Burglary suspect snacks, bathes, defecates in Asheville business
By Hannah Mackenzie
Click here for updates on this story
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A burglary suspect is on the run after allegedly spending several hours inside an Asheville business eating, bathing and making off with some merchandise.
Cameras at Leonard’s Auto Mart on Smokey Park Highway caught the suspect crawling through the business on Oct. 30. Manager Lynn Crook said the suspect scaled the family business like Spiderman.
“He came up the back of our building,” Crook said. “He got on the tires, jumped up on the top of the carport, climbed on the porch and broke in our door.”
According to Crook, the suspect used a screwdriver to chisel away at the door. The door and frame had to be replaced.
“He messed it all up,” Crook said. “That was really only the damage that we had of any significance.”
Once inside, cameras captured the suspect crawling on the floor. He went desk to desk, searching the drawers.
“He was just looking for whatever he could find,” Crook said.
Then, the burglar made his way into a back office where the safe is stored.
“He’s able to drag it out through the store, into this office, out of this office, come around the corner and into another office,” Crook said.
Surveillance footage, again, showed the suspect maneuvering the 700-pound safe as though it were a prop.
“He had no help, he had no dolly, no anything. But he got this 700-pound safe,” Crook said. “I’m just glad no one was here to get hurt, because he would have hurt somebody or tried to. If he can move a safe that size, he can hurt somebody.”
A padlocked garage door prevented him from going any further. That’s when the footage showed he took a break before heading to the kitchenette.
“He spent quite a bit of time in here,” Crook said. “He took a few chips, cookies, sodas, etcetera and made himself at home, even to the point of going to the sink and taking a bath.”
The suspect is then seen using a blanket to cover up. He also takes several T-shirts and hoodies with the business logo printed on them.
“He didn’t hurt anything [or] anybody, he didn’t steal anything of value, so to see him for four hours is kind of comical,” Crook said.
The suspect ended up making off with sunglasses, merchandise, and a full stomach – but Crook said he did leave behind some key evidence: DNA.
“We have three bathrooms three! One downstairs, one upstairs and there’s one around the building outside,” Crook said. “Three bathrooms and he wasn’t interested.”
Crook said the suspect defecated and urinated multiple times.
“We did have to change some flooring out,” Crook said.
According to the Asheville Police Department, the suspect is also believed to have stolen a car from a dealership across the road. The same night, the dealership was broken into and a 2023 black Mazda CX5 was stolen from the lot.
The suspect is described as a balding black male with a beard. If you recognize him, call Asheville police at 828-252 1110. You can also send an anonymous tip by texting “TIP2APD” to 847411 or by using the TIP2APD phone application.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
