The Wrightsville Beach Police Department reported 10 arrests on Friday, July 3, the highest number of any single weekend day so far this year.
Wrightsville Beach Fire Chief Frank Smith also reported a busy weekend for his department—personnel responded to more than a dozen EMS incidents and five fire alarms.
The U.S. Coast Guard Wrightsville Beach reported a relatively calm weekend. Petty Officer C.T. Parker said the Coast Guard was one agency that responded when a man was lacerated by a boat propeller, and on Independence Day it served two women suffering from exhaustion due to their intake of alcohol. One of them was transported to the hospital with probable alcohol poisoning, he said.
Smith said the boat propeller incident occurred in the area of Masonboro Island, and firefighter EMTs also responded. The male victim refused transportation to a hospital and was treated on the scene.
The police department’s weekend report indicated that three people were arrested for DWIs.
Not included in Friday’s statistics are two juveniles who were arrested for stealing bicycles out of a garage at 58 Pelican Dr. Both were caught not far from the scene and charged with larceny, breaking and entering. A police report indicated that each of the juveniles was released to their respective mothers.
Officer F.G. Stutzenberger reported the arrest of a Wrightsville Beach man for alleged intoxication and disruptive behavior a little after 5:30 a.m. on July 5. Jonathan Randolph McLamb of 111 Driftwood Ct., was reportedly passed out, blocking and interfering with traffic traveling through a Lees Cut cul de sac.
“The subject was very intoxicated and not complying with my demands,” Stutzenberger said. McLamb allegedly raised his voice and took aggressive postures. After being told numerous times by Stutzenberger to stop approaching the police vehicle, McLamb was arrested.
On July 6, police found more than 100 pills, later determined to be Xanax, in a vehicle occupied by two Greensboro men.
The driver, Gregory Stoessel Fox, was arrested on charges of DWI and possession of an open container in the passenger area of the vehicle. He was held on $500 secured bond.
The passenger, Michael Richard Vaitsas, was allegedly found to be in possession of an unlabeled pill bottle containing 111 pills, 98 were packaged inside a plastic wrap. Also inside the bottle was a $20 bill.
Stutzenberger said the pill bottle and its contents smelled like marijuana.
Vaitsas was held on $1,000 secured bond on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and deliver
Fireworks were determined to be the cause of two grass fires; one in the 300 block of South Lumina Avenue, the other in front of a resort at 2700 N. Lumina Ave.
Police responded to the scene and found a resort security guard trying to douse the fire with a hose, said Det. S.P. Appler
Appler said the fire was quite large, and police tried to put it out with fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived quickly and put out the flames completely.
