Haywood woman arrested
on 13 new child-sex charges

WAYNESVILLE ó Haywood County investigators arrested a woman last Thursday on 13 sex-offense charges involving children younger than 16.

Police say Ermalynda G. Tarin, 32, of Arms Avenue in Waynesville encouraged six children to engage in sex acts with each other and with an adult.

She now faces eight counts of felony first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of indecent liberties with a child and felony child abuse by sexual acts, according to police reports.

The charges follow an initial arrest March 12, in which Tarin was charged with five separate sex offenses, including sexual exploitation of a minor and taking indecent liberties with a minor.

The abuses allegedly took place between Nov. 24 and Jan. 11, officials said.

According to warrants, the California native is accused of encouraging the children to perform live sex acts with each other and an adult during the same time frame.

Tarin was being held in lieu of a $150,000 bond.

City police investigating
shooting death of man

A man was shot to death last Friday morning during a private birthday party at an Asheville nightclub.

City police responded to two 911 calls about the shooting at the New Calypso II at 8 Sweeten Creek Rd. about 1:30 a.m.
The club was holding a private party with 250 to 300 people in attendence, according to police reports.

When they arrived, the officers found Jermaine Djon Thompson dead.

Police say he was shot following a physical altercation. According to witnesses, between five and six gunshots were fired inside the club.

Thompson, 24, was a native of New Jersey who had been living in Asheville for about eight months in Hillcrest Apartments. His killing was the third homicide in the city this year, though police say one of those might have been a case of self-defense.
The state Alcohol Law Enforcement is investigating whether the barís owner, Jean Pierre Tshimala, is able to manage the club, according to a spokesman for the Asheville Police Department.

Tshimala said the party began with only 20 people, a group he thought he could manage. However, by midnight more than 100 people had arrived. By law the club is only allowed to hold 99 people, according to the fire marshal.

Asheville Fire Marshal Wayne Hamilton said the club could be fined following the police investigation.

Though Tshimala reportedly used a metal detector at the door and prohibited people younger than 30 from entering, he said he could not manage the growing crowd on his own.

Officials are still investigating the death. Anyone with information is being asked to contact Crimestoppers at 255-5050.

Asheville High locked down
after reported gun sighting

Asheville High School went into a two-hour lockdown last Wednesday after a student reported seeing someone on a moped with a submachine gun.

Asheville police officers swarmed the school a little after 10:30 a.m., while students and teachers huddled in classrooms, hiding from view of anyone who might see them through windows.

However, no suspects or weapons were found and about 12:50 p.m., the lockdown was lifted and administrators decided to send students home rather than resume classes for the day.

According to a spokesman for the Asheville Police Department, the student who reported seeing a young man carrying an Uzi on a moped could not identify him because he was wearing a full-face black motorcycle helmet.

The student was walking between two buildings when he reportedly saw the individual. Administrators said the student did the right thing by reporting what he had seen.

Throughout the incident, school officials kept parents informed through the Connect Ed phone notification system.

Superintendent Robert Logan used the system first at 10:50 a.m. to warn parents that the campus was sealed and they should not try to pick up their children.

The system was used again at 1 p.m. to inform parents that the students were being sent home for the day.

Deputy, teacher arrested
on unrelated sex charges

Sheriffís deputies charged two people with having sex with students in unrelated incidents recently, including a Henderson County teacher and a Swain County school resource officer.

Julie Miller Culbertson, 38, was charged May 4 with felony sex offense with a student.

The former East Henderson High School health-occupation teacher is accused of having sex with a female student. She resigned her position the same day. A tip led to her arrest, according to a department spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Swain County deputy was charged May 7 with four felony counts of sex offense with a student.

Joseph Scott Smith, 24, of East Cullisia Road, is accused of having sex with one of the schoolís students between March 20 and April 1.

Officials say Smith had sex with an 18-year-old female in a motel in Cherokee, in a car on Sherill Gap Road in Bryson City and in the parking lot of a restaurant in Bryson City.

Under state law, any sexual contact between faculty and staff members of a school and their students is prohibited, regardless of age.

