Asheboro Courier Tribune - 03/30/2019

Copyright (c)2019 Gatehouse Media, Edition 03/30/2019April 4, 2019 11:43 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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The

Courier-Tribune

PG shuts outWheatmore

1B

7 358551 08051

Quick lookOne suspectcharged sofar in CarolinaGuns andGear break-inBy Jamie Biggsjbiggs@courier-tribune.com

@JamieBiggsCT

ASHEBORO — ARamseur man has beenarrested in connectionto a break-in and larcenythat oc-curred atCarolinaGuns andGear inAsheboroWednes-day night.

Accord-ing to Lt. Col. Mark Line-berry with the AsheboroPolice Department, offi-cers responded to Caroli-na Guns and Gear, 1223E. Dixie Drive, Asheboro,in reference to an alarmat the store going off alittle after 11 p.m.

Today’s prayerDear Lord, sometimes

I become so tired that Ican’t see the path Youhave chosen. Give me thestrength to become allyou would have me be.

Amen.

www.Courier-Tribune.com @Courier_Tribune

Saturday, March 30, 2019 aSheboro, N.c. $0.75

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Today’s IndexBusiness............................................ 5BClassifieds................................. 6-7BCommunity ...................................... 3aComiCs................................................4BoBituaries .......................................4aopinion .............................................. 5asports ......................................1-3, 8BWeather...........................................8a

2019 GateHouse Media

See GUNS, page 4A

Suspectwanted inJan. 11 burglaryarrestedBy Jamie Biggsjbiggs@courier-tribune.com

@JamieBiggsCT

RAMSEUR — A manwanted in connection toa January burglary waslocated and arrestedFriday.

According to a pressrelease, the RandolphCounty Sheriff’s Officereceiveda tip thatthe sus-pect, Eu-gene CleveStaley Jr.,29, nopermanentaddress,was sighted on TateStreet in Ramseur.

See SUSPECT, page 7A

Staley

Reed

By Jamie Biggsjbiggs@courier-tribune.com

@JamieBiggsCT

ASHEBORO — A 19-year-old was stabbed when an al-leged fight broke out outsideof an Asheboro apartmentearly Friday morning.

According to Lt. Col.Mark Lineberry with theAsheboro Police Depart-ment, officers responded to afight in progress call at 208Northwood Drive, Apt. A,Asheboro, around 12:40 a.m.

The fight reportedly brokeout between a group thatwere inside the apartmentand a second group that

drove to the apartment.Approximately a dozen peo-

ple between the ages of 16 and20 were involved in the fight.

A male, 19, was trans-

ported to Moses Cone Me-morial Hospital with astab wound to the back.

Lineberry stated thathis condition was not con-

sidered life-threatening.No one has been charged

in connection to the incident,but the Criminal Investiga-tion Division is investigating.

Man stabbedin back duringfight involvingdozen people

By Jamie Biggsjbiggs@courier-tribune.com

@JamieBiggsCT

ASHEBORO — TheRandolph County Sher-iff ’s Office is treatingevery overdose deathit encounters as a ho-micide, Sheriff GregSeabolt said Friday.

His comments camea day after TemorrisMandrette Davis, 44,of 252 Brower Road,Robbins, was chargedwith second degreemurder in connectionto the overdose death

of Tember L. White.An autopsy con-

firmed that White’scause of death was anoverdose on heroin andmethamphetamine.

Davis is accusedof distributing thedrugs to White thatled to her overdose.

“This drug problemwe have is like you’rehanding someone aloaded gun,” Seaboltsaid in an interviewFriday morning.

He said that Gen-eral Statute 14-17(b)2allows drug distribu-

tors to be charged inoverdose deaths:

“The murder is onethat was proximatelycaused by the unlaw-ful distribution of anyopium, opiate, or opioid;any synthetic or naturalsalt, compound, deriva-tive, or preparation ofopium, or opiate, oropioid; cocaine or othersubstance described inG.S. 90-90(1)d,; meth-amphetamine; or adepressant described inG.S. 90-92(a)(1), and

Seabolt: Murder chargesfor dealers in OD deaths

Scott Pelkey / The Courier-Tribune

STABBING — A 19-year-old was taken to the hospital with a stab wound to the back after a fight broke out earlyFriday morning.

Scott Pelkey / The Courier-Tribune

NEW STRATEGY — Randolph County Sheriff Greg Seabolthopes the department’s new policy sends a message todrug dealers. See SEABOLT, page 7A

Editor’s note: The Courier-Tribune’spopular “Trailblazer” feature showcasesthe positive things young people aredoing. If you know someone who fitsthat description, email name, phonenumber/email address and a briefdescription of accomplishments toajordan@courier-tribune.com.

