| August 25,
2003 |
| |
| Two Teens
Caught During Church Burglary |
| |
James L. York, Jr. |
Richard G. Cook |
|
| A pair of sixteen-year-old youth are guests of
the Burke Catawba District Confinement Facility after reportedly breaking into
a church near Valdese this morning. |
| |
| James Lee York, Jr. of 4021 Old Secrest Road,
Drexel, and Richard Garrett Cook of 405 Mountain View Drive, Drexel were jailed
on breaking, entering and larceny charges. |
| |
| Mike Wakefield, pastor of North Laurel Baptist
Church which is located at 1942 Laurel Street N.E., Valdese, called the
Sheriff's Office after discovering a break-in to the church. |
| |
| Investigators said Wakefield confronted York and
Cook in a wooded area below the church, and noticed a safe which came from
inside the church. When Wakefield attempted to contact authorities, the pair
fled through the woods. |
| |
| Officers with the Sheriff's Office, Valdese
Police Department and Morganton Department of Public Safety searched the woods
until the pair was located and taken into custody without incident. One of the
teens possessed a bayonet which investigators said was taken from inside the
church. |
| |
| Other property from the church was located near
the location where the pastor confronted the duo, a detective said. |
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| York and Cook were jailed under $15,000 secured
bonds and will have a first court appearance on Wednesday. |
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| ************************************************************** |
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