Crime

More than 550 cited in NHC during “No Need 2 Speed” campaign

Submitted by Sarah Crandall, Web Producer

Friday, April 12th, 2013, 8:15am

More than 550 cited in NHC during “No Need 2 Speed” campaign

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC, (WECT) – More than 42,000 traffic and criminal citations were issued across the state during this year’s “No Need 2 Speed” campaign, according to a news release from a North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson.

The campaign ran from March 25 – 31, and law enforcement officers teamed up with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program to crack down on drivers speeding.

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'Operation Slow Down' yields more than 13,500 citations statewide

Submitted by Debra Worley, Digital Content Director

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013, 10:46am

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – More than 13,500 drivers across North Carolina were recently cited for speeding during the Highway Patrol's Operation Slow Down campaign. The campaign was done in combination with the Governor's Highway Safety Program No Need to Speed effort.

According to officials, speeding is the leading cause of traffic accidents and fatalities throughout the state and across the country.

Highway Patrol investigated 1,801 fatal accidents in North Carolina in 2012. Of those, 245 deaths were contributed to speed, compared to 244 in 2011, according to the NC Highway Patrol.

Despite the end of the Operation Slow Down campaign, troopers will continue to aggressively enforce the speed limits in North Carolina.

"Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of the motoring public," said Bill Grey, commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

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Off duty officer helps break up fight that sent 3 to hospital

Submitted by Will Tapper, Reporter

Friday, March 22nd, 2013, 6:28pm

Rochi Kevin Sutton (Source: New Hanover Co. Jail)

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Three people, including an off duty police officer, were taken to the hospital following an altercation at the Sand Bar in Wilmington early Friday morning.

According to Lt. Blanton from the Wilmington Police Department, crews were called to the scene around 1:30 a.m. after reports that someone had a knife. Blanton said the suspect was involved in an fight.

A 911 call reveals a caller saying, "Yes, I need EMS at the Sand Bar, uh...Seahawk Landing right now. Dude get slit up in the face pretty bad."

"Are they fighting?" asks the dispatcher.

"Nah, dude's just standing there," says the caller. "Some dude just come over top of him like that."

When officers arrived they found a victim in the parking lot with a cut to the left side of his face horizontally from his ear, across his face, and through the middle of his nose.

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Law enforcement step up patrols for 'Booze it & Lose it' weekend

Submitted by Debra Worley, Digital Content Director

Thursday, March 14th, 2013, 2:34pm

Law enforcement step up patrols for 'Booze it & Lose it' weekend

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – Law enforcement agencies will step up patrols this weekend for the St. Patrick’s Day “Booze It & Lose It” campaign.

According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the campaign runs March 15-17 across the state.

Law enforcement will unveil the new BATMobile Friday morning at the launch of the campaign.

DWI’s can be processed in the BATMobile. The 40-foot long unit features two magistrate stations, a full office and surveillance cameras in the back.

According to a press release, the BATMobile also has six stations where officers can perform breath concentration tests.

More than 800 DWI citations were given out during the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day “Booze It & Lose It” campaign.

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Drug investigation leads to motel in Wilmington

Submitted by Scott Saxton, News Director

Monday, March 11th, 2013, 5:13pm

Drug investigation leads to motel in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A drug investigation that started in Brunswick County led officers in Wilmington to a motel on Eastwood Road Friday night.

Narcotics investigators say they got information from detectives in Brunswick that they had arrested Darrell Fair, 24, on a charge of possession of heroin. Investigators contacted police to let them know Fair was staying at the Extended Stay Motel.

Officers went to the motel and found a woman staying there. She gave consent for officers to search.

A K-9 searched the room and found a suitcase containing 2800 bindles of heroin inside. The woman staying there, Stephanie Malave, 26, was charged with trafficking heroin by possession and trafficking heroin by transportation. Fair also faces those two new charges.

Malave is in the New Hanover County Detention Facility under a half million dollar bond.

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Wilmington man charged with nine recent armed robberies

Submitted by Debra Worley, Digital Content Director

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013, 7:44pm

Erik Huggins (Source: Wilmington Police Department)

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Officers with the Wilmington Police Department arrested a man early Monday morning for an armed robbery of a taxi driver. Turns out the suspect is wanted for a string of other crimes.

According to the police department, Eric Greyson Huggins, 29, is the suspect in a total of nine armed robberies. All but one of the incidents involved stores in the area.

Police said the first robbery happened last Wednesday.

This is not Huggins first time facing charges for robbery, according to Wake County court records and the Department of Corrections.

He has two current cases on-going in Wake County, according to court staff. One involves robbery with a dangerous weapon and another about assault on a female.

Before both of these incidents, Huggins was convicted and served time for larceny in 2011, according to the state's DOI.

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More than 100 cited for DWIs in NHC during "Booze It & Lose It" campaign

Submitted by Sarah Crandall, Web Producer

Thursday, January 17th, 2013, 2:30pm

More than 100 cited for DWIs in NHC during "Booze It & Lose It" campaign

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – A total of 2,164 traffic and criminal violations were made recently in New Hanover County, 109 of which were DWI-related.

A news release from an NC Department of Transportation spokesperson revealed that, across the state, 3,147 motorists were cited for driving while impaired during a holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign that ran from Dec. 7 to Jan. 2.

Additionally, 110,692 traffic and criminal citations, 6,381 safety belt and 1,134 child passenger safety violations, 364 speeding violations and 3,543 drug charges were issued statewide.

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