Four arrested in two drug store break-ins

By Carey Phillips

Two suspects were arrested following a chase, while two others were taken into custody after an overnight manhunt.

Phillip Michael Cisson, 21, Scotty Joe Brown, 27, April Dawn White, 25, and Lori D. Peele, 21, are charged with conspiracy, breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods. Charges stem from a break-in at Eastgate Pharmacy in Sylva.

White is also charged with failure to stop for a blue light and siren. In addition, the four face charges in Transylvania County for breaking into Toxaway Pharmacy.

Cisson, Brown and White listed Knoxville, Tenn., address; Peele listed an address in Powell, Tenn.

As of Tuesday, all four were being held in the Jackson County Jail. Bond was set at $32,000 for White and $30,000 for the other three.

The incident began around 9:20 p.m. when officers from the Sylva Police Department responded to a burglar alarm at Eastgate Pharmacy. When they arrived, they found the front door glass shattered, said Police Sgt. Tammy Hooper, who added that $10,000-15,000 worth of drugs were taken.

Witnesses reported seeing a 1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo leaving the parking lot around the same time, Hooper said.

The Toxaway break-in occurred between 10:30 and 11 p.m., according to Jackson County Sheriff Jim Cruzan. A Transylvania County deputy spotted a vehicle he believed was involved in the crime and gave chase on U.S. 64 into Jackson County, Cruzan said.

Cruzan joined the chase in Cashiers when the vehicle, which matched the description of the one seen at Eastgate, turned north onto N.C. 107.

After the car hit the guardrail in a sharp right curve about a mile north of Pine Creek, two men jumped from the vehicle with one carrying a bag. The car then took off with two other people in it, the sheriff said.

"I decided I've got two on foot, but I can come back for them later," Cruzan said of his decision to continue the car chase.

Near Tuckasegee, the vehicle turned onto a dead-end road, where the chase ended and two females were taken into custody, the sheriff said.

Some 40 officers were called in for the manhunt, which lasted all Tuesday night. Agencies represented included sheriff's departments from Jackson and Transylvania counties, the Sylva Police, N.C. Highway Patrol and Western Carolina University Public Safety.

The men were spotted Wednesday morning about a mile from where they were seen the night before. One was captured shortly thereafter with the other taken into custody an hour or so later, Cruzan said.

During the search residents were notified of the manhunt, and motorists were advised to not pick up anyone, the sheriff said.

The women taken into custody told officers that the men were armed with "a gun or guns," Cruzan said. While no weapons were found, the bag was discovered and contained ammunition along with drugs and personal items. All the drugs taken during the two break-ins are believed to have been recovered, officers said. "I was well pleased with the cooperation we had from all the departments involved," Sylva Police Chief Jeff Jamison said. "That cooperation is what brought this to a quick and successful conclusion."

Back to Archive: 07/25/02.