BAD CREEK — The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office is searching for any additional information that may link two separate breaking and entering cases that happened in the span of 24 hours late this past month.
A breaking and entering was reported at the Red Hill store just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The suspects entered the store through the side of the building and stole items mainly including cigarettes and energy drinks.
Evidence recovered at the scene was sent to the state for processing.
Just a day later, on Thursday, Nov. 26, Mitchell County deputies responded to a residence on Bad Creek Road in reference to suspicious activity after a deer hunter reported that he noticed the rear door of the residence appeared to be busted out.
Deputies determined someone had used a firearm to shoot the glass out of the rear door, made entry to the residence and stole several items.
Security footage at the residence captured two males committing the crime. Investigators recovered bullet fragments from the door and inside the residence.
During a patrol of the surrounding area, deputies found a cooler with tools inside and a grocery bag with recently purchased items in the driveway of another nearby residence on Bad Creek.
Investigators believe the perpetrators dropped the items in this spot around the time that deputies arrived on the scene of the break-in.
Investigators determined that the suspects also stole a firearm and evidence suggests that the assailants spent several hours inside the residence and broke into and drove a white work truck belonging to the resident that was on the property.
Investigators later determined that the grocery bag was stolen from a vehicle parked at the Red Hill store the day before.
The Bad Creek and Red Hill store break-ins may be related, a release from the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office said.
In addition to searching for information on anyone seen driving the white work truck from the Bad Creek residence, investigators are also looking for information regarding a small white car with South Carolina tags, which has a connection to both events.
Anyone with information can call the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office at 688-3982.