A bizarre incident in Lincoln County has led to the arrest of a Gastonia man who was discovered inside someone else's home, clothed in the resident's attire. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner entered his North Ingleside Farm Road residence on Monday, to find 46-year-old Tanou Chittamath wearing his clothes, and shoes. Deputies responded to the 911 call and detained Chittamath at the scene.
The events unfolded in a community that locals describe as typically serene, raising both concern and curiosity. "It’s bizarre ... Very bizarre, not something you see every day," Emily Laye, a local, told WCNC. Meanwhile, another resident, Brian Motes expressed his thoughts, "I guess it is a little concerning, a little bit odd, a little bit like what is the backstory there. You don’t expect that anywhere even in a big city, small town, or a rural area like this." It's the sense of oddity that imbues the community with questions, and a hope that underlying issues, perhaps unheard in the clatter of the day, are addressed.
Evidence gathered at the scene linked Chittamath to another break-in in the vicinity. Detectives found two bags outside the home and a bicycle, with items identified from the residence and a second break-in at a property on Golden Eagle Trail. WCCB Charlotte reports that Chittamath faces serious legal charges, including two felony counts of breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering, as well and, felony possession of stolen goods.
Bond conditions for Chittamath include a $1,000 secured bond for the incident on Golden Eagle Trail and a no-bond hold for the break-in on North Ingleside Farm Road, pending a court appearance. These facts underscore a narrative that is, all too often, reduced to numbers and charges – one that speaks of quieter urgencies behind acts that rupture the social fabric of communities that believe themselves untouchable by such disturbances.
