LUMBERTON — A 22-year-old Fayetteville man with Lumberton ties is being held at the Robeson County jail without bond following a night of violent crime that included a murder, a home invasion, and two armed robberies.
Charles E. Leach Jr., of 809 Isley St., is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 4 shooting death of 53-year-old Moses Robinson, Jr., according to Lumberton police Capt. Johnny Barnes. Robinson was returning home from work at about 1:35 a.m. and had just gotten out of his vehicle when Leach approached him, attempted to rob him and then shot him dead, Barnes said.
Leach has family in Lumberton and Fayetteville and “goes back and forth” between the two cities, Barnes said.
Leach was arrested in Fayetteville on Oct. 6 and charged with two counts of armed robbery and one count of first-degree burglary in unrelated incidents that also occurred on Oct. 4 and was given a bond of $25,000, according to Barnes. His bond was revoked after he was charged on Monday with murder.
“It took us a few days to get what we needed to charge him with murder,” Barnes said. “We’re still looking at some other stuff, too. There’s at least one armed robbery charge we’re looking at.”
After fleeing Robinson’s front yard, Leach entered a home on Peachtree Street and robbed a man at gunpoint, Barnes said. Leach and the man got into a struggle, and Leach fled.
Leach went on to rob Go Gas at 2605 W. Fifth St. at gunpoint, Barnes said. He took $545 cash and two cartons of cigarettes, according to a police report. Leach then attempted to rob a person in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn, Barnes said. He is charged with attempted robbery in that incident.
“All this happened in the nighttime hours,” he said.
Leach has also been charged with three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
He also faces charge in Bladen County for crimes that he allegedly committed on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.
Leach is accused of three counts each of armed robbery, possession of firearm by felon, and second-degree kidnapping, according to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say he robbed three people at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Smithfield processing plant in Tar Heel on those two days.
Leach has previously faced charges of drug possession, vandalism, carrying an concealed weapon, resisting an officer, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
DavidJ...
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October 12, 2012
Wow!!!! Big shock!!! Bet if he was black, & from the "southside", the county would be outraged at the outcome. But since hes not, no big deal!! No comments about how he was raised!! No comments about, where his father is!!! No NAACP jokes!!! Nothing!!! If dude was black, they wouldve had no problem finding him guilty, and everybody wouldve been happy!!! What a joke!!!
Would it be fair with those type of comments being made to say that your family are a bunch of idiots because of your comments?
The focus is his actions..not his family.
If your comment about being shot in a Food lion parking lot just for speaking to a person was for me, allow me to elaborate. Most of the time it's not what you say but how you say it, your posture, affect, and your approach. I don't care if you are white, black, indian, purple, blue, or green. It's how you present yourself and if present yourself to me slurring your words or acting high and aggressive, it's best you turn the other way no matter what "color" you are...everyone bleeds red!
I also resent that every time something happens a race card is played, no matter what color they are. DavidJ if you approached me in a parking lot with the attitude you describe there would not be a problem. The problem comes in when you are approached and you get that feeling in your gut that something is not right, most of the time your gut is right. For example, on a dark and desolate back county road in this county, a young black man flagged me down. I stopped and asked him what was wrong. His car was broken down and he needed a jump, I had no bad feeling from this man and I did stop and give him a jump. He told me I was the only person in two hours that had stopped. I guess most people are afraid of stopping for people who are broken down because of the escalated violence in this county, and that is where the shame lies.
I'm not racist, I prefer to call myself a equal opportunity discriminator. I judge each person and their actions as an individual and not a collective of a whole race, sex, or creed. Just to drive this home, the man who approached me in the aggressive manner was white. Sounds like you and I would get along just fine. I also speak to people in parking lots, hold doors open and help the elderly in any way I can. In fact most people are surprised you are helping them at all. Maybe if more people were like us,seg God would not have to bless Robeson County so much.
I wish every single citizen of Robeson County would go colorblind for a year and everyone looked purple. I was not calling you out specifically on playing a race card but that it was mentioned at all. I understand your frustration and defense of it; I shake my head at some of the comments made. It just disturbs me that It happens every day, no matter what race it is. It blows my mind when people concentrate on what race a person who committed the crime was rather than the specifics on what happened and what we as neighbors can do about it. I wish we could start a movement that would require everyone to do something nice for someone else at least once a day, Imagine what our county would be after just a week. For example, my neighbor was laid off from his job but his family still needs to eat, I knew that they were hungry, so I make huge meals and invite them over telling them that I cooked way too much and they have to help me get rid of it. That way they get to keep their pride and I get to help a person in need. I plead to the people of Robeson County to look at their neighbors and see if they need help. If a disabled or elderly person cannot mow their grass, then take your lawn mower over and mow it for them, tell them you need the exercise and take no money. They are so many ways we can help each other but we have to just do it. We need to start teaching our children (and some adults) the same values that you and I seem to share. I know I need to get the rainbows out of my head but until then I will continue to help others. I always say your values start at home and we need to keep track of what our children are doing and whom they associate with. I feel very blessed that my son, who is 20, works two jobs and still finds time to help others. Do not misunderstand that I think a parent whose child commits a crime did a bad job in teaching them, there are bad seeds in every family, but it takes a village to raise children. If I see one of my neighbors kids do something wrong, I tell them. Some deny it “not my child”, my response is the same…yes, your child, my child, and everyone else’s. We can’t be with our children 24/7, if someone came up to me and told me my son did something he was not suppose to do I will take care of it instead of denying it.
On another note, Christmas is coming soon and there are so many people out of work and not because they want to be. I challenge everyone who comments and reads the Robesonian to go to a church and ask the Pastor to find a family that has fallen on hard times and make their Christmas special, my only requirement is that the family not know who did it (I don't want the praise). I call it secret Santa and I just want that family to know someone cares. We do it every year because my husband and I feel blessed that while we are not rich by any means, we do have more than most. Find an hour in your week to sit and talk with people in nursing homes or are alone in this world, everyone just might learn something. We have come a long way but many miles are ahead. We need to ask ourselves what can we do, I remember my grandmother telling me that you can’t go wrong with doing a good deed for someone and while it may not be appreciated you know you have done what was right. Everyone, start sharing the love, my grandmother and mother tells me to kill people with kindness. With these same values in mind, I will still defend myself but only if situation requires it. My mother says that I am like a rattlesnake; I will rattle to warn you but will bite if necessary. I wish you and yours well and have a great weekend.
I may be female but I refuse to be a victim, I will be judged by 12 before I'm carried by 6! Beware criminals, people are arming themselves and the next time you attempt to rob someone...it just might be me. I even answer the door with my Glock at the small of my back and my AK47 within reach so by all means invade my home. Just make sure you get right with God first...I don't fire warning shots and I shoot to kill.
PS. And if you look like a criminal you probably are a criminal. If you aren't one, I'll error on the side of safety rather than be sorry.