SALISBURY — A man has been arrested after police said he hit a woman he was caring for on the head with a frying pan before stealing her car.

Rowan County Sheriff’s Office reports indicated that deputies responded to a home on Buckshot Trail after a woman called 911 and said that a man hit her while she was sleeping, stole her wallet and keys and then drove off in her car.

While interviewing the victim, deputies reportedly learned that 58-year-old Eugene Chambers, the man accused of assault and theft, had been acting as her caretaker. The victim was transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and treated for a head laceration.

A RCSO spokesperson said that at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Chambers allegedly entered the victim’s bedroom while she was sleeping and hit her on the head with a frying pan before stealing her keys and her wallet, which had approximately $400 of cash inside.

The victim told deputies that she could not think of any reasons for Chambers to assault her. After the assault, Chambers allegedly left in the victim’s car. Deputies reportedly took out arrest warrants on Chambers for felony robbery with a firearm or other dangerous weapon and felony larceny of a motor vehicle.

The Salisbury Police Department received a call from Walmart security saying that Chambers had been sighted at the store with the stolen vehicle at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Officers responded to the store and arrested Chambers. A search revealed that Chambers still had the victim’s wallet but that the cash was missing.

Chambers was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center. He was being held without bond pending his first court appearance.