Shawn Nowlin shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.com
Each year, motor vehicle larceny, defined as “the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a vehicle or something of value,” plagues communities all over the country.
During a six-day period last month, Nov. 8 through Nov. 13, the 911 operations center received numerous calls from various parts of the City of Salem pertaining to items stolen from trucks and cars. After a flurry of vehicle larcenies that led to an in-depth investigation, Salem Police arrested two people last week in connection to the crimes.
Both Ryan Fletcher-Waldron, 21, and Courtney Ferguson, 20, were Roanoke residents at the time of their arrests.
Fletcher-Waldron faces 40 charges for Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm, Property Damage and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle. Included in Ferguson’s 41 charges are related to Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm, Property Damage, and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle.
Still active, the investigation has identified a total of 19 victims as of press time Wednesday morning.
Each year, different kinds of thefts increase around the holidays. In addition to hefty fines and potential prison sentences, theft charges also carry collateral consequences that follow a defendant for the rest of their life.
Many stores and businesses have already put their valuables out of reach and taken additional measures, something that disappoints Martha Harris. “It infuriates me that someone could work so hard towards a goal. Or purchase something nice for themselves and just like that, someone who lacks integrity could take it all away. I hate to hear stories like this but unfortunately, this is the world that we live in,” she said.
Roanoke County native Henry Coleman says he has been a victim of vehicle larceny. “It happened four years ago. I went out for a late-night summer jog one day and as soon as I noticed something was wrong, I called the authorities and they took care of it,” he said.
When they are not occupied, Salem Police strongly urges citizens to keep their vehicles locked.