Homeplace Road Structure Fire Investigation

On April 2, 2026, at approximately 9:19 pm, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, along with Bunyan Fire Department, Pinetown Fire Department, Old Ford Fire Department, Chocowinity Fire Department, Bath Fire Department, and North Carolina Forestry Service, responded to the 500 block of Homeplace Road in Washington, NC, regarding a structure fire. The structure was fully engulfed, with fire spreading into the surrounding area. Fire personnel advised that the building was believed to be abandoned and was originally a two-story barn.

Detectives with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office arrived and began their investigation after being deemed a suspicious fire. After a joint investigation with the North Carolina Forestry Service Law Enforcement Division and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Detectives, 33-year-old Lloyd Norman Waters III was charged with the following:

• One count of Felony Burning of Personal Property

• One count of Misdemeanor Willfully or Negligently Setting Fire to Woods and Fields

• One count of Misdemeanor Open Burning During Hazardous Forest Fire Conditions

Lloyd Norman Waters III was arrested on May 1, 2026, and is confined in the Beaufort County Detention Center under a $21,000 secured bond.

Sheriff Hammonds asks anyone with information regarding suspected criminal activity to contact the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 946-7111. You can also submit tips anonymously by contacting Beaufort County Crime Stoppers at (252) 974-6400 or submit your confidential tip by downloading the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office App and selecting Submit A Tip.