Goldsboro man accused of stealing homeowner's copper piping

Maurice Nathaniel Wilder, of 1507 Catalpa St., is charged with second-degree burglary, larceny and first-degree trespassing.

At approximately 3:14 a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to N. Audubon Avenue in reference to a breaking and entering in progress.

Dispatchers reported that a black man carrying a black bag and a flashlight was seen coming from under a residence and was being followed by the caller. Officers said they found Wilder covered in dirt with a large canvas bag containing freshly cut copper piping.

Police alerted the homeowner, whose damages and the copper piping were valued at $350. Wilder was placed in the Wayne County Jail under a $30,500 secured bond.