Man arrested for Sunday's Family Dollar robbery and Dec. 9 Dollar General robbery

KINSTON -- On Sunday, Dec. 13, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office arrested one suspect in connection with an armed robbery that occurred at the Family Dollar Store in La Grange.

Lenoir County deputies responded to the La Grange Family Dollar after a report of a robbery in progress. Deputies and police officers from the Kinston Police Department -- who were called to assist -- set up a perimeter and used a KPD canine to track the suspect, who had fled on foot from the robbery.

After a successful track, deputies located Steven Edward Wilson in an abandoned home on James Street in La Grange and took him into custody. Detectives with LCSO and KPD conducted the investigation and found evidence to link Wilson to another robbery that occurred in Lenoir County on Dec. 9 at the Dollar General Store on Hwy 11/55 in Kinston.

Wilson, 29, of Kinston, was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and second degree kidnapping in regards to the La Grange robbery.

Wilson was also charged with crimes related to the robbery of a Dollar General on Hwy 11/55 on Dec. 9. Charges from that incident are robbery with dangerous weapon, robbery with a dangerous weapon of individual and two counts of second degree kidnapping.

Wilson is confined in the Lenoir County Jail under a $225,000 secured bond.

“I want to thank all of the La Grange citizens who played a major role in helping us find the suspect today by sharing information and sightings that led to his arrest," Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said. "This arrest is the result of what happens when community and law enforcement work together to defeat crime.

"I commend all the citizens, Lenoir County deputies and Kinston Police officers that were involved.”

Detectives are working to determine if there were any other suspects in any of these robberies and identify links to other incidents. Additional charges are expected in the coming days related to these incidents.