A Salem man was arrested Thursday following the burglary of Pizza Inn the previous evening and recovery of the stolen money from his residence.
Ralph Scott, 34, has been charged with felony second degree burglary and felony theft/stealing of property or services valued at $500 but less than $25,000, according to court records.
Scott is currently being held in the Dent County Jail with bond set at $50,000 cash only.
According to the probable cause report, officers with the Salem Police Department responded to a report of a burglary at Pizza Inn at 8:09 a.m. Thursday. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage which showed an adult male had broken into the restaurant by prying a backdoor open with a garden spade. The suspect was recorded removing $2,395 in cash and checks from a safe after locating its key. He wore plastic gloves and a ski mask as well as blue jeans with holes by the knees and a cutoff shirt with the number two on the back.
A detective recognized the physical description of the suspect as resembling Ralph Scott, a resident of Salem living on the 1300 block of West Franklin Street. Security video footage of Scott was obtained with the cooperation of Walmart which showed him wearing the same clothes as the burglar.
During a Thursday afternoon interview at the Salem Police Department, Scott denied breaking into the Pizza Inn and said he was unaware a burglary had taken place.
A later search of Scott’s residence located the money missing from Pizza Inn.
