CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Friday afternoon, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said it was still examining the home of suspect Floyd Ray Roseberry.
What You Need To Know
Investigation continues at the home of Floyd Ray Roseberry in Cleveland County
Law enforcement says the search and road closures could continue for days
Capitol Police say Roseberry was arrested Thursday for threatening to use a bomb on the sidewalk of the Library of Congress
Roseberry was arrested Thursday in Washington, D.C. for threatening to use a bomb near the Library of Congress, according to United States Capitol Police.
In a brief statement Friday, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office wrote the following about their activity on Blacksburg Road, “The safety of the officers and community are priority and a full-scale search could take an extended time and cause delays in areas of Earl, NC. We will work as expeditiously as possible to resume normal traffic but again safety paramount. We thank you for your patience and will provide more information as it arises.”
In a press conference Thursday, local law enforcement officials and the FBI said Roseberry’s last known residence was on the 3000 block of Blacksburg Road.
Late into the afternoon Friday, a large portion of Blacksburg Road was still closed due to the investigation.
"The person of interest was identified, by the U.S. Capitol Police, as a resident of our county. The sheriff’s office acting in partnership with FBI Charlotte and N.C. SBI and several other agencies secured and acquired legal documentation for a residence in the southern part of Cleveland County. The law enforcement agencies that are working to search and secure the home in Cleveland County, North Carolina, which is connected to the investigation in DC, have a critical and meticulous job," Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said in its statement.
John Dean Jr. has lived in this area for more than a decade. When he went to get supplies for his lawnmower Thursday, he realized he could not take his regular route.
“Well when I left home, I couldn’t make a right turn cause I was going down Blacksburg,” Dean explained.
His quick trip to the hardware store turned into a 90-minute detour, due to the road closure.
“I made a left, went around through — back towards town. I come back, and I was going to come around back through Blacksburg and come home. But when I got on the 198, they turned me off of it,” Dean continued.
At the time, Dean said he did not know law enforcement was investigating the area around Roseberry’s alleged house.
“Then all of sudden, I find that the person in Washington with a bomb, lives down the street from me! So, what can I say?” Dean said.
He had been following the case most of the day on his phone, as he kept getting alerts from news stations. He said he had no idea the suspect in the Washington, D.C. area would have a connection to his neighborhood.
“That somebody like this was living down the street from me? But, I have to have seen him before, many times, but I had no idea — dangerous,” Dean said.
He and two of his neighbors said they heard helicopters and saw a lot of law enforcement vehicles on Thursday, but did not realize at first they were connected to the situation in Washington.
Dean added that in his 12 years here, he’s never had a situation like this, and it spooked him.
“I quit watching the news 'cause I was tired of hearing bad things. I don’t know, it’s kind of scary. I know that,” he said.
Neither Dean nor his two neighbors know Roseberry personally, but said it’s such a small community they probably have seen him around town. All three live just off of Blacksburg Road on a side street. The entrance to their street was just before the police barricade on Thursday.
However, by Friday, the police barricade had expanded about a mile up the road.