After charging two Wilmington men with squatting in an unoccupied Wrightsville Beach house last weekend, police will be able to tie the men to at least three car break ins. Wrightsville Beach police said that if others come forward to report car break ins, there could be more charges coming.
Wrightsville Beach police charged Hazule Ismaila N’diaye, 18, and Quinshon Tamarium Kilgore, 19, with felony breaking or entering, felony larceny and several charges relating to possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Kilgore was also charged with possession of a stolen firearm.
The two men, who police said have Wilmington addresses but described themselves as homeless, were arrested on Sunday after a neighbor reported activity at 413 South Lumina Ave., despite the house being vacant and under construction. When police arrived at about 3:20 p.m., the two men fled the house, but were later caught and arrested by police.
After interviewing the suspects and reviewing video surveillance, police determined the two men had been staying in the house since at least Thursday. Over the course of their four days in the house, the two men admitted to checking door handles on cars parked in the area, police Sgt. M. Monroe said.
Police found the two in possession of items that the suspects said were taken from cars in Wrightsville Beach. The police contacted the owners in three cases, none of which had been reported to police.
Monroe said that anyone who parked on Wrightsville Beach from Thursday through Sunday and had items stolen from their car may be able to retrieve the items if they report the break-in to the Wrightsville Beach Police Department at 910-256-7945.
While the two suspects lived in the house for approximately four days, the damage to the home was minimal, Monroe said, and limited mainly to a scratch on one of the house’s televisions and minor damage from smoking in the house. Though no one was living there, the home did have electricity and was partially furnished. There was evidence of marijuana smoking, police said, but no evidence of alcohol or other narcotics, like heroin.
A neighbor noticed lights on in the house on Sunday and called the home’s owner, who was living in a different location. The homeowner then called police to report a possible break in.
When police arrived, the two men attempted to flee, Monroe said. Kilgore was caught by police on South Lumina Avenue while N’diaye fled the house out the back, onto the beach. However, he was caught after onlookers pointed him out to police, Monroe said.
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