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Man arrested, accused of posing as employee, stealing restaurant van

LINCOLNTON, N.C. — A man who is accused of stealing a Lincolnton restaurant’s van Tuesday morning after breaking into the business and pretending to be a new employee has been arrested, authorities said.

Clay Heafner, owner of the Home Place Restaurant at 1700 West NC 27 Highway, spotted the van while on his way to a fishing trip in Burke County hours after it was stolen, authorities said.

According to officials with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Heafner called 911 and followed the van until a Morganton Public Safety officer arrived and arrested the suspect, who has been identified as 28-year-old Matthew Straughan.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office said they watched surveillance footage showing Straughan breaking into the restaurant around 3:30 a.m.

Employees of the restaurant told deputies that they arrived to work at 5:30 a.m. and found Straughan already in the business, detectives said. The employees said they thought Straughan might be a new employee.

Detectives said the employees entered through the back of the building, so they didn’t notice damage to the restaurant’s front door from the break-in.

According to employees, Straughan stayed with them for 30 minutes before taking keys to the restaurant’s 1998 Ford van and driving away in it, detectives said.

Straughan also stole food from the restaurant, along with a jar of money, detectives said.

Officials said Straughan appeared before a magistrate Tuesday and has been charged with one felony count each of breaking and entering a building, larceny after breaking and entering and larceny of a motor vehicle in Lincoln County. He has also been charged in Burke County with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle, authorities said.

Straughan is now being held in the Burke County Jail.

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