Dare Sheriff IDs EC man as suspect in hit-and-run in parking lot

MANTEO — The Dare County Sheriff’s Office has identified an Elizabeth City man as the person responsible for a hit-and-run incident Wednesday in the county’s Justice Center’s parking lot.

The Sheriff’s Office said it’s issued an arrest warrant for James Kenneth Barber, 35, charging him with misdemeanor hit-and-run in the incident. Barber is not yet in custody.

According to a press release issued Thursday, the Dare Sheriff’s Office said a Ford truck struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in the Justice Center parking lot. After the collision, the driver of the Ford parked in another area of the lot, exited the vehicle and “walked around before leaving the scene without reporting the incident,” the release said.

The Dare Sheriff’s Office released a series of photographs, apparently taken by cameras mounted in the parking lot, showing the collision, the driver moving the Ford to another part of the parking lot, and a man walking around the lot. The Sheriff’s Office asked the public for its help finding the driver.

The Sheriff’s Office also released a photograph of Barber on Friday.

The Sheriff’s Office thanked community members “whose tips and assistance were critical in identifying” Barber as the suspect. It urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 252-475-5980, the Dare County Communications Center at 252-473-3444, or the Pasquotank County Communications Center non-emergency line at 252-331-1500.