HAMLET — A man and woman are facing felony larceny charges after allegedly stealing change from machine.
Early Wednesday morning, the Hamlet Police Department posted still images from a surveillance camera of a man and woman who are accused of breaking into the building at a car wash on Marlboro Street, owned by County Commissioner John Garner.
According to warrants, the pair broke into a room and busted the lock on the money box of an air freshener dispenser and stole around $15 in change. Damage to the door and machine is estimated at $2,000, according to an incident report.
Investigators with the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office and McColl Police Department, in South Carolina, both called HPD and identified the suspects as 39-year-old Nicholous Elitt Stewart, of Scotland County, and 28-year-old Margaret Elise Horton, who has addresses in both Scotland and Marlboro counties, according to Capt. Randy Dover.
Both were arrested Wednesday in Marlboro County. Stewart waived extradition and was brought back to Richmond County to appear before a magistrate, Dover said.
Jail records show he was booked just before 5:30 p.m. and is being held on a $7,500 secured bond.
Horton is still being held in South Carolina.
Stewart is also accused of breaking into a coin-operated machine in Laurinburg and the pair are suspected of several vehicle break-ins in McColl, Dover said.
They are both charged with one felony count each of breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering, as well as one misdemeanor count of damage to a coin or currency machine.
South Carolina charges had not yet been filed late Wednesday afternoon.
Stewart is currently on parole after being released this summer, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
In 2017, Stewart was convicted in Moore County of four counts each of breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering, as well as one count multiple prior larcenies.
He served a little more than two years and two months behind bars before being released July 2. His parole was set to expire July 1, 2020.
Stewart was given probation in 2002 when he was convicted on more than 40 counts each of common law forgery and common law uttering in Scotland County.
He spent seven months behind bars following a November 2004 conviction on two felony counts each of breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and cheating property or services; and one count each of felony and misdemeanor larceny.
In 2006, Stewart was convicted of two counts of felony larceny in Richmond County and given probation. However, that was revoked two months later when he was convicted in Scotland County of: larceny of a firearm; possession of a firearm by a felon; safecracking; larceny of dogs; and six counts each of breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering.
Horton was convicted in 2010 of simple assault and battery in Marlboro County, according to South Carolina court records. She has no previous criminal convictions in North Carolina.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
