By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

Salisbury Police say they charged two people on Monday after they spotted them on a mo-ped without a rearview mirror. The two were charged a month ago with breaking into a vacant West Bank Street home.

Police charged Aquavius Robert Lee, 18, of the 1300 block of West Bank Street, with misdemeanor possession of, buying or receiving and altering a vehicle number and misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana.

Julius De’Angelo Smith, 23, of the 1200 block of West Bank Street, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear.

Members of the Police Interdiction Team (PIT) were in the area of Partee Street using radar and came across two males on a mo-ped. A report said the mo-ped pulled into McLaughlin’s store. Julius Smith got off first and removed his helmet.

Smith told the officer he knew there were warrants for his arrest. The officer recognized both men.

Lee told the officer he’d only had the mo-ped for about two weeks after he bought it from someone named T.J. Initially he told police he didn’t know T.J.’s last name and that he didn’t know what part of town T.J. lived in.

He later said T.J. lived in the city on the west side. Police searched Lee and found 9.5 grams of marijuana that was inside a black book bag he had on him.

Smith told investigators Lee bought the mo-ped from someone named Trell. The two went back and forth giving different stories about how the mo-ped was acquired. Police say the vehicle number was scratched off the mo-ped, and Lee told them in order to start it he had to jump start it using the kickstand. The mo-ped had no key and was hot wired, investigators said.

A month ago, both men were charged with breaking into a vacant West Bank Street home after a neighbor spotted them going into the home.

Both Lee and Smith were issued $500 secured bonds and have since been released from the Rowan County Detention Center.