By Terrence Jefferiestjefferies@courier-tribune.com

TRINITY — Elijah Pinkstonis a senior at WheatmoreHigh School who has aspira-tions of becoming a mechani-cal engineer and dreams toone day own his own carmanufacturing company.

“Ever since I was little, I’vealways been into cars, andI want to be one of the firstto make another (car) com-

pany, not just in general but(also) in the African Americancommunity,” said Pinkston,who plans to attend eitherN.C. A&T State Universityor the University of NorthCarolina-Charlotte to majorin mechanical engineering.

“I would love to one day beable to say I am a proud Afri-can American who owns hisown car company,” he said.

The 17-year-old wants

to manufactures bothgas-powered vehicles andelectric-powered vehicles.

“Electric cars … theyhelp the community out andcut down on pollution. …I just want to be a help tothe community,” he said.

“It seems like (electriccars), that is what the fu-ture is leaning towards.”

His dream was bornfrom his childhood.

“I always went to carshows with my Dad when Iwas little and always usedto play with ‘Hot Wheels’as a child,” he said.

He attends car shows to thisday, such as “Cars and Coffee,”a local organization in Greens-boro that hosts car shows forcar enthusiasts and any oth-ers interested in attending.

WHS senioraspires to ownhis own carmanufacturingcompany

See TRAILBLAZER, page 7A

Trailblazer“Youth leading the way to

thefuture”

Terrence Jefferies / The Courier-Tribune

HEART OF GOLD — Elijah Pinkston, a senior at Wheatmore High School, works a part-time job, mentorsstudents at John Lawrence Elementary, volunteers at his local church and assists his peers in need.‘Me being a Christian, I know that is something God would want me to do is to help others succeed.’

Asheboro Courier Tribune - 03/30/2019

Copyright (c)2019 Gatehouse Media, Edition 03/30/2019April 4, 2019 11:44 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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SuspectFrom page 1A

Deputies from thewarrants divisionarrived and searchedthe area, but didn’tlocate Staley.

Further investigationled to the deputieslocating Staley onHunting Wood Road.

He was taken intocustody withoutincident and servedwith outstandingwarrants for two countsof felony possessionof stolen goods, felonysecond degree burglary,two counts of felonylarceny after breakingand entering ,and injuryto real property.

Staley is being heldat the Randolph CountyJail under a $135,000secured bond.

The arrest stemmedfrom a burglary in theLog Cabin Road area ofRamseur on Jan. 11.

A homeowner statedthat he returned homeand saw Staley come

out from behind theresidence.

Staley reportedlysaid that he needed toretrieve some of hisbelongings.

After Staley left, the

homeowner enteredthe residence and sawthat the back windowwas broken in and alsofound that several itemswere missing from theresidence.

SeaboltFrom page 1A

the ingestion of suchsubstance caused thedeath of the user.”

“You get a supplierwho gets a person theycontinue to sell to— that’s a very lucra-tive business for thatdealer,” Seabolt said.“He’s not worried aboutanything other thangetting that money.”

Other counties havemade similar chargesagainst dealers, butaccording to Seabolt,this is the first in-stance he knows ofa drug dealer beingcharged in connectionto an overdose deathin Randolph County.

Criminal Investiga-tions Capt. Chris Man-ess said it takes a greatdeal of time, work anddifferent pieces of thepuzzle aligning to beable to charge a suspect-ed dealer like they did.

“You have to haveso many componentscome together,” Ma-ness said. “It’s notsomething that’s easyto put together.”

In conjuction withevidence gatheredat the scene of theoverdose, witness in-terviews play a rolein making a charge.However, Maness saidthat it can be difficultto get witnesses to co-operate in situationsthat involve criminalactivity, like drug use.

They’re afraid they

may also be charged,Maness explained,despite there beinglaws in place thatprotect witnesses.

“It takes a lot of fol-low up,” he said, addingthat the sheriff ’s of-fice has been workingon this case since theoverdose took placein August, 2018.

The sheriff ’s officehas also been work-ing directly with theRandolph County Dis-trict Attorney’s office.

Seabolt said thathe went to District At-torney Andy Gregsonand asked if the DA’soffice would be will-ing to take these casesto trial should theystart charging dealersin overdose deaths.

“He said ‘by allmeans,’ ” Seaboltsaid. “So we workedin cooperation withhim on this case.”

