms and additional charges are forthcoming.
Release Date: 2/1/2012
A rash of recent business
break-ins has the Boone Police Department asking for the public’s assistance.
Boone Police responded
Wednesday morning to a breaking and entering that had been discovered at Xtreme Fitness on Highway 105. Officers soon discovered two additional
nearby businesses had been broken into overnight, as has been the case in a
number of recent incidents.
In the first month of this
year there have been approximately fifteen businesses broken into in
Boone. They are believed to have been
perpetrated by the same person or group of people as the method of entries and
types of property taken have been similar.
The suspect has pried windows and/or doors, and then subsequently searched
drawers, registers, and other areas likely to contain cash. Businesses targeted have lacked alarm or
surveillance equipment and the doors or windows entered are in areas of
darkness or not easily visible to passersby.
Various types of businesses have been targeted.
Businesses in the Town of
Boone are urged to consider their security situation and take preventative
measures. Do not leave cash in the
business location and make deposits as necessary. Citizens are urged to report any suspicious
activity to police.
Release Date: 1/20/2012
Boone Police arrested three people last night after
an altercation with officers outside of a local bar.
Officers responded Thursday night to a report of an
intoxicated person damaging vehicles outside of Char Restaurant. As the officers arrived the suspect ran and
pursuing officers were chased and confronted by the suspect’s companions. Officers from Appalachian State University
and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for assistance from
the officers. Various forms of
non-lethal force were used to take the group into custody.
The original suspect, Joseph Salvino,
22 years old of Banner Elk, was charged with assaulting a government official,
resisting, obstructing, or delaying a law enforcement officer, assault on a
female, damage to property, and drunk and disruptive. Salvino was held
under a $5,000 secured bond with a provision that he not be release for 48
hours due to the assault on a female charge.
Also charged were Zachary Russo and Kasie
Martin (not pictured), both 20 years old of Banner Elk and both charged with
resisting, delaying, or obstructing a law enforcement officer. Russo was held under a $500 secured bond and
Martin was released on a written promise.
All three were assigned a March 20th court date.
(Salvino
pictured above, Russo above at right)
Release Date: 1/19/2012
Boone Police have received numerous
recent complaints related to door-to-door magazine salespersons and just
yesterday arrested one of these solicitors for a serious crime.
For the last two weeks, Boone
officers have responded to complaints from citizens of magazine salespersons acting
suspiciously, refusing to leave residences when asked, and using overbearing
high-pressure sales tactics. On
Wednesday, January 19th a female resident reported to police that
one of these salespeople had pressured his way into her home, and then refused
to leave when asked. Furthermore, the
man reportedly refused to leave unless the woman either submitted to drug use
and sexual activity or bought a magazine subscription from him. The woman “chose” to buy a subscription, then
immediately called police.
Over the course of the day,
Boone Police patrol officers searched for and encountered members of this
magazine sales group, eventually identifying and apprehending the suspect in
the incident. Jerad
Michael Arnold, 22 years old of Arden, North Carolina, was charged with one
felony count of common law robbery and booked into the Watauga County Detention
Center under a $20,000 secured bond with a March 20th court date.
The Boone Police Department is
very concerned about these groups and urges citizens to always be cautious when
dealing with door-to-door salespeople and to report suspicious activity.
Release Date: 1/17/2012
Local law enforcement agencies
would like to warn residents about a suspected fraud scheme.
The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office,
Blowing Rock Police Department and Boone Police Departments have received
several recent complaints of suspected fraud.
Citizens have received phone calls from a Hickory based company,
offering to examine the residence’s energy efficiency and install a water
heater insulation blanket free of charge.
It is reported that the company representative has made statements that
they are affiliated with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation. In one incident, the company’s salesperson
visited a local residence, quickly examined the attic and other spaces then a
price was agreed upon. The elderly
female resident realized the amount was very high compared to the amount of
work needed and subsequently cancelled the appointment.
BREMCO has no affiliation with
this company, nor do they engage in this type of solicitation. Citizens are urged to be cautious when
dealing with phone or other solicitations and to research companies using
references and the Better Business Bureau.
On Saturday, January 14th Officers
of the Boone Police Department arrested a local sex offender at the Mt. Villa
Motor Lodge at 2240 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC. Police received information
that Adam Lee Presnell, 27 years old, was at the
motel and that he had an active arrest warrant. The Watauga County Sheriff’s
Office confirmed that Presnell is a registered sex
offender and that his last reported address was 186 Monteagle
Drive in Boone. The Sheriff’s Office personnel advised that the address is no
longer valid for Presnell.
