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c1d88384-687c-486c-ba03-a49a103d89d2 < Back TWO FACE MULTIPLE CHARGES FOLLOWING PURSUIT; TWO PATROL VEHICLES DISABLED March 5, 2026 Hillsborough, NC (March 5, 2026) – Following a pursuit into Alamance County, during which the fleeing driver rammed two patrol vehicles, deputies arrested two people on multiple charges. The pursuit began just after 2:00 PM yesterday when a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop after witnessing a motorist traveling on the opposite side of a double yellow line. Barry L. Bradley, 50, and Heather N. Stallings, 42, both of Durham, first came to the deputy’s attention because of the above-mentioned traffic violation. Deputies pursued their vehicle south on I-85, witnessing several additional traffic violations. Troopers with the Highway Patrol successfully deployed stop sticks as the car entered Alamance County. Bradley then exited the Interstate onto Highway 87 South. He continued to travel in a reckless manner, ramming into and disabling two patrol cars, and driving through several yards and fences before turning onto a dead-end road and becoming stuck behind a residence and a business. As a deputy approached the black Hyundai Sonata, he saw Bradley smoking a glass pipe prior to taking him into custody. After handcuffing Bradely and Stallings, deputies conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and located two glass pipes with cocaine residue, two pills, a broken phone, and several items that appeared to be from the Dollar General in Hillsborough and connected to a larceny that occurred there minutes before the deputy witnessed the original traffic violation. Stallings mentioned to the deputy transporting her to the magistrate’s office that she asked Bradley to stop and let her out of the vehicle during the pursuit, but he refused. Separately, while a drug recognition expert (DRE) worked to assess Bradley’s impairment, Bradley spontaneously uttered that Stallings asked to get out of the car, but he did not let her. The DRE found that Bradley exhibited clinical indicators of being impaired by a central nervous system stimulant. The magistrate found probable cause to charge Bradley with the following felonies: fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, second degree kidnapping, and three counts of damage to property. Bradley also faces misdemeanor charges for reckless driving to endanger, reckless driving with wanton disregard for the rights or safety of others, speeding, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while impaired, open container of alcohol, and driving while license revoked. Deputies also charged him with three additional traffic infractions: unsafe passing on a yellow line, failure to maintain lane control, and fail to stop for a steady red light. Stallings faces charges for felony possession of a schedule II-controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. The magistrate also served her with multiple charges from nearby counties, mostly related to other larcenies. Deputies left both defendants in the custody of the detention center where they are being held without bond under the Pre-trial Integrity Act. ### Previous Next 1/0

e91f2edf-6085-472c-8567-e281d137da47 < Back WOMAN IDENTIFIED July 8, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (July 8, 2025) – Officials announced today that the body located Monday evening by members of the South Orange Rescue Squad is Monica Butler, 58. She is the Person County woman who went missing while driving to work Sunday night during the heavy rainfall from tropical storm Chantal. Ms. Butler called 911 at approximately 10:30 pm and reported that her vehicle was in the floodwater on Wilkerson Road. The call disconnected several moments later. Firefighters soon located her unoccupied SUV near Whitetail Run where a two-lane bridge crosses the South Fork Little River. Cedar Grove firefighters, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and members of Davie County Search and Rescue team scoured surrounding areas throughout the day. Members of the South Orange Rescue Squad joined the efforts in the afternoon and found Ms. Butler at 5:00 pm, almost completely obscured by fallen trees and debris approximately 120 yards downstream from her vehicle. “As I expressed yesterday, we wish this search had ended differently,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “The devastating power of stormwater caused Ms. Butler’s tragic death, despite the heroic efforts of searchers and the work of the top-notch professionals at Emergency Management who coordinated the incoming resources. I am grateful to everyone who assisted with this search, and I offer my condolences to all affected by this tragedy.” ### Previous Next 1/0

c16f8613-da35-441e-9a3c-47855adec12c < Back VUKMER IN CUSTODY March 6, 2026 Hillsborough, NC (March 6, 2026) – At approximately 5:15 pm, an Orange County investigator serving as a member of the US Marshals Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force, working with the Capital Area Regional Task Force in Grayson County, Virginia, took Matthew Vukmer into custody. At present, Vukmer declined to speak to investigators and requested an attorney. He awaits extradition to North Carolina, a process that may take several weeks. Vukmer’s truck will be towed to the Orange County impound lot for processing. Sheriff Blackwood said, “I am proud of the work our investigators did today. Our task force agreement with our federal partners once again served as a force multiplier, allowing us to quickly apprehend the suspect. We know the family and friends of Paula Floyd experienced a life-shattering event today, and we continue to extend our condolences. It is our hope that they take some small measure of comfort knowing that her assailant is in custody.” Previous Next 1/0

