Three arrested after report of burglary turns into manhunt

A call about a break-in at a residence near Bladenboro turned into a manhunt where three people were arrested and charged on Friday.

Bladen County sheriff's deputies responded at 11:45 a.m. to a residence on Twisted Hickory Road, near the intersection of N.C. Highway 41. A neighbor called and said they saw some unknown people entering a residence.

When deputies arrived, they found three men had broken into the residence and set off a burglar alarm. The men ran off into the woods, and one was captured after a brief manhunt. Deputies said the area was surrounded, and a K-9 was brought in to track and locate the other two burglars, about 30 minutes later.

Arrested were Steven Shyquan Smith, 23, Latiek Langston, 26, and Cedric Rhodes, 20, all of Whiteville. They were transported to the Bladen County Detention Center, where they were charged with felony breaking and entering and placed in the detention center, each under a $5,000 secured bond.

The State Highway Patrol and the Bladenboro Police Department also assisted in the manhunt.

“We are very thankful for the assistance of neighbors looking out for one another and the assistance of other law enforcement agencies that helped us in this case,” Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker said in a statement.