9 people arrested at party
advertised on Web posting

State Alcohol Law Enforcement agents charged nine people last Sunday on alcohol and drug charges at a party that was advertised on MySpace.com as offering all you could drink for $5.

When the agents raided the party at 161 Edgewood Road, Apt. 2, in Asheville, they reported finding several underage people drinking and a pinata stuffed with sex toys and condoms.

Residents Sheridan Lee Anthony Lanning, 24, and Kellie Louise Pace, 20, were charged with sale of alcohol without a permit, officials said.

Furthermore, Lanning was charged with eight counts of aiding and abetting underage drinking and Pace was charged with seven counts of the same offense.

Officials also charged seven people with underage drinking, including Jacquelyn Michelle Goodwin, 17; David Jeffrey Byrd, 20; Garison Otho Bowers, 18; Gregory Michael Dotson, 18; Daniel Stephen Robinette, 19; Heather Lee Capps, 17; and Anthony Michael Fiducia, 20.

Fiducia and Katherine Frances Pettengill, 21, also were charged with possession of drug paraphernaila and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

The online posting said that the party would begin at 11 p.m. and that anyone paying $5 could drink unlimited alcohol.
Two undercover agents went to the party and paid the admission. They reportedly discovered a keg of beer in the bathtub.
State agents and Asheville police officers then got a search warrant and raided the party.

Officials noted that it is becoming increasingly common for parties that serve minors alcohol to be posted on Web sites such as MySpace, a popular social networking site.

Underage drinking contributed to more than 142,000 emergency room visits by people age 12 to 20 in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Escaped juveline prisoner
captured in Gaston County

SWANNANOA ó A juvenile inmate who escaped from the Swannanoa Youth Development Center more than a week ago was captured in Gaston County, juvenile justice officials announced May 29.

Though officials would not release details of the youthís capture, they did say he is from Gaston County.

He and two other prisoners were reported missing from the youth prison May 18. The other two youths were found hiding on campus the next day.

The third inmate was found May 28 by Gaston County law enforcement officers.

The escape prompted Buncombe County Schools to lock down three campuses located near the detention center, which houses about 50 boys, some of whom were convicted of violent offenses.

The prison was also locked down after officials discovered the boys were missing.

State law prevents juvenile justice officials from releasing information on escaped juvenile prisoners.

Tips offered to citizens
following bear incidents

After several recent run-ins with bears by residents, the City of Asheville announced tips for increasing safety around bears.

In addition, the N.C. Wildlife Department reported the bear population in Western North Carolina has increased slightly in recent years, while encroachment by humans onto bear habitat also has increased.

As a result of reduced rainfall in recent years, the spring food supply for bears has not been sufficient, so the bears are coming out of their natural habitat to hunt for food. Springtime and early summer yield more bear sightings as the bears emerge from hibernation and await maturation of natural food sources.

The cityís bear tips include the following:

ï Do not feed the bears, which naturally investigate food odors. These odors can come from garbage, bird feeders and even grease from outdoor grills.

ï Store garbage inside buildings, which eliminates the food sources. If a bear finds garbage once, it will return.

ï Bring bird feeders in at night, which again eliminates the source. If a bear finds a feeder once, it will return.

ï Do not leave pets out or unattended at night. When mother bears are bearing cubs, the mothers will become aggressive to protect their cubs from a perceived threat. A pet may be perceived as a threat.

ï Keep oneís distance from a bear ó just as oneís pet may be perceived as a threat, so too may an individual if he gets too close. Use distance for safety.

The Animal Services Unit has a ìBear Smart Communityî pamphlet that is available to the public. For more information, contact Ashevilleís Animal Services Unit at 259-5872. Also, citizens may contact the Wildlife Resources Commission at (919) 707-0060 or visit www.ncwildlife.org for information.

Driver in chase captured, passenger hurt in shooting; officers face SBI inquiry

Larry Julius Wilson was charged with six counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official and two counts of fleeing to elude arrest following an incident in which police opened fire on two separate occasions and apparently wounded his female passenger with two gunshots early Thursday morning in the Lee Walker Heights Apartments.

