Update: Ward and Ayers linked to More Motor Vehicle Break-ins | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    During the early morning hours of February 7, 2017 William Tyler Ward, age 22 and Tyler Andrew Ayers, age 24, both of Chocowinity, were both arrested by the Washington Police Department and charged with multiple counts of Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle and Larceny of personal property including Firearms. The two were caught in recent possession of stolen property after the Police Department received a report of a car break-in from a residential neighborhood. They were also found in possession of stolen property from the recent break in of a business just outside the Washington City Limits.

    Between September of 2016 and January of 2017 the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office received more than 25 reports of car break-ins from citizens in the Whichard's Beach area of Beaufort County. Knowing that both Ward and Ayers were suspects in those break-ins, Officers notified the Sheriff's Office of the arrests. With similar crimes being reported in Pitt County both the Pitt County Sheriff's Office and the Greenville Police Department joined the investigation.

    During a search of the homes and vehicles of both Ward and Ayers, conducted by all four agencies, Investigators located stolen property from the Whichard's Beach road break-ins. After conducting interviews with both men, Beaufort County Sheriff's Investigator's charged William Tyler Ward with 41 felonies and 15 misdemeanors. Ayers was charged with 48 felonies and 15 misdemeanors. The charges include Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle, Larceny, including Larceny of Firearms, Breaking and Entering a Building and Safecracking and Injury to Personal Property, Both were taken before a Magistrate and ordered held on a combined secured bond of $160,000.00 for all the charges. Ayers also faces similar charges in Pitt County.


    After further investigation into this rash of motor vehicle break-ins in Beaufort County. Both William Tyler Ward, and Tyler Andrew Ayers now face four more counts of Felony Breaking & Entering a Motor Vehicle and four more counts of Misdemeanor Larceny. Three of the charges stem from break-ins in that occurred in the Pamlico Village neighborhood just east of Washington. The fourth stems from a late report of a motor vehicle break-in off of Whichard's Beach Road. Ward who is still in the Beaufort County Detention Center had an additional $15,000.00 added to his bond. Ayers who is currently being held in Pitt County has not been served with the new charges.

• Chief Deputy Charlie Rose
•     Beaufort County Sheriff's Office