Iredell County Man Charged With Firing Shots At Vehicle

On Friday, December 30th, shortly after midnight, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies responded to the area of York Spann Road in Northern Iredell County in reference to a report of shots fired at a vehicle.

When the deputies arrived, they located three juveniles who told the deputies they had gone to a home to pull a prank on a friend by toilet papering the friend’s house. While they were at the house, a neighbor, identified as 50-year old William James Baugus of Hamptonville saw them. Baugus confronted the juveniles, who got into their vehicle to leave the area. As the juveniles drove away, Baugus allegedly fired three shots at their vehicle. The deputies observed two bullet holes in the vehicle the juveniles were operating.

Baugus then got into his vehicle and followed the juveniles for some distance. The deputies learned the suspect had driven his vehicle into the rear of the juveniles’ vehicle while the juveniles were trying to get away from him. As a result of his hitting them, the juveniles were involved in a vehicle collision. None of the juveniles were injured as a result of the incident.

Detectives interviewed witnesses and collected evidence from the scene. Baugus gave a statement to the detectives, and the firearm used was seized as evidence.

Baugus has been charged with one Count of Felony Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Property and Three Counts of Misdemeanor Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

He was placed in the Iredell County Detention Ceneter with a secured bond of $50,000.

Photo: Iredell County Sheriff’s Office