The arrest warrant charges Presnell with Failure to Report an Address Change by a Sex
Offender. He is currently being held under a $25,000.00 secured bond. He is
scheduled to appear in court on 02/23/2012. In North Carolina, sex offenders
are required to report an address change to the Sheriff within 3 business days.
Release Date: 1/6/2012
A local man has been arrested,
accused of intimidating witnesses in an ongoing case against him.
Kevin Richard Pierson, 48
years old of Winter Drive in Boone, was arrested Thursday and charged with one
felony count of intimidating a witness.
Pierson was arrested in July of 2011 for first degree arson and burning
a vehicle at the Mountain Villa Motor Lodge in Boone. In this arrest, Pierson is alleged to have
recently telephoned and threatened two potential witnesses in that earlier
case.
Pierson was taken before a
Watauga County magistrate, then held under a $100,000
secured bond with a February 14th court date.
Release Date: 12/30/2011
On December 28 at approximately 2:00 p.m.,
the Boone Police Department received reports of a man walking along the
Greenway Trail displaying what appeared to be a pistol. A suspect matching the description,
identified as Richard Thomas Stallsmith, was located
by responding officers and was found in possession of a BB pistol. Stallsmith also
possessed items that he admitted had just been stolen from Walmart.
Stallsmith,
age 19 of 338 Brook Hollow Road in Boone, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor
larceny and the misdemeanor charge of Going Armed to the Terror of the
People. Stallsmith
was taken before the Watauga County Magistrate where he was given a $750.00
secured bond and a February 23, 2011 court date.
Release Date: 12/19/2011
Officers with the Boone Police Department
have developed programs to teach education and awareness for students at Hardin
Park School. The goal of the Boone
Police Department is to educate students in the areas of drug and alcohol
awareness, but also focusing in the area of cyber-awareness. Officer Toby Ragan developed a program
teaching drug and alcohol awareness, the effects as well has consequences. This program was taught to the 8th
grade class.
Master Officer Glen Kornhouser
has developed a program teaching students issues and dangers surrounding the
internet, specifically facebook, myspace,
live chat rooms and cyberbullying. The class was
developed to teach students the importance of protecting themselves and
limiting personal information online. The
class also encouraged the students to report any suspicious activity they may
encounter while online.
Release Date: 12/13/2011
A local man has been arrested
for fraudulently using a credit card in a case that was recently featured in a Crimestopper announcement.
Damien Brock Mackey, age 24 of
Boone, was charged Monday with two counts of unauthorized use of a financial
transaction card. Mackey contacted
police after seeing the December 1st Crimestopper
story reported by local media. Mackey
admitted to making the suspect transactions after finding a lost wallet
containing the card.
Mackey was taken before a
Watauga County Magistrate where he was held under a $500 secured bond and given
a February 2nd, 2012 court date.
Release Date: 11/29/2011
The Boone Police Department has arrested three individuals, two
of which were juveniles, in connection with graffiti being spray painted at Junaluska Park and Watauga Youth Network.
Bradley Kerns, age 18 of Boone was charged with one count of
damage to real property and one count of damage to personal property. Mr. Kerns
was also charged with one count of misdemeanor larceny, which stemmed from Mr.
Kerns stealing the paint from Wal-Mart that was used to paint the graffiti.
Elizabeth Isaacs, age 17 of Boone was charged with one count of
damage to real property and one count of damage to personal property.
John Harris, age 16 of Boone was charged with one count of
damage to personal property.
All three individuals were released to their parents on a written
promise to appear in District court on January 5, 2012.
Release Date: 11/22/2011
A local pawn shop proprietor
has been charged with violating pawnbroker regulations.
Pawnbrokers in North Carolina
are required by law to document transactions and retain property according to a
specified schedule. William Trent
Spears, proprietor of the Gold and Closeout Connection pawn shop in Boone, is
alleged to have not recorded one transaction in which jewelry was purchased
from a customer. Spears then sold that
property before the statute would have allowed it.
William Trent Spears, age 51
of Vilas, was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanor counts of violation of the
Pawnbroker Modernization Act. Spears was released on a written promise to appear at a January
5th, 2012 court date. The
Gold and Closeout Connection, with Spears as proprietor, remains licensed and
open for business.
Release Date: 11/17/2011
An area man has been arrested on charges related to
stealing jewelry and a computer from family, then pawning or selling those
items.
Boone Police were called to a report of a dispute
at a home on John Thomas Drive in Boone.
Upon the officers’ arrival, a man ran and was apprehended a short
distance later. Daniel Cole
Featherstone, age 20, was charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting,
delaying, or obstructing a law enforcement officer, three felony counts of
obtaining property by false pretense, and three counts of misdemeanor
larceny. The obtaining property and
larceny charges are the result of an investigation in which Featherstone is
alleged to have stolen items from his family members and pawned or sold them.
