After more than a year of investigation, Whiteville Police have arrested the man alleged to have stolen $11,500 worth of equipment from the county maintenance building in Whiteville.
Nakema Wanya Haley, 29, faces 20 charges of breaking, entering and larceny; five counts of felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle; and two counts of property damage. His address is listed on court documents as 19839 N.C. 410, Bladenboro. His bond was set at $45,000.
Whiteville Police were called to the Columbus County Maintenance facility on Thompson Street on March 25, 2025, according to a press release. Someone had entered the fenced enclosure and broken into trucks and a building. Power tools and lawn maintenance equipment were reported missing. Total value of the property was estimated at $11,500. The building had no security cameras at the time.
Investigators with Whiteville Police reviewed other security cameras and conducted multiple interviews, as well as surveillance, while searching for the suspect in the case. They eventually identified Haley, who was arrested in a traffic stop by Bladenboro Police Aug. 31. He was turned over to the Columbus County detention Center Sept. 1.
“Many times, cases take time,” Rockenback said in the press release, “but our department is committed to investigating each case thoroughly. No matter how long an investigation may take.”
