Bath Residents Use Trail Cameras to Identify Burglars | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

    After three Beaufort County citizens decided to use "trail cameras" to protect their property the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office made 2 separate arrests and closed 5 separate Breaking and Entering and or Larceny cases.

    The security measures began when one man who owns property on Jackson Swamp Road in Bath suspected someone was trespassing on his property. After seeing obvious tire tracks, he installed a "trail camera" and captured images of the suspect and his green truck. The victim who was using the property to store trailers and supplies to refurbish those trailers discovered some of his supplies had been stolen, including batteries, aluminum plates, shelves and aluminum sheets. On August 2, 2018 he reported the theft to the Sheriff's Office and provided the images captured by his camera.

    On August 4, 2018 a 2nd property owner on the Creek Road in Bath reported a battery stolen from his tractor as well as scrap metal taken from his property. He too had installed a "trail camera", and captured images of the same truck and suspect and provided those images to the Sheriff's Office. Both victims were able to identify the suspect by asking others in the community and or posting the images on social media.


    On August 7, 2018 Beaufort County Investigators charged Linwood Harold Harrington, age 36 of Washington with 7 counts of Felony Breaking and Entering, 9 counts of Felony Larceny and 1 count of Misdemeanor Damage to Property. Harrington was arrested the same day and ordered held on a $45,000.00 secured bond. Harrington was also tied to the larceny of a peanut trailer on Creek Road in Bath and another Breaking & Entering and Larceny on Camp Leach Rd.

    Ironically on August 6, 2018 a 3rd property owner in the Blount's Creek area reported a Breaking, Entering and Larceny from his shop on Durham Creek Lane. After being victimized 3 weeks prior, this victim also installed a "trail camera" on his property which captured clear pictures of the suspect coming out of his shop with stolen merchandise in hand.

    On August 9, 2018 after serving a search warrant in Edward and recovering some of the stolen property Investigators charged Johnnie Swindell Baker III, age 42 of Edward, with one count each of Felony Breaking and Entering and Felony Larceny. Baker was ordered held on a $15,000.00 secured bond.

• Sheriff Ernie Coleman
•     Beaufort County Sheriff's Office