Eric Jevone Bennett, 30, of 155 Emerly Lane, Clinton, is the third person to be charged in the July incident, during which shots were fired at a resident who arrived home to find a strange vehicle, parked in his garage and being loaded with his belongings.
Bennett has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, three counts of discharging a weapon into occupied property, possession of a firearm by a felon, breaking and entering, felonious larceny and possession of stolen goods.
The warrants were initially taken out on July 11 but were not served until Monday because Bennett was being held in Cumberland County. Cumberland sheriff’s deputies handed Bennett over to Sampson authorities this week so he could be brought up on the charges, Sampson Sheriff’s Capt. Julian Carr said.
Bennett has already received charges of breaking and entering, felonious larceny and possession of stolen goods in a separate investigation in Cumberland County. However, Cumberland and Sampson sheriff’s authorities pointed to Bennett’s involvement in crimes in both counties.
The charges in Sampson stem from Bennett’s role in a break-in at Michael Oliver’s Bonnetsville Road home in the Salemburg area July 8, authorities said.
On that day, Oliver returned home to find a white truck in his garage with three occupants inside. As the garage door opened, the vehicle backed out and the occupants began firing shots at the homeowner. Oliver returned fire, striking the truck.
No injuries were reported and sheriff’s authorities began to search for the suspect vehicle.
Crystal Gail Bunnells, 25, and Rick Lee Richards, 27, both of Fayetteville, were both charged in the Bonnetsville Road incident soon thereafter. Carr said those cases are still pending. Similar to Bennett, the two also are facing charges out of Cumberland.
Cumberland sheriff’s detectives have said they believe that on the same day of the Bonnetsville break-in, the three suspects stole property from at least two homes off N.C. 210 South, Spring Lake, in Cumberland County. Firearms, jewelry and electronics were taken from the victims, who were not home when the suspects forced their way inside, authorities said.
Bennett was taken into custody in Cumberland County when he allegedly carjacked a vehicle and led law enforcement officers on a chase that would end with his apprehension. And his suspect status has not been limited to crimes in Sampson and Cumberland.
Sheriff’s authorities in Duplin County have previously labeled Bennett as a person of interest in connection with a vehicle pursuit that extended through Duplin and Sampson in June.
That chase stemmed from a break-in at a home on N.C. 41 South, in the Rockfish community of Duplin. As with the Bonnetsville Road incident, the homeowner came home to find a suspicious van parked at his residence. The homeowner chased after the van and law enforcement took over the pursuit, later discovering the vehicle loaded with stolen firearms, money and assorted jewelry after the suspect fled from it near Bill Town Road in Sampson.
There have been no charges brought in that case.
Bennett has been placed under $500,000 secured bond.
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