6e7478d3-9d36-434d-8f08-1a5d0223d006 < Back PROPERTY OWNER CHARGED IN AFTERMATH OF LARGE PARTY May 9, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (May 9, 2025) – Working in conjunction with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agents served warrants Wednesday on the owner of Smokehouse Valley Farm, an agritourism property in rural Orange County. Owner Dwight B. Poole, 60, faces six counts of aiding and abetting people under the age of 21 to consume alcohol at a large party held Friday night, May 2, at his event venue. More than 2,500 people attended the party off Mill Creek Road. According to Sheriff Charles Blackwood, “Attendees parked along both sides of the road, blocking the flow of traffic. They obstructed driveways, left automobiles in the yards of neighboring property owners, and intoxicated individuals wandered between vehicles snarled in traffic. Many partygoers were underage, and people drove away from the event despite being significantly under the influence of intoxicating substances. Others were so impaired they passed out along the roadway. Responding law enforcement officers and medical first responders had great difficulty reaching those in need of assistance. In my opinion, this gathering was of such a size and scope that the overall risk to attendees, community residents, and first responders was alarmingly high. I am grateful to ALE and the State Highway patrol for assisting us.” The magistrate ordered Poole to appear in court on May 29. Telecommunicators fielded approximately 75 calls for service related to the party within a six-hour period. This number represents more than 37% of all 911 calls in the county during that timeframe (including calls for Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Carrboro Police, EMS units, and the fire services). More than 25 officers from multiple agencies responded, and emergency medical personnel transported several people to area hospitals. “ALE’s primary mission is to reduce alcohol-related crime and its harmful impact on our communities," said Bryan House, Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. "We value our partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies as we work together toward that shared goal.” ### Previous Next 1/0

aab5c38d-db4d-4696-9a9e-d67fa8b9e880 < Back DEPUTIES ARREST TWO FOR THEFT OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS August 7, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (August 7, 2025) – Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Todd Richardson and Hannah Marie Turner yesterday afternoon, charging each with felony breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and felony conspiracy. Investigators believe the Cedar Grove pair broke into a home under construction on McKee Road in Rougemont and stole construction materials on August 2, 2025. “We shared images captured by cameras on the job site to our mobile app and socials earlier this week. We appreciate the calls, tips, and messages we received in response,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “Furthermore, we encourage construction site managers to contact our office for crime prevention tips specific to building sites and to consider our close patrol program.” A magistrate scheduled both Richardson, 44, and Turner, 40, for their first court appearance at 2:00 pm on Friday, August 8, 2025. ### Previous Next 1/0

bbb822e5-3500-4d65-9e6f-d7a26e9ad201 < Back WOMEN DIES AFTER BEING STABBED; INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR ASSAILANT March 6, 2026 Hillsborough, NC (March 6, 2026) – Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office obtained a first-degree murder charge for Matthew Jared Vukmer, 53, after he allegedly stabbed Paula Floyd, 54, to death this morning at his home. Deputies are looking for Vukmer, a white male, five foot, eleven inches tall with no facial hair. When last seen, he was wearing a dark T-shirt and green shorts. He left his residence in the Wyngate community, which is southeast of the Hillsborough city limits, driving a dark-colored Ford Super Duty truck with North Carolina license tag JL-6012. “I offer my deepest condolences to Ms. Floyd’s family and friends,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “We are eager to get Vukmer into custody as soon as possible, and we ask people to be on the lookout for him or his truck.” Vukmer should be considered dangerous, and he may still be in possession of a knife or other weapon. If you see him, please call 911 immediately and do not approach. Investigator T. Hall is the contact person for this case. If you have any relevant information, please call him at (919) 245-2905. Previous Next Vukmer's truck.JPG Vukmer.jpg Vukmer's truck.JPG 1/2

e2f28924-3ccb-4052-8a8a-e9bd92f80181 < Back DEPUTIES INVESTIGATING MAN’S DEATH September 19, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (September 19, 2025) - Investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of a man located at the edge of a parking lot at the Brumley North Nature Preserve just before 7:30 am today. The deceased is Calvin Demond Smith-Taylor, 36, of Durham. Medical examiners are working to determine the time and cause of his death. Loved ones reported Mr. Smith-Taylor missing to the Durham Police Department yesterday. Please call Investigator E. Campbell at (919) 245-2907 with any information related to Mr. Smith-Taylor’s death. ### Previous Next 1/0

