Goldsboro man charged with stealing puppies from Wayne home

Malyk Rasheed Williams, 19, is charged with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm, six counts of larceny of a dog and one outstanding order for arrest on a charge of failure to appear in court. He was being held Monday in the Wayne County jail under a $49,000 bond.

"I didn't think anyone would steal puppies," Hinson said.

A .22-caliber rifle, some Christmas presents and a small safe containing documents also stolen during the home break-in, she said.

Two of the six stolen puppies were recovered about a week later.

"One of the boys was found in the middle of the street," Hinson said. "A nice family contacted me over Facebook and said they had one."

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office called Hinson on New Year's Eve with news that another puppy had been found.

"Apparently, someone had turned her in after they supposedly bought her," Hinson said.

Authorities said Monday there's no update on the other four missing puppies.

Williams was in a vehicle stopped on U.S. Highway 70 at about midnight Saturday on a traffic violation. The driver was arrested on outstanding warrants as a probation absconder, and deputies questioned everyone else in the car after smelling marijuana inside, authorities said.

One of the deputies involved in the traffic stop also was the lead investigator in the puppy theft, and he recognized Williams as a suspect in that case based on information from local residents, authorities said. Warrants charging him with the break-in and theft were obtained after he was taken into custody on the failure to appear warrant, they said.