Suspected Thief Flees State, Escapes Custody In Missouri A man wanted for questioning in a local larceny has tied the state and is believed to have escaped from Missouri authorities after he was ar rested on a traffic charge near Kansas City over the weekend, a Brunswick County Sheriff's detec tive said Monday. According to a crime report on file at the sheriff's office, a .243-cal iber rifle and scope, a video cam corder and other items valued at more than $1,400 were reported stolen from a home on A.I. Clem mons Road Saturday. The thieves appeared to have entered the home by prying open a rear door. The victim told Deputy Matt Jomim that he later found the cam corder at a Shallotte pawn shop and discovered that a young man and his girlfriend had stolen it. Investigating Detective Tom Hunter said he learned that the sus pects fled the state. He later got a re port from authorities in Cass County, Mo., who said they had stopped the two for speeding and displaying a stolen license tag and asked Hunter if they were wanted for any other offenses. Hunter said yes and asked Missouri police to hold the pair, but was told that the male suspect had "just left the office." Hunter said he asked if the man had escaped. "He said no. Then I asked him if the suspect was under arrest when he left and he (the officer) said he was." Hunter said. "I told him around here we call that an escape." The suspect's girlfriend remains in custody in Missouri and may be extradited to North Carolina. Hunter said. Her accomplice is assumed to be headed west. In other crime reports: ?Detectives are investigating a string of arsons that have occurred in different areas of the county re cently. Gasoline was believed to have been used to set a fire that caused about $6,000 damage to a storage building on Coastal Drive. Southport. on the night of Nov. 23. According to Detective Steve Mason, a neighbor who reported the fire said she saw someone nearby holding a large blue gasoline can shortly before she heard "a minor explosion." ?A woman who lives on Skipper Street. Leland, told Jesson she was awakened early Saturday by a neighbor who said her camper trailer was on fire. The woman said there was no power or gas hooked up to the trailer and nothing flammable left inside at the time of the fire. It appeared that a side window had been pushed in. the report said. Jesson estimated the damage at about $1,500. The incident is being investigated as an arson. ?Someone apparently tried to set fire to a home on Grayson Avenue in thp Ocean Isle Btjsch arcs Friday night. The owner told Deputy R.W. Long that she returned to the home at about 10:30 and found that some one had opened a front window and set a coffee table on fire It appeared that the fire went out before it could spread to the rest of the house. Long estimated the damage to the table and a nearby floor and wall at $200. ?In the Coastal Estates subdivi sion near Southport, a woman called 911 Saturday night to report that BOATS "safe and unsinkable" 1-800-545-2293 910-457-9080 Get your pool ready for winter with BioGuard. Avoid nasty surprises next spring by winterizing with BioGuard' now. Relax. Bring your pool ^^5 to BioGuard. pl^ Complete Line Of Pool & Spa Chemicals Dealer For Down East Spas PROFESSIONAL POOL MAINTENANCE Island Village Specialty Shops Hwy. 179, Ocean Isle Beach (Behind IGA Bldg ) Open Mon-Sat ggj 579-8828 Daily Maintenance Chemicals, Accessories & Equipment CRIME REPORT someone had set fire to a plastic bag and put it under the deck of her mo bile home. She told Deputy Mal colm lxing that she heard a noise at about 9:30 and went outside to dis cover the burning bag. There was no damage estimate listed on the report. ?A man told investigators that he was beaten and robbed of $80 cash as he sat in his car outside a Phoenix convenience store early Thursday morning. The victim said he was talking on the phone shortly before 1 a.m. when a black man approached the car window. The victim said the man "hit him several times about the face and head and reached in and took his wallet." The assailant then ran off toward Phoenix, the report said. tfTwo gill nets and a riding lawn mower were stolen from the back yard of a home on Richardson Drive, off Russtown Road, Monday night. Deputy Joey Adams estimated the value of stolen property at about $2,560. BA riding lawn mower valued at about $1,200 was reported stolen from the home of a retiree on Hol iday Street in Holiday Haven Wed nesday night. The man told Deputy Cathy Hamilton that the thieves ap parently took the mower out of his shed and pushed it down the road to a waiting truck. A neighbor said he was awakened during the night by the noise of a pickup truck with loud mufflers. ?Someone removed about $650 worth of property from u home on Carolyn Avenue, off Shullotte Point Loop Road, then stole the owner's pickup truck and drove off Wed nesday night. The victim told Adams she was out of town when her brother called to say that her trailer had been broken into. Missing were a television, a videocassette re corder, a microwave oven and a video game player. The woman's 1972 Chevrolet truck was