Three men charged with stealing dump truck, breaking into other vehicles
Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, September 20, 2016
LANDIS — Three men are expected in court next week, each facing felony offenses after Landis Police charged them with stealing a dump truck and for their involvement in a string of burglaries, officials said.
The police department charged Casey Ayala, 17, of Flat Rock Road, and Justin Johnson, also 17, of Cannon Farm Road, late last week. Each is charged with 13 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, one count felony larceny of a motor vehicle, one count felony larceny of financial transaction cards, and several counts of misdemeanor larceny.
Christopher Huffman, 20, of Cloverfield Drive, faces similar charges. Ayala and Johnson were each issued a $30,000 secured bond and remain in jail. Huffman’s bond was set at $150,000. Huffman also remains in the county jail.
The trio are charged with breaking into a series of vehicles on the East side of Landis early on the morning of Sept. 14. The vehicles were spread across the entire length of town, beginning near Sprinkler Drive and ending near the Oaks of Landis subdivision, located along U.S. 29, the department said via its Facebook page.
Police say the men also stole a 2015 Freightliner dump truck from a construction site at the Kimball Road underpass. The truck was found parked near Johnson’s residence on Cannon Farm Road.
Police recovered the truck, along with most of the stolen property. At the time of arrest, one of the men had the key to the stolen dump truck in his possession, police said.
All of the vehicles broken into were unlocked. Landis Police Sgt. K. Young investigated the case with assistance from other patrol officers and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
The men are expected in court Sept. 28.
— Shavonne Walker
