By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A patch of woods near Peach Orchard Road didn’t have the number of empty beer cans needed to stop a Salisbury man from felony charges on Tuesday.
According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Matt Causey saw Jason David Morris beside a scrap metal pile in the 1100 block of Peach Orchard Road when he responded to a suspicious activity call.
Causey reported that Morris fled on foot after seeing the deputy’s car, but surrendered after two other deputies joined in the chase.
Morris told authorities after surrendering that he was “picking up beer cans in the woods.”
But deputies didn’t report that they found beer cans in the woods.
Instead they found a crow bar and a dismantled Rusher Oil garage.
The report said Causey also found fresh footprints matching Morris’ shoes and an air conditioning unit that had recently been gutted.
As officers investigated the situation, the report said, a small red truck that had been described in the initial 911 dispatch call rolled down Porter Road toward the deputies.
Causey had previously charged Morris and his wife, Brenda Clark, with stealing scrap metal near Stokes Ferry Road and saw that Clark was the truck’s driver.
She was immediately stopped and questioned by deputies.
Officers arrested Morris and charged him with felony larceny, felony breaking and entering and possession of burglary tools.
He was in jail on Thursday under a $15,000 bond.
Authorities said they expect charges to be filed against Clark.