ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – An Asheville man pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied home.
Officials said 20-year-old Jaylin Gardner will serve 64 to 89 months in prison. The court granted Gardner advanced supervised release in consideration of his youth and lack of prior criminal history.
On March 30, 2022, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a place on Exchange Circle in West Asheville in reference to a breaking and entering.
Upon arrival, deputies met with two residents who reported being awakened by a dog and found a masked intruder later identified as Gardner in the home.
The residents told authorities that as soon as they scuttled, the intruder fled and fired two shots into the residence. Detectives discovered two casings outside the home.
Both bullets went into the residence hitting multiple walls, investigators said.
While searching the scene, deputies noticed that the intruder left a cellular phone behind inside the home. Detectives extracted data from the phone, which revealed photos, messages and calls that tied back to Gardner.