Girlfriend charged in murder attempt, false report to law enforcement

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     Gunfire that critically injured a Tabor City area man, shot in the head inside his home, has resulted in the arrest of his girlfriend six weeks after a man was charged.

     Tara McPherson Little, 49, of Swampfox Hwy East, Tabor City, was charged Friday with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, attempted first degree murder, making a false report to a police, and two counts of failing to appear in court, Columbus County Detention Center records show.

     Little is accused in the Jan. 22 shooting of Steven Best, 49, inside the home they shared. Warrants obtained by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said Little shot best with a 9mm handgun, and told a detective that a “male subject known as Joc” was responsible for the shooting.

     Little was held at the Columbus County Detention Center under bonds that totaled $508,000.

     Charges against the original suspect in the shooting appear to have been dropped, and no longer appear in court listings. Jacques Ali Vereen, 26, of Tabor City was arrested on attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury on Jan. 25.

     Best, who was shot in the head, survived the shooting.

     Look for more on this story in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.