Alleged member of Wilson larceny gang strikes in Greene County

WALSTONBURG — A member of an upstart gang out of Wilson — formed last summer to steal high-priced electronics, firearms and jewelry from Hispanic families — has allegedly gone solo, expanding his reach into Greene County.

Luis Jose Mendoza, 17, was taken into custody Thursday around 12:30 p.m. at his 301 Harper St. home in Wilson as the latest member of the “Wide Awake Boys” gang to be arrested for felony theft.

Mendoza was charged with a single count of breaking and entering, larceny and larceny of a firearm for allegedly stealing two rifles and a flat-screen television from an Appie Road home in the Greene County area of Walstonburg, said Detective Matt Sasser of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.

While Sasser said Mendoza acted alone in the Walstonburg theft, charges may be pending against Mendoza in Wilson County where he is believed to have been part of a four-man home burglary crew that stole $30,000 worth of property from as many as seven households, said Detective W. Mayo of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

 On Monday, the group’s leader — 23-year-old David Bautista of Wilson — was arraigned in Wilson County District Court on six felony counts of breaking and entering and five felony counts of larceny, court records show.

Also charged in the theft ring include Calixto Rodriguez Jr., 17, and Eustacio Vences, Jr., 18, both of Wilson.

Rodriguez has been charged with three felony counts each of breaking and entering and larceny, while Vences faces a single felony count of obtaining property under false pretenses.

Mendoza has his first appearance in Greene County District Court scheduled for Friday. Rodriguez and Vences have their next hearing in the case scheduled for May 14. While Mendoza, Rodriguez and Vences have traffic violation and drug charges currently pending in Wilson County, none of the four have any prior convictions, according to court records.

Mayo, who worked to submit a final investigative report in the case on Monday, said the Wide Awake Boys first came into existence in July.

Bautista, Rodriguez and Mendoza allegedly committed the thefts and passed along the loot — which Mayo said largely consisted of jewelry, clothing, rifles and high-end electronics taken from Hispanic households in eastern Wilson County — to Vences, who sold the items for cash at a pawn shop in Wilson.

That’s where Mayo found the television stolen from the home in Walstonburg, he said.

Upon questioning Mendoza, Mayo said Mendoza confessed to the crime and provided information on the Wide Awake Boys’ operation.

Mayo said he has yet to recover the rifles taken from Appie Road in Walstonburg, but he said, as each day passes, he learns more about the group.

“I definitely anticipate more charges,” he said.

Wesley Brown can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wbrown@freedomenc.com. Follow him on Twitter @KinstonCrimeSpy.