One man linked to violent crime spree that included murder and arson, NC cops say
A trio of crime scenes that included a killing, a shooting and a house fire are all linked to the same suspect, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
That man has been identified as 38-year-old Fernando Alberto Casanova, and he was eventually disarmed by two of his intended victims, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 8 news release. Pitt County is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
Investigators have not revealed what the victims have in common, but the killing involved the suspect’s father, officials said.
The body of Fernando Lugo Casanova Sr., 64, was discovered around 8:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, when the fire department responded to a burning home on King Farm Road in Fountain. He was found in the backyard, with multiple gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.
It was around the same time that deputies were called to a home six miles away in Farmville, where a 27-year-old victim was found with a gunshot wound to the back, officials said. “Shots had also been fired at the residence, striking a window while two small children were inside,” the sheriff’s office says.
The third crime scene was at a home in Greenville, about 13 miles east of Farmville, where two people reported being shot at, officials said.
“Neither victim was struck and the suspect was disarmed by the victims,” the sheriff’s office said. “Casanova was transported to ECU Health for treatment of minor injuries. After being medically cleared, he was taken to the sheriff’s office for questioning.”
He was arrested and has been charged with:
- First degree murder
- Five counts of attempted first degree murder
- Shooting into an occupied dwelling
- Second degree arson
Casanova is being held without bond on the murder and attempted murder charges, officials said.