ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — The Rowan County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man they say is known for stealing vehicles.
Deputies say 19-year-old Ethan Bradley Ghent is wanted for larceny of a motor vehicle, felony larceny, breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, felony fleeing to elude, and misdemeanor larceny. His last known address is along Excel Drive in Kannapolis.
Ghent stands at 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs about 115 pounds. He has short blonde hair and blue eyes.
The sheriff's office warns that Ghent should be considered armed and dangerous and that citizens shouldn't try to apprehend him on their own. Anyone who knows where he is should call the sheriff's office at (704) 216-8700.
In a news release shared later on Wednesday, the sheriff's office provided more context about Ghent's recent alleged activities.
Deputies say Ghent was spotted on Nov. 1 in a stolen car off of US Highway 52 near Gin Road, on a service road near railroad tracks. Ghent was reportedly wearing a blue hoodie and ski mask at the time, and drove off into a driveway along George Brown Road. He then got out of the car with what appeared to be a rifle in his hands before running off into the woods behind the house he parked at.
The sheriff's office said witnesses confirmed Ghent's identity. A search in the area with other law enforcement agencies was conducted, but Ghent wasn't located.
The next morning, deputies were called to the same area long Gin Road for a reported vehicle theft. The victim told them she left the keys in the car and that it had been stolen overnight. Deputies said the victim spotted the car being used along Hutchens Street on Sunday, following it until it pulled into a driveway along Faith Road.
Deputies arrived and found Ghent's brother, Zachary Scott Ghent, standing by the car. He was arrested and charged with possessing a stolen vehicle.
Yet another stolen vehicle case was reported to deputies on Tuesday at 8:45 p.m., this time along Old Beatty Ford Road and Martha Jane Lane. The victim reported a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup had been stolen earlier in the day and had spotted it turning onto Martha Jane Road. Deputies and state troopers got to the scene and found the truck along the rear end of Horse Whisperer Lane, which runs parallel to Martha Jane Lane. They also found a 1988 GMC Sonoma that was reported stolen the day before from Carter Loop Road.
Ethan Bradley Ghent is considered a suspect in all of these cases. The sheriff's office notes he is known to carry firearms and has resisted officers in the past.
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