Charles Babb faces more charges related to his escape attempt

BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

EDENTON – Chowan County Sheriff Edward “Scooter” Basnight made a rare appearance before Edenton Town Council on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, to publicly thank Police Chief David LaFon for his “beyond remarkable” response during Sunday’s search for an escaped inmate — a crisis that included a few encounters with residents before the fugitive’s Monday morning capture.

Basnight told the council that LaFon and his officers were “right there” from the moment the sheriff arrived in town around 7:45 p.m. Sunday until they suspended the search at 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 8.

Information about council’s public hearing on the possible closure of part of South Moseley Street can be found here.

“Anything I asked for, he was right there with me the whole time,” Basnight said of LaFon.

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The sheriff’s praise came after Charles Edward Babb, 23, formerly of Elizabeth City and currently of Tip Toe Road in Edenton, escaped from Chowan County Detention Center on Sunday evening and spent hours evading multiple law enforcement agencies before his capture Monday morning on West Queen Street.

During the manhunt, a local mother saw Babb in a neighbor’s driveway while taking her two daughters to school Monday morning, according to Councilman Patrick Sellers (at-large).

“Her two daughters were on the way to White Oak and D.F. Walker, and they quickly realized, ‘That man’s in all orange. Something’s wrong,’” Sellers recounted Tuesday.

The mother reversed direction, called police, and flagged down an officer to report the sighting.

LaFon, who was among the officers who made the arrest, went beyond his official duties by later visiting the mother’s two shaken daughters at their home.

“Chief LaFon went and met with those two girls in their home to help ease their fears,” Sellers said. “It’s the little things like that that make Edenton, Edenton. And I think it’s the little things like that that make Chief LaFon who he is.”

In a separate incident, Marie Steinburg discovered Babb in her car when she attempted to go to work.

Basnight acknowledged that some social media posts about the incident may not have given Edenton police proper credit.

“I just want to publicly thank him and tell you what a great, great man you got here,” the sheriff said of LaFon.

Mayor Hack High responded by thanking both law enforcement leaders.

“I know you guys don’t do it for the thanks. You both have a servant mentality and servant mindset,” High said. “Far too often you don’t get the thanks as it’s deserved. And I just want to let you know, as mayor and this council, we all appreciate what you do, and we say thanks.”

The council chambers on South Broad Street erupted in applause following Sellers’ account of LaFon’s visit to comfort the frightened children.

Regarding the incident, Edenton resident Karen Murray raised concerns during the public comment period about not receiving HyperReach emergency alerts about the escape attempt. Town Manager Corey Gooden explained that approximately 4,800 residents are registered, and the town will conduct a mass outreach to sign up, suggesting Murray’s contact information may need updating.

Babb was originally arrested and held on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop by Edenton Police. In late November, the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office charged him with larceny after breaking and entering and breaking and/or entering for incidents that occurred in November.

Related to his escape, Babb now faces a charge of escape from local jail, a felony, from the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office. Edenton Police Department has charged him with breaking and/or entering, a felony; larceny after breaking and entering; possession of stolen goods/property, a felony; and breaking/entering a motor vehicle.