| March 19,
2003 |
| |
| Youth
Shot During Burglary, Charged with B&E |
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 |
A
sixteen-year-old was shot Wednesday afternoon by a Connelly Springs man after
the youth allegedly broke into the man's vacant home.
The Burke County
Sheriff's Office received a call at 12:20 p.m. reporting a shooting at the home
of Steven Ray Shelton of 3185 Sunset Grill Street. When officers arrived, they
found William Douglas Dewayne Thomas (left), of
3175 Noel Lane, Hickory at a nearby residence suffering from a shotgun
wound. |
|
| According to detectives, Shelton came home and
found Thomas inside his home. As Thomas ran outside and away from the home,
Shelton fired the shotgun. Thomas was struck by pellets in the elbow, shoulder,
and leg, according to one investigator. |
| |
| Thomas ran to a nearby residence on Annas Street
where he was found by officers. He was taken to Valdese Hospital where he
was treated and released. |
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| Investigators later interviewed Thomas and
arrested him for the burglary. He was also charged with another break-in to
Shelton's home, which a detective said occurred on March 7th. Two gas
generators, a gas water pump, and two kerosene space heaters were reportedly
taken on that date. |
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| Shelton had been having other problems with
property thefts from his vacant home, which he used as a rental property, an
investigator said. |
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| Steven Shelton has not been charged in this
matter, pending a review by the District Attorney's Office. The case could
possibly be taken before a grand jury to see whether the shooting was
justified, the detective stated. |
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| Thomas will appear before a magistrate later
this evening to have a bond set and service of the warrants. |
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