RFP Staff
♦ Reine Struggy Augustin, 16, of Salisbury was arrested Friday for allegedly packing a concealed 9-mm handgun with the serial numbers scratched off. For starters it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to carry a handgun. In addition Augustin allegedly possessed a firearm with altered serial numbers which is a felony and carrying a concealed gun is also illegal.
Augustin and a friend walked along the 500 block of South Ellis Street at 5:30 a.m. when a Salisbury policeman, due to break-in reports in the area, pulled up to the two males and began to question them. They told the officer they were walking from a girlfriend’s house and were going home. They wondered if the officer might give them a ride. He said yes, but first he would need to search them for weapons before they got in the patrol car.
When the policeman started the search, one of the young men sprinted away. Augustine, standing nearby, suddenly bolted. The officer pursued him, finally getting a grip on Augustin and in the process a 9-mm handgun fell to the ground. It was loaded and its serial number were removed. Yo!
Augustin was charged with carrying a concealed gun (misdemeanor), possession/carry a firearm by a minor (misdemeanor), and possession/buying/selling a gun with altered serial numbers (felony).
He was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and has since been released.
