“PopTart Bandits”: Man, Juvenile Accused Of Stealing Pop Tarts, Other Items From Catawba County Elementary School

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A 24-year-old man and a young accomplice are being accused of stealing large amounts of pop tarts, cartons of milk, cheese sticks and more items from a Catawba County elementary school.

According to deputies, school administrators at Blackburn Elementary School discovered Wednesday around 7:30 a.m. that a break-in had happened and the suspects entered the school through an unsecured door.

The suspect, identified as Jacob Hamrick, was located by investigators along with almost all of the items stolen from the school during a canvass of area residences.

Among the stolen items recovered were 89 packages of pop tarts, 38 cartons of milk, 42 packages of cheese sticks, 11 containers of strawberry apple sauce, 2 cartons of orange juice and 6 compound bows used by the school’s archery program, deputies said. A pack of crackers stolen from the school had already been consumed.

The motivation for the crimes appear to be opportunity as opposed to a need for food or drink, according to the news release.

Deputies said Hamrick, a Newton resident, has been arrested and charged with breaking or entering and larceny.

Hamrick received a 1,000 unsecured bond and has a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on Thursday. The juveniles involvement in this incident will be addressed with the Office of Juvenile Justice.