A pair of Carter County men face several charges after police say the two invaded a woman’s home Tuesday evening, assaulted her with pepper spray and stole her purse.
Early Wednesday morning, officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jeffery McLaughlin, 28, of 167 Pete Slagle Road, Watauga, and Tony Coleman, 40, 228 Campbell Hollow Road, Roan Mountain, in connection with the robbery. Officers charged McLaughlin with strong arm robbery, simple assault, driving on a suspended license, improper registration and simple possession/casual exchange of Schedule VI drugs. Coleman faces charges of strong arm robber and simple possession/casual exchange of Schedule VI drugs.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sheriff’s Department officers responded to a home in the Stoney Creek community after a 53-year-old woman called 911 to report a home invasion robbery. According to police reports, when officers arrived on the scene, traces of pepper spray residue were still clearly visible on the woman’s face.
The woman told police McLaughlin and the man she didn’t know who was introduced as McLaughlin’s cousin came to her home and asked if they could come inside.
“Once inside, Mr. McLaughlin pushed (her) down on a couch in the living room area and pepper sprayed her,” CCSD Lt. Derrick Hamm said.
The woman told officers McLaughlin then went through her home and took her purse with him when he left. The purse contained a small amount of cash, a credit card, a check book, the woman’s driver’s license and a watch, she said.
Several hours later, around 12:45 Wednesday morning, officers located McLaughlin and Coleman leaving McLaughlin’s home in Roan Mountain.
CCSD Deputy Robert Hughes was investigating the area of McLaughlin’s home when he saw a dark color car pull into the driveway and then leave again shortly thereafter.
Hughes stopped the vehicle, identified McLaughlin as the driver and found Coleman was a passenger in the vehicle.
The two men were then arrested in connection with the robbery and McLaughlin was also charged with driving on a suspended license.
When officers searched the vehicle, Hughes said he found a bag of marijuana around the center console as well as a black airsoft type handgun.
Both McLaughlin and Coleman appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court Wednesday morning and were arraigned on the charges against them.
Judge Keith Bowers set McLaughlin’s bond at $28,000 and appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent him.
Coleman told the court he wanted to hire an attorney. Bowers set Coleman’s bond at $21,000 and ordered him to hire an attorney and return to court.
Both men are scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on Monday, Dec. 14.