Featherstone was taken before a Watauga County
Magistrate, then held on a $10,000 secured bond with a
January 5, 2012 court date.
Release
Date: 11/2/2011
During the evening hours of Saturday October 29th,
2011, Officers with the Boone Police Department investigated a methamphetamine
laboratory. The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina State Bureau
of Investigation were a crucial part of this investigation.
During this investigation, a search warrant was
obtained for room number seven of the Boone Trail Motel, located at 275 East
King Street in Boone. This search resulted in the seizure of items believed to
be the components of a methamphetamine laboratory.
In the past, the DEA funded the removal and disposal
of the toxic wastes generated in meth labs.
Unfortunately, the cleanup costs will now be passed on to Boone
taxpayers. The DEA is no longer able to cover lab cleanup costs due to federal
budget cuts this year.
This investigation resulted in the identification
and arrests of two suspects. The persons listed below were arrested and charged
with the listed crimes:
Mark Jason
Rogers
DOB 03-03-1975,
275 East King Street,
Room # 7, Boone.
1 Count – Manufacture Methamphetamine
1 Count – Possession of Precursor Chemicals with Intent to
Manufacture
Methamphetamine
1 Count – Conspiracy to Possess Precursor Chemicals with Intent to
Manufacture
Methamphetamine
Crystal
Kay Rogers
DOB 04-17-1973,
275 East King Street,
Room # 7, Boone.
1 Count – Manufacture Methamphetamine
1 Count – Possession of Precursor Chemicals with Intent to
Manufacture
Methamphetamine
1 Count – Conspiracy to Possess Precursor Chemicals with Intent to
Manufacture
Methamphetamine
Tips to
discourage auto break-ins
Lock your car. This
one element cannot be stressed enough.
Car break-ins where a window is smashed to gain entry are rare. In most cases, a suspect cases an area
checking for unlocked car doors. An
unlocked car door is an invitation to theft, but a locked car forces the thief
to move on. Even if you’re just running
into a convenience store for a moment, that’s too long to leave the contents of
your car open for the taking. Plus; as
some owners discovered this weekend, your car should be locked even in your
driveway.
Keep your car tidy.
Visible personal items that are visible from the outside might encourage
a break-in. A schoolbook bag might be
thought of as a laptop case or an empty shopping bag as valuable gifts. While a book bag might not have any monetary
value: the loss of records, data and months of work might be lost. Items of value should be locked in the
trunk. If you have an SUV or wagon,
consider having your vehicle fitted with an inexpensive retractable cover to
keep shopping bags and other belongings out of sight. Also, get in the habit of putting shopping
bags in the trunk when you first return to your vehicle.
Conceal all evidence of your valuables. Don’t leave any bait out for thieves. Stow all your electronics and accessories
out of sight, or better yet; don’t bring them with you. Items in the cab of your car such as I-Pod
chargers, cell phone chargers, and suction cup mounts; all are valuable items
found within to the car.
If you decide to get a car alarm system, be sure to understand how
it works. Often when you leave car
windows or sunroof open, the alarm will not sound when a thief reaches in
through the gap and open your locks with a coat hanger. Open windows will disable the pressure sensor
in some car alarms, thus defeating the purpose of having an alarm system
installed.
Park in a highly visible location. Park in busy, well lit areas,
and avoid concealment due to larger vehicles, fences or foliage. The greater the chance that someone might
see a crime in progress, the less likely a thief will take the risk. Motion lights; an inexpensive addition to
most outside home lighting, can have the result of forcing a thief move on to a
darker, less noticeable target.
Mark your belongings.
Whether in your car or home take the time to record and photograph your
valuables. An item with a serial number
is much more likely to be recovered than an item that does not. Regardless if an item has a serial number or
not, etching your driver’s license number is also a good way to identify your
property. Because of identity theft, do
not use your Social Security number.
Once you’ve photographed and recorded your belongings, save and secure
your information in a controlled location.
A safety deposit box is better than storing them on the computer that
could be stolen. Better still, e-mail
the picture and serial number to an internet e-mail account that can be
accessed at any computer terminal.
While there is no one answer to reduce car break-ins; being aware and following these simple ideas may make you less of a target for theft. The more you increase your awareness and take preventative action; the more you significantly decrease your risk.
LEAVING
FOR THE HOLIDAYS?
Is Your Home
Secure?
The Boone
Police Department would like to give you some information on how you
can make your home or apartment more secure.
Last year, approximately 35% of the breaking and enterings
in Boone were to personal residences. We
at the Boone Police Department are committed to making Boone a
safer place to work, attend school and live.
The following are what we feel are helpful tips to lessen the chances
for homeowners becoming victims:
CHECK
THE OUTSIDE