City man charged in string of store thefts

A Mount Airy man has been charged with stealing hundred of dollars’ worth of items from retail businesses in town on four different occasions, including twice at the same Food Lion store where he also fled from officers.

Tony Ray Carter, 53, of 1227 Brooklen Ave., was arrested last week on larceny charges and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer during one of the thefts, according to city police.

It had occurred on June 21 at Food Lion on South Andy Parkway, where Carter is accused of stealing an 18-pack and a 12-pack of Heineken beer valued at about $40.

He also managed to elude officers dispatched to that location.

Carter was implicated in an earlier beer theft at the Food Lion outlet in which cans of Keystone Light and Natural Light valued at $15 were taken on June 12.

He further is accused of a June 11 larceny at Walgreens on Rockford Street, where merchandise valued at more than $50 was targeted. This included Old Spice and Eucerin body wash along with Alka-Seltzer cold and flu medication and an extension cord.

Then on July 1, Carter allegedly stole miscellaneous grocery items valued at $104 from Lowes Foods.

In each of the four theft cases, a known individual was identified as the culprit, Carter, leading to warrants being issued for his arrest.

He remained at large until being served with the outstanding warrants after an encounter with police on July 23 at a location on Park Drive near Forrest Drive, where arrest records indicate Carter was on foot.

In addition to four counts of larceny, he was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been filed on July 22 and charged at the time of the arrest with possessing drug paraphernalia.

Carter was confined in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond and is scheduled for an Aug. 19 District Court appearance.

He already had cases pending for the Aug. 26 session of Surry District Court on charges of obtaining property by false pretense, a felony, and second-degree trespassing.

Those offenses stem from an incident at Walmart on May 11, when Carter is said to have removed merchandise from the shelf and instead of paying for it, returned the merchandise for a gift card valued at $93.

He subsequently was taken into custody at his home after police went there for a civil disturbance call.