Repeat offender heads to prison for crimes against two women

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is heading to prison for at least six years after pleading guilty to crimes from two separate incidents last summer.

A judge sentenced Howard Scott Polonus, 39, to between six years and eight years three months in prison today after Polonus admitted to first-degree kidnapping, assault on a female and communicating threats.

The New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office says on July 30, 2015, Polonus made a verbal threat to a woman and her two children who were in the car with her at the time. The car was at an intersection when Polonus approached the driver’s side, threatening to beat her for “looking at him.” The victim did not know Polonus.

Two weeks later, on August 14, 2015, Polonus was charged with the kidnapping and assault of a 21-year-old woman, who had recently moved to New Hanover County. She had known him for about three months at the time. She was able to escape from Polonus and flagged down a passing car to get help. The two strangers in that vehicle took her to a safe place, where she was able to call police. The victim later led law enforcement back to the house where she was held captive.

Polonus was arrested and has been in jail since then. Prior to her escape the victim’s family had reported her missing after not being able to reach her by phone for several days.

The DA’s Office says Polonus had previously served 38 months in prison for second-degree kidnapping and assault by strangulation
for an incident involving another local woman he assaulted and held against her will for several days in 2011. The woman was a student at CFCC, and she met Polonus, who was also a student attending the school under a program designed for ex-offenders.

After his release from that first prison term he was convicted by a jury in March of this year for false imprisonment of a third woman, for which he received and served 120 days, the maximum for that offense.