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Arsenal discovered in city man's house
By Francine Sawyer/Sun Journal Staff
New Bern police checking on a man's welfare found him to be fine -- but found a house full of weapons, according to officers.
The most disturbing discovery in the house, according to police, was a sawed-off shotgun.
Police were quick to point out that the weapons were not connected "whatsoever to any criminal activity."
When neighbors on Newton Drive noticed the front door of Charles Pugh's home ajar, they became concerned for Pugh's welfare and called New Bern police.
Police Chief Frank Palombo said an officer went to Pugh's Newton Drive home around 2 p.m. Thursday, finding the front door ajar.
"The officer knocked on the door. No one answered. The door was open and the officer saw the room to be in disarray. She announced that she was the police. She got no response from anyone in the house. She called for backup, and not knowing if there was a victim or perpetrator in the house, officers made a walk through," he said.
A sawed-off shotgun was in plain view in a back area of the house, according to police. Upon seeing the gun, several officers left for the magistrate's office to secure a search warrant.
Pugh arrived at his home before officer's returned with the search warrant. Police said Pugh gave officers permission to search his home.
Officers put Pugh in the back of a police car parked in front of his house. He watched for the next two hours as police loaded rifles, shotguns, handguns and boxes of ammunition taken from his house into a police van.
Neighbors gathered on the street to watch the event unfold. They said Pugh is a quiet man who keeps to himself.
Pugh's next-door neighbor said no one came or went from the house, and the man lived alone.
Pugh was in the Army 30 years ago and was stationed in Germany, according to an interview he gave to the Sun Journal in connection with a weather story in January.
He gathered each morning at a restaurant on Neuse Boulevard and drank coffee with friends. He was retired from civil service.
Pugh was released from custody late Thursday afternoon. He was not charged with any crime.
Police worked late into the night taking an inventory of the weapons, checking serial numbers and cross checking with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
One officer said that it was not illegal to have any of the weapons except the sawed-off shotgun. "Then you have state and federal laws to deal with," the officer said.
"Mr. Pugh was very cooperative. We released him, and we will continue to investigate. We are keeping the guns and ammunition as a public safety measure for now," the investigator said.
http://www.newbernsunjournal.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=8302
By Francine Sawyer/Sun Journal Staff
New Bern police checking on a man's welfare found him to be fine -- but found a house full of weapons, according to officers.
The most disturbing discovery in the house, according to police, was a sawed-off shotgun.
Police were quick to point out that the weapons were not connected "whatsoever to any criminal activity."
When neighbors on Newton Drive noticed the front door of Charles Pugh's home ajar, they became concerned for Pugh's welfare and called New Bern police.
Police Chief Frank Palombo said an officer went to Pugh's Newton Drive home around 2 p.m. Thursday, finding the front door ajar.
"The officer knocked on the door. No one answered. The door was open and the officer saw the room to be in disarray. She announced that she was the police. She got no response from anyone in the house. She called for backup, and not knowing if there was a victim or perpetrator in the house, officers made a walk through," he said.
A sawed-off shotgun was in plain view in a back area of the house, according to police. Upon seeing the gun, several officers left for the magistrate's office to secure a search warrant.
Pugh arrived at his home before officer's returned with the search warrant. Police said Pugh gave officers permission to search his home.
Officers put Pugh in the back of a police car parked in front of his house. He watched for the next two hours as police loaded rifles, shotguns, handguns and boxes of ammunition taken from his house into a police van.
Neighbors gathered on the street to watch the event unfold. They said Pugh is a quiet man who keeps to himself.
Pugh's next-door neighbor said no one came or went from the house, and the man lived alone.
Pugh was in the Army 30 years ago and was stationed in Germany, according to an interview he gave to the Sun Journal in connection with a weather story in January.
He gathered each morning at a restaurant on Neuse Boulevard and drank coffee with friends. He was retired from civil service.
Pugh was released from custody late Thursday afternoon. He was not charged with any crime.
Police worked late into the night taking an inventory of the weapons, checking serial numbers and cross checking with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
One officer said that it was not illegal to have any of the weapons except the sawed-off shotgun. "Then you have state and federal laws to deal with," the officer said.
"Mr. Pugh was very cooperative. We released him, and we will continue to investigate. We are keeping the guns and ammunition as a public safety measure for now," the investigator said.
http://www.newbernsunjournal.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=8302