The passenger, Mary Ann Wilcox, 51,† is reportedly in critical condition on life support at Mission Hospitals in Asheville. She was shot twice by police, suffering injuries to her spleen and leg, according to family members.

Wilson, 57, of Asheville was treated for minor injuries and released from Mission. Wilson had lived in the Asheville area most of his life, but had lived in Iowa for five or six years, where he was convicted on multiple charges. Police said they do not know when Wilson returned to Asheville.

Wilson has been charged at the Buncombe County Detention Center with six counts of felony speeding to evade arrest. He was booked under an $80,000 bond.

Wilson has an extensive criminal record, including rape, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession with intent to sell and deliver drugs, and possession of cocaine, police said.

In the aftermath, the two Asheville police officers who fired on Wilsonís vehicle after he reportedly tried to run them down have been placed on administrative leave by the police department, as per standard procedure.

Meanwhile, the State Bureau of Investigation is probing the incident.

The incident began when an officer, who was conducting a foot patrol in the Lee Walker Heights Apartments about 12:22 a.m., saw Wilson acting suspiciously and attempted to stop him, police said.

Wilson then got into his vehicle, fled the scene and, while exiting Lee Walker Heights in the vehicle, attempted to run down an officer who had shown up to assist the first officer, according to reports.

The officers then undertook a vehicle pursuit, following Kenilworth to Tunnel Road and eventually into Haw Creek.

Wilson drove to Spruce Hill Apartments in Haw Creek, where he attempted to run down another officer, police said. That officer fired on the vehicle with his handgun. Wilson continued driving through the Haw Creek community and intentionally crossed the center line and struck a police vehicle, officials said.††

Stop sticks were deployed on New Haw Creek Road in an effort to stop the vehicle.† The stop sticks blew at least one of the vehicleís tires, but it did not stop.

Wilson returned to the Spruce Hill Apartments, where he attempted to run down two officers, who both opened fire on the vehicle, police noted. Wilson continued to drive out of the Spruce Hill Apartments area and his vehicle was eventually stopped on New Haw Creek Road.

At that time, officers attempted to take him into custody and he resisted, police said.

Police noted that the 911 and radio transmission tapes of the incident are not being released at this time, pending review for investigative detail. Further inquiries on the case are being referred to the SBI.

In addition to his rape, assault and drug convictions, Wilson had been convicted in Iowa of drug possession, interference with official acts causing bodily injury, drunken driving, driving while barred, false reports to law enforcement, eluding, assault on peace officers and theft, according to police.

Suspected rabid fox bites person in W. Asheville area

An unidentified person was bitten by a fox† last Wednesday in West Asheville, according to the Asheville Police Department.

Following a call about the incident about 10 p.m., a city Animal Services officer and a police officer searched ó but did not find ó the animal in the neighborhood around Hi-Alta Avenue, where the incident occurred.

The victim said the fox attack was unprovoked and resulted in multiple lacerations. Rabies has not been confirmed, but was suspected as of mid-afternoon Thursday.

The APD urged those who may have come in contact with the fox to consult their physician about treatment immediately. Those with dogs or cats should supervise their pets closely, the police added. If pets come in contact with a fox, the law requires a report be made to the APD at 252-1110† and to the Buncombe County Health Department.

Also, citizens should notify the APD if they observe a fox in the area of Hi-Alta Avenue within the next several days, officials said.

Madison County man faces
charges after deadly wreck

A Madison County man faces misdemeanor charges after he allegedly struck and killed a moped driver last Wednesday morning in East Asheville.

Police say Gustavo Tepanecatl, 28, of Meadow Ridge Circle in Marshall struck Curtis Dale Hudgins about 8:30 a.m. on Fairview Road in front of the River Ridge shopping center. Tepanecatl was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Hudgins, 43, of Hemphill Road died of his injuries at Mission Hospitals.

Police say that drugs and alcohol were not involved and that Tepanecatl was not speeding at the time of the accident, but that witnesses claim he ran a red light.

Tepanecatl is now charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and a red-light violation, officials said.

Family members said that Hudgins suffered from a brain aneurysm in his 20s that left his vision impaired on his left side. He was reportedly on his way to McDonaldís to get breakfast when the accident occurred.