Staff report
A 17-year-old from Jacksonville is in the Rowan County Detention Center under a bond of more than $1 million after authorities say he broke into a local business twice since February and set a fire there early Friday.
Lavon Jerome Hollingsworth is charged with breaking and entering, second-degree arson, larceny of a motor vehicle, felony larceny, larceny of a firearm, possession of burglary tools and a number of other crimes. Some of the charges originated in other counties.
Hollingsworth’s address is 1152 Pickett Road in Jacksonville, but he had been reported missing from Charlotte, according to a press release from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 1:15 a.m. Friday, a caller reported seeing a person in dark clothes get out of a vehicle and walk toward Hammer Truck Sales, 310 Truck Ave. near Interstate 85, the press release said.
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. M.A. Brady located the vehicle while deputies C.D. Williams and J.W. Lentz approached the business, where they saw a light on inside. While the deputies were outside, the building’s burglar alarm activated and they saw someone in black clothes run toward a wooded area at a nearby mobile home park, the press release said.
The deputies chased the suspect on foot through the parking lot at Hammer Truck Sales, across I-85 and to the area near Kohl’s department store, where they caught him. Then they noticed heavy smoke coming from the Hammer Truck Sales building and called for firefighters.
The South Salisbury Fire Department responded with a number of other departments assisting in what became a two-alarm fire. Rowan County Fire Marshal Tom Murphy said the fire damaged an office area, with smoke damage elsewhere. He said firefighters found heavy smoke and intense heat but quickly brought the blaze under control.
Authorities determined the 2005 Honda that Hollingsworth drove to the business had been stolen from Greensboro, the press release said. Inside the vehicle, investigators found two handguns, two laptop computers and a canvas bag containing optical equipment, all stolen from the business.
The Sheriff’s Office said Hollingsworth has been charged with the break-in Friday and a Feb. 16 break-in at Hammer Truck Sales during which a surveillance camera caught the suspect, wearing dark clothing and with his face partially concealed by a mask, entering and leaving the building.
During that break-in, authorities say, the suspect stole five firearms, a small safe and a camera.
When taken to the Rowan County Magistrate’s Office, Hollingsworth was served with eight outstanding warrants from Onslow and Carteret counties.
He is also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, two counts of resisting, obstructing and delaying an officer, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of failure to appear or comply with a court order.
In addition to South Salisbury, the Salisbury, Faith, Granite Quarry, Locke and Bostian Heights fire departments responded to the fire.