Adelina Shee
Staff writer
PEMBROKE — A Pembroke man will face more than 19 arson charges after he set an automotive shop on fire Thursday night, damaging three other businesses and destroying 15 cars, according to Lt. Brian Duckworth of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Larry Oxendine, 51, of the 2600 block of Evergreen Church Road, Pembroke, was arrested by Pembroke police after surveillance videos from a nearby business captured him setting J’s Transmission Shop at 621 Union Chapel Road on fire. According to Duckworth, Oxendine, who appeared to be drunk in the surveillance video, lit cardboard boxes that were then used to spread the fire to the building.
According to Duckworth, Oxendine acted out of revenge.
The fire, which started just before midnight Thursday, also damaged a massage parlor, a tattoo shop and a small jewelry store.
“The tattoo parlor had couches which were all covered in soot, they’re probably going to have to throw it all away,” Duckworth said.
Detective Reese Oxendine of the Pembroke Police Department said that he responded to the call about a fire along with the Pembroke Fire Department.
“When I got here at about 2:30 a.m., the fire was contained … ,” Oxendine said.
Duckworth said that firefighters worked until the early hours of the morning today to put the fire out.
“If you were to give an estimate on damages, including all the cars, I would say a couple hundred thousand dollars,” Duckworth said.
Johnny Conley has owned and operated the transmission shop for 11 years. Conley said the business did not have insurance, and he is not sure if he will be able to reopen.
“I don’t know right now,” Conley said. “I don’t know where I’m going to go or what I’m going to do.”
Duckworth said that Conley and Oxendine’s father were in a recent dispute over the sale of an electronic part, but that the dispute had been settled between the two men. According to Conley, Oxendine didn’t know the situation was resolved.
Detective Oxendine said that the accused was being held at the Pembroke Police Department this morning.
ps. Do you see how stupid this sounds?
pss. And to the parents of the Newtown Ct. killings: Sorry for your loss, but it doesn't make you an expert on gun control. If a teacher would have had a gun, your kid may still be here.... Maybe..maybe not, but don't you wish you at least had the opportunity to find out?
Liberalism/democrats have killed more people than any other group in history.....
ps. Liberals and the Tea party are taking over the REPUBLICAN PARTY.
ps. Sometimes it's better to keep you're mouth shut and allow others to "assume" you are stupid, rather than open it and remove ALL doubt......
Remember you accused me of making stuff up, which I know you don't do (cough,cough). So I'm sure you got these stats from somewhere. Post the reference, please.
You allow complete strangers with guns around your kid everyday...he/she is called a cop. They are strangers to you, but you know the teacher, what's the problem. If all teachers were strapped, children would be much safer. The thugs would learn to act right, and a criminal would think twice before entering the school. You ever heard of a mass shooting at a police station?
Just think if one of those dead teachers had a pistol in their hand after they heard the first shots fired, instead of running toward the guy with an eraser in hand they could have fired off some rounds and ended it sooner.
ps. GUESS WHAT STOPPED THIS BAD MAN WITH A GUN........A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN!!!!!!!
git er done.
And to ol freighshaker: The answer is "trust me"... My brain is a computer, there's so much info up there it's amazing. Just believe me when I say it, cause I'm almost NEVER wrong...almost. It's something like 99.99999999% correct.
ps. An encyclopedia salesman came to our house one day, and my wife told the fella we don't need those books, "my husband knows everything"....