Richmond County Crimestoppers is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons responsible for stealing copper that left thousands of county residents without power on April 14.

Someone climbed electrical poles belonging to Progress Energy near Horse Shoe Road in Hamlet to steal the wire. During the theft, a switch and line were pulled down, causing an electrical outage for about 4,000 residents.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office also recently brought closure to several property crimes reported since March, including the arrests of two Rockingham teenagers on multiple felony charges.

Casey Drew Crenshaw, 17, Branch Trail, Rockingham, was arrested and charged in five separate counts of breaking and entering or attempted breaking and entering.

The first incident took place in March and four more were reported on April 16.

In the first incident, a Rockingham resident reported someone broke out their window and removed approximately $4,500 worth of coins, jewelry and a safe.

In the last incident on April 16, Crenshaw was allegedly attempting to enter a residence through a bedroom window, when the resident saw what was occurring and shouted.

Crenshaw was apprehended and charged in all the cases.

He is charged with three counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering and two counts of attempted breaking and entering.

His bond was set at $100,000.

Another Rockingham teenager, Ricco Joke’a Shelton, 17, 100 Leware St., Rockingham, was arrested in two separate property theft cases, one from a business and one from a residence. In addition, Shelton was charged with felony marijuana possession at the time of his second arrest.

The first incident was reported by a business in March, and netted Shelton three charges.

Shelton is charged with felony larceny, and misdemeanor first degree trespass and injury to personal property. His bond was set at $10,000 on those charges.

On March 8, the business reported someone cut a fence, causing $200 worth of damage, then stole seven motorized scooters. Two of the scooters were recovered behind another business across the street. Arrest reports don’t indicate if the other five were recovered.

Shelton was again arrested for a March 31 break-in to a home on Safie 4th Street.

The victim in the case reported someone entered the home through a kitchen window and stole about $1,700 worth of electronic equipment and jewelry, as well as a knife.

Shelton was charged with felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after breaking and entering.

When he was being processed by the Richmond County Jail, 26 bags of marijuana was found on his person, leading to felony charges for possession with intent to distribute and possession on the premises of a jail or prison.

His bond was set at $25,000.

Also arrested was Cordaro Torez Parker, 21, JFK Drive, Rockingham, who was charged with obtaining property by false pretense after allegedly attempting to sell an item taken in the incident.

Closure was also brought to another home break-in, this one reported on March 29 in Rockingham.

The resident reported someone broke out a pane of glass on the back door of the residence, reached inside and unlocked the door. Approximately $2,100 worth of electronic equipment was then removed from the residence.

James Earl Heaton, 24, of Long Drive, Rockingham, was arrested and charged with felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after breaking and entering. No bond information was included in the arrest report.

Also arrested was Daniel Eugene Parks, 18, Legrand Street, Rockingham, and charged with a felony count of obtaining property by false pretense.

He allegedly attempted to sell one of the items stolen in the incident.

Arrest reports published in the Richmond County Daily Journal are copied from local law enforcement records. Except for people injured in motor vehicle accidents or reportable deaths, victims including people, businesses and institutions and their addresses are not included as a matter of newspaper policy. Reports include both arrests and criminal summons such as citations. The Daily Journal lists them all as arrests. People charged are presumed innocent until determined to be guilty by a court of law.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.