FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A man was arrested Saturday afternoon after being found passed out in a yard with a stolen Lowe’s shopping cart loaded with copper wiring, brass tubing, and other merchandise valued at more than $800.
According to the Fayetteville Police Department, officers were dispatched to 2045 Nickelville Road around 4:42 p.m. on June 7 after a report of a suspicious man lying on the ground with a full shopping cart. Patrolman J.P. Hannigan arrived on scene minutes later and found William Eugene Dixon, who did not reside at the property and had no connection to the occupants, unconscious or heavily intoxicated beside the cart.
Officers noted the cart contained copper wiring, tubing, and brass items that appeared to have come from Lowe’s, but were not in shopping bags and came with no receipt. Multiple cut straws, believed to be drug paraphernalia, were also found near Dixon, as well as several uncapped syringes on his person. He reportedly exhibited signs of narcotics use, including slurred speech and difficulty standing.
Once conscious, Dixon was detained and questioned by officers. He admitted to accompanying two or three other individuals to Lowe’s, where they loaded the merchandise into a cart and left without paying. He said after an argument with the others, they left in a vehicle and he pushed the cart away on foot.
Lowe’s asset protection team confirmed the stolen items, estimating the merchandise at $549.13, with an additional $300 value placed on the stolen shopping cart. Store officials plan to review surveillance footage and provide it to the police.
Dixon was arrested on charges of petit larceny and public intoxication and was transported to Southern Regional Jail to await arraignment.
