ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two individuals wanted in connection to the armed robbery of a Dollar General in Ellerbe that occurred over the weekend.
Terris Lee McLendon, 19, of Park Avenue in Rockingham and Jaylan Deshawn Smith, 18, of Harlem Heights in Wadesboro are both charged with one felony count each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Deputies responded on Saturday to a call regarding a robbery at the Dollar General on U.S. 220 in Ellerbe and through interviews with employees determined that a black male entered the store with a gun and demanded money. This suspect was later identified as Smith an McLendon was determined to be driving the vehicle that Smith arrived and left in, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The pair are each additionally charged by the Rockingham Police Department with one felony count each of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of assault by pointing a gun, according to court records.
Smith and McLendon were arrested at a residence on Park Avenue in Rockingham. They are in the Richmond County Jail under a $500,000 secure bond.
Records with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety show that McLendon served a total of about eight months in prison following an April 2018 conviction on three felony counts of receiving a stolen vehicle, one felony count each of breaking and entering and a three month reimprisonment violation, as well as one misdemeanor count of larceny.
He was released from the second portion of this stint in prison on April 8, 2019.
Records with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety also show that Smith served three months in prison following October 2018 convictions on one felony count each of breaking and entering and larceny, and larceny from the person. He was released from prison on April 23.
Smith was also convicted on one misdemeanor count of willful injury to real property on May 2017, for which he was given probation, state records show.
