Wilmington man pleads guilty to robbery, setting fire that killed dog

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man who robbed a local convenience store and barricaded himself inside of a home before setting it on fire will spend at least three years in prison.

Saeed Abdelsalem El-Helo, 27, pleaded guilty to Common Law Robbery, Second Degree Arson, and two counts of Cruelty to Animals.

On May 27, 2018 El-Helo entered the Scotchman store at 2902 Carolina Beach Road shortly after 4:00 p.m., told the clerk that he had a gun, and ordered the clerk to give him the money from the cash register.

Witnesses described the vehicle El-Helo was driving when he left the scene. Surveillance images also captured the incident. A detective familiar with El-Helo quickly identified him.

El-Helo’s vehicle was spotted outside of 2815 Vance Street. Police attempted to
take El-Helo into custody, but were forced to take cover outside of the residence when he threatened that he had a firearm.

SWAT team members and negotiators were called to the residence to assist in the
standoff.

El-Helo later lit the house on fire and remained inside until ultimately crawling out of a
window. One dog that had been caged in the house died, while another was revived by firefighters.

El-Helo was treated at the burn unit at UNC-Chapel Hill. He confessed to robbing the Scotchman and setting the house on fire, but denied that he had a firearm during the incidents. No gun was ever recovered.

El-Helo was ordered to pay nearly $3,000 in restitution as part of his sentence. He will spend a maximum of 6 years behind bars.