Public, police search for answers

OGDEN -- A reported attack on Oct. 14 in Ogden has set off a cycle of hyper-awareness and social media reaction in the community that likely won’t stop until police can find enough evidence to help solve the original crime.

Since the initial attack, two more incidents have been reported to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. There has been little progress, however, in solving any of them.

On Facebook, residents are trying to spread the word and help each other stay up to date with the latest developments and rumors. NHCSO Public Information Officer Jerry Brewer said some of the details have been exaggerated on social media, but he can identify with the public’s level of concern.

“[Social media posts are] something we can use, but we don’t run to it,” Brewer said Tuesday afternoon. “What we’ve seen so far hasn’t been any sort of gross negligence. We can empathize with people who think someone is in their backyard and trying to cause harm by breaking in.”

On Oct. 14, an Ogden woman told the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office that she was letting her dogs out in the early morning when she heard something. When she went outside to check on the noise, the woman said she was attacked from behind by a man who covered his face.

The man eventually fled after an altercation resulted in a shattered glass window. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said a lack of evidence was making it difficult to pinpoint a suspect.

"Someone was attacked, so our message to the neighborhood right now is to be vigilant," Brewer said. "We implore people to call us if they recognize any suspicious activity that may be related to this incident or if they have any information."

On Monday night, a woman from the Murrayville area reported that someone tried to break into her daughter's bedroom through a window, Brewer said. The daughter said she thought she heard someone at the window, but she never saw anyone. Her brother let the family’s dogs outside and they immediately barked. The brother said he thought he heard someone jump over the fence, but he didn't see anyone, Brewer said.

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office responded, but Brewer said they didn’t find any physical evidence of an attempted break-in. A sheriff's office dog could not find a track, and CSI did not find any fingerprints on the window, Brewer said.

And on Saturday night, the Brittany Woods Neighborhood Page on Facebook had a post urging the community to keep its doors locked after a woman said someone pulled into her driveway and came into the garage attempting to get inside the home, but the door was dead bolted.

A Facebook post with tips for concerned residents from Rocky Point’s Flytrap Firearms Training has 1,700 shares and has reached over 108,000 people.

As of Tuesday, authorities have not placed any extra surveillance inside the community. Officers are aware of the investigation, and deputies within those sectors are looking for any suspicious activity related to the case.

“Two or three incidents in a New Hanover County neighborhood might be small compared to other places in the community,” Brewer said. “We don’t believe these incidents are related, and this has been difficult, but we are continuing with our investigation.”