Local News - March 2003

Sweet-tooth crime spree goes sour

Bubblegum bandits

By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer

March 3, 2003 - Two Charlotte men on an alleged 3-month crime spree along N.C. 16 thought they had it pretty sweet — until Lincoln County detectives burst their bubbles. Literally.

The men, Thomas Andrew Williams, 39, and James David Lambert, 32, dubbed “the bubblegum bandits” by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, have been arrested in connection with numerous break-ins to east Lincoln County businesses since December.

The alleged thieves weren’t interested in cash or merchandise. They had their eyes on a sweeter reward — gumball machines.

And they didn’t discriminate — machines ranging from the basic blue boxes filled with colorful candy to a 5-foot-tall “Chatter Box” offering rubber balls were reported stolen.

The spree started Dec. 7, when employees at Bagels and Biscuits on N.C. 16 reported that someone had thrown a brick through a window of the business.

They didn’t realize until a few days later that a gumball machine, valued at about $100 was missing, Detective Lee Keller said.

About a week later, someone smashed their way into Blockbuster Video and stole two Nintendo X-Box video game systems valued at $199 each.

Also missing —– a $150 gumball machine.

This time detectives had a clue. A surveillance camera in the store showed three men walking up to the window and two men going inside. That footage would prove helpful later.

On Jan. 3, a gumball machine containing $120 in quarters was taken from Mazatlan Family Mexican Restaurant on N.C. 16.

The machine’s value was estimated at more than $600.

A peppermint candy vending machine was taken from Clark Tire, 379 N.C. 16, Feb. 5.

Turn 4 Pizza was hit next, on Feb. 12. Missing was a $500 gumball machine and $50 in quarters, along with a payroll bag containing $1,300.

Thieves returned to Clark Tire Feb. 14 and left with a machine and change totaling $150.

On Feb. 23, Blockbuster was hit again, but nothing was missing.

Someone tried to bust out the window of Skeeters Muffler and Brake Shop, 980 N.C. 16, Feb. 20, but failed, detectives said.

Keller believes tape that secured a sign to the glass kept the window from breaking. Too bad for the would-be bandits. Inside? Four gumball machines.

A brick or cement block was used to gain entry to each location, Keller said.

Keller and Detective Bobby Blanton were frustrated.

The normal course of action was not working.

“We weren’t hearing anything,” Keller said.

The only clues they had were the surveillance video from Blockbuster and five gumball machines which had been recovered within a half-mile of each other on Hagers Ferry Road, Keller said.

“It was frustrating,” Blanton said. “They hit businesses —- anytime you have a business broken into it’s bad, but twice is even worse.”

Detectives decided to work late at night, hoping they could catch the suspects in the act.

An all-night patrol Feb. 20 turned up nothing. Tuesday Keller and Deputy Darrell Hutchins patrolled the area in an unmarked vehicle. Still nothing.

They got a break Wednesday, when Mazatlan was hit again. Detectives found the restaurant broken into at about 1 a.m. Keller said they arrived within minutes of the break-in.

“The glass was still falling out of the door,” he said.

Throughout the period of the break-ins, detectives had been talking to clerks at local convenience stores, asking them look out for anyone paying with change or anything that looked suspicious.

At around 1:15 a.m., a call came in from a clerk who said two men came in and bought gas and drinks. Their form of payment? Handfuls of quarters.

The clerk was able to give a good description of the men and their vehicle, including a partial tag number. The information was put out to law enforcement officials in the area.

Keller met a vehicle matching the description at Webbs Road and N.C. 16.

The driver was identified as Williams, who Keller recognized from the Blockbuster security tape.

Williams is charged with one count of breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen property for the second Mazatlan break-in. More charges could be pending.

The passenger, later identified as Lambert, gave detectives a false name, address and date of birth, Keller said.

“He refused to give any information,” Keller said.

But what he couldn’t hide was a cinder block underneath his legs.

Lambert is charged with 22 felonies — eight counts of breaking and entering, seven counts of larceny and seven counts of possession of stolen property. He is also facing misdemeanor charges of attempted breaking and entering and giving false information to a law enforcement officer.

The arrests are not the end of the investigation, Blanton said.

Detectives expect to make more arrests and file more charges as evidence turns up.

Blanton and Keller lauded officers in the Charlie district — east Lincoln — for their work on the case.

“The officers did a fantastic job,” Blanton said.

Williams was released from jail Wednesday on a $2,500 bond. Lambert is being held on $30,000 bond.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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