Man Arrested on Charges in Three Counties

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- A Caldwell County man is arrested in Lincolnton after authorities received reports of a stolen vehicle, where the owner of the vehicle located the car at a local auto parts store.

The incident unfolded around 8 p.m. Saturday, when an executive officer with Marx Industries in Caldwell located a work truck he'd reported stolen in the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts on East Main Street in Lincolnton. Authorities quickly responded to the scene where they apprehended the suspect.

Officer Mike Reep took the suspect, 48-year-old Michael Brian McCaleb, 3763 Antler Coutr, Lenoir, into custody on charges of possession of drug paraphenelia. Reep also served warrants out of Catawba County for attempting to obtain property by false pretenses and Caldwell County on 10 counts of misdemeanor worthless checks. McCaleb was taken to the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $10,300 secured bond.

Around 2:30 a.m. Monday, Reep served a warrant on McCaleb for possession of a stolen vehicle, a 2003 Chevrolet, on McCaleb at the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center in Lincolnton. Bond on that charge was set at $5,000 secured.

Rick Detter, vice president with Marx Industries in Granite Falls said he stopped at Wendy's in Lincolnton while on the way to the beach Saturday and saw the vehicle drive by. Detter said he followed the vehicle to Advance Auto Parts.

Detter praised the Lincolnton Police for their quick, resourceful actions to keep McCaleb in jail.

"The Lincolnton Police pulled in about the same time as McCaleb did," said Detter. "Everyone at the Lincolnton Police Department were so nice and did everything right."

McCaleb may face more charges in the case.

Marx Industries manufactures foam rubber products and has been part of the Caldwell County industrial scene for about 20 years.