WAKE COUNTY — WAKE COUNTY: You did it again! You called the NC WANTED Hotline and led authorities across state lines to capture another violent fugitive.
This time, the captured fugitive's name is Charles Edward Benjamin. He is Raleigh Police Department's primary suspect in an attempted murder case that dates back to 1980.
According to authorities, Benjamin was taken into custody without incident on October 4 at his Brooklyn, N.Y. apartment. The arrest was made by U.S. Marshals.
For 27 years, Benjamin had been wanted by the Raleigh Police Department for an attempted murder charge.
According to Jim Sughrue, spokesperson for the Raleigh Police Department, "The key to making the arrest was the fact that the victim learned the suspect was now residing in New York City and passed that information along to us through NC WANTED."
The alleged attempted murder took place in May of 1980 in Raleigh.
According to the victim (who was one of the callers to the NC WANTED Hotline), she was shot in the face and left for dead. Somehow she survived having a bullet lodged in her brain.
A friend of the victim coaxed her into making the call to NC WANTED in late June. They described Benjamin as a trained marksman who knew all about firearms and how to use them. They believe his actions were premeditated.
Investigators took the tip information and spent weeks working with the U.S. Marshals to track Benjamin's whereabouts in New York.
Now, Charles Edwards Benjamin is being held in a New York jail awaiting extradition to North Caroilna.
Congratulations to YOU. Without your tips, many cases would not be solved and many fugitives would not be caught.
Anyone with information on crimes in NC should call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.
