Anyone with information on the larceny and identification of the woman in the video is encouraged to call the police department at 252-536-3136 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

When he talked with social workers they began telling him about some 20 children living in motel rooms with their parents. “We had been geared for shop with a cop but where are you going to put the bicycles and racetracks in a hotel room?”

The parents work but have no regular housing, Avens said. “The school bus has to come pick them up at the motel. They go to anywhere they can find a place. One family did find a house.”

That’s the short story about how Sunday’s Holiday Dinner with a Hero was born — where the children are the heroes and the officers and firefighters are the ones serving them.

(For more information or to donate contact Avens at weldonpd@gmail.com or 252-536-1144)

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Weldon Fire Station 1 on Sycamore Street and its planners are still accepting donations for $100 Visa gift cards so the parents can buy the children presents for Christmas.

Weldon fire Chief Rusty Bolt said the firefighters are doing the bulk of the cooking — barbecue chicken, Brunswick stew — while restaurants have donated other items.

“James had an idea,” Bolt said. “He brought it to me. I thought it was a great idea. James has done a great job with it, has done a lot of the legwork. We’re going to set it up. It’s a great idea and we’re glad we’re a part of it.”

In a statement on the event, Avens explained the theme. “The two department’s definition of heroes are children who rise up from whatever their circumstances are and excel in situations that would otherwise be detrimental.”

The departments are hosting the 23 homeless youth and their parents. “The goal is for each child to receive a Visa gift card in the amount of $100 to buy themselves something for the holidays.”

The departments continue to raise money to reach the $2,300 necessary to buy the gift cards. They are also accepting in-kind donations of goods and services.

In its efforts to raise money for the funeral expenses of Jaxson Clay, who was murdered in a drive-by shooting last week, Weldon Baptist Church is pledging any excess funds to go to Holiday Dinner with a Hero.

Robbery suspect surrenders

On Friday at approximately 9 a.m., Tony Orlando Whitaker Jr., 27, of Enfield, came to the department and surrendered to Investigator J.K. Davis on an outstanding warrant for robbery with a dangerous weapon.  

Whitaker received a $10,000 bond and January 3 court date.

The charges stem from an investigation into an armed robbery reported on November 12 at 5:30 a.m. at RR Business Center located at Oakland Shopping Center.

Narcotics violations

On Sunday at approximately 12:30 a.m., Officer C. Batchelor was on routine patrol when he noticed an occupied vehicle parked with the engine running at the vacuum area of Sheetz.

The driver appeared to be passed out and his breathing was shallow.

Batchelor deployed Narcan and called for EMS. The driver became alert before EMS arrived.

Batchelor noticed drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

John Andrew Gray, 41, of Roanoke Rapids, refused any additional medical help or treatment and during a search of the vehicle narcotics were found.

Gray was charged with possession of heroin, possession of hydrocodone and possession of drug paraphernalia.  

He received given a $5,000 bond and January 26 court date.

Master Officer G. Morris assisted.

Burglary and sexual assault

On Saturday at approximately 6 a.m., officers responded to Halifax Regional about a burglary and rape.  

The victim was asleep at their residence on Taylor Street when they were awakened around 4:30 a.m. to a man standing over them with a weapon.

The suspect, described as a black male, raped the victim.

He was last seen leaving on foot.

Hasty declined comment on the type of weapon.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Investigator J.K. Davis at 252-533-2822 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

Terrell Emanuel Turner, 43, of Enfield, died in the crash, which occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Highway 258, north of Como.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper J.G. Williams, who investigated the fatal mishap, said Turner was operating a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban southbound on Highway 258 at the time of the crash. Turner was alone in his vehicle.

In his report, Williams stated the vehicle initially crossed the centerline of the highway before traveling off the road to the left.

“At that time, Mr. Turner overcorrected the vehicle, causing it to come back onto the road, cross the centerline again, and travel off the road to the right.”

The vehicle, Williams said, then struck a ditch before colliding with a tree and coming to a halt.

