A Long Street man was charged with robbery following a strange theft of a rose bush from a local store. The Salisbury Police charged Gerry Malik Brown, 55, of the 500 block of North Long Street, with felony robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The incident occurred Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Kmart. Brown remains in the Rowan County jail under a $25,000 secured bond.
An employee was watering the flowers and a man later identified as Brown walked up and placed a rose bush in a backpack. The employee asked Brown if he intended to pay for the roses.
Authorities said Brown told the employee if she tried to stop him Brown would kill her and the police. Kmart personnel were able to give police a description of Brown and the direction in which he traveled. He was arrested not far from Bojangle’s. The rose bush was valued at $5.99, a report said.
In 2011, Brown was convicted of reporting a false bomb at a public building. He has also been convicted of disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, larceny, habitual felon, common law robbery, indecent exposure and receiving stolen goods.