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Stanley Circle resident held in attempted murder case
• Zephaniah Martin charged with setting fire on March 16 in attempt to kill three sleeping residents of Stanley Circle.
By BOB HIGH
Staff Writer
A 29-year-old Whiteville man was arrested Friday on three counts of attempted murder and arson in the burning of a Stanley Circle home on March 16.
Zephaniah Martin is charged with trying to kill three occupants of a mobile home by throwing a full five-gallon can of gasoline through a window of the structure, then tossing a lighted piece of paper onto the spilled fuel.
A sleeping Stacy Marcella Garcia heard the crash of glass, and the 24-year-old woman raced to awaken her parents and get them out of the home when she discovered the flames.
The gas can was thrown through the left front window and landed in a spare bedroom in the home where Roberto Luis Garcia, 53, and wife Joanne, also 53, had lived for 20 years.
Stanley Circle, just outside the limits of the Town of Brunswick, has been a haven for drug dealers and notorious assaults and murders for several years, including four homicides in the past three years.
Probe continues
“Investigation by our detectives pointed to Martin, and I’m pleased he’s been charged. Our investigation isn’t complete, and there might be more arrests,” Sheriff Chris Batten said.
Batten noted the Garcia family were targets of the deliberate act, and pointed out the three victims were not included in any reported criminal activity. “They were perfectly innocent at the time, and we’ve found nothing to change that status,” the sheriff added.
Sheriff’s Detective Jeremy Barber said he and SBI agents are continuing to question people about the incident. “We’re investigating the fact others might have been involved,” Barber stated.
The Garcia family fought the blaze with a garden hose as they awaited the arrival of the Brunswick Volunteer Fire Department after the 12:30 a.m. incident, and the quick arrival of the firefighters saved the residence.
Already in jail
However, there was water and heavy smoke damage throughout the home, and the fire gutted the unused bedroom.
Martin was arrested inside the jail where he had been a resident since last week after being arrested by Whiteville police in two felony cases.
The suspect was charged by local police with breaking a glass panel at the rear entrance to Ward’s Grill during an attempt to enter the business on March 11.
The second felony case involves Martin charged with passing a stolen and forged check at one of Hill’s grocery stores on Nov. 25, 2006.
Barber said he is being assisted in the investigation by SBI Agents Josh Hickman and Mac Warner, plus other sheriff’s detectives.