NEWS RELEASE

Date/Time of Offence: Friday, December 30, 2022.

Offense(s)/Charge(s): Felony Discharge Firearm into Occupied Property.

                                     Three Counts Misdemeanor Assault with a Deadly Weapon.                                           

Location of Incident: 372 York Spann Road, Hamptonville. 

Suspect(s): William James Baugus, 50 Years Old

                    288 York Spann Road

                    Hamptonville, North Carolina 27020

Sheriff Darren Campbell stated: On Friday, December 30, 2022, shortly after midnight, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies responded to the area of York Spann Road in Northern Iredell County in reference to a report of shots fired at a vehicle. 

When the deputies arrived on the scene, they located three juveniles who told the deputies they had gone to a home to pull a prank on a friend by toilet papering the friend’s house. While they were at the friend’s house, a neighbor, identified as William James Baugus, saw them putting toilet paper in the yard. Baugus confronted the juveniles, who got into their vehicle to leave the area. As the juveniles drove away, Baugus fired three shots at their vehicle. The deputies observed two bullet holes in the vehicle the juveniles were operating.

William Baugus then got into his vehicle and followed the juveniles for some distance. The deputies learned Baugus had driven his vehicle into the rear of the juveniles’ vehicle while the juveniles were trying to get away from him. As a result of his hitting them, the juveniles were involved in a vehicle collision. None of the juveniles were injured as a result of the incident.

Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators K. Campbell and C. Davidson responded to assist in the investigation. 

The detectives interviewed witnesses and collected evidence from the scene. William Baugus gave a statement to the detectives, and the firearm used was seized as evidence.  

As a result of the investigation, William James Baugus was arrested and charged with one 

Count of Felony Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Property and Three Counts of Misdemeanor Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

Baugus was served with the warrants at the Iredell County Detention Center. He appeared before Magistrate R. Imes, who issued him a 50,000.00 dollar secured bond on these charges.