A Hamptonville man is free after posting a $1,000 unsecured bond on Sunday, Nov. 22 after he was reportedly caught stealing merchandise from Wal-Mart in Elkin and then bit the loss prevention officer who caught him.

According to Elkin police reports, Travis D. Humphrey, 22, of 1305 Daisy Drive, Hamptonville, took some shampoo, speaker wire and tools valued at $67 from Wal-Mart. When the loss prevention officer, a Wal-Mart employee, caught him in the parking lot, Humphrey reportedly bit him.

Humphrey is charged with misdemeanor larceny and aggravated assault.

In another police report, Timothy Charles Stanley, 33, Thurmond, was arrested by Elkin police and charged with larceny and false pretenses from an incident at the Elkin Wal-Mart on Nov. 18.

According to the report, Stanley picked up an electric razor and other merchandise valued at $154. He is reported to have then walked behind an unmanned counter, where he grabbed a plastic bag with the store name on it. The report says he walked to the front door of the store and was given a sticker to place on the merchandise for a return so he could get a refund. When he was arrested, police discovered that a warrant for a similar charge in Wilkes County had also been issued.

Stanley posted a $10,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court in Dobson on Dec. 12 to face two counts of false pretenses and one count of larceny.

In another incident, Beth Poplin, the pianist at Elkin Valley Baptist Church, discovered on Nov. 19 that someone had apparently broken into the church.

When officers arrived, Pastor Johnny Blevins said someone had apparently pried open the door to the church office and taken the safe, with contents valued in excess of $500. The safe was reported to have contained cash, checks and credit cards.

The safe was later found in a wooded area behind the church and had been pried opened. It is being processed for evidence.

In still another incident, Randy Rogers, owner of West Main Antiques and Collectibles, 218 West Main, Elkin, reported on November 13 that someone had taken collectible coins from an unlocked display case while an employee had stepped into a back room of the business. Rogers told police the coins are valued at $1,000.

In other police reports:

Jesse Randall Noah, 30, of State Road was charged with concealment of merchandise when he was reported to have concealed a DVD at the Movie Gallery, 1550 North Bridge Street, Elkin, on Nov. 13. Noah was released on $500 unsecured bond and is scheduled to appear in court in Dobson on December 16.

Bree Lambert, 19, of 188 Oak Grove Road, Elkin, told police on Nov. 17 that someone had taken $125 from her purse when she left it unattended. She said the money disappeared from her home.

Nathaniel Hooks, Greensboro, told police that someone had apparently stolen his credit card number and used it to purchase in excess of $750 in merchandise at the Elkin Wal-Mart on Nov. 16.

He called police to report the incident when he discovered the charges had been made.

Hooks said he has never been to Elkin. The incident is under investigation.

In a similar incident, Ron Lockhart of Elkin reported that someone had apparently attempted to use his driver’s license number to cash a bad check. The Telecheck system recorded his number and associated it with the bad check, and now he is unable to cash his own good checks.