Home Crime Hamlet vehicle theft suspect caught in South Carolina

Hamlet vehicle theft suspect caught in South Carolina

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HAMLET — A man accused of stealing a vehicle from a Richmond County gas station was reportedly caught hours later — allegedly drunk at a South Carolina store.

According to the Hamlet Police Department, officers responded to a larceny call around 7:30 a.m. Jan 17 at the Mainway Food Mart on Main Street.

When they arrived, officers reportedly found a victim bleeding from injuries after being dragged through the parking lot while attempting to keep a man, identified as 34-year-old James Jermaine Little, from stealing his Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Officers obtained surveillance video and took statements from witnesses at the scene, sending out a BOLO to area agencies, according to the department.

Working with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, HPD reportedly began to track down leads and search the area, and also posted photos of the suspect on the department’s Facebook page.

Around 11 a.m., investigators say police in Dillon, South Carolina, responded to “an intoxicated party” at a gas station.

Officers in Dillon reportedly saw the stolen Jeep and took Little — who was reportedly the “intoxicated party” — into custody where he is being held.

The HPD has charged Little with larceny of a motor vehicle and common law robbery and say additional charges may be filed. In South Carolina, police say Little is charged with possession of stolen property.

Online court records show Little has pending charges of felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor injury to personal property from 2024 and police say he is currently out on bail.

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Records with the N.C Department of Adult Correction show Little has a criminal history dating back 15 years in Rowan County.

In 2010, Little was convicted of hit and run, operating a vehicle without a license, possession of alcohol under the age of 21, and resisting a public officer.

Two years later, records show he was convicted of fleeing to elude arrest and assault with a deadly weapon on government officers, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of driving while license revoked and possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance.

Little’s probation on the felony charges was revoked and he was incarcerated for three months, and for another 2.5 months on a subsequent revocation.

Records show Little was convicted of assault on a female in 2017, and again in 2018 in addition to charges of injury to real property, injury to personal property and simple assault.

His probation on the 2018 convictions was revoked the following year when he was convicted of first-degree burglary and felony larceny. Records show he was incarcerated for two years and seven months.

Little served time at correctional institutions in both Craven and Richmond counties, records show.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.