GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Two men have been arrested in connection with a homicide stemming from a Feb. 2 shooting on East New Hope Road, according to an update released by the Goldsboro Police Department.
Police announced that Preston Chestnut Jr., 19, of Goldsboro, was arrested on Feb. 6 after investigators developed him as a suspect in the case. Chestnut is charged with Murder, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance on Jail Premises. No bond information was available.
Due to the high-risk nature of the warrants, members of the Goldsboro Police Department’s Emergency Response Team utilized the department’s Max Pro armored vehicle while attempting to execute a search warrant and take Chestnut into custody. Police said the suspect became mobile and was later located inside a vehicle at Sheetz, 1001 N. Spence Avenue, where all occupants of the vehicle were arrested without incident.
A second suspect, Tyler Pearsall, 22, of Dudley, was also arrested. Pearsall is charged with Accessory After the Fact to Murder, Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Cocaine, and two counts of Carrying a Concealed Weapon. No bond information was available.
Following Chestnut’s arrest, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, where evidence related to the case was seized. Multiple divisions, including the Emergency Response Team, Criminal Investigations Division, VICE Unit, and Patrol Division, assisted in the operation.
The arrests stem from a shooting reported at approximately 2:46 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the 400 block of East New Hope Road. The victim, Demartquise Ti’Quez Swinson, 28, of La Grange, was transported to UNC Health Wayne and later airlifted to ECU Health in Greenville, where he succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 3. The case is now being investigated as a homicide.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wayne County Communications Center at (919) 705-6572 and request to speak with a Goldsboro Police Department investigator.
