Three charged in Dollar General armed robbery

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Three men are facing charges in connection with a Dublin store armed robbery.

Bladen County Sheriff James McVicker said the Dollar General on Albert Street was robbed last night at around 8:45 p.m. A customer in the back of the store called 911 after seeing two men enter the store wearing masks, the sheriff said. Two employees and three customers were in the business at the time. The sheriff said one of the suspects had a semi-automatic handgun.

A Bladen County deputy arrived at the location in less than a minute. The sheriff said the suspects tried to leave the scene in a vehicle but were caught after a brief chase. Two suspects were taken into custody immediately; a third was arrested about an hour later.

The sheriff said the men charged face charges including robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of stolen goods and other charges. The suspects have been identified as  Naquan Alphonso Matthews, 20,  Everette Nyquan Ward, 25, and Carlton Terrell Smith Jr., 23. Matthews and Ward were put in jail under about a $500,000 bond each, while Smith’s bond was set at more than $1 million.