Log in to WRAL.com with one click using your favorite social network:
OR
Log in using your WRAL.com account:



Wrong email/password combination.

Forgot password?

Register with WRAL.com using your favorite social network:
OR
Register for a WRAL.com account using our web form.

6:09 p.m. • 5-21-13

Weather Forecast for Raleigh

  • Wed: Thunderstorm.
    • Hi: 86° F
  • Thu: Thunderstorm.
    • Hi: 83° F
  • Fri: Partly Cloudy.
    • Hi: 76° F

Other Locations

> 7 Day Forecast

Doppler Image

Alert

  • Breaking News:  The Wake County Board of Education released the names of three finalists in their search for a new superintendent Tuesday. The candidates will visit the school system next week to visit schools, meet staff and undergo a final round of interviews.
  • Just In: A 15-year-old boy charged in the Jan. 5 shooting deaths of a couple in their Wake County home can be tried as an adult, a District Court judge ruled Tuesday. Search warrants in the case indicate the couple, Jose and Maria Mendoza, were unintended targets in a gang war between two rival gangs. The boy is one of two people charged in the case.

Published: 2012-06-05 22:18:00
Updated: 2012-06-06 05:21:05

Man accused of damaging sprinkler at NCCU, causing major water damage


Kenneth Drake
Kenneth Drake
print friendly

Police arrested a 21-year-old man accused of vandalizing the fire alarm and sprinkler system inside a science building at North Carolina Central University in Durham, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Kenneth Drake was charged Saturday with attempted breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, false fire alarm, injury to a building, fence or wall and injury to real property. Police said Drake had an outstanding warrant from Greensboro on the attempted breaking and entering charge.

N.C. Central Police Chief Tim Bellamy said Drake was scheduled to take a college placement exam in the building, but was turned away because he didn't have proper identification. In an act of retaliation, Bellamy said, Drake busted a sprinkler head on the second floor.

"Which then caused flooding on the first and second floor of the building, damage to numerous amounts of computers, personal work stations, the flooring, tile," Bellamy said. "(I'd estimate the damage) in the hundreds of thousands."

The building was evacuated and about 300 students will have to reschedule their exam as a result.

N.C. Central student Dontavion Carmon said he frequently leaves long-term projects in the building for days at a time. He said he didn't lose any work, but any projects left in the building over the weekend were likely destroyed.

"If that were to happen to me, I'd be highly upset about it," Carmon said. "Number one, that's a grade. Number two, that's taking your time and effort."


66 Comments


WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

View Comments VIEW ALL 66 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments.

Latest Comments
He was just keeping it real. ProudBlackSingleMother

Let's hope he will just pay for all the damage he caused, for real.

Can he pay with a EBT card?

Turbo08-behave man-these people can't hep their own stupidity.

Rev Jackson equates Voter ID to the civil rights battles of years gone by. I guess their cause if far more important than honesty and integrity in the voting booth-hummm!! Rev Barber-you too!!

This man deserves prison -no-you cannot jail a man for stupid-well-he lost his temper!! Why not-restitution-he'll be broke forever!!

Why was this genius trying to get in to college ? It sounds like is to smart for his own good.

"Amazing...you must have proper ID to take a placement test...but you don't have to have one to vote...!!!!!"-SmokeWagon

Well it would just make too much sense to require ID to vote that's why.

This 'me, myself, and I" generation is a trip.

View Comments VIEW ALL 66 COMMENTS