HOFFMAN — Two people are facing multiple charges after allegedly being caught with stolen equipment.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call regarding a suspicious vehicle near an electrical box on U.S. 1 in Hoffman on Friday, Sept. 27.
Upon arrival, deputies reportedly found 64-year-old David Glen English and 43-year-old Melissa Lynn Argueta inside the vehicle — along with batteries and equipment stolen from multiple utility boxes.
Investigators with the sheriff’s office were reportedly able to tie the pair to thefts from Spectrum boxes on N.C. 177, N.C. 38 and Springhill Church Road in Hamlet.
The two are also accused of selling the purloined equipment to a local scrap yard.
Both English and Argueta were arrested and charged with one count each of: felony larceny; felony conspiracy; injuring utility wires or fixtures; injury to nonferrous metals. English is also charged with two counts of obtaining property by false pretense.
English was booked into the Richmond County Jail where he is still being held on a $25,000 secured bond. Argueta was released on an $11,000 unsecured bond.
They are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 17.
Online court records show English also has pending traffic citations for driving while license revoked and failure to wear a seat belt.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show English has a criminal history dating back to 1977 when he was convicted of breaking and entering.
(Note: The charge is listed as misdemeanor b&e, but is labeled as a felony.)
English has been convicted of driving while license revoked three previous times — 1980, 1991 and 2020 (the latter in Scotland County).
Other prior convictions include:
- 1991: assault on a policeman, speeding from police
- 2000: other misdemeanant
- 2003: trafficking a Schedule II controlled substance
- 2011: selling a Schedule II controlled substance
- 2014: selling or delivering a Schedule II controlled substance (two counts)
Argueta appears to have no other pending charges or prior convictions in this state.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
