It started as a routine shoplifting call but it quickly turned into a foot chase and tussle in the snow.
Tuesday morning, Tayorsville Police and Alexander County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of shoplifting at the local WalMart store on Highway 16 South. The Loss-Prevention Officer at the store confronted a male suspected of shoplifting. The subject ran out an emergency door in the rear of the building and fled into a wooded area. Alexander County Deputies arrived and followed the man into the snowy terrain. With temperatures in the teens, Deputies had no difficulty following the tracks in the snow and were able to quickly apprehend the suspect, but not before a bit of a wrestling match in the ice and snow.
25-year old Austin Edward Trent of Taylorsville is charged by Taylorsville Police with misdemeanor larceny. He also faces two counts of resisting a public officer filed by the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office. Trent is being held in the Alexander County Detention Center with a secured bond of $3,500.A court date is set for February 7th in Alexander County District Court.
Photo: Alexander County Sheriff’s Office