Sheriff Ernie Coleman: Recent Home Invasions | Eastern NC Now

News Release:

    Beaufort County residents are very blessed in many ways. One way that we are blessed is that we have not had to endure the amount of violent crime that seems to be everywhere around us. We do have crime, every type of crime imaginable can occur here, however, this type of violent crime is rare in our county. On May 9th, 2016 and again on May 15th, 2016, home invasions were reported where suspects broke into residences in Beaufort County, tied the elderly victims up, and stole items from inside their residences. These heinous acts were responded to with professionalism, precision, and aggression by Patrol Deputies and Investigators from both our Criminal Investigations Division and Narcotics Investigation Division.

    My office worked around the clock, working through leads, however likely or unlikely they were to lead to an arrest. On Thursday, May 19th, 2016, suspects were identified and arrested for both home invasions. Items that were taken from our victims' residences were located in the possession of the suspects. Although this investigation is ongoing and more arrests may come in the near future, I am pleased to report this today.

    I would like to personally thank Steve Bizzell, Sheriff of Johnston County and Timothy Hayworth, Chief of Police of the Zebulon Police Department. The assistance of their respective agencies were invaluable. We could not have asked for better participation and coordination between our agencies.

       Sheriff Ernie Coleman

The Crime

    On May 19, 2016 Dominic Jay Robinson age 33 of Wendell, Willie Roy Garcia Rojas age 25 of Zebulon and Wenseslao Garcia Rojas Jr. age 26, also of Zebulon were charged with two counts each of First Degree Burglary, two counts each of Larceny After Breaking and Entering, two counts each of Safecracking, two counts each of First Degree Kidnapping, two counts each of Felonious Restraint and two counts each of Felony Conspiracy. The charges stem from the investigation of 2 separate, home invasion robberies of 3 elderly citizens in their homes on Highway 17N in Washington and Possum Hill Road in Bath. The robberies were reported to the Sheriff's Office on May 9, 2016 and May 15, 2016. The victims in both the robberies were asleep in their homes when the suspects entered the homes, tied the victims up, forced them to open their safes, taking guns, money, jewelry, and electronics from the victims.

    On the morning of May 19, 2016 the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigators received a tip from the Zebulon Police Department that the Rojas brothers had been seen in the area attempting to sell guns stolen during the robberies. The tip was detailed enough for Investigators to secure arrest warrants and a search warrant for the Rojas brother's home in Zebulon. Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Investigators enlisting help from the Johnston County Sheriff's Office immediately traveled to Zebulon and established surveillance on the home.

    Hours later both Willie and Wenseslao Rojas were arrested by the Johnston County Sheriff's Office and the Zebulon Police Department. After interviewing the

    suspects, Investigators developed probable cause to also charge Dominic Robinson with these Crimes.

    Beaufort County Investigators, assisted again by the Johnston County Sheriff's Office searched the Rojas brother's home on Hwy 39 in Zebulon and recovered items stolen from both victims and other physical evidence linking them to the robberies.

    Willy Rojas and Dominic Robinson were ordered held in Johnston County on a $1,000,000.00 secured bond, Wenseslao Rojas, who was arrested in Wake County and also charged by Zebulon Police with Cocaine Possession was ordered held in Wake County on a $2,000,000.00 secured bond.

    Investigators will be following up on more leads developed in this case in an attempt to locate more of the stolen property. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.

    Contact: Chief Deputy Charlie Rose

       Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office
       210 North Market St.  •  Washington NC 27889