Crime

Elderly pair found dead in burned home; man charged with murder

Submitted by Kay Johnson on Monday, April 30th, 10:48 am

ALBEMARLE, NC (WBTV) - A 27-year-old man is facing murder charges after deputies say they found the bodies of an elderly couple inside of a burned mobile home.

Deputies were called to a home along the 41400 block of Smiley Road after emergency crews responded to the address on a fire call around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning.

A source told WBTV foul play is suspected and that it appears Ernest "Bud" Hopkins, 85 and Thelma Britt, 77 died before the fire was set.

According to deputies, the mobile home, with an attached room, was fully involved and was extinguished by responding fire departments.

The NC State Bureau of Investigation determined the fire to have been intentionally set and that the deaths of the Hopkins and Britt were not of natural causes.

Brandon Scott Coggins, 27, was charged with two counts of first degree murder and is being held without bond. He is scheduled to be in court on May 14th.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Near freezing temps return to area Wednesday night

Submitted by Nick Needham on Wednesday, April 11th, 11:06 am

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Chilly temperatures across the viewing area will lead to another night of covering plants for many of us.

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a Freeze Watch for the entire viewing area except for Lancaster County from late Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Highs will top out around 60 in the Charlotte region Wednesday but will drop down to the mid-30s overnight and into Thursday morning, according to the NWS.

The biggest threat will be to flowering plants and vegetation that is left exposed to the cold air.

Temperatures will also dip down into the 30s Thursday night as the Canadian cold front lingers before moving out over the weekend.

Weekend temperatures will heat up Saturday.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Do your homework before replacing windows in your home

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Friday, April 6th, 2012, 12:24pm

Do your homework before replacing windows in your home

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Spring is the high season for home improvement projects. One of the largest and most expensive home improvement projects is replacing the windows in your home.

View Comments | Post a Comment

“No Need 2 Speed” campaign underway in NC

Submitted by Chris Dyches

Monday, April 2nd, 2012, 12:08pm

RALEIGH –The Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Becky Wallace along with N.C. State Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Wellington Scott and Richmond County Sheriff James Clemmons, Jr. kicked off the “No Need 2 Speed” Campaign today at the Rockingham Speedway.

During the week-long campaign, which lasts today through Sunday, April 8, local and state law enforcement agencies will conduct stepped up patrols and enforcement to cite speeders and other traffic law violators on North Carolina’s highways.

“Speeding can be deadly,” said GHSP Director Becky Wallace. “In North Carolina last year, there were 428 speed-related fatalities and 412 of those fatalities were unbelted. Our partnerships with law enforcement to strictly enforce North Carolina speed limits are crucial to keeping our highways safe.”

View Comments | Post a Comment

Update: How accused church vandal was caught

Submitted by David Whisenant

Friday, March 30th, 2012, 6:11pm

Update: How accused church vandal was caught

SALISBURY - He is accused of spray painting vicious messages of hate, and ransacking churches and other properties in three counties.

The damage was so bad it caused church members to weep openly when they first saw the damage.

Now investigators say they have the man responsible for the rash of vandalism.

Bryan Matthew Balser, 21, of Albemarle, was arrested at a hotel in China Grove early on Friday morning. He is now in the Rowan County Detention Center, being held under $58,500 bond, facing charges of injuring buildings, injury to personal property, carrying a concealed gun, and breaking and entering.

Investigators say Balser was responsible for this vandalism at Organ Lutheran Church

View Comments | Post a Comment

More charges for accused sex offender after child porn found

Submitted by David Whisenant

Friday, March 30th, 2012, 11:04am

More charges for accused sex offender after child porn found

SALISBURY - A man who was charged with sex crimes earlier in March is now facing additional charges after investigators searched his computer.

Investigators with the Rowan Sheriff's Office say the computer belonging to Eugene Drebber, 43, of Gold Hill, contained images and videos of child pornography. Drebber now faces 9 new counts of second degree owning recordings of minors engaged in sexual activity.

Originally Drebber was charged on March 17 with first degree sexual offense with a minor and jailed under $750,000 bond. An additional $300,000 was added to that bond based on the new charges.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Four charged after deputies find meth lab in home

Submitted by Nick Needham on Friday, March 23rd, 10:21 am

ALBEMARLE, NC (WBTV) - Four people were arrested Wednesday in connection to a methamphetamine lab deputies discovered at a home.

Matthew Adam Tucker, 34, Amanda Lee Griffin, 22, and Jeremy Lee Edwards, 35, all of Locust, were all charged on various controlled substance violation charges, according to a news release from the Stanly County Sheriff's Office.

Jeremy Ryan Treece, 36, of Rockwell, was also charged in the case.

Deputies and several agents with the State Bureau of Investigation searched the residence at 24633 Ridgecrest Road where the saw numerous items of illegal drug paraphernalia and illegal substances, according to the release.

As a result of the search investigators seized a quantity of methamphetamine, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, and chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine.

View Comments | Post a Comment