“Mr. Turner was trapped inside the vehicle and died at the scene,” Williams noted.

Other than driver error in overcorrecting a vehicle in a skid, Williams said there were no other factors contributing to the deadly mishap.

Members of the Como and Murfreesboro fire departments responded to the scene, along with Hertford County EMS and Hertford County Sheriff’s deputies.

The fatal crash was the 15th of the year in the Highway Patrol’s Troop A — District II area  which encompasses Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties.

Seven of those fatalities have been in Hertford County.

Editor's note: Calvin Bryant is editor of the Ahoskie Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. It is posted with the paper's permission.

On November 29 Sergeant Josh Langley responded to Halifax Regional on a report of a gunshot victim.

Langley learned Devonn Rakim Jones, 25, of Roanoke Rapids, was allegedly responsible for the shooting.

Jones was arrested Saturday around 11 a.m. for possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

Jones was placed in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $25,500 bond and a January 17 court date.

Sergeant Roy Ball, Lieutenant John Bozard and Deputy Michael Bishop assisted.

On December 4 around 3:30 p.m., deputies responded to East Eleventh Street in Weldon on a shooting call.

Deputies learned a male victim was shot in the leg and was taken to Halifax Regional for treatment.

Investigation by detective R.B. Biggerstaff led to warrants being obtained on Omar Ponton, 24, of Roanoke Rapids.

Ponton was arrested Sunday and charged with assault with deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, shooting into an occupied dwelling, injury to real property and injury to personal property. He was jailed on $75,000 secured bond and has a court date set for January 17.

Inbetween sets, the band paid homage to Air Force veterans with a multimedia presentation.

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The Roanoke Rapids High School Army JROTC posted colors and the event ended with a Christmas music sing-a-long.

Newcomer Henry Ford and returning members Mike Salanik and Valencia Davis were sworn into office for six-year terms.   

Halifax County Judge Turner Stephenson administered the oath of office.

Ford is replacing longtime trustee Jane Deese who retired last month after 28 years as trustee.

The board also elected Jay Carlisle to serve another term as chairman and Davis to serve as vice-chair.  

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RRHS make-up day

As its first order of business, the board voted to allow Roanoke Rapids High School students to make up lost classroom instruction time next week before going home for the winter break.  

Students were forced to miss classes on Monday due to a failed heating exchange system at the school.  

Students will have to make up that time next Tuesday, December 19. by going a full day.  

Other district schools will continue to operate on an early release schedule on that day.  

RR Early College

The board was also informed its application to open Roanoke Rapids Early College next fall has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.  

Renovations are currently underway at the former Armory building where the early college will be located.  

2018-19 calendar

Trustees also approved the 2018-19 school calendar.  Students will begin classes August 27.  

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None of the five people inside a house in the 700 block of Maple Street were injured and the case is not believed to be tied to one last Thursday in the 700 block of Elm Street in which a nearly 2-year-old child died, Chief James Avens said. That case remains under investigation.

About 20 shots were fired in the Tuesday night shooting, where windows and doors were damaged, the chief said.

Warrants have been obtained for the arrests of Raheem Scott and Khevon Weaver, 20-year-old men who frequent the Weldon and Garysburg areas.

They are currently wanted on five counts of assault with a deadly with intent to kill and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. The five assault counts reflect the number of people in the residence at the time.

Avens declined to immediately discuss motive as investigation continues and more charges are possible. He declined to say what type of weapon or weapons were used and said investigation is ongoing to determine whether both men allegedly fired shots.

He said in a statement early information shows the drive-by was not a random act and the house was the intended target.

The men were on a white small or midsized car.

They are considered armed and dangerous and have been entered to national criminal databases.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444 or the police department at 252-536-3136.

Halifax County Superior Court Judge Alma Hinton did say she will schedule another bond hearing for Jovonte Boone, who is currently being held without opportunity for bail, in January but wants the state and defense to provide her with the discovery found this far in the case.