Officials say the victim told a friend, who told a teacher, prompting an investigation by law-enforcment agents.

Weaverville man charged
in beating, robbery of $5

A Weaverville man was arrested and charged with breaking into a West Asheville home, kidnapping and assaulting the resident and robbing him of $5, according to warrants.

James Graham Clubb, 24, was charged with first-degree burglary, unarmed robbery, assault inflicting serious injury and second-degree kidnapping. The incident occured on Johnston Boulevard.

Cubb, a resident of English Lane, was being held in lieu of a $6,000 bond.

Man, charged with assault
on officer, attempts escape

A man who was charged May 7 with assaulting a police officer now faces additional charges of attempting to escape from the Buncombe County jail, according to warrants.

Gregory Shaumon Rosenberg, 30, of Regan Lane was initially arrested during a license checkpoint at which he allegedly grabbed an officerís arm and attempted to drive off.

The attempted escape charges were added on May 8.

In addition to the assault and attempted escape charges, Rosenberg is accused of speeding 90 mph in a 35-mph zone, fleeing arrest in his car, hit and run causing property damage to two telephone poles, reckless driving and driving with a revoked license.

He was being held in lieu of a $9,000 bond.

In other police action on May 8:

ï Charles Kyle Dolson, 16, was arrested by Black Mountain police on charges of breaking and entering a home. Police say he stole a Playstation 3.

The Old U.S. 70 resident was being held in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

ï Vance William Keeter Jr., 17, was arrested by Black Mountain police on a breaking-and-entering and larceny charge for allegedly stealing a Playstation 3 from a home.

Keeter, a resident of Blue Ridge Assembly Drive, was being held in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

ï Brandon Lee Hensley, 20, was arrested by the Buncombe County Sheriffís office on a charge of auto theft and obtaining property by fraud.

Officials say the resident of Upper Herron Cove Road in Weaverville stole a car and then tried to sell it to a salvage yard.
Hensley was being held in lieu of a $4,000 bond.

ï Elizabeth Joyce Carmen, 40, was arrested by the Buncombe County Anti-Crime Task Force on four charges of obtaining prescription drugs by fraud. She was released without bond.

ï Michael James Meeks, 21, of Pisgah Highway in Candler was arrested by the N.C. Department of Motor vehicles on a charge of common-law forgery.

He was being held in lieu of a $2,000 bond.

ï Shayrone Renard Thompson, 20, was arrested by UNC Asheville campus police on charges of attempting to buy a car with a worthless check.

The Montford Avenue resident was released without bond.

ï Heather Johnson Woods, 20, of Lindsey Road in Candler was arrested by Asheville police on charges of hit and run causing injury, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a revoked license and failure to stop at a red light.
She was being held in lieu of a $1,000 bond.

ï Roberto Arreola Villa, 29, of North Ridge Drive was arrested by the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles on charges of obtaining a driverís license with a false birth certificate, obtaining a license by fraud and two counts of obtaining property by fraud.

Officials say he attempted to buy and sell two cars under false names.

Villa was released without bond.
County investigators raid

allegedly illegal video casino
CANDLER ó Investigators with the Buncombe County Sheriffís Department raided what they termed an illegal casino in Candler on May 7, seizing nine video poker machines.

The casino was located in the rear of a convenience store in a deserted strip mall on U.S. 19/23 near Clayton Homes.
The storeís owner, Dhansukhbhai Bhakta, 47, was arrested on felony gambling charges.

According to Sheriff Van Duncan, the casino was walled off from view and players had to know about the operation to gain access. A warning system was reportedly in place to alert players to be quiet in case someone entered the store.

The poker machines accepted bills ranging from $10 to $100 and paid off in cash, though investigators do not know how much money was paid out.

The raid was spurred by complaints from the public about the business, Duncan said.

North Carolina is currently phasing out video gambling machines in all businesses except Harrahís Cherokee Casino.
For now, all other businesses are allowed to operate one machine, but those will be banned effective July 1 when the full law goes into effect.†