Richlands Man Arrested Following Attempted ATM Break-In in Pink Hill
On May 11, 2026, at approximately 1:32 a.m., deputies with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office responded to an alarm activation at the State Employees’ Credit Union CashPoints ATM located at the Midway Mart, 8174 Highway 258 South in Pink Hill.
When deputies arrived, they observed a suspect exiting the ATM building. The suspect complied with verbal commands to exit but fled on foot as deputies attempted to take him into custody.
Assistance was requested from the Kinston Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division. After a brief K-9 search of the wooded area south of the Midway Mart, the suspect was located and taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as Michael Edward Murrell, 24, of Richlands.
Murrell was charged with:
Felony Breaking and Entering
Felony Attempted Larceny
Felony Safecracking
Felony Possession of Burglary Tools
Misdemeanor Injury to Real Property
Misdemeanor Resisting a Public Officer
Murrell was placed in the W.E. “Billy” Smith Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond.
Sheriff Jackie Rogers stated, “The quick response by our deputies and the assistance of our law enforcement partners led to the successful apprehension of this suspect.”