Assistant District Attorney Keith Werner told the court during an administrative session the “state is opposed to any bond reduction. The state feels Mr. Boone is the primary defendant.”

Werner said the motive appears to be an apparent robbery.

Werner said a fire was set  after the victim, Nestor Salazar Moctexuma, 51, was killed.

Boone’s attorney, Jamal Summey, explained no witnesses have tied his client to being at the Airlie road trailer were Moctexuma was found murdered.

Summey alleged, however, Boone’s co-defendant, Shenna Kay Riley, was accepting money for sexual favors with the victim. “Witnesses say they saw (Shenna) Riley at the trailer.”

Summey told the court his client never left the area after the murder. “He was trying to figure a way out to surrender.”

Summey asked Hinton to lower Boone’s bond to $150,000. “With bond reduction he will live with his mother and I believe there is house arrest.”

Werner, however, called Boone “an extreme flight risk.”

He said it wasn’t that Boone was trying to figure out how to surrender, but the dragnet thrown around him which meant “he had no place to go.”

https://rrspin.com/roanoke-rapids-weldon-halifax-county-nc-news/item/15760-state-to-proceed-with-first-degree-murder-counts-in-farm-worker-death.html

On  Monday at approximately 10:18 p.m., Master Officer Gerald Morris responded to a residence about an unresponsive man barely breathing.

He noticed a syringe lying near the man. Morris administered Narcan, realizing the man had apparently overdosed.

The man woke up and refused further medical treatment.

Morris noticed a pack of cigarettes and inside the plastic wrapper was a folded piece of paper with a substance believed to be Fentanyl. He also noticed a spoon on the floor with residue in it. Once the man refused EMS and was cleared Morris placed him under arrest.

Christopher Russell, 33, of Roanoke Rapids, was charged with possession of schedule II and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Russell was released on a written promise to appear in court on January 26. He also has a February 7 court for a charge of obtaining property by false pretense.

Sergeant Mark Peck assisted.

On Tuesday at approximately 1:56 a.m., Sheet contacted the police department about a trespasser.

Morris arrived on scene and learned the man was wanted out of Southampton County, Virginia.

Morris arrested Junior Williams, 35, of Conway, on a fugitive warrant.

Williams was taken to the magistrate’s office and placed under a $20,000 bond.

Detective S.A. Bryant is investigating a case in which a man kicked in the door of a local business in the Highway 48 area of Roanoke Rapids around 7 a.m. on December 1.

Bryant said the man did not enter the store. He ran away when the alarm sounded.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Bryant at 252-593-1019 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

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Detective Matt Brown is investigating a case reported on September 21 in which the suspect obtained a Costco CitiBank credit card in Fairfax, Virginia, using the information of a victim in Halifax County.

Brown said the victim does not know the woman and it remains unclear how the suspect obtained the victim’s information.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Brown at 252-593-1002 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

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Dennis Bradley Jr., 20, was at the residence in the 700 block of Maple Street when shots were fired from a vehicle occupied by Raheem Scott and Khevon Weaver, Chief James Avens said.

Scott surrendered to Weldon police today at the urging of family members and was jailed on $500,000 secured bond. He awaits a January 3 court date.

Avens said Bradley is not a permanent resident of the house which was shot into. He does have ties to the Weldon and Roanoke Rapids areas.

He is wanted for three counts of attempted murder as well as shooting into an occupied dwelling and damage to property.

Avens said the shots Bradley reportedly fired struck a house and a vehicle which had nothing to do with the drive-by.

It was not immediately clear why Bradley is wanted on three attempted murder counts. Avens declined immediate comment.

The drive-by occurred shortly after 6 p.m. and none of the five people inside were injured, Avens said earlier today.

The case is not believed to be tied to one last Thursday in the 700 block of Elm Street in which a nearly 2-year-old child died. That case remains under investigation.

About 20 shots were fired in the Tuesday night shooting, where windows and doors were damaged, the chief said.

