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Deputy kills suspect in home break-ins, attempted murders

An Orange County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a Timberlake man suspected in a series of home break-ins, two attempted murders and one attempted sexual assault.

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CALDWELL, N.C. — A Timberlake man suspected in a series of home break-ins, two attempted murders and one attempted sexual assault was shot and killed by Orange County deputies Saturday.

Deputies went to check out calls about a suspicious person at New Sharon Church and Bill Poole roads shortly before 5:45 p.m., according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Deputies encountered Christopher Dean Trivett, 32, of Saplin Branch Road, on New Sharon Church Road, near Guess Road.

Orange County investigators said deputies became "involved in a shooting incident after encountering the suspicious person."

Person County dispatch officials said on Saturday night that Trivett ran from deputies and might have fired first, prompting a deputy to return fire and shoot Trivett in the chest.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office called in the State Bureau of Investigation to review the case, following standard procedure for all officer-involved shootings. The sheriff's office also turned over the case to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

The sheriff's office withheld the name of the deputy or deputies involved in the shooting.

Law enforcement in Orange, Person and Granville counties had been searching for Trivett, who was wanted on one count of attempted first-degree sex offense and two counts each of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and felony larceny.

The charges stemmed from a series of home break-ins late last week, which the Person County Sheriff's Office said began Thursday after Trivett stole a car from the Wal-Mart in Roxboro. He was accused of then breaking into at least three houses between 10 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday.

According to warrants, Trivett first broke into a home at 290 Brooks Carr Road in Roxboro while the homeowner was inside. The arrest warrants say he stole two 12-gauge shotguns and .22-caliber rifle worth about $1,500 from the home.

Investigators said that Trivett next broke into a home in the Guess Road area in Hurdle Mills that was occupied by two women. He attempted to sexually assault one woman and tried to kill both women, according to the arrest warrants.

Trivett then wrecked the stolen car and abandoned it across the street from 895 Guess Road. Arrest warrants say that Trivett used a shotgun while breaking into at home at that address.

Person County Sheriff Dewey Jones said investigators believe the home break-ins were not random. All the stolen weapons were recovered.

Trivett had an extensive criminal record in Person and Granville counties and in Virginia dating to 2002, according to North Carolina Department of Correction records.

A Virginia court placed Trivett on probation in November 2007 after he was convicted a September 2003 larceny.

Trivett was released from a North Carolina prison in July 2006 after serving nearly 2 1/2 years for a probation violation. He had been placed on probation on July 22, 2003, for a series of larcenies and breaking-and-entering of homes and vehicles over nine days in November of that year.

Trivett was ruled in violation of that probation when he was convicted in February 2004 for a motor-vehicle theft committed on July 10, 2003.

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