Police: 2 Marines skip out on Waffle House bill, damage a helicopter

Two Marines have reportedly staked a claim for one of the most devil dog Saturdays since 1775.

After allegedly skipping out on a bill at a Waffle House near MCAS Cherry Point on Aug. 20, Pvt. 1st Class William J. West and Lance Cpl. Andrew E. Carranza went on a bit of a tear, Havelock Police said, with one even proudly sporting a USMC sweatshirt during the dine-and-dash portion of the evening.

But the night didn’t end there.

West and Carranza reportedly went on to vandalize a HH-46E helicopter at the local Havelock Tourist & Event Center. The two Marines walked around a number of aircraft on display, police said, before one of them climbed onto an RF-4B Phantom II to snap photos. The pair then tried to spin the helicopter blades on the HH-46E. Two windows on the helicopter broke in the process.

West and Carranza later turned themselves into police and are scheduled to appear in Havelock District Court on Sept. 1, 2022.

The Marines have been charged with injury to real property and a city ordinance violation of disorderly conduct, with additional charges potentially forthcoming. Police assessed the damage to be roughly $1,000.

“West and Carranza were released after being charged, and have returned to MCAS Cherry Point,” Havelock Police Department officials wrote in a press release.

“The City of Havelock and the Havelock Police Department would like to thank our partners, Waffle House and MCAS Cherry Point officials for their assistance in bringing this to a quick resolution.”

Despite the Waffle House locale, this particular evening was certainly not an all-star special.

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