The
ews
Journal
it happened; It's news to
50(t
No. 38 Vol. 96
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Teen mom charged with murder of infant
Autopsy indicates six-week-old child was beaten to death, sheriff says
k
Latoya McLean is led from the Hoke courthouse annex to be held without bond for
the first-degree murder of her infant, Nasir, who died last week.
By Victorians Si mmi-rs
Staff writer
South Hoke teenager Latoya
Neishawn McLean was arrested early
Friday morning after allegedly confess
ing to the murder of her six-week-old
son, Nasir Amare Jones, last Wednes
day. The infant died on December 1 of
critical injuries, and his death was im
mediately suspected as a homicide, ac
cording to Sheriff Hubert A. Peterkin.
“I commend our deputies for their
thorough work in getting the facts to
gether on this case," Peterkin said. “The
tragedy of this is that an infant is dead,
and the mother who (allegedly) com
mitted the crime is so young.
“Basically, the baby was beaten to
death.”
Nasir was born on October 18. He
resided with McLean, who was unem
ployed, and his maternal grandmother
at 249 Ashgrove Lane.
McLean, 17, has been charged with
first-degree murder, signifying alleged
premeditation, and twocountsof felony
child abuse inflicting serious bodily in
jury-
She is being held without bond after
being transferred from Hoke County
Jail to the women's prison in Raleigh.
McLean has been placed on a suicide
watch, according to law officers.
Peterkin said initially that Neil
McLean, father of McLean, had assured
detectives that his daughter would sur
render to authorities last Thursday af
ternoon.
This was as a result of warrants is
sued for her arrest. When she did not
appear, a BOLO (be on the lookout) was
issued. Detectives combed the county
all evening in the rain, trying to locate Cause of death
her. McLean finally turned herself in to Hoke detectives were present during
detectives at the Hoke Sheriff's Office the autopsy procedure last week. Pre-
around 1:45 a.m. on Friday.
(See MOTHER CHARGED, page 7A)
Trage(dy of baby’s death
impacts family members
B'l VlCnORIANA Si MMI RS
Staff writer
Two relatives of infant Nasir Amare
Jones, whose mother, Latoya McLean,
has allegedly confessed to his murder.
said they are grief-stricken over his death
and find it hard to believe she killed her
child. They wonder if she was unable to
cope with the responsibility of being a
parent because she is only 17 years old.
(See TRAGEDY, page 7A)
V.
Babe in a cradle
Wynona Locklear and Lee Dial Jr. visit the baby doll at the Raeford-Hoke Museum’s
Christmas party Sunday.
Raffle to benefit
abandoned animals
Health Director
Womble retires
Mill Prong House
reveals history
Hoke Countians
celebrate holidays
Births 2B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 'j-BB
Deaths 6A
Editorials 2A
Legals )-4B
Religion 7,\
St hools JB
Socials 2B
S|)orts 4A
Weddings 2B
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Hoke Lanciing shopping (xnter opening set for Feb.
MiCasita, Domino’s, Subway to join Food Lion with more stores on the way, Riddle says
B'l Vl( KIRI \N \ St MMI-RS
Staff writer
Food Lion corporation will take the
lead as the first major grocery store chain
to open in Hoke County outside of
Raeford. A grand opening for the store,
beside Eiast Hoke Middle School, is an
ticipated shortly after the multi-million
dollar Hoke Landing shopping center is
completed on February 4, according to
developer Joe Riddle, president of Riddle
Commercial Properties Inc. in
Fayetteville.
Riddle thanked County Manager Mike
Wood, City Manager Mike McNeill, the
Raeford city council, Hoke Planning Di
rector Linda Revels, and Hoke county
commissioners for their help in making
the shopping plaza a reality.
“Everybody in Hoke County has been
so nice to me,” Riddle said. “I really
appreciatedalloftheircooperation. 1 joked
with them when they asked me how much
did 1 think would be my investment at
Hoke Landing. I told them about $4 mil
lion.
“I said, ‘This is the first time 1 have had
to write the value of my own tax bill.’”
Riddle said he purchased the 14.4-acre
tract located at the intersection of U.S.
401 North and Club Pond Road for $1.2
million. It averaged out to approximately
$85,000 per acre.
“1 am not sure, but I think that may be
the most expensive land ever purchased
in Hoke County.” Riddle said. “I also
purchased an additional 10 acres behind
the shopping center that will be used for
(See SHOPPING CENTER, page 8A)
Man driving erractically hits van, dies
B> Vl( lORI \S \ Si MMI.RS
Staff writer
A Maxton man, careening erratically
along Highway 211 Monday, hit one ve
hicle, almost clipped several others, and
then crashed head on into a van. killing
himself and injuring the driver of the van.
Ralph L. Starnes was apparently killed
in.stantly in the crash that Hipped his vehicle
over in a driveway near the highw'ay’s in
tersection with Old .Maxton Road, accord
ing to a w itness.
Starnes first struck one vehicle approach
ing him in the southbound lane near Red
Springs. Continuing on, he finally collided
— apparently head-on — with an Hispanic
woman whose identify was not known at
press time. She was taken to Cape Fear
Valley Medical Center.
At the wreck scene, shattered glass and
mangled parts of the two vehicles were
strewn along the road for almost half a mile.
Hoke deputies were forced to cordon off
211 for more than one hour as N.C. High
way Patrol troopers H.W. Hicks and F.
Grumpier investigated the accident.
(See WRECK, page 4A)
1
a
*
News
Bv Kin MvcDonau)
General Manager
We spent the weekend creating Hoke
County's gaudiest Christmas tree. But we
like it.
The lights are red. blue, green and or
ange, and they’re those big bulbs, not the
w eenie. sickly ones that normal people like.
There are a few white lights to give it class,
but precious few.
The tree is short and plump(by accident)
and is beginning to resemble a child only
his mother could love.
Asvou know.when vou'retrom Raeford,
icws-fJournal
s Other stuff
A volunteer examines the wreckage of a truck in which a Maxton man died.
r Stuff
OTi
N’ uni
you often have to create your own enter
tainment, and ours this time of year is
sitting on the couch looking at the tree. We
identify the ornaments and tell our unfortu
nate children where they came from. Not
where the children came from — where the
ornaments came from. The kids really would
feel unfortunate to be hearing that.
Looking over the tree Sunday, I saw that
several ornaments were Christmas presents
from the Thigpen girls when they were in
elementary school. They’re in college now.
Another one of my favoriles has a story
behind it. Well, they all do, but men don’t
(See 01 HER STUFF, page bA)
The van driven by an unidentified woman was left in shambles after
a truck that crossed the centerline of Highway 211 Monday.
being struck by