Latest news with #RobesonCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
North Carolina man tied to Maxton robbery arrested after cross-county chase
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — A North Carolina man was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting after he led deputies on a cross-county pursuit, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office said. Justus W. Simmons, 41, of Bolivia, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, fleeing and eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, and multiple traffic violations. He is being held in the Robeson County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. The shooting happened on Tuesday at the C&P store in Maxton. A 48-year-old Rowland man was wounded and taken to the hospital and treated for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. The pursuit began Thursday in the area of Corey Road in Maxton when investigators tried to stop a vehicle connected to the shooting, the sheriff's office said. It continued on Highway 74 East, with the vehicle avoiding Stop Sticks on several occasions. It ended with Simmons' arrest in Boardman, in Columbus County, when the car became disabled after driving over two sets of Stop Sticks, the sheriff's office said. The investigation is ongoing, and according to the sheriff's department, more charges are likely. The sheriff's office, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Columbus County Sheriff's Office assisted in the arrest. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Robeson County Sheriff's Office at 910-671-3170. * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘We will never give up': FBI, Robeson Co. sheriff continue hunt for Sara Graham 10 years after disappearance
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — It's been a decade since 18-year-old Sara Graham disappeared, and now the Robeson County Sheriff's Office and FBI are asking the public for help finding new leads. Graham went missing on Feb. 4, 2015, last seen by family members getting ready for her morning shift at the Pembroke Walmart. At around 6:45 a.m., her white Astro van was found abandoned in a wheat field on East McDonald Road, just a few miles from her house. After years of searching, both the sheriff's office and FBI have come up empty but Sheriff Burnis Wilkins believes someone has information that break the case open. 'We will never give up seeking justice for Sara. We know someone watching this, someone watching this right now, holds the answer we are seeking,' he said. FBI agent David Smith said while the community has been cooperative, the key to solving Graham's disappearance remains elusive. 'While most of the people we've interviewed have been cooperative, we believe someone very close to her isn't telling us everything they know,' Smith said. 'We have uncovered a lot of evidence, but we still need that missing piece to bring Sara home.' Wilkins said the FBI has increased its reward for information about Graham's whereabouts to $10,000. * * * Eric Cooper is a multimedia journalist at News13. He joined the team in September 2024 and covers stories in the Pee Dee. He is a native of Cades in Williamsburg County and a proud graduate of Kingstree Senior High School and Benedict College. You can read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Yahoo
Authorities give background info on Robeson County murder suspect who spent 18 years on the run
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — The Robeson County Sheriff's Office has provided more information about a murder suspect arrested in California after 18 years on the run. Omar Gray was arrested nearly 18 years after being indicted by a Robeson County grand jury on May 15, 2007. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Patrick Carlton Ashley of St. Pauls. Robeson County authorities previously said that Ashley was found in his car at about 1 a.m. on July 12, 2006, on McNeil Pond Road near the Lumber Bridge. He was in the backseat, bound and gagged with a gunshot wound to the head. A nationwide manhunt was launched after Gray's indictment, earning him a spot on 'America's Most Wanted' as well as an Interpol Red Notice, according to the sheriff's office. He was ultimately captured in Los Angeles under the alias 'Timothy Bloxson.' Gray's true identity was discovered after he was arrested on unrelated charges and fingerprinted during the booking process, the sheriff's office said. A certified fingerprint examiner from the Moore County Sheriff's Office conducted a forensic fingerprint comparison to confirm that 'Bloxson' was indeed Gray. After he was identified, Gray was extradited to North Carolina, where he was formally arrested on Tuesday by State Bureau of Investigation agents and Robeson County deputies. He remains in custody awaiting legal proceedings. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
