MPD nabs suspect

By Calvin Bryant (Contact) | Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

Originally published 05:24 p.m., December 15, 2009
Updated 07:52 p.m., December 15, 2009

MURFREESBORO – A person of interest in connection with an attempted bank robbery in Newsoms, Va. is being questioned at this time at the Murfreesboro Police Department.

MPD Chief Darrell Rowe told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald that at 6 p.m. his officers arrested a male subject who fled after an attempted traffic stop of a vehicle suspected of being involved in the Newsoms case.

The name of the person being questioned was not released. Neither were the names of three other individuals in the suspect vehicle.

As of 7 p.m., members of the Southampton County (Va.) Sheriff’s Office were interviewing the person of interest.

“We were alerted this morning (Tuesday) to the attempted bank robbery in Newsoms,” Chief Rowe said.

That alert was broadcast throughout northeastern North Carolina due to Newsoms close proximity to the state line.

Rowe said a Woodland Police Officer saw a vehicle matching the description of the one noted leaving the scene of the attempted bank robbery.

“That officer followed the suspect vehicle north on US 258 towards Murfreesboro and alerted us that the vehicle was headed our way,” Rowe said.

Murfreesboro Police stationed five squad cars along a stretch of US 258 just outside the town limits.

“As the suspect vehicle passed by our cars, the Woodland PD car activated its blue lights in an effort to stop the vehicle,” Rowe said. “At that point, the suspect vehicle sped off and then stopped at a place of business right on the county line where one person exited the vehicle and ran into the woods.”

The other three occupants of the vehicle remained in the car. They were also arrested.

Other MPD officers along with the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, Rich Square Police Department, Chowan University Police and Hertford County Probation and Parole assisted in the search for the suspect who fled. He was apprehended in the woods a short time later by MPD Lt. Joe Burgess and MPD Sgt. Joe Crisp.

Meanwhile, officers seized 114 grams of marijuana found in the suspect vehicle. No immediate charges were filed on that discovery. Rowe did say those drug charges will be filed in Northampton County.

While Rowe did not know the identity of those being questioned, it is believed that the suspect who attempted to flee was wanted under a $400,000 cash bond in Northampton County for failure to appear in court.

According to the Tidewater News in Franklin, Va., at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a person dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask tried to gain entry into the BB&T branch at 22334 General Thomas Highway, Newsoms. The would-be robber, who carried a black bag and displayed an undetermined weapon, was denied entry to the bank and was seen running down Main Street toward the railroad tracks.

Witnesses then spotted the person getting into a dirty blue sedan with no tags, possibly a Chevy Cavalier, which was seen heading south on Main Street.

The same bank was the scene of another attempted bank robbery on Dec. 2. In that case, 32-year-old Richard Eugene Boyce III of Chesapeake was denied entry into the bank and led authorities on a high-speed chase before he eventually pulled over and was arrested on Route 58 near the Route 258 interchange.

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---