Three individuals were arrested in Beaufort County, North Carolina, on Friday after being implicated in a breaking and entering incident at a residence in Pinetown.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputies responded around 4 a.m. to a call at the Family Dollar/Dollar Tree on North Boyd Rd., where a vehicle linked to the crime had been located. Investigators discovered that two of the suspects had traveled on foot between the victim’s home and the store. Snow-covered footprints helped law enforcement track the suspects’ movements. A third suspect was found inside the vehicle and arrested shortly after.
A search in the nearby wooded area ensued, but the first two suspects were not immediately located. Items believed to be stolen were recovered during the search. However, by 11:29 a.m., authorities were alerted to the suspects’ presence in the woods near Jefferson Rd. and North Boyd Rd. in Pinetown. After setting up a perimeter, deputies successfully located the two individuals and took them into custody. Additional stolen items were discovered with them.
The following individuals were arrested and charged:
Angel Hope-Nicole Bass, 27, of Bladenboro, NC: Charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering, and failure to appear for a probation violation. Bass is held on a $27,500 secured bond.
Joshua Dean Johnson, 26, of Bladenboro, NC: Charged with felony breaking and entering and two counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering. Johnson’s bond is set at $2,500.
John Wayne Cooper Jr, 25, of Elizabethtown, NC: Charged with felony accessory after the fact. Cooper’s bond is also set at $2,500.
These arrests come after a coordinated effort by local law enforcement to investigate the break-in and locate the suspects involved.
