ROCKINGHAM — A homeless man went to jail on Christmas, accused of stealing from a work truck.
According to an arrest warrant issued to the Rockingham Police Department, 33-year-old Tyler Joseph Cates broke into a Ford Super Duty pickup — owned by Big K LP Gas — and stole a pipe wrench on Oct. 26.
The warrant was issued Dec. 16 and Cates was arrested Dec. 25. He is charged with one felony count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft.
Cates was booked into the Richmond County Jail where he is being held on a $15,000 secured bond.
Court records show Cates was given a court-appointed attorney on Dec. 29 and his next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 15.
Records also show Cates has a court appearance the following day on a pending charge of injury to personal property, originally filed Aug. 1.
Cates, who previously had a listed address in Scotland County, failed to appear in court twice (Sept. 11, Oct. 29) on a charge of second-degree trespassing, according to court records.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Cates has multiple prior convictions:
2012 - larceny of a motor vehicle (2 counts); damage to property (4 counts)
2016 - assault on a female; injury to real property; obtaining property by false pretenses; larceny after breaking and entering
2019 - possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Randolph County); domestic criminal trespass (Scotland County)
2020 - possessing stolen goods
2021 - larceny of a motor vehicle; possession of a stolen vehicle
2023 - possession of drug paraphernalia
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
