Eight charged with stealing vehicle, waving gun at a driver

Three women and five men are behind bars today after being charged with stealing an Explorer, fleeing with it, and brandishing a firearm from it.

Craven County sheriff's Capt. M.L. Taylor said the car was taken from a yard on River Road in northern Craven County.

 "The owner of the vehicle went in the house for a few minutes and when he came out the vehicle was gone," Taylor said.

The man had left the keys in the ignition.

Taylor said that after the thieves took the vehicle they drove north on U.S. 17 to Beaufort County.

While on U.S. 17, with all eight of them in the SUV, one of them pointed a handgun at a woman in another car, according to Taylor.

"That got things in motion. They would probably still be driving around if they hadn't pointed a gun at a motorist," Taylor said.

After the gun was pointed at the woman, an alert was sent out by lawmen to find and stop the SUV.

The eight were found in Beaufort County near Whichard's Beach by Beaufort County lawmen.

Craven County issued charges of larceny of a motor vehicle and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office charged them with possession of stolen property and carrying a concealed weapon. The weapon was confiscated.

Taylor identified the eight as:

Christina Louise Dillard, 25; Sasha Jasmine Alexandre, 18, Tahri Jaquan Rountree, 17, Brya Lashawn Lee, 17, Deshon Baryon Ward, 18, Jontez Edward Arthur, 18, Marcus Kaplin Peterson, 17, and Jeffery Wayne Whitley Jr., 19, all of Vanceboro.

They are in the Craven County jail with bail set for all of them at $55,000.