Blotter: Aug. 23

Published 10:48 pm Sunday, August 23, 2020

In weekend crime reports:

• Yota Renee Price, 30, of Salisbury, was charged on two counts of simple assault for allegedly striking and then pushing Yvonne Wheeler Tucker into a bannister. The other count was for allegedly grabbing the wrist of Steven Adam Wheeler and twisting his arm. Price was also charged with failure to appear on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Samantha Lee Adams, 26, of Gold Hill, was charged with obstruction of justice and resisting a public officer. Adams allegedly obstructed justice by approaching a detective at the scene of a felony investigation and claiming to be a witness, even though video footage later revealed she was not at the scene of the crime. Adams allegedly resisted an officer by refusing to leave her residence after being told to do so by a Sheriff’s Deputy while he was trying to serve a warrant.

• Dante Kaine Morales, 19, of China Grove, was charged with third-degree sex exploitation of a minor. Morales was booked in the Rowan County Detention center on a $7,500 executive bond.

• Harry Van Pelt was charged on charges of felony habitual larceny and for failing to appear. Van Pelt failed to appear for allegedly stealing $63.58 worth of Job paper rollers from Rushco in May. On Saturday, he also was charged with stealing $92.03 worth of laundry detergent pods from Walmart at 323 S Arlington St. Van Pelt had been convicted of at least four prior larceny charges. His bonds total $8,000.

• Christopher Dale Austin, 34, of Salisbury, was charged with larceny and resisting arrest. Austin allegedly stole a can of Red Bull and a Steel Reserve beer from Walmart and then refused to remove his hands from his pockets when the police officer was conducting a search.

• Five people were charged with driving while impaired over the weekend, including Micahel Todd Hill, Gordon Lee Hillburn, Jamie Johan Lemus-Bravo and James Douglas Watson.

About Ben Stansell

Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com.

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