Tuesday's assault of a jogger brought to 24 the number of criminal instances on the American Tobacco Trail since Jan. 1, 2011. Six have occurred since May 17, two robberies and four simple assaults. (See http://bit.ly/SSHhA9.)

Police have made arrests in one of the robberies and two of the assaults, and ask anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.

"There are people who know who did this," Police Chief Jose L. Lopez said at a Wednesday press conference.

Here are the Durham Police Department's lists of incidents on the ATT, one from Jan. 1, 2011 and the other from Jan. 1, 2012.

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Police have arrested two men in the killing of a 13-year-old Durham girl just over one year ago.

Levette Lipscomb (right), 26, of North Briggs Avenue and Brandon Townsend (left), 19, of North Briggs Avenue are charged with murder in the death of Shakanah China, police announced Friday morning.

Both arrests were made this morning. Lipscomb and Townsend are being held in the Durham County Jail without bond.

“We will not be able to release any detailed information,” said Acting Deputy Police Chief Larry Smith, who made the announcement. “It's still an ongoing case.”

Smith did say that that a new lead led to the arrests, and that China was an “unintended victim” when she was shot to death May 10, 2011, a few days after her 13th birthday.

China was playing with her younger sister and brother and texting on her new cell phone when she was shot. Family members and friends have said it was a gang looking for payback that shot into a group of people standing in the apartment driveway in eastern Durham.
 

Two Broad Street restaurants had to take time off Tuesday after copper thieves made off with about 30 feet of water pipe.

The Broad Street Cafe was able to reopen about 5 p.m., but the neighboring Watts Grocery remained closed until Wednesday morning.

Watts Grocery bar manager Laurabelle Sacrinty said the theft was discovered when an employee came in this morning.

"Water was gushing everywhere," Sacrinty said. "It was a disaster."

Durham Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael said the theft was reported shortly after 10 a.m. Officers found that copper pipe worth about $200 had been taken out from under the building at 1116 Broad Street.

By then, a city water crew had been dispatched to cut the water off so plumbers called in by the affected businesses could make repairs. Besides the two restaurants, the High Strung Music store occupies the building.

Sacrinty said Watts Grocery's water was operating normally by about 1 p.m. But since the restaurant had already cancelled dinner reservations and was facing a cleanup job, it was decided to wait until Wednesday to reopen.

"We're definitely open tomorrow," said Sacrinty.

Police have the case under investigation, and no charges have been filed, according to Michael. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.

Metal theft, particularly copper, has been a major problem in Durham and nationwide for several years, Michael said.

Here's a look at today's local headlines

WATER BILL WOES: Otto Ladensack has a point. His water bills were sky high before the city changed his meter. And now, even though the bills are more normal, the city says the meter tested fine and won't refund any of the money his family paid. Read Jim Wise's story and share your experiences in a letter at editor@nando.com

NEW POLICE CARS: The days of the Crown Vic are apparently numbered. Take a look at the two models the Durham Police Department is testing to replace them in our story: the Chevy Cavalier and Dodge Charger.

RIVERMONT STILL STANDS: When Polly Holloway Zendel was young, she learned to pluck the feathers off chickens. And to chew tobacco. And with those words staff writer Jim Wise begins the story of the historic house Zendel grew up in. Jim is a historian, and it shows in every line of this story. We're lucky to have him.

Bob Wilson says let gay and lesbian couples marry. Scott Holmes says get ready for lawsuits if Amendment One passes and readers sound off on gun laws, Big Brothers and Sisters, and taking care of your kidneys. What's on your mind?

Thanks for reading,

Mark

From correspondent Virginia Bridges

A family member has confirmed the body found in Parkwood Lake on Friday is that of missing Durham resident Margaret Lewis.

Marcia Lewis also confirmed that funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Howerton Bryan Funeral Home, 1005 W. Main St. in Durham. Also there will be a shiva service at 7 p.m. at Kehillah Synagogue, 1200 Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill, where Margaret Lewis was a member.

Durham police confirmed this afternoon that the body found in Parkwood Lake is Margaret Lewis.

“No foul play is suspected in her death, based on preliminary autopsy results,” said police spokeswoman Kammie Michael.

The Durham Police Department arrested 93 people during a four-day warrant roundup this month.

