ROCKINGHAM — A Richmond County man is facing criminal charges in two counties for allegedly stealing and burning a rescue vehicle.
Anthony Eugene Clark, 36, of Maner Road, Rockingham, is accused of breaking into the Richmond County Rescue Squad base on Rockingham Road on June 30 and stealing a rescue truck.
The truck was found burned in Anson County later that day.
Clark was arrested July 3 and charged with:
- Richmond County – larceny of a motor vehicle; possession of a stolen motor vehicle; breaking and entering; larceny after breaking and entering; possession of stolen goods; injury to personal property.
- Anson County – burning personal property; possession of stolen goods or property.
He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a combined $265,000 secured bond ($250,000 for Richmond County charges, $15,000 for Anson County charges) and is scheduled to appear in court July 15 (Anson) and 18 (Richmond).
Online court records show Clark also has pending charges of possession of burglary tools, attempted second-degree burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and resisting a public officer. His next court appearance on those charges is Aug. 22.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety show Clark’s only prior conviction was for possession of drug paraphernalia in 2003.
“I’m glad somebody’s been apprehended,” said Scott Waters, volunteer chief of the rescue squad. “I just want justice to be done.”
He also thanked the Rockingham Police Department “for their hard work” in the investigation and the community for sharing information.
Waters added that he is “still disheartened” and doesn’t understand why someone would steal from a volunteer rescue squad, much less anyone else.
He’s hoping some of the stolen property will be returned.
The squad does get some money from the county for operational expenses each year, but what that doesn’t cover comes from grants, concessions sales and fundraisers, like the annual barbecue plate sale each May and haunted house in October.
Not only will the squad have to replace the truck and some of the equipment, there will also be costs associated with repairs to be made due to damage done during the break-in and tighter security measures to be taken to prevent another, Waters said.
Several fundraisers are already being planned to help the rescue squad.
Squad member Mike Stokes set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised $675 of the $100,000 goal in the past week.
Stokes is also a member of the Steel Wheels Riding Club, which is planning a benefit motorcycle ride for Sunday, July 28.
Details are still being worked out, but Joey Bostick said the band Dark Horse will be playing. The band’s front man, Frankie Moree, is a former firefighter.
“I’m hoping we can have a crowd of bikes,” Bostick told the RO last week.
For more information on the ride, contact Stokes at 910-417-7777 or Bostick at 910-417-9537.
Adrenaline Pro Wrestling, which has held shows at the station since early 2018— including this past Saturday night— is also planning a special event to benefit the squad.
The event, scheduled for Sept. 18, will feature eight matches from four promotions including APW, according to a recent Facebook post.
Waters said he hopes the funds raised will be able to help recover the items destroyed in the fire.
“It’s nice of them to step up and do something to help us,” he said.
