Documents from the Sanford Police Department show members of the Lee County Republican Party reported damage to one vehicle and an attempt to break into another during a motor parade held Sunday in support of President Donald Trump.
The parades have been held for at least two consecutive Sundays, with multiple vehicles driving slowly through neighborhoods and commercial areas alike, waving Trump flags while honking horns.
Around 4 p.m. Sunday, as the group drove near 418 McIver Street in east Sanford, two members reported violence or attempts at violence, according to incident reports filed with the Sanford Police Department.
First, Lance Grames told officers that someone approached his vehicle and tried to remove a flag. As that happened, a window on his vehicle was broken, and Grames reported that the person then spit on him and kicked his driver’s side door.
Grames, according to police, reported the incident to the Lee County Magistrate’s Office, who issued a warrant for 19-year-old Jose Omar Benitez. Police arrested Benitez Monday on charges of simple assault and injury to personal property.
Later, Lisa Ragan told police that someone attempted to open her car door as she drove in the parade, but she drove away.
Some social media traffic indicated that there were reports of gunfire at the time, but Major Vinnie Frazer of the Sanford Police Department said officers conducted multiple interviews and weren’t able to substantiate that claim.
Both incident reports list Sherry Lynn Womack, a Republican member of the Lee County Board of Education, as a witness.
Womack can be heard in at least one video posted to social media saying that “what started as a nice, fun, freedom little convoy has not ended too well here in Lee County,” although the video in question doesn’t appear to show any of the incidents reported.
Oddly, both incident reports show Womack living at an address in Madison, North Carolina.
GIS records in Stokes County, North Carolina do show that Womack owns property at the address listed on the incident reports, but her North Carolina voter registration shows an address in Sanford. Members of the Lee County Board of Education must live in Lee County in order to be eligible for election, and while it’s unclear what address Womack lists in the state Department of Motor Vehicles database, North Carolina requires drivers to update the address on their driver’s license within 60 days of moving. Womack is on the ballot in 2020.
Why would they (GOP) even consider parading in East Sanford? Seems more of an instigation event. Oh Sherry….
Why is a member of the Lee County Board of Education apparently living in Stokes County? The potential for election fraud is ripe in this situation, citizens are well within their rights to request Womack sign a sworn affidavit of residency & if unable to provide proof request her immediate removal from any unprinted ballots. As a vehement supporter of Voter ID many people are asking what ID Sherry Womack presents when voting & just how many elections she’s planning to participate in this year.
Wow the ignorance and bias reeks in here.
So you mean to tell me the local board elections did not do their due diligence, when candidates filed ti run?
Do you ha e a vacation or rental home in another city/state?
Or is this just a 2016 rewind, SSDD
Next ti.e before they publish an article just dripping with malice, perhaps they should attempt contact with those involved.
– Lance
Sounds like The Rant is a bit one sided
Hey Rant – Funny, you have an article about a violent assault – but almost 1/3 of the article is about the address of Sherry Lynn Womack (and you made sure to make it clear that she is a Republican). I think maybe you should really just report the news and not try to drip a little poison on people you disagree with – huh? DId you even try to contact her about her address before putting this junk in the article? (I think we know the answer)
Hey Rant, guess what – Sherry Lynn Womack lives in Lee county. I found her address within about 5 minutes of reading your article! And I never even got my Journalism Pin from the cereal box;…………..cracker-jack investigation and reporting on your part. Please just try to make an attempt at the appearance of impartiality. The article about the Trump car parade with the attack on one of the cars, and assault to one of the parade participants; (which mostly was written as a slight on Sherry Lynn Womack) – just makes the Rant look amateurish and biased.
If you are coming to the defense of Sherry Womack you need to rethink your life. Her and her husband have successfully ran out every Republican in town that would have great candidates for our city and county. Has no one noticed that our Republican Sheriff has nothing to do with party anymore. If The Womacks really want Republican victory in November they should switch parties it would be the biggest boost for the GOP.
Or perhaps you should stop by 101 S Steele St one and we can show you in person what we are doing EVERYDAY
Doing what…playing pocket pool.
LG is an idiot
Guess I should start hanging at 101 S Steele with my with my fellow idiots
It’s kind of funny he has nothing to do with the Republican Party, however I seen him at the Trump Rally, and he has taken pictures with Dan Forest and other local Republican candidates. Check your information.
My info is solid maybe you see how many LOCAL meetings he has attended-I never said he did not support the Republican Party just not the nut jobs on Steele Street
Trump 2030 please post all the photos you have with the Sheriff and the Womacks, I’ll wait
See he is such a idiot he responds to idiot posts and wastes his time and opinion on a wasted post. Must not have much to do, but play with his butthole cause he has not life.
Hummm Trump 2020 I see playing with buttholes is on your mind.
Hey LG go suck some milk out of your mommies tits
Not sure that I see/read anyone “defending” Sherry Womack. I certainly see the writer of this article in the Rant being biased and trying to harm Sherry Womack by using an article about a crime to launch a few pargraphs of negativity about Sherry Womack. She is not the topic of the article (at least she’s not supposed to be). If they want to attack her then they should at least have the courage to do it openly as an opinion article rather than disguising it as part of a crime news article. Bad reporting. Everyone has differing options about politicians but, a “sleight” like this should not be part of a news article. It makes the Rant look bad. I love reading the Rant but this was wrong.
LG, Maybe IF you checked Facebook you would see ALL the pictures? Wait, perhaps you are blocked for the way you pathetically stalk her? I just saw our Sheriff at the Headquarters during the debate and sat with him as he attends almost all of the men’s meetings. Ask him before you write anymore lies. It is no secret he is fond of Sherry and shown nothing but respect for her and her service to our nation and while serving on the Board of Education. As a matter of fact, he drove all the way to Bragg for her retirement ceremony. Why do you care so much about their relationship with the Sheriff and why did you twist your stories always trying to attack one of Lee Counties finest female combat veterans? Did your democratic Governor not just name her one of NC’s most outstanding FEMALE combat veterans? Your stories are no longer just left-wing liberal BS but frankly someone appears envious! “Go COL Sherry Lynn Womack!”. We love you dearly, and will gladly go to battle for you ANYTIME!!!!