Physical assault

On Aug. 17, 2010, the Elkin Police Department responded to a call from Safari Nails, located on CC Camp Rd., in reference to a fight in progress.

According to an EPD investigative report, officers spoke with Tran Thao Thanh of Dobson, who stated that a female suspect had come to his house a few nights earlier, stayed the night and then stolen $1,000 from him before leaving the next morning.

After claiming to call the female suspect several times, Tran told police that he had driven to her home to take back the money and that a physical altercation between the female and her boyfriend had ensued after his arrival.

The female suspect, going by the name of “Troung,” told EPD officers that Tran had come to her residence earlier that day because he was jealous of her new boyfriend and that he had attempted to forcibly enter her house. When she opened the door for Tran, Troung told police that he ran inside, grabbed her by her hair and started hitting her head with his fist when her boyfriend came out of the house and began fighting Tran.

EPD officers transported the female and male suspects separately to EPD headquarters where warrants were taken out for assault on a female and simple assault before they were taken to the Surry County Jail.

Property damage

On Aug. 18, 2010, the Elkin Police Department responded to a call from Safari Nails, located on C.C. Camp Road, in reference to property damage to a vehicle.

According to an EPD investigative report, upon arrival EPD officers spoke with victim Tran Thao Thanh, who stated that on Aug. 17, he and his girlfriend had been in an argument that led to the arrest of both parties.

When Tran returned for his vehicle, which had been left in the parking lot of Safari Nails, he found a one-inch cut in the right rear tire. The tire was deflated and the vehicle was sitting on the rim of the right rear tire. Tran told police that he believed his girlfriend's boyfriend, who had also been involved in the argument the previous day, to be responsible.

No surveillance video of the property was available for EPD investigation. The case was closed due to a lack of further evidence.

Escaping from custody/resisting arrest

On Aug. 17, 2010, Elkin Police Department officers observed Joshua Shane Marion of Elkin sitting in the passenger side of a vehicle of the parking lot at the Elkin Wilco gas station.

According to an EPD investigative report, the responding officer knew that Marion currently had 13 criminal summons for worthless checks. As the officer checked Marion's personal information, Marion placed his hand in his left pocket, took out pills and placed them in his mouth. The officer attempted to remove the pills from Marion's mouth but was unsuccessful.

Marion was then transported to EPD headquarters where he was issued a citation for resisting, obstructing and delaying arrest. Before being allowed to leave the station, EPD officers served Marion with all 13 of his criminal summons.

Breaking and entering, larceny and property damage

On Aug. 20, 2010, while performing routine building checks in the downtown Elkin area, an EPD officer observed that a lamp post at the corner of a building located at 227 E. Main Street, had been knocked over.

According to an EPD investigative report, officers found one of the bay doors of Kennedy Auto's Storage to be partially open. EPD officers then asked residents of the apartment complex located above the building if they had noticed any suspicious activity earlier in the evening. One resident said that he had seen a heavy set white male, approximately 5' 8”, possibly with a beard, driving a red Ford Ranger pickup which was backed up to the bay door. The witness said that the man was loading a four-wheeler on a black utility trailer, which was hitched to the pickup.

Upon gaining entry to the storage facility, a relative of the building owner, Verlie Vestal, confirmed that a 250 CC Roketa ATV had been stolen. The four-wheeler was estimated in value at $1,200.

After further investigation, EPD officers could find no signs of forcible entry to the garage, and none of the apartments located directly above the garage had been burglarized. Police determined that the suspect had gained entry through the upstairs door to the apartment complex, gone down the staircase and opened the garage bay door using an opener inside the building.

Another witness told EPD officers that he had seen the suspect load the ATV on the trailer behind his pickup and hit the lamp post with the front right corner of the trailer while leaving the parking lot. The suspect then exited his vehicle, picked up the lamppost from the ground and propped it against the building as it was later found by EPD officers before driving away.

The building owners gave EPD officers the serial number for the ATV. The case remains open for further investigation.