Trio charged in assault, robbery

Published 10:38 am Monday, July 9, 2012

MILLENNIUM – Three individuals who allegedly beat, robbed and attempted to run over a man with a pick up truck here early Tuesday morning are now under arrest.

Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said that 26-year-old Michael Lee Kiser II of Vaughan’s Creek Road, Pendleton, Christopher Neal Britt II, 25, of NC 35, Conway, and Casey Marie Vann, 29, of St. John-Millennium Road face assault and robbery charges in his county.

Kiser and Britt were each charged with robbery with dangerous weapon, and assault inflicting serious injury. Both men were placed under a $30,000 secured bond.

Vann was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Her bond was set at $30,500 secured.

Meanwhile, the same threesome face narcotics charges in Northampton County.

According to Vaughan, the victim, Ernest Lee Lane, was outside his Millennium home at around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. There, he was approached and knocked to the ground by two males. Vaughan said Lane ran to a neighbor’s home, knocking on their door in an effort to ask them to call 9-1-1.

“(Lane) hid in the yard and then heard a vehicle pulling into the driveway,” Vaughan said. “He assumed it was law enforcement arriving, but instead it was a pick-up truck, red in color.”

At that time, the driver of the truck, later determined to be Vann, allegedly attempted to run over Lane.

“At that point the two males again approached Mr. Lane, who fled into a nearby woods,” Vaughan said. “The two males followed and caught up with him, striking the victim several times. One of the males put a pistol to his head and stated, ‘the easy way or the hard way.’ Mr. Lane told the suspects that the money he had was in his left front pocket and the suspects stole $900 in cash and left the area.”

Upon the arrival of Hertford County Sheriff’s deputies, Lane told them that he knew the identity of his two male attackers.

“At that point we put out a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the suspects and the type of vehicle they were last seen fleeing the scene,” Vaughan said. “Northampton County Sheriff’s deputies located that vehicle a short time later in the parking lot of a motel located at NC 46 and I-95 where the three suspects were taken into custody.”

Vaughan said he was informed by Northampton Sheriff’s deputies that narcotics were found on the suspects upon their arrest at the motel. The News-Herald attempted twice on Friday to obtain that information from the Northampton Sheriff’s Office; however, those phone calls were not returned by presstime Friday night.

The trio made their first appearance on Friday in Hertford County District Court. Vaughan said the three were transported from Jackson to Winton for that court appearance and were returned to the Northampton Jail where they are waiting to answer to the possible drug charges there.

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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