LUMBERTON — A 15-year-old is one of two teenagers who have been charged with assaulting two Lumberton men, including a 57-year-old who later died from his injuries, according to the Lumberton Police Department.

Both assaults occurred at homes on Water Street in late May. Police believe the two people charged knew at least one of the victims.

On May 30, 61-year-old Ronald Brooks suffered life-threatening injuries when two people came into his home on the 1000 block of North Water Street and assaulted him, according to a statement from the Police Department. Brooks was taken to a hospital in Raleigh.

The next day, 57-year-old Billy Locklear suffered major head injuries when two people assaulted him in his home on the 1400 block of North Water Street. An acquaintance who went to the home to visit Locklear found him unconscious and called police. Locklear was also taken to a Raleigh hospital, where he died on June 10.

“During the two investigations detectives were able to identify two suspects and determined that the two incidents were connected,” the statement said.

Police arrested 19-year-old Gary Marquise Brooks, of Doral Drive, St. Pauls, and the 15-year-old on Tuesday. No information was provided about the 15-year-old because he is a juvenile. There is no relation between Ronald Brooks and Gary Brooks, and police say they do not believe Ronald Brooks personally knows the teenagers.

Each is charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury for the May 30 incident and with first-degree murder and felony conspiracy for the May 31 incident.

The 15-year-old is being held in a juvenile facility and Brooks was placed in the Robeson County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond for the May 30 assault and no bond for the May 31 assault that became a murder.

Gary Brooks
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_GARY-BROOKS.jpgGary Brooks

By Sarah Willets

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Sarah Willets can be reached at 910-816-1974 or on Twitter @Sarah_Willets.