| December
10, 2003 |
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Detectives Solve Armed Robberies in Burke, Hickory |
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Tony W. Harrison |
Beadles S. Uwaleke |
Anthony M. Allred |
Steven T. Vallini |
Daryl E. Ingle, Jr. |
Brandon K. Dunning |
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| Detectives from the Burke County Sheriff's
Office, Valdese Police Department and Hickory Police Department believe they
have solved several recent armed robberies, including one where a Domino's
Pizza sales clerk in Valdese was shot in the arm. |
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| Six males are facing a plethora of charges in
connection with armed robberies occurring in both Burke and Catawba County.
Four of the suspects are age 18 or younger. |
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| The suspects are identified as Tony Wayne
Harrison, 18, of 1829 9th Ave. NW, Hickory; Beadles Sheldon Uwaleke, 17, of
3622 2nd Ave. SW, Hickory; Anthony Maurice Allred, 17, of 1602 2nd Ave. SW,
Hickory; Steven Thomas Vallini, 25, of 108 Woody Drive, Valdese; Daryl Edward
Ingle, Jr., 24, of 3371 Grindstaff Ave., Connelly Springs; and Brandon Keith
Dunning, 18, of 1518 Meadowbrook Lane, Hickory. |
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| According to reports, on November 16th two men
entered the High Country Convenience Store, located at 2216 Highway 70 East
near Morganton, and demanded money from the clerk. One of the men allegedly
displayed a pistol, and both men reportedly wore shirts over their faces with
holes cut out for the eyes. |
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| After receiving an undisclosed amount of money,
the suspects fled the area on foot. The men were reportedly seen running toward
Morganton on Highway 64-70. |
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| Two nights later at approximately 10:30 p.m.,
two males entered Domino's Pizza in Valdese and demanded money. The men also
reportedly wore shirts over their faces as in the High Country Convenience
Store robbery. |
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| A clerk, who investigators say complied with the
robbers' demands, was shot in the arm after giving the two suspects an
undisclosed amount of cash. |
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| As detectives continued to work the cases in
Burke County, a robbery with similar characteristics unfolded two weeks later
at the Southern Convenience Store near Highway 321 in Hickory. The suspects
again covered their faces with shirts during the December 1st robbery,
according to investigators. |
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| Detectives with Burke County and Hickory Police
Department met the following day and concluded that the cases were
related, according to Det. Robert Beall of the Burke County Sheriff's
Office. |
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| Beall stated investigators developed information
showing Tony Harrison to be a suspect. Harrison lives approximately one-quarter
mile from Southern Convenience Store, according to the detective. |
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| Harrison, who was wanted in Burke County for an
unrelated misdemeanor larceny charge, was arrested at his home on December 4th
on the larceny warrant. During his arrest, investigators reportedly
discovered a stolen motorcycle in his driveway. Another vehicle in the driveway
displayed a stolen license tag, Beall said. |
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| A search warrant was later obtained and served
on Harrison's residence. A pistol which had been reported stolen in Burke
County was found hidden inside the residence, according to
Beall. Additional evidence was obtained from a garbage can which
investigators believe links Harrison, Uwaleke, and Dunning to the Southern
Convenience Store robbery. |
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| Uwaleke and Dunning were arrested on December
5th and charged with the Hickory store robbery, along with Harrison. |
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| Beall said the arrests of the suspects, in
addition to an around-the-clock investigation, helped detectives break the two
robbery cases in Burke County. |
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| All suspects except Brandon Dunning, who
detectives believe was not involved in either of the Burke County incidents,
were charged by sheriff's detectives with one count of robbery with a dangerous
weapon, and conspiracy to commit a felony in connection with the High Country
Store robbery. |
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| Detectives with Valdese Police Department levied
the exact charges on the five for the Domino's robbery, along with an
additional count of attempted murder in the shooting of the clerk. |
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| Allred, Ingle and Vallini had first court
appearances in Burke County District Court earlier today. Harrison and Uwaleke
remain in jail in Catawba County and will be arraigned at a later
date. |
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