A homeowner outside Colerain took matters into his own hands this month, holding a break-in suspect at gunpoint when Bertie County deputies reached the scene. The suspect, 44-year-old Carlton Moore, now faces six felony counts, according to the report, after stolen goods from a prior break-in turned up at his home.
Deputies were dispatched to a home on Sally Freeman Road outside Colerain for a break-in in progress, according to WITN. When they arrived, the homeowner was already holding Moore at gunpoint, the outlet reports. North Carolina law does not establish an unrestricted option for residents to use deadly force: under the state's Castle Doctrine, codified at N.C.G.S. § 14-51.2, a lawful occupant responding to an unlawful and forceful entry is afforded a rebuttable presumption of reasonable fear of death or serious harm.
That incident involved the homeowner holding Moore at gunpoint when deputies showed up. The available account does not detail the legal basis for the homeowner's detention or when law enforcement was notified.
A Repeat Address, a Second Break-In
The road wasn't new to investigators. Moore was already a suspect in another break-in on the same street the previous week, per deputies cited by WITN. After his arrest, deputies searched his home and found items stolen from that earlier break-in as well, the outlet reports.
The report lists six felony counts against Moore: two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of larceny after breaking and entering, and two counts of possession of stolen goods. It does not specify how those counts are allocated between the two incidents.
Why the Charges Stack Up So High
Under state law, breaking or entering a building with intent to commit a felony or larceny inside is a Class H felony, carrying a sentencing range of 4 to 25 months depending on the offender's prior record, per Browning & Long PLLC. First-time offenders convicted of a single Class H felony can sometimes receive probation rather than active prison time, the firm notes.
The larceny counts carry the same weight regardless of what was actually taken. Larceny committed as part of a breaking and entering is automatically elevated to a Class H felony under N.C.G.S. § 14-72, according to Lucas & Lucas P.A., regardless of whether the stolen goods exceed the standard $1,000 threshold that normally applies to felony larceny charges. The possession of stolen goods counts follow a similar standard: under N.C.G.S. § 14-71.1, possession is a Class H felony when the property came from a felony breaking and entering or is worth more than $1,000, per DeMent Askew, though prosecutors still have to show Moore knew or had reasonable cause to believe the items were stolen.
A Rural Stretch of Bertie County
The small Cremo community in northern Bertie County is about a mile from the intersections of Sally Freeman Road and Cremo Road, a stop once established along the historic Wellington and Powellsville Railroad in the early 20th century, according to the NCGenWeb Project. Cremo itself is also mentioned.
It's the kind of sparsely populated stretch that makes up much of Bertie County. The available sources do not establish Bertie County's area, 2026 population, or change since the 2010 census. The county seat is not identified in the available sources.
Detention Details
WITN mentions the Durham County jail in its report. The report does not provide the facility's capacity or the distance from Moore's home. No general transfer practice is described here, and the report does not detail why the jail was mentioned. Moore's bond has been set at $40,000, according to WITN.
This is the second notable case out of the Bertie County Sheriff's Office in recent days. The office cited an Aulander mother with 18 misdemeanor counts after deputies found six unsupervised children living in unsanitary conditions. Both cases involve the Bertie County Sheriff's Office.
