A car stolen hours after a residential break-in was recovered following a chase through Johnston and Wayne counties, however the driver and a passenger got away.
It all began Wednesday when a family in the Mar Mac community of Wayne County discovered a break-in.
While the family was dealing with the loss of items in the break-in, the victims were shocked when the thieves returned and stole their daughter’s car out of the driveway. “This is becoming one big nightmare,” said the unnamed homeowner.
The Dodge Charger was located by a stolen vehicle tracking system and pursued by Wayne and Johnston County authorities.
As many as eight law enforcement agencies were involved in the search for the vehicle before it was finally located, abandoned in a very dark and muddy field just off of Highway 70 near Pine Level.
A K-9 unit tracked the two suspects for an hour but was unable to locate them. The driver left his Nike brand slippers behind, stuck in the thick mud, as he bolted from the car.
The Wayne and Johnston County sheriff’s offices, NC Highway Patrol, Pine Level Police, Princeton Police, Smithfield Police, Wilson’s Mills Police and a NC Probation officer were involved in trying to catch the perpetrators. The vehicle fled from pursuers at speeds up to 100MPH.
The car’s keys had been stolen in the home break-in earlier in the day on Wednesday.
Although covered with mud and stuck in the soggy, freshly plowed field, the car appeared to be undamaged. Photos by John Payne
