Category: News

Catawba County sheriffโ€™s office charges man in fatal fentanyl case

Read the original article on the WSOC TV News website.

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. โ€” A 26-year-old man was indicted and arrested in connection with the fentanyl toxicity death of Jacob Lee Kirk, the Catawba County sheriff announced Monday. Juan Sebastian Solarte faces charges of death by distribution and the sale of a Schedule II controlled substance.

Kirk was found dead at his home in February 2025. An autopsy conducted by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity.

The Catawba County Grand Jury returned the indictment against Solarte on Jan. 20, the sheriff said. The formal charges include death by distribution and the sale of a Schedule II controlled substance.

This legal action follows an investigation that began when Kirkโ€™s body was discovered nearly one year ago.

Following the indictment, law enforcement officers located Solarte in Florida.

The Palm Beach County Sheriffโ€™s Office took him into custody on Feb. 3 in Boca Raton. Solarte is 26 years old.

Sheriff Don Brown commented on the departmentโ€™s focus on the investigation and offered support to the Kirk family.

โ€œI want the family of Jacob Kirk to know that we remain committed to accountability and seeing this case through. I extend my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Kirk,โ€ Brown said.

Solarte is currently being held in Florida. He is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina to face the charges.

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More drugs, fewer weapons found in schools, crime data shows

More than 99% of students were not involved in a reportable crime on campus, said Michael Maher, chief accountability officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Most schools reported only zero to five criminal offenses at their school last year, he said.

Criminal offenses went down again in North Carolina schools during the 2024-25 school year, with another significant drop in offenses for weapon possession, new data shows.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released the latest public school crime statistics during the State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

The drop in criminal offenses reported reflects ongoing trends, but so does a continued rise in offenses for drug possession.

Total offenses dropped from 12,212 the year before to 11,470 offenses last year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which released the data Wednesday afternoon.

Continue reading “More drugs, fewer weapons found in schools, crime data shows”

Craven County authorities arrest Jacksonville resident linked to Vanceboro overdose death

Visit the WCTI News 12 website to read the original article and watch the video.

A Jacksonville man has been arrested and charged in relation to a 2024 overdose death in Vanceboro.

Robert Brinson Moore Jr

Robert Brinson Moore Jr., 43, was arrested on Nov. 28 by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Bureau, in collaboration with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations.

Moore’s arrest is in relation to the Sept. 14, 2024 overdose death of Morgana-Don Maliha Mahmud, 24, of Vanceboro.

Authorities say that at the time of his arrest, Moore had cocaine in possession.

Moore is currently confined in the Craven County Confinement Facility under no bond.

Deputies charge woman already in jail on $1 million bond with death by distribution

Read the original article and watch the video on the FoxCarolina News website.

RUTHERFORD, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Rutherford County Sheriffโ€™s Office said a woman already in jail on a $1 million bond has now charged with death by distribution.

According to the sheriffโ€™s office, deputies were called to a home on Boiling Springs Road in Mooresboro in reference to a possible overdose on Oct. 31, 2025. The victim was provided medical aid and taken to the hospital where they later died.

Officials said a criminal investigation was initiated and on Nov. 19, a search warrant was executed at a home on Country Home Drive.

Amanda Blake Smith(Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office)

During the search, investigators said they found approximately 1,600 pressed fentanyl pills (192 grams), 28 grams of fentanyl powder, and a 9mm handgun.

As a result of the investigation, deputies said Amanda Blake Smith of Forest City was arrested and charged with the following:

  • (2 counts) Trafficking opium or heroin
  • Maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for a controlled substance
  • Possession of marijuana (up to ยฝ ounce)
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia

Smith was issued a $1,000,000 secured bond on those charges on Nov. 19, officials said.

The sheriffโ€™s office said months later, Smith was additionally charged second-degree murder and death by distribution on Jan. 29, 2026. She will receive a bond for these new charges after she goes before a judge.

Fentvic 100 County Reports Updated

Fentvic has updated the 100 County Fentanyl reports using the latest data received from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Each report is a separate PDF file which can be downloaded.

Visit the Report Page to view all 100 county reports.

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