A 37-year-old Elizabeth City man is facing first-degree burglary and five other felony charges after police say they tied him to a string of break-ins. At one address, surveillance video showed a man taking items from a front porch and a pickup truck, police said. Nikequan L. Scott Jr. briefly ran on foot before officers took him into custody Wednesday.
Elizabeth City police officers arrested Scott on Wednesday, according to 13News Now, which reports he fled briefly before officers caught up with him. The case appears to have started two days earlier, when the Elizabeth City Police Department began investigating a reported larceny at a home in the 600 block of Second Street. Surveillance footage from that address showed a man taking items from a front porch and a pickup truck, police said.
A Second Break-In Widens the Investigation
The following day, investigators responded to a reported break-in at a home in the 400 block of East Broad Street, per the same report. Investigators said three people entered that home without permission and stole several items. It remains an open question whether Scott acted alone in the Second Street incident or was one of the three people involved in the East Broad Street break-in, as the station's report does not specify.
Police also connected additional cases dating back to September to the broader investigation, officials said. That timeline suggests a pattern of property crimes stretching back weeks before Scott's arrest, though the exact number of linked incidents and the total value of property recovered have not been disclosed.
Charges Carry a Mandatory Prison Sentence
Scott now faces first-degree burglary, larceny after breaking and entering, breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft, larceny, obtaining property by false pretense, and possession of stolen property. The first-degree burglary charge alone is the most serious he faces. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-51, first-degree burglary — breaking and entering an occupied dwelling at night with intent to commit a felony or larceny — is a Class D felony. The cited guidance says first-degree burglary carries mandatory active time at Prior Record Level 1, according to Powers Law Firm PA.
The motor vehicle break-in charge falls under North Carolina General Statute § 14-56, which the UNC School of Government notes was amended effective December 2023 to allow enhancement up to a Class H felony when stolen goods exceed $1,500 in value. Prosecutors must still prove the vehicle contained something of value beyond its parts. Separately, larceny committed in connection with a breaking and entering is automatically a felony regardless of the dollar amount involved, according to King Law Offices — a distinction from standard misdemeanor larceny, which applies only when stolen property is valued at $1,000 or less and no break-in occurred.
The false pretense charge Scott faces is classified separately. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-100, obtaining property by false pretense involving amounts under $100,000 is a Class H felony carrying penalties ranging from probation up to 39 months in prison, per the Hiltzheimer Law Office. Prosecutors must show Scott knowingly used misrepresentation to acquire property to secure a conviction on that count.
Held Without Bond on the Most Serious Count
Scott is being held without bond on the burglary charge and under a $20,000 secured bond for the remaining counts, 13News Now reports. His first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday in Pasquotank County District Court.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing. The Elizabeth City Police Department asked anyone with information to call 252-335-4321.
Property Crime Dominates Local Caseloads
Separately, Pasquotank County established a new Recovery Court session within the 1st Judicial District this month, The Daily Advance reports.
