ROCKINGHAM — Two men are facing criminal charges after allegedly taking metal from a rental property.
Warrants allege that 47-year-old Randy Eugene Norton and 42-year-old Christopher Wayne Grant — both listed as homeless — broke into a rental home on Safie 5th Street in East Rockingham on July 15 and stripped metals from it.
Both men were arrested the same day and charged with felony breaking and entering and injury to property to obtain nonferrous metals. Norton was also charged with possession of burglary tools for allegedly having wire cutters.
They were booked into the Richmond County Jail, where each is being held on a $25,000 secured bond.
Both Norton and Grant had their first court appearance on July 16 and their next court date is scheduled for July 30.
Both men have prior convictions, according to records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction and the court system.
Norton
2002 - possession of drug paraphernalia
2005 - resisting a public officer
2007 - driving while impaired
2010 - assault with a deadly weapon
2022 - misdemeanor breaking and entering
2023 - resisting a public officer (three counts)
2025 - misdemeanor breaking and entering
Grant
2003 - driving while impaired
2007 - dumping trash on public roads, damage to property
2008 - misdemeanor breaking and entering
2009 - driving while impaired, misdemeanor larceny
2011 - assault inflicting serious bodily injury
2012 - felony larceny
2016 - felony breaking and entering, assault inflicting serious injury
2026 -misdemeanor larceny, resisting a public officer, possession of drug paraphernalia
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
