GARLAND — Two people have been arrested and charged with breaking and entering and larceny from the Piggly Wiggly in Garland.
Claude DeVaughn, 55, and Shandricka DeVaughn, 49, both of 75 Jackson Ave., Garland, were arrested Tuesday and held under a $35,000 bond each. The pair reportedly stole thousands of dollars’ worth of cigarettes and approximately 300 lottery tickets, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The arrests were made in connection with an ongoing investigation into two separate break-ins at the Piggly Wiggly located at 44 South Ingold Avenue, Garland, Capt. Marcus Smith reported late Tuesday afternoon.
The first break-in occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 18, Smith said. Upon opening for the day, store employees discovered that the front glass had been shattered. It was later determined that thousands of dollars’ worth of cigarettes had been stolen.
The second break-in came two days later, on Monday, Oct. 20, after a nearby resident reported hearing glass break at the Piggly Wiggly. “Investigators determined that approximately 300 lottery tickets and additional cartons of cigarettes had been stolen during this second incident,” Smith said. “Later in the day, investigators contacted the North Carolina Lottery Commission, which quickly assisted by tracking the stolen tickets to a convenience store in Cedar Creek.”
Surveillance footage from the store in Cedar Creek showed a male and female suspect cashing in the stolen tickets and operating a black Chevrolet Tahoe with one spare tire and three standard tires, reports say.
On Tuesday morning, investigators in Garland located a vehicle matching that description parked at 75 Jackson Ave. A search warrant was obtained and executed around 11 a.m., with both suspects from the surveillance footage discovered a the residence. Numerous stolen cigarettes and lottery tickets were also recovered at the scene, Smith said.
Claude and Shandricka DeVaughn were arrested without incident, and charged with two counts each of felony breaking and entering, and two counts each of larceny after breaking and entering. They were both issued a $35,000 secured bond.
“I would like to give a special thank you to the North Carolina Lottery Commission for their prompt assistance in this case and for providing valuable information that led to the identification and arrest of both suspects,” Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said. “Our law enforcement partnerships are instrumental resources in our daily service to the citizens of Sampson County.”