ROCKINGHAM — A Moore County man is facing assault charges after allegedly shooting at his ex-girlfriend in late December.
Nikikta Domonique Core, 34, of Aberdeen, was waiting for his ex-girlfriend at a home on Ledbetter Road on Dec. 29, 2021, according to a press release issued Thursday by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
When she arrived home, the two allegedly got into an argument, which escalated and became physical, with Core taking the victim’s cellphone and two firearms she had inside the home, according to the sheriff’s office.
Core then allegedly got in his vehicle and began shooting back toward the victim. The sheriff’s office reports that a victim was grazed with a bullet on the foot and the house and multiple vehicles in the yard were struck by bullets. However, no serious injuries were reported.
Richmond County Jail records show Core was booked into the Richmond County Jail on Feb. 1 on a charge of trafficking in cocaine.
He was charged Feb. 3 with the following: assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; assault with a deadly weapon; two counts of assault by pointing a gun; two counts of larceny of a firearm; assault with a deadly weapon in the presence of a minor; discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Core is being held under a $250,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 10.
Online court records show Core had a court appearance scheduled Feb. 2 on a charge of common law obstruction of justice from 2016.
Core has twice been convicted on the misdemeanor charge of assault on a female, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
The first conviction was in Moore County in 2007. His probation was revoked two years later, landing him behind bars for three months. The second was in Richmond County in 2014.
The following year, Core was convicted in Moore County on two counts of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to sell or deliver a counterfeit controlled substance, and speeding to elude arrest with a motor vehicle.
State records show an interstate compact between North Carolina and Georgia regarding Core’s probation with a supervision term of four years, 11 months and 22 days. However, those records could not be found through an internet search.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
