One-time escapee charged with robbing Greenville hotel

Austin Reid Pittman, 30, has been charged in the Oct. 30 armed robbery of the Holiday Inn at 909 Moye Blvd. Police said that a man armed with a handgun stole approximately $200 from the hotel.

Sgt. Joe Friday, with the Greenville police, said that Tarboro police received information that pointed to Pittman as a suspect in the hotel robbery. Investigators are looking into the possibility that Pittman might be connected to other violent crimes in Greenville, Friday said.

At the time of his arrest, Pittman was already being held in the Edgecombe County jail for various charges in multiple jurisdictions. He was given a $2,300,000 secured bond.

State Department of Correction records show that Pittman has been convicted of more than 60 crimes and has spent nearly nine years of the past 13 years in prison. He was most recently released from prison last November.

Most of Pittman's convictions are for larcenies and vehicle break-ins in Edgecombe, Wake and Pitt counties, along with convictions for burning a building under construction, communicating threats and hit and run.

Pittman escaped from custody in 2007 during a visit to Pitt Memorial Hospital while awaiting trial on various charges.

DOC records show that while in prison, Pittman has racked up 54 infractions, including assault with a weapon, setting a fire, weapon possession, threatening staff, lock tampering and faking an illness.