later found near Union School Road con taining all the stolen property except the TV. ?About $ 1(H) cash and a gold ring were stolen from a home on Shal lotte Point Loop Road last weekend. The owner told Deputy Randy Rob inson that he had been out of town and returned to find that someone had pried open a window to his house, which he found "in disarray," the report said. There was about $3(X) damage. ?Someone broke into a business on N.C. 179 in Calabash and caused about $400 damage to its main lob by and office Saturday night. De puty R.W. Long II reported that the intruders appeared to have entered by breaking out a rear window. Although nothing was reported stolen, the intruders vandalized the building "by throwing carpet sam ples and brochures all over the two rooms," he said. ?A 19-year-old woman who lives on Civietown Road told Jesson that someone stole an estimated $2,500 worth of cassette tapes from her home recently. She said she knows who took the tapes and told him she would no! press charges if he would bring them hack. She called (he sheriff's department after he tefused to return the tapes, the report said. ?Someone pried the lock off the hack door of a mobile home on Pine Burr Circle, Calabash, and stole a color television valued at about $350 recertly. Robinson also found that a bathroom window had been broken by the thieves, who caused a total of $400 damage. ?A jar containing about $700 worth of change was stolen from a mobile home on Cumbee Road Sup ply Wednesday night. The victim told Hamilton that the thief entered and exited through a window, then closed it and replaced the screen, the report said. The deputy could find no evidence of forced entry. ?More than $800 worth of prop erty was stolen from a mobile home on Elm Street in the Coastal Retreat subdivision during a break-in report ed Friday. The owner told Hamilton that his microwave oven, a kerosene heater, a gas-powered lawn trimmer, a circular saw and a belt sander were missing. Damage was estimated at $195. ?Hamilton also investigated the theft of a microwave oven from a mobile home on Oyster Lane in Coastal Retreat that was discovered Tuesday. The thief apparently got in by breaking the glass in a back door, causing about $100 damage. The stolen oven was valued at about $2(X). ?A surfboard, a stereo, speakers, two rods and reels and a tackle box were among the $1,500 worth of items stolen in a break-in at a home on Channel I at the Sea Village sub division near Ocean Isle Beach re cently. Deputy Joey Adams deter mined that the thief or thieves pried open a rear window to get inside. ?Deputy R.W. Long II investigat ed the reported theft of a wallet con taining $50() in cash and the removal of $30 in change from a cash regis ter at Hughes Marina on Village Point Road. Shallotte. Friday night. It appeared that the thief or thieves forced their way in through the back door. ?An employee of Kirby's Food Center. Supply, reported the theft of her wallet containing about $10() in cash Saturday afternoon. She told Deputy Anthony Key that a cus tomer came in demanding service and was told that he would have to wait until the grill opened at 6:30. After the man left, another customer reported finding the employee's purse in the men's room. Her wallet was gone. ?Two go-cart engines were taken from the back yard of a mobile home on Mt. Misery Road, Leland. sometime in the past week. The owner told Deputy Brian Sanders that he last noticed the engines sit ting near his shed about a week be fore the theft was discovered Friday. ?Someone broke into a store at the corner of Lanvale Road and Fletcher Drive, Leland, recently and stole ten sweaters valued at about $400. The owner found that the bars had been removed from a rear win dow by the thieves, who broke the glass to get inside. HA man who lives in a travel trailer behind the Town and Country Motel in Belville told Sanders that someone stole a $300 money order from his home Thursday night. ?Sanders also investigated the theft of a facsimile machine, a tele phone. a VCR. a copy machine, a typewriter and a clock radio from a home and business on Navassa Road, Leland, last week. There was no estimate of value listed. ?There was about $40 damage reported in a mobile home break-in on Russ Street, Supply, that occur red sometime in the past two months. The owner told Hamilton that he returned to the trailer to find that someone cut a screen and broke a window to get inside, where he found "all the cabinets and drawers left open." The only thing reported missing was a plastic jug of water. ?A woman who lives on John Adams Trail. Supply, reported that someone slashed the right rear tire on her car Friday night. Malcolm Long estimated the damage at $110. ?Vandals stole $10 worth of let ters from a sign outside the Cedar Grove Baptist Church recently, causing about $25 damage. Mc Donald also reported that "some of the letters had been rearranged to spell curse words." ?Two fifths of liquor and a six pack of beer were stolen from a home on Eleanor Street in Hurricane Haven sometime in the past two months. 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