Authorities say a South Carolina man took $700 worth of construction equipment and company truck from the Kannapolis company where he worked and then went to see his girlfriend. Officials were able to determine Shawn Anthony Roper, 21, was the suspect in the theft after seeing him use a hoe to push the security camera up so that he could “carry out tools” from Contaminate Control Industries, on Lane Parkway.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Roper with felony larceny by employee and misdemeanor unauthorized use of motor vehicle. Roper remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $2,000 secured bond.
A department report said that on Friday Roper moved the camera, but was captured on a hidden camera the next day, taking a generator, a chop saw, hammer drill, skill saw, chainsaw, reciprocating saw and a battery drill.
He told investigators he drove the company truck to his father’s home in Easley, S.C., where he unloaded some tools and then went to his girlfriend’s Greenville, S.C., home. He spent the night and returned to Salisbury Sunday without the tools.
Another employee confronted Roper, who told him there was a job in South Carolina that he needed the tools to complete. The employee said if Roper had asked for permission, he would’ve been able to use them.
The generator, chop saw and hammer drill were still in the back of the truck, but the rest of the tools were not found. Roper was terminated.
In other sheriff’s reports:
• A man reported Monday a burglary occurred sometime between Friday and Monday in the 200 block of Sweet Gum Lane.
• A woman reported Monday a chainsaw was stolen from her property in the 1000 block of Barrow Lane.
• Jessica Dannine Absher, 23, was charged Monday with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in the 300 block of East Chamblee Drive.
In police reports:
• A man reported Tuesday his neighbor stole items from his apartment in the 400 block of Park Avenue.
• A man reported Tuesday a burglary occurred in the 1100 block of West Horah Street.
• An officer was physically assaulted Tuesday while responding to an incident in the 700 block of West Jake Alexander Boulevard.
• The Refuge reported Tuesday someone entered the church, caused damage to the air conditioning unit and an interior door in the 100 block of North Fulton Street.
• Dawn Elizabeth Aistrop, 36, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in the 500 block of Park Avenue.
• Steven Walter Graham, 44, was charged Monday with misdemeanor child abuse in the 1300 block of West Horah Street.
• Brian Evans Mattox, 18, was charged Monday with misdemeanor resist, delay, obstruct an officer in the 300 block of Faith Road.
• Taylor Page Simmons, 24, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor cyberstalking in the 1000 block of Richard Street.

Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.