Local News

Teen Accused of Threatening Child, Torturing Hamster

A Fayetteville teen was charged Tuesday with terrorizing a child, authorities said.

Posted Updated

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A local teen was charged Tuesday with terrorizing a child, authorities said.

Joe Willie Harris, 17, of 3637 Lubbock Drive, is charged with first- and second-degree kidnapping, communicating threats and simple assault on a child under the age of 12. He was being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $44,000 secured bond.

Authorities said Harris locked a girl in small spaces for long periods of time, and he tortured the girl’s pet hamster and threatened to do the same to her.

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.