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Boone Police charge man in snowboard, alcohol theft |
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Monday, 07 April 2008 |
by JILLIAN SWORDS
News Reporter
Boone Police charged a Boone man in connection with the early-morning break-in and larceny of $2,300 in merchandise at two local businesses Thursday.
Chase B. Whittington, 18, was charged with two counts of felonious breaking and entering, two counts of felonious larceny, two counts of property damage, and one count of resisting arrest.
Capt. William Greene of Boone Police said the suspect reportedly broke the front window of First
Tracks Ski Shop on N.C. Highway 105 and made entry.
It was later discovered that Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchant, 0.4 miles down N.C. 105, had also
been broken into.
Boone Police responded to the ski shop’s alarm at approximately 2:50 a.m.
A Watauga County Sheriff’s deputy en route to assist saw Whittington walking down the highway
carrying a snowboard and backpack.
Upon seeing the deputy, Whittington ran and was later caught on Poplar Hill Drive.
Alcoholic beverages and cigars were stolen from Peabody’s.
An estimated $2,000 in property damage was incurred on the two stores.
Jeff L. Kattner, manager of First Tracks, arrived on the scene shortly after receiving a call from the
alarm company.
Kattner said although the snowboard was the only thing stolen, blood was splattered on articles of
clothing inside the store.
He said the suspect pounded a landscaping block against the window until it broke.
“He cut his arms all up…It’s not the brightest thing someone could have done when they just could
have thrown [the block],” Kattner said.
Kattner said the ski shop has been closed since the incident, although the business had been planning
to close for a short period until Memorial Day for other reasons anyway.
Peabody’s opened the next morning as usual, said Will F. Marchant, a manager at the store.
“I think it is amazing that the individual was caught so quickly,” Marchant said, adding that business
remained unaffected “like nothing ever happened.”
Freshman political science major Lauren Reid Stamey has rented snowboards at First Tracks in the
past.
She speculated that Whittington was either lucky or smart that ski season has just come to a close
and the shop was empty.
“Ski resorts are open until 1 or 2 [a.m.], so they have to stay open so you can return your board at the
end of the night,” she said. “I grew up [in Boone], and there used to be no crime here, so every time
you hear about something like this, it’s [surprising].”
Whittington was placed on a $150,000 bond. His court date is scheduled for May 20 in Watauga County
District Court.
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