Seabolt believesthat if they can makethe charge, they’llbe able to make theconviction as well.

“I think (the charge)sends a message thatwe’re taking it very se-riously,” Maness said.“We’re not just shrug-ging our shoulders andsaying ‘we’re not goingto work that becauseit’s too difficult.’ ”

They hope chargingthe dealers will makethem think twice beforeselling, and maybe helpsave a life in the process.

According to the sher-iff, their goal is to con-tinue fighting the opioidepidemic from everyangle going forward.

“We want to set aprecedent,” Seaboltsaid. “We’re hitting itfrom drug interdictionwith cars out on theinterstate. We’ve gotVice Narcotics doingsurveillance, doing buys,working inside. We haveour detectives workingcriminal investigations.

“We’re going to con-tinue working hardto reduce the numberof deaths due to thedrug problem here inRandolph County.”

The Courier-Tribune

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TrailblazerFrom page 1A

Elijah is involved in anumber of extra-curricularactivities, including beinga member of Wheatmore’sSkillsUSA Club and theAudio/Visuals Club. Healso mentors students atJohn Lawrence Elemen-tary School in Archdale.

“I think it’s a good experi-ence for everyone,” he said.

Pinkston said he hastaught kindergarten andthird grade students atJohn Lawrence lessons invarious subjects, such asmath, science and reading.

“For the science lesson,(once) we watched a videoabout slime and got the stu-dents to answer questionsabout what form of matterthey believe slime is,” he said.

He also assists hispeers at Wheatmore withtheir classwork if he eversees them struggling.

“I try to get involvedas much as I can, by help-ing out,” he said.

“I do all I can to help out,if someone doesn’t under-stand something … I do all Ican to help them,” he said.

“We have all been in aposition when learning some-

thing, where we’ve faced diffi-culty, and helping others oth-ers out is such a good feeling.”

Elijah also holds a part-time job as a groundskeeperat Holly Ridge Golf Coursein Archdale, and he volun-teers at his local church,Brown New Calvary BaptistChurch in Thomasville.

“I volunteer at the healthfair we have every year …if someone cannot afforddental care or needs to gettheir blood pressure taken,they are able to come outto our annual health fairfor assistance,” he said.

“It is just a way that wecan help out and can giveback to our local commu-nity. Me being a Christian,I know that is somethingGod would want me to dois to help others succeed.”

With such a heart forserving others, one could

say it comes as no surprisethat Elijah was selected andhonored as STAR Studentof the month for WheatmoreHigh School at the RandolphCounty School System Boardof Education Meeting thismonth. One could coin hislevel of ambition and de-sire to serve as admirable.

Elijah also enjoys par-ticipating in sports andenjoys being outdoors.

“I love playing basket-ball, I like riding my bike,I love going to the YMCAand I love hanging outwith my family,” he said.

“I love exploring and I lovethe outdoors, I am a really

‘outdoorsy’ kind of person.”Elijah cited wanting to

make his parents proud asthe driving force of whatmakes him want to help oth-ers. An only child, his fatheris Juan Pinkston and hismother and stepfather areValerie and Perez McClary.

Contributed photo

BIG DREAMS — Elijah Pinkston aspires to one day own his own car manufacturing company. His love forcars stems from his childhood. ‘I always went to car shows with my Dad when I was little and always used toplay with ‘Hot Wheels’ as a child.’

■ He loves cars.■ He loves exploring and

going to new places.■ He is a big fan ofunique architecture.

■ He really appreciates art.■ He enjoys musicand enjoys dancing.

Five little knownfacts about Elijah

Mark PriceThe Charlotte Observer (TNS)

CHARLOTTE — A group of meninvolved in a shootout just northof uptown are believed to have ac-cidentally shot and killed a passingmotorist during rush hour Thursday,Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say.

The victim was identifiedas 27-year-old Kendal Ryan Crank,who died at the scene in her car,police said.

Investigators say it happenedaround 5:15 p.m. in the 2400 blockof 28th Street, just east of NorthTryon Street.

“Witnesses have reported thatseveral male subjects were shootingat each other near the intersectionat the time,” the release said.“It appears that the victim wasnot the intended target.“

The shooters fled the area afterthe victim’s car crashed, and theyremain unidentified by police.

Investigators are looking into thepossibility that a man who showedup at a nearby hospital with anon-life-threatening gunshot woundmay have been involved. The man“walked into CMC-Main Hospital”at 5:40 p.m. with a gunshot woundto his arm, police said.

His identity has not been released.

Men in rush-hour shootout accidentallykill passing female driver, 27