Police continue to look for Weaver, 20, who frequents the Weldon and Garysburg areas.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444 or the police department at 252-536-3136.

        .

On Wednesday at approximately 7:45 p.m., Agent C.A. Parker stopped a vehicle on Julian Allsbrook Highway which pulled into the parking area of a convenience store for a violation.

During the encounter with the occupants, Weldon Police Department Sergeant T.L. Mason and his dog Rio were requested.  

During the search of Saeed Mysean Smith, 17, of Halifax, a handgun and marijuana was seized.

Parker arrested and charged Smith for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of firearm by minor and possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce.

Smith received a January 17 court date.  

Agent D.J. Epperson assisted.

On Wednesday shortly after 2 p.m., agents executed a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of Elm Street in Weldon.  

Parker continued his investigation of recent drug complaints of occupants possibly selling drugs. The complaints included heavy traffic.  

This was the third drug search warrant served at this residence since April.

Parker seized a handgun, cocaine and marijuana during the search.

Parker arrested and charged Danny Gray, 36, of the residence, for felony possession of cocaine and maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for a controlled substance and Sontorya Artis, 23, of the residence, for felony possession of cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce.

Gray and Artis received January 17 court dates.

Officers of the Weldon Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and North Carolina State Highway Patrol assisted.

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Weldon police Chief James Avens said at a press conference Malcolm Lukei Artis, 22, fled to Georgia following the drive-by shooting last Thursday which ultimately claimed the life of Jaxson Ryder Clay, who would have turned 2 on December 23.

Avens said Artis’ connections to Georgia were not immediately known. The man, who goes by the street names Marco, Macco and Little Keith was arrested by special agents of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, the North Carolina SBI Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, the Atlanta Police Department, the Douglas County Georgia Sheriff’s Office and agents of the FBI’s Charlotte and Atlanta field offices.

He was arrested in Lithia Springs which is in northeastern Douglas County.

He faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling.

Artis’ record with the state Department of Public Safety includes an assault and battery charge and a simple affray charge which were consolidated for judgment in Halifax County in August of 2016. He received a suspended sentence with probation.

Avens told reporters and family members the boy “had just finished attending the town of Weldon Christmas parade and he was eating pizza while enjoying the company of his parents, baby sister and grandfather when he was fatally struck in the head.”

Said Avens: “Jaxson Ryder Clay and his family will not get a chance to celebrate his second birthday on December 23 or Christmas with his family. I ask that you keep his family in prayer.”

The boy’s funeral was at 1 p.m. today, Avens said. “I cannot imagine the grief they are feeling. Jaxson’s mother was contacted prior to the funeral and was informed an arrest was made. I hope that may bring some relief to the family.”

Avens would only say multiple shots were fired as the boy was moving from one part of the house in the 700 block of Elm Street to another. While he maintains the shooting was not random, he declined to go into details of motive during the briefing.

With Special Agent John Taylor of the SBI present, along with Weldon Lieutenant Chris Davis, Avens said, “This investigation took a lot of resources working together and I would like to thank the SBI, FBI, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Roanoke Rapids Police Department and all of the concerned citizens who provided information during this investigation.”

Avens said Weldon firefighters and Halifax County EMS tried to keep the boy alive. “I want to commend first responders for working tirelessly to save the child’s life and Halifax Regional for preparing the boy for transport.”

The boy died just before midnight. The shooting occurred a few minutes after 8:15 p.m.

Avens said whether others are arrested in the case is dependant on where the leads turn.

Remembrances of another toddler

This is the second time the police department has investigated the murder of a toddler, Avens said, and the thoughts of 2-year-old Dy’Unanna Anderson in 2014 were never far away during the Clay investigation. “Being a father, I sympathize with the family. It’s not an easy task to investigate the death of a child. There were long days and sleepless nights in bringing justice for Jaxson.”

Taylor, of the SBI, who also assisted Weldon in the Anderson murder, said, “It’s unfortunate when you lose any child. I think it was painful for all of us.”

