CORDOVA — Three men are facing criminal charges after allegedly breaking into a home earlier this week.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, a patrol deputy was stopped on Old Cheraw Highway Wednesday by a woman who wanted to report that her home was broken into while she was at work.
Deputies reportedly followed the victim back to her Gattis Street residence where she showed video of three men entering and taking property from the home.
The deputies were able to identify one of the suspects as 31-year-old Michael Aaron West, who has already been convicted on multiple charges this year.
The victim reportedly told the deputies that she believed the suspects came from a home up the street.
Deputies went to that address and reportedly found 30-year-old Dusty Wayne Owens in the yard and 20-year-old Curtis Daniel Hicks inside the residence. Owens and Hicks, both of Rockingham, were reportedly identified as the suspects in the video.
The two were taken to the Richmond County Magistrate’s office, charged and booked into the Richmond County Jail, each under a $5,000 secured bond.
Deputies obtained warrants for West’s arrest and reportedly received information that he was at a home on Hatcher Road, southeast of Rockingham.
West was also arrested and jailed with the same bond amount.
All three are charged with breaking and entering as well as larceny after breaking and entering. West faces an additional charge of damage to real property.
As of Friday afternoon, all three were still in custody and are scheduled to appear in court July 20. Jail records show West and Owens were also charged with probation violations.
Investigators say some of the property has been recovered.
Online court records show West has pending charges from earlier this year of heroin possession and possession of drug paraphernalia and a probation violation. West also has pending charges from 2022 of felony possession of cocaine and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in Richmond County, as well as misdemeanor larceny in Moore County.
Owens has pending charges of simple possession of both a Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia — all misdemeanors — and a probation violation.
West was also convicted in January of possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor larceny and resisting a public officer.
Records show West was released from prison Sept. 28, 2022 on a nine-month post-release revocation after serving only a month for a 2021 conviction of attempted common law robbery.
West was also convicted of felony larceny and breaking and entering in 2021.
His first conviction was in 2011 for misdemeanor breaking and entering and wasn’t convicted again until 2019 for misdemeanor larceny and giving a false report to police radio.
Owens is currently on probation with a 12-month suspended sentence following a May conviction of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance.
Records show Owens has several prior convictions for breaking and entering, possessing stolen goods and larceny of firearms, as well as possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. He was incarcerated a combined six months in 2021 and 2022.
Hicks was convicted in May 2022 of possession of drug paraphernalia and injury to personal property.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
