WINTON – The final two suspects wanted in connection with a Jan. 12 break-in of a residence on NC 461 East (Little California community) are now in custody.

Additional information gathered on that case also led the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office to solve a Dec. 31 residential break-in at 827 US 13 South where two handguns were stolen.

As first reported in the Jan. 14 edition of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, 17-year-old Tamahjea Raekwon Williams of Pleasant Plain Road, Ahoskie, stands charged with felony breaking and entering, and misdemeanor RDO (resist, delay, obstruct) in the Jan. 12 crime. His bond was set at $80,000 secured.

At that time, Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said that two others were sought in that case as three individuals were seen running into a wooded area near the LTD Club after a witness heard glass breaking at the residence. The Ahoskie Police sent their K-9 officer to the scene and Williams was arrested a short time later.

“We were unaware at that time of the connection the suspects of the Jan. 12 case had with the suspects involved with stealing the weapons from the other residence on Dec. 31,” said Vaughan.

HCSO Detectives Leon Eason and Dexter Hayes investigated the Dec. 31 crime. There, a minor child (age 12) was in the residence when two men entered through an unlocked door.

“The two suspects were in the home for only a short period of time and apparently did not know that the child was there,” Vaughan noted. “We later learned from the homeowner that two handguns were missing from the residence.”

The investigation led Eason and Hayes to develop information that Ephrain C. Nimphus, 19, of Hall Siding Road, Ahoskie, and 18-year-old Roman D. Hall of Ahoskie-Cofield Road were the duo that entered the home on Dec. 31 and stole the weapons.

“The victim of the Dec. 31 break-in told us that Mr. Nimphus had previously visited his home where he hung out with the victim’s son,” Vaughan stated. “The victim said once he learned that Mr. Nimphus had a few previous run-ins with the police, he told Mr. Nimphus that he was no longer welcomed in his home.”

Upon the arrest of Williams on Jan. 12, he told HCSO investigators that Nimphus and Hall had arrived at his home on Dec. 31 and had two handguns in their possession. Williams later gave an official statement to the HCSO officers, saying that Nimphus and Hall had entered the residence on US 13 on Dec. 31 and stole two handguns.

Eason and Hayes interviewed Nimphus on Jan. 13 regarding his association with Hall and if either was involved in the Dec. 31 break-in.

“Mr. Nimphus denied breaking into that residence, saying that a guy by the name of Tim was driving a pick up truck on Hall Siding Road and stopped and picked up him and Mr. Hall and drove them to Mr. Williams residence,” Vaughan said. “He came back a short time later and drove them to Cofield.”

Vaughan added that one day later (Jan. 14), Eason went to Hall’s residence to gather information, but the teen was not at home.

New information was obtained from the Ahoskie Police Department regarding another residential break-in that Williams had knowledge of. At that time, Terrance L. Twine Jr., 17, of Brinkley Road, Ahoskie, was developed as a suspect.

Vaughan said that HCSO Deputy Chase Oliver interviewed Twine at the Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 15 where he admitted accompanying Williams at the scene of the Jan. 12 residential break-in on NC 461 East.

“Mr. Twine also told us that Terrance Joyner drove he and Williams to the scene of the break-in,” Vaughan said.

Twine and Joyner were arrested on Jan. 20. Twine was charged with three felonies – breaking and entering, larceny, and conspiracy of breaking and entering. He was jailed under a $30,000 bond. Joyner was charged with felony breaking and entering and given a $3,000 bond.

Meanwhile, in the Dec. 31 case, Nimphus and Hall were arrested Jan. 14 and each charged with three felonies – breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm. Both were jailed under a $25,000 secured bond.

“This turned into a complicated case with one break-in having a connection with the other as far as the suspects were concerned,” Vaughan said. “I commend my officers for sorting through all the details of both cases and arrested those responsible.”