By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
ROCKWELL – A 16-year-old runaway crashed a tractor-trailer through a gate and abandoned the truck on U.S. 52 Thursday, authorities said.
According to an arrest report, Tracy Carpenter was taken to Nazareth Children’s Home by Stanly County Sheriff’s deputies prior to the incident.
Officials at the home found 16 to 17 rounds of ammunition and a knife sheath in the teenager’s possession when he arrived, an arrest report said. The knife was not located.
“Mr. Carpenter made the statement he would not be staying,” the report said.
He didn’t.
Carpenter was found missing from his room shortly after.
Deputy Lunda Eller was called to the scene to search for the missing teen and found a damaged gate nearby. “It was then realized that a semi truck was missing,” the report said.
Rockwell Police Officer Steven McNeely found the truck parked in the middle of the road on U.S. 52 in front of Food Lion.
Authorities set up a perimeter and located the teenager as he “tried to run from a wooded area beside Johnny’s restaurant,” the report said.
Officers caught Carpenter and he was charged with felony larceny of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor injury to personal property.
He remained in jail Tuesday morning under a $10,000 bond.