Several other people, including a fugitive wanted on a murder charge in Georgia, recently turned themselves in as a result of a letter-writing initiative by the Warrant Squad.
 
Warrant Squad officers with help from the department's High Enforcement Abatement Team (HEAT) squads and N.C. Community Corrections made 472 attempts to serve warrants during the four days of the roundup. Officers served 190 warrants on 93 people; 63 were felony warrants.
 
In October Warrant Squad officers obtained a list of outstanding warrants for the past five years in Durham. Officers spent two months locating current and accurate addresses for more than 1,000 wanted persons.
 
Warrant Squad officers then sent letters to these people notifying them that there was an outstanding warrant(s) for their arrest and instructing them to turn themselves in. More than 300 warrants have been served due to people who turned themselves in after receiving the letters.
 
Officers also discovered that 12 people with a total of 24 warrants had died and 10 people already incarcerated had warrants.

IHOP is now offering a $2,500 reward on top of the CrimeStoppers reward in Saturday's fatal shooting at the Durham IHOP restaurant at 1821 North Pointe Drive.

A male was told to leave the restaurant shortly before 3:25 a.m. by two Durham County sheriff’s deputies who were working off-duty at the business. The male returned a few minutes later and fired shots into the restaurant, injuring two people.

Both victims were taken to Duke Hospital for treatment. Delia Allen, 46, of Lancaster Street died from her injuries around 9 a.m. Saturday. The second victim, a 24-year-old male, was treated for a graze wound to his hand.

The shooter fled from the parking lot on foot.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 919-560-4440, ext. 29337 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers don't have to identify themselves.
 

Overall crime in Durham was down 2 percent in 2010 from its 2009 rate, and down 31 percent from nine years ago, Police Chief Jose L. Lopez reported Monday night.

Giving his annual report to the city council (link below), Lopez said the 2010 crime rate was 5,719 per 100,000 residents, whereas the 2001 rate was 8,332 per 100,000 people.

Lopez also reported "additional good news" on the department's three-year "Bull's Eye" project in a high-crime section of East Durham. There, he said, violent crime involving firearms was down 57 percent from 2007 through 2010, and police calls regarding drug activity was down 38 percent.

Bull's Eye targeted a two-square mile area that had accounted for more than 20 percent of drug and prostitution arrests although it comprised just 2 percent of the city area.

Violent crime was up 2 percent in 2010 over the previous year, led by an increase in homicides from 21 to 25. Aggravated assault was up from 801 to 877 incidents, while the number of reported rapes was unchanged, 67 in each year, and robberies down from 716 to 666.

That increase was offset by a 2 percent drop in burglary, larceny and vehicle theft, from 11,711 incidents to 11,452. Combined violent and property crimes fell from 13,316 in 2009 to 13,087 last year.

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Six Durham police officers have received recent promotions:

• Assistant Chief Loretta Clyburn to deputy chief, in charge of administrative services and community services;
• Capt. Larry Smith to assistant chief, in charge of investigative services;
• Lt. Mark Sykes to captain and District 2 commander;
• Sgt. David Addison to lieutenant and assistant Central District commander;
• Cpl. Demetrius Mock to sergeant;
• Officer Andrew W. Lawson to corporal.
   

Three times in the past week, thieves have driven vehicles into businesses and made off with merchandise, and police are offering rewards for information.

• Dec. 22, 4:20 a.m. – A stolen Dodge van was driven through the front doors of Affordable Jewelry and Pawn at 3616 Hillsborough Road. Jewelry and electronic items were stolen from the business. Officers found the stolen van a short time later on Bridgefield Place.
• Dec. 26, 4:50 a.m. – A stolen Plymouth Voyager van was backed into Radio Shack at 3500 North Roxboro Road. Several items were taken and at least two men were involved. The stolen vehicle was found a short time later on Meriwether Drive.
• Dec. 27, 5:19 a.m. – A blue pickup truck was driven through the front of Game Stop at 1804 North Pointe Drive. Three men with covered faces stole several games from the business. The truck has not been recovered.

Despite the incidents' similarity, investigators have not determined if the same suspects are involved in all three break-ins.

Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Bryant at 560-4582, ext. 29245 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.