Man Charged With 15 Durham Break-Ins
Posted April 29, 2001 2:53 a.m. EDT
DURHAM — Derek Lerone Utley, 34, of Elm Street, was arrested Friday and charged with breaking into 14 homes and one church in the Hope Valley and Duke Forest neighborhoods during the past three months.
Thirteen of the break-ins occurred in April and two were reported in February.
Stolen items included cameras, television sets, jewelry, silverware, guns, and a VCR.
Investigators canvassed the Hope Valley neighborhood Thursday afternoon and handed out more than 150 fliers asking for information about the break-ins.
Utley was arrested Friday afternoon on Elm Street and charged Friday night with the following break-ins:
Utley was also charged with possession of a stolen digital camera, which was taken during an April 22 break-in to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3639 Chapel Hill Road.
Warrants are pending against 35-year-old Darryl Lee Brown in connection with the break-ins.
He is currently wanted for a February 26 break-in to Toyota of Durham on Chapel Hill Boulevard. Utley was charged with the Toyota of Durham break-in that night.
Anyone with information on Brown's whereabouts is asked to call Investigator Ben Parrish or Investigator Alton Tyndall at 560-1020, or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200. CrimeStoppers will pay a reward of up to $ 1,200 for information leading to an arrest.