A man and woman are being sought after a pre-dawn lawnmower ride south of Whiteville.
Elicia Porter Sellers, 45, of Clarendon, and Timothy Lewis, 35, of Whiteville, are sought by deputies for allegedly stealing a lawn mower Sept. 30.
The couple were identified after an F.M. Cartrette Road resident called 911 just after 3 a.m. Sept. 30. The caller told officials that a woman was driving a black Honda Civic near Old Cribbtown Road, with a Husqvarna lawnmower attached to the back of the car. A man was steering the lawnmower, according to a press release. What appeared to be a bag was covering the license plate, the press release noted.
A deputy made contact with a couple matching the description of the unusual caravan, but there was no mower attached to the car. The mower was found behind a nearby home, but the suspects adamantly denied any knowledge of where it came from or how. The sheriff’s office seized the mower, but since there had been no recent reports of a mower being stolen, the suspects were released and the mower was stored at the sheriff’s office.
On Oct. 6, a 79 year old resident of Mollie Road called 911 to report the theft of her mower. She told investigators she hadn’t looked for the machine in several weeks, and discovered it missing the day she called authorities. Investigators confirmed that the mower was hers, and returned it to the victim.
Sellers and Lewis are being sought for the theft. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call 910.642.6551, or submit a tip via the sheriff’s office app.
