Additional Charges for Suspect Jason Bennett

Additional Charges for Suspect Jason Bennett
Lansing, N.C. – After further investigations, Sheriff B. Phil Howell announces
additional charges on Jason Bennett after Sunday’s event that resulted in several
business fronts being damaged by an axe.

On Saturday, October 1, a male subject attempted to burn
down a Lansing church. Camera footage led to a relatively
detailed account of a male trying to set Tuckerdale Missionary
Baptist Church ablaze.

On Sunday, December 18, Ashe County 911 Dispatch received a call reporting a male subject armed with a hatchet causing
damage to storefront buildings and residential apartments in downtown Lansing. Sheriff Deputies Johnson and Wingler
began a search of the immediate area and were able to locate the subject. 34-year-old Jason Dwayne Bennett of Wytheville,
VA, was arrested and is currently held at the Ashe County Detention Center under a $10,000 bond. Many businesses and
residential properties, including the Lansing Post Office, sustained several thousand dollars of damage.

Both events have led to the following additional charges:
• One count – Go Armed to Terror of the People
• Four counts – Injury to Personal Property
• Six counts – Breaking or Entering
• One count – Disorderly Conduct
• One count – Attempted Burning of Church/Religious Building
Bennett remains in the Ashe County Detention Facility. However, his bond has
increased from the initial $10,000 to $65,000.