The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced charges against a Hillsborough man accused of both causing a recent fire at a small business complex and a series of home break-ins.

A release from the office said 49-year-old James Pickens Jr. was charged on Tuesday related to a fire at 1515 Coleman Loop Road that began late Saturday night. It comes after Pickens was already arrested, charged and released in a series of break-ins that same evening north of Hillsborough along Boogaboo Trail and River Run Lane.

Overnight Saturday, a witness reported to investigators that they saw a person walking away from a running vehicle left in the road and heard gunshots shortly after losing sight of the person. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the vehicle still running and the driver’s door left open. A search of the area led them to discover one residence broken into, before the deputies reported hearing another gunshot and finding another residence broken into.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said deputies then used advanced search tactics to comb the area and locate Pickens, who was then taken into custody. At the time, he was charged with two counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering, armed to the terror of the people, and other misdemeanor charges. According to the release, Pickens left the detention center on Monday evening after making bond.

James Pickens Jr., 49. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)

Investigators charged Pickens on Tuesday, though, with additional crimes after investigators located evidence the sheriff’s office said connects him to the fire on Coleman Loop Road, which is a complex sometimes called the Major Business System building. The Orange Rural Fire Department reported arriving to the address around 11:22 p.m. on Saturday to find “heavy flames” on the building’s roof and heavy smoke indoors. The fire took several days to stop — with the Orange Rural Fire Department saying Monday that crews were still on-site to stop ongoing hot spots and smoldering materials around the roof. In Monday’s update, the fire department said it appears the blaze was “not an accidentally set fire.”

Based on their evidence, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it charged Pickens on with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and the burning of a commercial structure. Because of his new charges, the Pre-Trial Integrity Act requires Pickens to be held at the detention center for up to 48 hours without bond.

Tuesday’s release from the sheriff’s office said Pickens’ next court date is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m.

 

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Sheriff's Office Says Orange County Teen 'Safely Located' After Search
The Orange County Sheriff's Office shared an alert to the public Thursday morning, asking for assistance in locating 15-year-old Haylee Moore.
Hillsborough Man Charged With Multiple Counts of Child Exploitation
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Hillsborough man Friday and have charged him with 15 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. The sheriff’s office says Christopher M. Watson, 45, turned himself in at the magistrate’s office, immediately posted a $7,500 secure bond and appeared in court Monday afternoon. According to the sheriff’s […]
Reward for Escaped Convict Up to $50,000; Local and State Officials Continuing Investigation
The manhunt for Ramone Alston stretched into a second day in Orange County, with investigators increasing the reward for his arrest.
Orange Rural Fire Department Responds to Structure Fire in Hillsborough
UPDATE: The Orange County Sheriff’s Office charged a Hillsborough man on Tuesday in connection to the fire. Click here to read coverage. The Orange Rural Fire Department has been fighting a structure fire at 1515 Coleman Loop Road, just north of downtown Hillsborough, for more than 48 hours. According to the department, firefighters arrived on […]
Sheriff's Office: Fallen Tree Injures Vehicle Occupants, Knocks Out Power in Hillsborough
A stretch of Lawrence Road is closed as emergency responders and Duke Energy respond to a fallen tree on Monday afternoon, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The office shared an alert on its Facebook page warning drivers to avoid the part of street between Highway 70 and Highway 70A, which is near the Occoneechee […]
UPDATE: Man Arrested for Hillsborough Storage Unit Thefts
Monday, May 20** The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man in connection with recent break-ins at the Surety Storage Facility in Hillsborough. Steven Adam Woodson, 34, of Roxboro, is currently being held without bond at the Orange County Detention Center. He was arrested on Saturday when deputies seized […]
Sheriff: Suspect in Orange County Armed Robbery Identified, Charged
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said it charged 21-year-old Tyree Javeon Vernon-Williams over an armed robbery off Old N.C. 86 in October.
After Review, Orange County Says Boom in Hillsborough Was 2.2 Magnitude Earthquake
UPDATE: On Friday, the Orange County government said the U.S. Geological Survey completed a review and determined the loud noise ultimately was a small earthquake.
Orange County Sheriff's Office: 17-Year-Old Reported Missing on Tuesday
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office alerted the community on Tuesday to a missing persons report of a local teenager. A post on the agency’s Facebook page said Joshua Lane Corona was reported missing Tuesday morning by his parents. The family told investigators they saw the 17-year-old at 11 p.m. on Monday but he couldn’t be […]
Orange County Sheriff's Office Reports Deputy's Shooting of Armed Suspect
An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy shot an armed suspect during the attempted serving of a felony warrant on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office. A statement from the office said shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, Orange County deputies arrived in the 1300 block of Carolina Loop, which is a road east of Hillsborough’s town […]
›