If there was anything to gain from the Anderson murder, Taylor said, “I think it helped the people of the community submit information (in the Clay murder) and for that we’re thankful.”

Father and mother interview

Outside Weldon Town Hall, where the press conference was held, the boy’s mother, Brittany Labonte, said, “He was a happy little boy and we loved him very much.”

His father, Gene Clay Jr., said, “He was always smiling, always happy.”

Labonte said, “We could never have a bad day with him.”

Mr. Clay said the apprehension of Artis brings some relief to the family. “We let the police do their work and we hope he gets justice for it.”

Labonte said she and Mr. Clay were working on what to get their son for Christmas before the shooting. “He was still in a crib. Because he was real active I was going to get him a new Paw Patrol bed because he likes Paw Patrol.”

Mr. Clay was thankful for law enforcement which investigated the case. “They did a lot of work investigating and I’d like to thank them for justice for Jaxson. He deserves it.”

Said Labonte: “I appreciate everything they’ve done. They’ve done more than I could have thought. I didn’t think it would move this fast. We’re just happy for him.”

Mr. Clay said, “This holiday will never be the same. My birthday was December the 10th. Now the rest of my birthdays are going to be in remembrance of him, my birthday’s not going to be about me anymore, it will all be about him.”

Employee of the year and the special achievement awards are chosen by the county manager and deputy county manager from nominations made by county staff.  

The department head of the year award is chosen by the county manager and deputy county manager.  

The winners and the narratives are as follows

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Sheriff Wes Tripp — Department head of the year

This year’s department head of the year is extremely active internally in the county and externally in the community.  

Charged with serving and protecting life and property, this work has been evidenced by increased patrols throughout the 700-plus square mile county, often with fewer deputies than he would like to complete a full shift.  

Constantly challenged with a fluid workforce, he has had to be creative in ways to recruit and retain qualified staff.  

Part of that effort has included being a champion for not only departmental salaries, but salaries county-wide.  

He has been heavily involved with educating the public and himself on the opioid crisis, human trafficking, and ways to stay safe including providing security checks for both homes and businesses.   

Externally, this department head has been involved in so many different causes and projects, especially those that benefit our children that there’s no way to do them all justice except to list a few: Junior Deputy Summer Camp, the Seafood Festival, Touch a Truck, National Night Out, and most recently a 48-hour Deputy Toy Drive.  

His staff is dedicated to helping make these events successful and he is the biggest cheerleader  for these events.  All you have to do is follow him on Facebook where he has 5,000 friends that follow the work of his department and his support for all areas of the county.  

He is a local celebrity from Hobgood to Hollister.  

Denise Norman, Halifax County Public Health — Employee of the year

This year’s employee of the year was nominated by two separate departments.

This employee has that valuable ability to fill in and perform other duties when needed, in addition to effectively performing her own.  

She is able to work with other departments on projects and is comfortable interacting with anyone.  

This employee is an excellent communicator.  

She has a knack for communicating according to her target audience, which can vary from internal employees to external agencies.  

If there is any type of departmental or county-wide event, this employee is involved.  

She coordinates wellness activities to include walking challenges, Biggest Loser competitions, external fitness classes and employee appreciation events, including the one we are all enjoying today.  

She has a passion for helping others achieve their own goals, including motivating county employees to lose more than 400 pounds this year with her help and guidance.

She is the employee to thank for providing door prizes and healthy snacks at events and is generally known as the agency’s cheerleader.  

This employee is a true motivator and the enthusiasm she shares is contagious.  

Kim Wheeler, Operations — Special achievement award

This year’s special achievement award winner was nominated by every employee of the department.  

Over the 30 years this employee has been with Halifax County, she has become a pillar of her department and of this county.  

This employee has shown her willingness to take on anything that was asked and has been extremely flexible with her time and effort.  

This employee represents the department with United Way, blood drives and serves on the County’s Disaster Assessment Team.  

Finally, she adopted and takes care of our very own mascot, Mango the cat.  