2b1d6479-c37f-4831-a881-7b6e987664f6 #63, OC Alerts, and an escaped convict August 28, 2024 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood Two weeks ago, we were actively searching for convicted murderer Ramone Alston who jumped from a North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) transport vehicle upon arriving at UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. On foot, he headed north across Waterstone Drive and through a residential area. A witness saw him running past a neighborhood swimming pool, still wearing a belly chain and handcuffs. Shortly thereafter, he vanished into the woods. As an agency, our primary responsibility is to keep Orange County residents and visitors safe and able to move freely about their lives. Therefore, our top goals were to protect our community from Alston while assisting DAC with their efforts to capture him. Alston evaded capture for 67 hours before law enforcement officers removed him from a hotel room in Kannapolis 110 miles away and returned him to DAC custody. I want to share what we were doing in the interim and tell you about a critical service that can keep you informed in a variety of crisis situations. A search for an escaped prisoner requires resources and organization. After establishing a law-enforcement perimeter around the hospital campus, initiating K-9 searches, and deploying drone units to watch for Alston from the sky, I contacted Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders and requested his help. Orange County Emergency Management (OCEM) is responsible for the preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery from all hazards in Orange County. As such, OCEM arranged for the Orange County Campus of Durham Technical Community College to be our command center and began organizing hundreds of law enforcement officers arriving to help with the manhunt. Almost immediately, the OCEM team pushed out a message using a reverse 911 process and the OC Alerts notification system to many of the people living within a three-mile radius of the hospital campus. The message provided a description of Alston and told residents what to do if they saw him. Unfortunately, such “push messages” do not reach as many people as would be ideal. When most people had landline telephones, reverse 911 systems could blanket residents within defined geographical areas. Now, almost 75% of people in the US only use wireless phones. Therefore, it is critical for people without a landline to register their cell phones with OC Alerts. Currently, this valuable system is vastly underutilized. Although the Orange County population is approximately 150,000, only 12,853 people are registered. That is only 8.5 percent! Many people believe they will receive all relevant messages because they have received an AMBER alert or other safety message that “blew up” their phone. That belief is incorrect. Emergency management personnel can blanket all phones in an area in only two types of emergencies. The situation must either meet very specific and regulated qualifiers such as in the case of an AMBER or Blue alert, or the danger must pose a critical threat to everyone in the area. A critical threat might require evacuation or cause near-certain death if residents do not take immediate action. Examples include dam failures, airborne toxic chemicals, or raging and fast-moving wildfires. Please go to www.ReadyOrange.org for information about disaster and emergency preparedness. The link to sign up for OC alerts is prominent in the middle of this page. Create an account, provide your phone number or email, and select the type of alerts you want to receive. The system allows you to identify special needs you or your family may have. Additionally, you can indicate whether you have specialized training or are willing to volunteer your skills or equipment during a crisis. You can also go directly to the sign-up page at www.ocalertsnc.com . Returning to the events of two weeks ago, about two hours after issuing the first OC Alert, OCEM sent a second, similar message. This time they hit all landlines and registered cell phones within a five-mile radius. Obviously, the longer Alston was on the move, the farther away he could be, so they targeted a wider area. We continued the ground search for two days: 335 members from 19 law enforcement agencies thoroughly covered 1335 acres. When finished, we could say with confidence that Alston was no longer in Orange County. Meanwhile, investigators continued their intelligence operation, gathering and analyzing the information that ultimately led to locating Alston. He is now in a maximum-security prison, and we arrested two people for aiding and abetting his escape. We are extremely grateful to our OCEM partners – they are unsung heroes. Please thank them by creating or updating your existing OC Alert account. ### Previous Next

