Young men charged with break-in at 704 Grocery--Oldest may have been involved in nine other break-ins Read more: The Stokes News - Young men charged with break in at 704 Grocery Oldest may have been involved in nine other break ins

Young men charged with break-in at 704 Grocery--Oldest may have been involved in nine other break-ins

by Leslie Bray, News Editor The Stokes News

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Joshua Collins

There has been a break in a case that involved the 704 Grocery in Westfield being broken into back in November. Four men have been arrested and charged with the crimes. One of those suspects, Joshua Lee Collins, is thought to have played a role in a string of break-ins around Stokes County.

Those taken into custody and their charges are:

--Collins, 21, 2451 Hwy 704 E, Lawsonville: Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Possession of Stolen Goods and Felony Larceny after Breaking and Entering.

--Alan Wayne Mabe II, 18, 1123 NC Hwy 704, Lawsonville: Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Possession of Stolen Goods and Felony Larceny after Breaking and Entering—bond $10,000.

--Andrew Sanders Shelton, 17, 1123 Hwy 704 West, Lawsonville: Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Possession of Stolen Goods and Felony Larceny after Breaking and Entering—bond $10,000 secured.

--Matthew Sanford Shelton, 20, 1123 Hwy 704 West, Lawsonville: Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Possession of Stolen Goods and Felony Larceny after Breaking and Entering.

The break-in was originally reported to the Stokes County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 22, 2010. The evidence supported the fact that the 704 Grocery had been entered illegally and that a large number of items were stolen from the store.

After a few months of investigation, the finger of suspicion pointed to the four males named above, and it was time for law enforcement officials to move on their evidence. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Stokes County Sheriff's Office Investigators Detective Terry Dalton and Detective Chris Lawson located and arrested three of the four suspects. The fourth suspect was already being held in the Stokes County Jail on unrelated charges.

The oldest man in the group of four, Collins, is suspected to have been involved in as many as nine other cases of similar property crimes. On Thursday, Feb. 10, he had the following additional charges added to his record:

--Five counts of Felony Larceny

--Four counts of Breaking and Entering Motor Vehicle

--One count of Felony Breaking and Entering

--Seven counts of Felony Possession of Stolen Goods/Property

--One count of Misdemeanor Possession of Stolen Goods/Property

--One count of Misdemeanor Larceny

--One count of Misdemeanor Attempted Larceny

Collins is currently being held in the Stokes County Jail under an accumulated $26,600 secured bond.

A court date for the suspects is still pending.

Read more: The Stokes News - Young men charged with break in at 704 Grocery Oldest may have been involved in nine other break ins