News

Tryon man gets 18-year sentence for burglary

By Bill Moss, Published: October 6, 2016

A Henderson County jury convicted a 51-year-old Tryon man on charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools. Based on a prior criminal record, Ronnie Glenn Bell, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Mark Powell to 18 years in prison. The case was tried before a jury on Sept. 26-28 at the Henderson County Courthouse.

According to District Attorney Greg Newman, Bell violated a domestic violence protective order that was issued in December, 2015. In that order, Bell was directed to have no contact, directly or indirectly, with the female victim. Bell ignored the Court’s instructions by continually contacting and harassing the victim. The victim changed the locks on her house, changed her phone number and even stayed in a shelter for a brief period of time.

Bell used a pry bar to enter the woman’s home on Dec. 26 when she was home and asleep. The noise of the break in awakened the victim and she called 911. Deputies from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department responded to find Bell emerging from the basement door. He was holding a screwdriver like an ice pick. Deputies described Bell as intoxicated and irate. Bell fought with officers before being subdued and taken into custody.

“ I am very appreciative of both my staff and Assistant District Attorney Beth Dierauf for their excellent job in prosecuting this case,” said Newman.
“Deputy Sheriff Nick Newell did a great job describing the law enforcement response and his observations about the door frame damage and pry bar that was found on the ground near the door. This case is a prime example of the fear that many women experience when they obtain a restraining order from the court, only to have it ignored by someone intent on terrorizing the victim,” added the District Attorney.
The district attorney praised the rapid response to the 911 distress call which resulted in the defendant being caught before getting away from the crime scene. According to Newman, “this case is really typical when it comes to responding to home break-ins. Our police and sheriff’s officers do an excellent job in arriving to a scene quickly, especially when a domestic abuser is on the property and threatening both a female victim and anyone else in her household.”