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Criminal activity peaks in Kinston
Three incidents occurred within a three hour span Friday
It was a busy night for criminals in Kinston on Friday.
Members of the Kinston Department of Public Safety responded to an armed robbery call at the Subway Restaurant at 2405 N. Herritage St. around 9:45 p.m. Upon arrival, officers were told a black male entered the business armed with a handgun, wearing a clown mask and gloves.
The suspect instructed employees to empty the cash registers, before exiting through the back door with an undisclosed amount of money.
"We are still waiting on a final count to see how much money was stolen," Sgt. Craig Jarman of KDPS said. "We're following leads but there is no suspect at this time."
One hour later, the KDPS responded to a burglary in progress call at Tobacco Shops and Gifts at 719 N. Queen St. Upon arrival, officers found 51-year-old Willie Jerome President of Caswell Street on the roof of the business.
President jumped from the roof, ran to the Kinston Motor Lodge on 501 N. Herritage St. and climbed onto the roof, before being apprehended. According to the incident report, members of the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office also took part in the chase.
"An air vent had been removed from the roof of the Tobacco Shop and tools were found nearby," Jarman. "The store was closed at the time but there were employees inside."
President has been charged with felony first degree attempted murder and placed in the Lenoir County Jail under a $5,000 secured bond. President is originally from South Carolina, and it is not know how long he has lived in Kinston.
Forty-five minutes later, at 11:30 p.m., someone attempted to rob the Tienda Mexicana Garibaldi grocery store, according to a report from the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office.
The suspect was in possession of a gun and reportedly pointed it at store personnel. No cash or goods were stolen from the store, which is located at 1746 N.C. 11/55.
"We have a suspect but his whereabouts are unknown at this time," said Capt. James Oldenburg of the LCSO.
Oldenburg said no other details will be released until an arrest has been made.
You can reach Jon Dawson at (252) 559-1083 or jdawson@freedomenc.com. Check out Jon's blog at http://jdawson.encblogs.com.
