Arrested pair suspected in 100+ break-ins

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Detectives with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, along with investigators in New Hanover and Pender Counties, say two people are responsible for more than 100 break-ins in the area.

Detectives say James Edison Smallwood, Jr., 33, and Kimberly Marie Mayhew, 27, are facing several charges including breaking and entering, financial card theft and larceny of a firearm. WPD, New Hanover deputies filed additional charges, and additional charges are pending in Pender County.

Break-ins were reported throughout each county from early October through the date of the arrests, November 19. In Brunswick County, while incidents were reported in multiple areas, the Leland and Winnabow areas suffered the highest volume of break-ins. Similarly, in New Hanover County, reports came from several areas of the county, with inside the city limits of Wilmington seeing the majority of the incidents. Rocky Point and Hampstead were the main areas reported in Pender County.

Investigators said Mayhew and Smallwood are believed to be responsible for more than one hundred break-ins throughout the three-county area. The total value of the stolen items is estimated to be more than $1 million, deputies said.

Mayhew and Smallwood are both being held in the Brunswick County Detention Facility; Mayhew has a $50,000 bond and Smallwood has a $100,000 bond.