aba8a3c2-3ea9-4186-b208-ef508124f734 < Back THREE DEPUTIES INJURED; MAN FACES HOST OF CHARGES March 27, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (March 27, 2025) – Three deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are receiving treatment at a local hospital after sustaining serious injuries while taking a man into custody. Deputies responded to the Timbers Manufactured Home Community after residents reported the man was throwing rocks and bricks at trailers, pulling on air conditioning units, and exhibiting concerning behaviors. Upon the deputies’ arrival, witnesses and residents provided them with a physical description of the suspect and told them the man had stolen items from another residence. Deputies saw a man standing inside a residence with an open door who matched that description. As they entered the home to apprehend him, a fight ensued. With the help of officers from the Hillsborough Police Department and additional personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, units took Jorge Luis Lopez Duran, 53, into custody. Lopez is facing three felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer inflicting serious bodily injury. Other charges, including larceny and damage to property are expected. Consistent with detention center practices that a detainee should not be held in the custody of an agency whose personnel he has allegedly assaulted, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood arranged for a neighboring county to house Mr. Lopez. Sheriff Blackwood said, “Law enforcement officers intellectually know their job comes with risk, but the reality of the sacrifice they are willing to make for the public remains somewhat abstract until it is not. Today, their sacrifice was very real, and it was painful. That said, I am grateful all three deputies are expected to make a full recovery. I appreciate the help we received from Hillsborough Police and deputies from other divisions of our agency. Finally, I would like to extend special thanks to the Emergency Services telecommunicators at the 911 center who guided us into and out of that call.” More information will be released as it becomes available. ### Previous Next 1/0

feb74fa9-dea4-485f-9382-4a8cc6d318e8 < Back CASE UPDATE: DEPUTIES SERVE WARNKE WITH OUTSTANDING WARRANTS July 3, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (July 3, 2025) – Last night, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office served Zacharia Nathaniel Warnke, 32, with warrants for breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and conspiracy. The charges stemmed from the theft of more than $10,000 worth of household goods, appliances, and building materials from a residential property undergoing renovation just outside the city limits of Hillsborough. In June, deputies arrested William Cox, 34, in connection with the same case. Both men are from Rougemont. Warnke did not receive a bond; under the provisions of the Pretrial Integrity Act, he will remain in the detention center until his first court appearance. ### Previous Next 1/0

d16eebe3-e952-45c5-b4d0-d22342dbac41 #56, Retirements Shape Future January 31, 2024 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay. It is simultaneously a uniting and a dividing force. For many, it provides entertainment, engagement with other people, information about businesses, and an important source of community news. For others, it can increase a sense of isolation, become a source of misinformation, or provide a forum to bully or troll others. In less than 30 years, social media has emerged, adapted, grown, and transformed communication here in Orange County and around the globe. As I recently reflected on the prior year, I scrolled back through more than 330 posts on the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page, our primary social media platform. As I did so, I marveled at the historical record such posts now provide. They bear witness to the crime and law enforcement activity in Orange County. They remind us of the useful education we can provide to residents about crime and injury prevention, road closures, threatening weather, and community events. Facebook also serves as an ideal forum to showcase the good work of our employees, celebrate their accomplishments, and mark important transitions such as swearing-in ceremonies, promotions, and retirements. During my stroll down memory lane, I came across a June 13, 2023 post about the retirements of seven members of this office. As I often say, “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected,” and that post is proof. At the time, we were celebrating great careers and wishing beloved colleagues well. But when I saw that post again, I realized with new clarity how those retirements changed this agency and continue to affect us. We promoted several people to fill the vacated leadership spots; those individuals continue to grow into their positions while others adjust to different responsibilities. We have new personnel in every division with more opportunities on the horizon - five more people plan to retire this year. Before I move on, let me say that contrary to what you may have heard, most law enforcement officers leave the profession at retirement, not before. Thirty years ago, a federal grant program known as “Cops Fast” hired, trained, and put thousands of new law enforcement officers on the street within a remarkably short period of time. The fact that those officers are retiring three decades later is not a surprise, and it does not represent an unusual rate of attrition. I find myself in much the same position as a coach who is rebuilding a team after a large graduating class or the loss of personnel because of injury or movement through the transfer portal. As experienced players assume leadership roles and others move to new positions, a coach assesses incoming recruits, builds upon fundamental skills, and shapes them to the needs of the team and the realities of the schedule. Added twist for me: my team works out of two facilities - our main office and the Detention Center across town! A mid-2023 analysis of detention center staffing conducted by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association revealed that some detention centers in the state face large staffing shortages – as much as 60%. We are doing much better than that, but we still have quite a few open positions. We are always looking to hire the right people to help us maintain our reputation for providing highly trained supervision by compassionate detention officers within an appropriately equipped facility. It is critically important work, and severe staff shortages are known to lead to corruption, inmate behavior problems, and increased rates of assault or self-harm. I frequently tell family members of the people in our custody that their loved one is in one of the safest places on the planet, and I make sure my staff knows how critical their efforts are toward maintaining that distinction. Some detention officers build a rewarding, challenging career in our jail, progressing through the ranks into leadership roles. Others use the position as a steppingstone to additional training and a career as a deputy. Either path provides ample opportunity for advancement, competitive pay and benefits, excellent training and support, and a desirable retirement package. If you are hungry to feel challenged by your career, proud of your coworkers, excited about the opportunities ahead of you, and confident that your efforts are making a difference in our community, we would like to talk to you. Please call Sergeant Glenn Powell, our recruiting coordinator, at (919) 245-2908. I’m actively rebuilding my team and looking to add talent to the depth chart. Previous Next

