By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man faces felony robbery charges after a police dog tracked a scent that led to a “pile of money” found at his North Ellis Street home. Police detectives linked the suspect to a robbery at the Fish Hut Arcade.

Salisbury Police charged D’Andre Anthony Curry, 31, of the 500 block of North Ellis Street, with robbery with a dangerous weapon. He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond.

Police were alerted about the robbery during a traffic stop in the 800 block of North Long Street. An officer stopped a vehicle whose driver notified the officer of the robbery. Police had not been made aware of the robbery by the business at the corner of Long Street and Bringle Ferry Road. Police said the robbery occurred around midnight and the officer made the traffic stop around 1:40 a.m., according to Police Detective Russ DeSantis.

The officer then went to the business and confirmed a robbery had occurred. Employees told police that a black male, slim, about 6 feet tall, wearing a fake beard, and latex gloves came into the business. The man walked up to the counter, placed his hand on the counter and had a pistol in the other.

“He said, ‘put everything in the bag,’ ” DeSantis said.

The suspect left and went around the building. Someone inside the business believed they knew who the suspect was and gave police his home address. A dog was called in and was led toward the railroad tracks behind the business. DeSantis said detectives collected a pair of latex gloves along the railroad tracks.

The dog continued to West Henderson Street but was held up by a train. Another K-9 was called to search and was led to Ellis Street where Curry lived. Police knocked on the door and Curry opened the door.

He gave officers consent to search the home. Officers found a pair of pants that matched the description of the robbery suspect, a pile of money in the room, and other clothes at the home that matched the description given to police. Curry was arrested at his home.

According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, this is not the first time Curry has been linked to an armed robbery. He was convicted in 2011 and spent six years in prison for the 2009 robbery of First Legacy Credit Union. In that incident, a dog tracked Curry to a home where he still had the credit union money in his possession.