ROWAN COUNTY– On Monday, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a reported armed robbery of a female taxi cab driver near China Grove.
Reports say the taxi driver picked up a white male customer on Rock Hill Church Road, in Concord, and drove him to the Arcadia Road location.
The driver told the male subject what the bill was and after that the customer demanded all of the driver’s money.
When the taxi driver looked back at the suspect she states the suspect pointed a pink handgun at her face, and pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire.
The taxi driver began fighting to control the gun and the suspect was able to fire the gun, but the bullet passed by the taxi driver and damaged the vehicle’s window.
The suspect exited the car and began walking around to the driver’s side pointing the gun at the victim. The taxi driver then drove away leaving the suspect standing in the roadway.
Rowan County Deputies began investigating and were able to identify the suspect as Troy Chase Caster, 21.
The investigation was able to link Caster as being wanted by Salisbury Police for larceny of a firearm. Caster was identified as the suspect in the larceny of a pink handgun on January 4th.
Salisbury PD obtained warrants for Caster’s arrest, but had been unable to locate him. Rowan County Sheriff Deputies obtained Felony warrants on Troy Caster for Attempted Armed Robbery and Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, and began the search to arrest Caster.
On Tuesday, January 7th Rowan County Deputies spotted Troy Caster in the area of his residence on Phaniels Church Road. Deputies attempted to perform a traffic stop on the suspect, but the suspect failed to stop and sped away.
Rowan Deputies pursued the suspect into Rockwell and onto Highway 52, toward Stanly County. The suspect reached speeds of over 100 MPH as the chase continued, and entered into Stanly County.
The chase continued into Stanly County, going into Davidson County, and then into Randolph County where NC Highway Patrol joined the chase, along with units of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
Rowan County Sheriff units allowed NC SHP and Randolph County Sheriff’s units to take the lead in the chase as the suspect slowed his speeds below 100 MPH. The chase continued to the area of the NC ZOO. The suspect vehicle was finally stopped at the ZOO in Ashboro. Shots were fired and the suspect was struck. None of the law enforcement officers involved were injured.
