Wadesboro police officers apprehended a suspected thief after first a vehicle, then foot, chase on Jan. 14.

The suspect, identified as Roger Lee Hunt, 47, of Rowland, was caught after officers noticed him towing a trailer from Anson Machine Shop at a high rate of speed, according to WPD Lt. Brandon Chewning.

The officers, who were off-duty, saw the dark-colored Ford truck quickly pulling a trailer from the shop at approximately 11 p.m. Suspicious, they contacted on-duty officers to investigate further. Anson County Sheriff’s deputies found the truck in trailer in the area of Kitty Bennett Road in Wadesboro and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, at which point the suspect fled, Chewning said.

The police pursued until the driver drove the truck into a ditch and fled on foot. WPD officers and Sheriff’s Office deputies chased the suspect into a wooded area, apprehending him. They contacted Benny Galliher, the owner of Anson Machine Shop, and determined that the trailer attached to Hunt’s vehicle was the property of the shop.

Officers then arrested Hunt and transported him to the Anson County Jail, according to Chewning.

Hunt was charged with breaking & entering (felony), larceny (felony), breaking and entering of a motor vehicle (felony), trespassing (misdemeanor), resisting a public officer (misdemeanor), fleeing to elude arrest (misdemeanor), and damage to property (misdemeanor), Chewning said.

“Our officers did an outstanding job of being aware of their surroundings and using their ‘police instincts’ to protect the property of the citizens of Wadesboro,” Chewning said in a press release.

Hunt is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 5. His bond is set at $13,500.