A break-in at a home on the 500 block of Park Avenue in Salisbury turned violent Thursday when an argument between two women spiraled into a physical fight, leaving both injured and one facing a felony charge. Police say 46-year-old Cheryl Jean Little forced her way into the residence through a rear door before the confrontation with 52-year-old homeowner Shannon Hope Jones escalated, and that a dog inside the home ended up inflicting most of the damage.
According to a news release from the Salisbury Police Department, patrol officers responded to the home at 529 Park Avenue and found two injured women on scene. Jones was transported to Novant Health for treatment, while Little was taken to Atrium Health. Police say Little was known to the homeowner and that the two got into an argument that turned physical.
Investigators say a search of the residence turned up damage consistent with forced entry at the rear door, where a security chain had been broken and the wood was damaged. Officers also found blood inside the home. Though the scene initially suggested a stabbing, police say investigators did not locate a knife or any other weapon believed to have caused the wounds.
Dog Bites Take Center Stage in Injury Findings
Police say the injuries to Jones appeared to have been caused primarily by a dog inside the residence, which attacked Little during the altercation. Little suffered a significant wound to her upper arm, and investigators say they have not determined exactly what caused it. That detail remains an open question in the investigation, which the Salisbury Police Department describes as ongoing.
Under North Carolina's dangerous dog statute, homeowners generally retain strong legal protections when a dog injures someone who is trespassing or committing a crime on the property, according to Roane Law. That legal backdrop suggests the dog's owner is unlikely to face liability for injuries the animal caused while defending the home during the break-in. Separately, state public health rules typically require any dog involved in a human bite to undergo a 10-day quarantine to monitor for rabies, per LawyerNC.
Felony Charges and a Prior Record in Rowan County
Little was arrested upon her discharge from the hospital and charged with felony breaking and entering and assault. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-54, breaking into a building with intent to commit a felony, larceny, or to injure or terrorize an occupant is a Class H felony, punishable by roughly 4 to 39 months in prison depending on a defendant's prior record, according to the Powers Law Firm. Simple assault, by contrast, is a Class 2 misdemeanor carrying up to 60 days in jail.
Court records show Little has had prior run-ins with law enforcement in the area. She was arrested in Rowan County in October 2022 on a misdemeanor assault charge, and the Salisbury Police Department separately charged her with misdemeanor larceny in April 2024, according to the Salisbury Post's police blotter reports. Little has since secured a $3,000 bond and is being held at the Cabarrus County Detention Center rather than the Rowan County jail in Salisbury — a routing quirk not unusual in the region, since hospital discharge and inter-agency housing protocols sometimes send suspects to neighboring counties even when the arresting agency is local.
Investigation Continues Near Historic Salisbury Neighborhood
The home sits adjacent to the North Long Street-Park Avenue Historic District, a residential area listed on the National Register of Historic Places and known for structures dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to the City of Salisbury. Salisbury's crime scene personnel and its Criminal Investigations Division both assisted with the case, and police say they will release additional information if it becomes available.
The Salisbury Police Department is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 704-638-5333. This is the third violent domestic-adjacent incident Hoodline has covered in Salisbury this year, following a deadly Beard Street break-in in March and a fatal stabbing on Wiley Avenue in May, both of which similarly involved violence erupting inside a Salisbury home.
