NEWPORT, N.C. – Deputies in Carteret County said Thursday that tips led them to three neighborhood juveniles responsible for setting up a dummy in a roadway Sunday morning.
One of the three, ages 10, 14, and 17, said the whole incident was supposed to be a prank. They said they hoped that someone would run the dummy over, think they hit a real person, and “freak out”.
Detectives are continuing to investigate and will consult with the district attorney’s office to make a determination if charges will be filed. They don’t believe the incident is related to a Dollar General armed robbery on Monday.
Original Story:
A scene straight out of a horror movie played out in the early hours of Sunday morning when a driver who slowed down for she thought was a person sitting in the middle of the road almost became the victim of a carjacking, according to the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office.
A dummy dressed up in children’s clothing was placed in the middle of the road at the intersection of West Southwinds Drive and Pagoda Court in the Paradise East subdivision in Carteret County. When a woman driving home from work noticed the dummy and slowed down, deputies said two men wearing dark hoodies pulled on the door handles of her locked vehicle.
The woman drove away immediately, which was “absolutely the right thing to do,” according to Sheriff’s Office Maj. Jason Wank.
Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate any suspects, and the dummy was seized.
The dummy was constructed with fake plastic head and children’s clothing, including a red Field & Stream shirt.
Anyone with information about the dummy or the people responsible for making it are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office, Derek Moore, at 728-8400 ext. 8849 or Crime-Stoppers at 726-INFO (4636).
At the current time detectives are unable to rule out of this incident is connected to the Dollar General robbery.