445713af-7362-4fc8-a99f-ba66e3a46c3b #19, Year in Review, 2020 December 30, 2020 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood If you enjoy a good understatement, how’s this one? This year has been difficult. However, despite the pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism, and in many ways because of them, there have been upsides. For example, we are working with other components of the justice system and involved stakeholders in new ways. These efforts have resulted in innovative approaches and initiatives that are both efficient and economical. We can see this in bond reform and other efforts to lower the population in the Detention Center. These new procedures allow for the effective and safe pre-trial management of alleged offenders in the community. I will write more about this subject in a future column. For this year-end-review edition of The Lowdown, I asked my staff to reflect on other 2020 upsides. Captain Nate Fearrington related how much he enjoyed our annual Shop with a Sheriff event. He said, “Even though we couldn’t actually shop with the kids due to COVID-19, we were still able to purchase wish list items and bundle them into Santa sacks for special delivery. It made me feel good to hear employees and other shoppers say how proud they were that we ‘made a way out of no way’ and continued our tradition.” Tom Parker, one of our IT Specialists, mentioned several highlights. We converted many desktop computers to notebooks, allowing staff to work remotely. He is really excited about SmartForce, a new work management system used to communicate more efficiently across divisions. Additionally, a new database streamlined our training records, and we are preparing to launch a new app, giving the public tools to interface with us directly from their Smartphones. Watch for that in 2021. Captain Tina Sykes, who directs our School Resource Officer Program as well as the Training Division, noted, “We donated more than 6,200 items of food to the Orange County Schools Holiday Food Drive. We pitted the nine divisions in the office against each other, and the competition was ferocious. It tickled me to see them try to outdo each other, driving up the value of the matching donation promised by the Command Staff.” Tim Jones, Captain of the Detention Division, answered my query with a personal anecdote. “I had a very unfortunate tib/fib break to my leg, which kind of summed up the year 2020. I was out of work for over a month. I quickly learned the friendships made at the Office extend way past quitting time. From calls, to visits, and of course, food, I was astonished with the amount of caring I received from folks at the Sheriff’s Office and from the wider community. Ashley Woodlief, a sergeant with the Criminal Investigations Division, noted the year began with the sentencing of John Russell Whit – the long awaited conclusion to a 1998 case in which a lawn mowing crew found the skeletonized remains of a 10-year-old boy. Closing that cold case helped another agency solve his mother’s related murder. Woodlief and her colleagues are pleased that for the fifth year in a row, they solved all new homicide cases, and she is relieved there were only two! Deputy David Funk is one of our three K9 handlers. He reports the dogs assisted with over 300 calls, located 23 people, found 117 items of evidence, and sniffed out 10.25 pounds of narcotics. Individual highlights included K9 Tres running a successful track following a hit and run, despite the track being almost five hours old. Callie located a suspect from a different wreck who had buried himself and a large amount of narcotics, while Zar helped the Highway Patrol locate a firearm thrown from a vehicle during a traffic stop. Community Services Division Major Kevin Jones is most proud of the way his division and the Department on Aging collaborated to take the place of the volunteers who usually deliver meals to seniors in the community. “Due to COVID-19, our deputies, in partnership with the municipal police departments, delivered more than 2,000 hot lunches, emphasizing the ‘serve’ part of our duties. We also coordinated the distribution of more than 2,200 food boxes, and we delivered more than 2,000 meal kits donated by Food Lion.” My Chief Deputy Jamison Sykes summed it up well. He said, “This was a hard year, and a strange year. We are ending it tired. But it’s the good kind of tired; the kind where you know you worked hard and you will sleep well, and you are excited to see what tomorrow will bring.” Previous Next