ROCKINGHAM — One suspect has been charged and two others identified in a string of vehicle break-ins in the area.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, several communities have been affected, “causing inconvenience and distress to the residents.”
Investigators say the most recent crime spree started in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. Most of the targeted vehicles were reportedly unlocked. However, investigators say one truck “sustained damage due to forced entry."
The sheriff’s office says that the three suspects — 29-year-old Briana Paige Gomez and 22-year-old Zachias Cross, both of Rockingham, and 21-year-old Kenigel Noel Peterkin of Troy — were identified “(t)hanks to community interaction.”
Gomez was arrested Aug. 12 and served with warrants charging her in those crimes, as well as outstanding orders for arrest on previous charges.
Richmond County Jail records show Gomez is charged with: 17 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle; 13 counts of larceny after breaking and entering; four counts of larceny of a firearm; three counts of felony conspiracy; two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses; and one count of first-degree burglary.
She is being held on a combined $230,000 secured bond.
Investigators say Cross and Peterkin are “known to be armed and should be considered dangerous.” Residents are encouraged to exercise caution and not approach the suspects.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is encouraged to call 911 or provide anonymous information through the Richmond County Crime Stoppers P3 Tips app.
Investigators say more charges “will be forthcoming as this investigation moves forward to include crimes committed in the City of Rockingham.”
“Sheriff (Mark) Gulledge expresses his sincere gratitude to those citizens who have provided video surveillance of these suspects and for the assistance provided by the Rockingham Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, and the deputies and investigators of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office during this intense investigation,” reads a post on the RCSO Facebook page.
“He reiterates his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents in Richmond County. He requests that all citizens take the extra time to ensure that their property is locked and secured at all times.”
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
