© 2025 Public Radio East
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 88.5 WHYC Swan Quarter 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
89.3 WTEB operating at reduced power

Home, several vehicles damaged in Wilson man's excavator rampage

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published August 10, 2023 at 6:36 AM EDT
A Cat 345C L Excavator, aka a big digging machine
Keith Romer
/
NPR
FILE: A Cat 345C L Excavator, aka a big digging machine

Wilson Police said a man was jailed after he went on a destructive rampage in a stolen excavator late Monday night.

The Wilson Police Department received several 911 calls about a bulldozer that was hitting vehicles and a home on Carolina Street just before midnight.

Officials say Vondell Locus was taken into custody without incident.

Investigators determined the excavator was stolen from a construction site near Lodge and Barnes Streets, and after the theft Locus damaged utility poles, a street light and a home between the construction site and Carolina Street.

Locus is charged with several crimes related to vehicle theft and property damage and was jailed on a $20,000 secured bond.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston