4/03/18 Laurinburg, MD Woman steals date’s car and money – Deputies in Halifax county stopped her – In handcuffs steals patrol car – Pursuit then wrecks patrol car.

LAURINBURG — Police say there were two separate incidents over the weekend of car thieves driving themselves into plenty of trouble.

Police were called to a home on Nichols Street early Easter morning where the owner reported that he woke up to find Aye, $15 in cash, and his 2000 Mazda Wagon missing.

Police located Aye and the car after a call from Halifax County officials.

“Nash County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a vehicle on I-95 driving recklessly and notified Halifax County because it was close to the county line,” Young said.

Deputies in Halifax stopped the car and detained Aye in connection to the Laurinburg theft. However, detention didn’t keep her from taking a second vehicle, authorities said.

“Aye was put in the patrol car and while officers were waiting for a wrecker to pick up the stolen vehicle, Asia removed the handcuffs from behind her back and crawled through the security window stole the patrol car and fled,” Young said.

After a brief pursuit, Aye wrecked the patrol car and was taken into custody again, police said.

Aye was arrested for two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, larceny of a motor vehicle and fleeing to elude arrest and given a $10,000 bond in Halifax County. She is being detained there under a $50,000 hold for charges of felony larceny and misdemeanor larceny in the Laurinburg incident.

In an unrelated incident, a man who was also trying to head north is believed to have stolen a car in Alabama.

On Friday, police received a call from Scotland County EMS concerning an assault on Bizzell Street, according to Young.

At the scene, Alex Fitzgerald Pyatt, 45, of Florida told officers that he had been assaulted near Rob’s Convenience Store on 2nd Street.

Things went sideways for Pyatt after he was taken to Scotland Memorial Hospital to treat injuries to his face and head.

“The 2006 Chevrolet Pyatt was operating had Alabama registration. A check of the registration revealed that the vehicle had been stolen two weeks ago from Alabama,” Young said.

During the investigation detectives found out that Pyatt had come from Florida to visit family. Police believe that at some point he stopped in Alabama, broke into a home, stole the keys to the Chevrolet and traveled to Laurinburg.

While here, Pyatt is alleged to have gotten into an argument that led to his assault.

“While on 2nd Street he began to assault a female, from my understanding it was an ex-girlfriend; and another male, a relative of Pyatt, assaulted Pyatt to stop the assault on the female,” Young said. “He fled that assault to Bizzell Street, and when our officers got there they ran the tag and found the car stolen.”

After Pyatt received treatment, he was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and transferred to the Scotland County Detention Center. He is being held on no bond pending charges related to the Alabama break in.

By Beth Lawrence

Staff reporter