By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged three teens with breaking into houses and trying to sell some of the stolen items.
Dwon Nicholas Still, Eric Devonta Chawlk and Richard Wade Hinson, all 19, were charged with breaking into two Rowan County homes on June 18 and trying to sell a collector’s coins the next day.
Investigators say the break-in at 835 Bonanza Drive happened sometime between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. The thieves took coins and a lock box containing personal papers. On the same day, someone broke into a home at 235 Kern-Carlton Road sometime between 7:50 a.m. and 4 p.m. Taken was a pistol and PlayStation game console and controllers.
On June 19, two people went to Top Dollar Coin Shop, 114 S. Salisbury Ave., Granite Quarry, with lots of coins and said they’d return later that day.
Around the same time, Salisbury Police investigators located a room at Executive Inn on South Main Street that contained some of the stolen items. Police found some coins and the safe. The room had been rented by Still and Chawlk.
When the men returned to the coin shop, authorities were waiting.
Two people were waiting outside the shop in a vehicle. One was Hinson. The other person had just accepted a ride from the trio and was not involved, said Sheriff’s Capt. John Sifford.
Sifford said investigators found more stolen items inside the vehicle, including electronic equipment, a serial number plate from the safe, ski masks, gloves, rope and a hammer.
Still is charged with safecracking, obtaining property by false pretenses, breaking and entering a building, larceny and possession of stolen goods. All of the offenses are felonies. He was released from the Rowan County Detention Center after posting a $16,500 bond.
Chawlk was charged with safecracking, breaking and entering a building, larceny and possession of stolen goods. All charges are felonies. He was released from the detention center after posting $15,000 bond.
Hinson was charged with possession of burglary tools, safecracking, three counts of breaking and entering a building, larceny of a firearm, three counts of larceny and possession of stolen goods. He remains in the county jail under $75,000 bond.
Sifford said this case provided a good example of citizens reporting suspicious behavior and law enforcement agencies working together.