She personally carried him to the vet for his shots, had him fixed and paid for it all herself.  We’re pretty sure she will miss him more than she will us.  

Now, with that said, she has been adamant about not having a retirement party and while we can honor that request, we want to recognize her for all her hard work.  

Shootings

On Thursday at approximately 5:30 p.m., Sergeant T. Tyler and Officer C. Hagbourne responded to the 200 block of Walter Avenue about a residence struck by gunfire.  

The victims told officers around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday they heard a loud bang outside the residence but didn’t think anything of it.

When the victims came home the next afternoon they noticed the damage.

On Thursday at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Vance Street about a residence struck by gunfire. Officers found the residence was struck at least three times.

The department received several calls about shots fired in the 900 blocks of Cedar and Henry streets.

No one was injured in either shootings and Hasty said they aren’t believed to be related. He said motive is unclear in both cases.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police department at 252-533-2810 or Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

Fight call leads to drug charge

On Thursday at approximately 2:45 p.m., Master Officer A. Salmon responded to the 300 block of Jefferson Street about a fight.

When on the way he spotted one of the people reportedly involved.  

Salmon found Kenji Garner, 35, of Roanoke Rapids, in possession of marijuana.

Garner was cited for possession of schedule VI and released until his January 18 court date.

The company contributed more than $2,000 to the Halifax Community College Headstart program to help families buy presents.

It all came about because of the compassion of an HCC student who wishes to remain anonymous, the college said.

The student was interning at the HCC Early Childhood Center when she overheard the director discussing the difficulties for some of the families in the center.

The director, Eunice Hill, was trying to determine how best to help the families.

The student, who also works at KapStone during the evening shift, wrote a letter to human resources for the corporation to explain the situation.

The next day Lisa Floyd, the director of human resources for KapStone, contacted the student to get more information.

She learned the ECC serves low income families with several currently homeless as the parents struggle to make ends meet.

The employees of KapStone demonstrated generosity and collected $1,211 to help the ECC families.

To show support, KapStone matched employee donations, raising the total amount given to $2,422.

“I have been deeply impressed with the high level of commitment and compassion expressed by KapStone and others in this community,” said HCC President Michael A. Elam. “KapStone's response to the situation provided to them by one of our students is admirable. This company is a wonderful asset to our community that continually demonstrates their genuine concern for our citizens.”

Said Elam: “The contribution from KapStone is just another example of the commitment to community that is apparent in the Roanoke Valley. At least two families will have a wonderful holiday in part because of the compassion of a student and the generosity of fellow residents.”

Officers found one person on the ground who had been shot multiple times, Chief Chuck Hasty said in a statement released this morning. He could not be immediately reached for comment as of this report.

The victim was transported to Halifax Regional by EMS and then transferred to a trauma center for further treatment.

Officers responded to the area around 11 p.m. to what Hasty described in the statement as a call about a party and shots fired.

Officers observed a large crowd running away and vehicles speeding away.

Currently there are no suspect descriptions or information on direction of travel.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Captain B. Martin at 252-533-2820, Investigator G. Williams at 252-533-2821 or Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

“We’re trying to determine what caused everything to happen,” Martin said this morning.

The male victim was shot numerous times in the torso, both Martin and Chief Chuck Hasty confirmed.

The shooting occurred outside the building in the 300 block of Eighth Street, which a private party not related to AMVETS had rented, Martin said.

It was not clear whether an argument inside the building may have led to the shooting outside. Both Martin and Hasty declined to discuss what type of weapon may have been used.

Officers responded to the area around 11 p.m. to what Hasty described in a statement as a call about a party and shots fired.

Officers observed a large crowd running away and vehicles speeding away.

Currently there are no suspect descriptions or information on direction of travel.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Martin at 252-533-2820, Investigator G. Williams at 25

There were between 70 to 80 volunteers for the program, including spouses, Distinguished Young Women of the Roanoke Valley and other law enforcement officers from neighboring agencies helping out.

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