A North Carolina man, Aaron Shayne Oxendine, 23, has found himself on the wrong side of the law – and likely the naughty list – after an ill-fated Christmas caper. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office announced Oxendine’s arrest on Monday, following a brazen burglary in the Vass area last Thursday, where Christmas cheer turned into a crime scene.
The festive felony unfolded in the Woodlake community, where Oxendine allegedly played the part of a modern-day Grinch. He is accused of breaking into a home and swiping several gifts, destined to bring joy under a Christmas tree. But his holiday haul was short-lived. Witnesses described his getaway vehicle as “suspicious,” leading deputies to quickly track down the car, along with Oxendine, the stolen gifts, and, in a shocking twist, a stash of illicit drugs.
Major J. A. Conway of the sheriff’s office recounted the dramatic chase and capture. After initially ignoring the blaring sirens and flashing lights, Oxendine was finally stopped and apprehended on the spot. The recovered loot from the break-in was just the beginning. Inside the vehicle, authorities found methamphetamine and heroin, adding a dark drug twist to his list of charges, which now tally up to five felonies.
Oxendine’s charges read like a criminal Christmas list: felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering, felony possession of stolen goods, felony possession of methamphetamine, felony possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to heed light or siren.
In a fate more fitting for a jail cell than a festive celebration, Oxendine is set to spend the new year behind bars in the Moore County Detention Center. His court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 3, with a hefty secured bond set at $75,000.
As the community reels from this yuletide theft, Oxendine’s botched burglary and drug-fueled downfall serve as a stark reminder that crime doesn’t take a holiday, even as the rest of the world revels in the season of giving. The story of this not-so-merry misadventure has left many shaking their heads at the audacity of this holiday heist turned drug debacle.
