HAMLET — A man charged with breaking into a hardware store last year is now accused of assaulting a woman and stealing her phone.
According to the Hamlet Police Department, officers were conducting a traffic stop on Sept. 20 near the intersection of Wilmington and Pine streets when a woman walked out of the woods saying she woke up to 24-year-old Terry Michael Poplin hitting her in the face and about the head with a closed fist.
Police say the victim had visible injuries and told them that Poplin had stolen her phone.
An officer reportedly spotted Poplin about a week later and the defendant allegedly took off running, with the officer chasing him down.
He was arrested Sept. 26 and charged with one misdemeanor count each of assault inflicting serious injury, interfering with emergency communications, larceny and resisting a public officer.
He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a combined $2,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 5.
Online court records show Poplin has pending charges in Richmond County of: selling a schedule II controlled substance; delivering a Schedule II controlled substance; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; misdemeanor larceny of a motor vehicle; breaking and entering a motor vehicle; two counts of misdemeanor larceny; injury to personal property; and resisting a public officer.
Poplin is scheduled to appear in court in Montgomery County on Oct. 1 on a charge of simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.
Records show he also has pending traffic charges in Richmond and Moore counties.
He was convicted of misdemeanor breaking and entering in Sept. 2019 and given probation.
That same month, Poplin was one of two men allegedly caught stealing a lawnmower from Hamlet Hardware.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
