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A Lumberton man was sentenced May 3, 2021 to 240 months in prison for robbery, carjacking and kidnapping, charges he pleaded guilty to on June 16, 2020, according to a press release from the Department of Justice, Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Trenton Pearson, 35, committed a series of violent criminal conduct in November 2018 and August through September 2019.

On November 24, 2018, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an armed robbery at the Dollar General Store located at 2656 Lombardy Village Road, Lumber Bridge, North Carolina. Upon arrival, deputies met with a Dollar General Store clerk who advised that a male approached his checkout counter and asked him to open the cash register. The suspect walked behind the counter with a knife in his hand, demanded money and threatened to stab the clerk, according to the release. The suspect stole approximately $320 from the register and exited the store.

On November 26, 2018, Red Springs Police Department investigators responded to the Sun-Do Gas Station located at 902 East Avenue, Red Springs, North Carolina about an armed robbery. On arrival, investigators met with the store clerks, who stated that the suspect entered the store, walked behind the counter and pointed a silver knife at one clerk’s side, according to the release. The suspect then stole approximately $1,539 from the cash register and exited the store.

On November 27, 2018, St. Pauls Police Department responded to the Dollar General located at 584 W. Clark Street in St. Pauls, North Carolina, about an armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers met Dollar General store clerks who reported that the suspect kept his hand inside his coat as if he had a weapon and demanded money, stated the release. The suspect stole approximately $4,461 from the register and left the business on a bicycle. “The clerks immediately called 911 and described the suspect. An officer observed the suspect and found him in possession of the stolen money and a knife. The suspect was identified as Trenton Pearson, and he was arrested,” stated the release. “He agreed to speak with law enforcement and admitted to the robberies. At the time of the offenses, Pearson was on post-release supervision and revoked back to state prison for a term of months.”

On August 30, 2019, St. Pauls Police Department officers responded to an armed robbery at the Family Dollar located at 407 East Broad Street, St. Pauls, North Carolina. Upon arrival, officers met with the store clerk who advised that a male rushed behind her counter with a knife and demanded that she stay quiet, stated the release. The suspect stole the entire cash register before exiting the business. Approximately $210 and other store items were stolen during this robbery.

On August 31, 2019, at approximately 10 a.m., Hope Mills Police Department officers responded to the Dollar General Store located at 2477 Hope Mills Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina, about a robbery. Upon their arrival, officers met with the store clerk who stated that a male suspect rushed behind her counter and tackled her to the ground when she opened the cash register, according to the release. The suspect stole money from the cash register that contained approximately $216.

On September 1, 2019, at approximately 9:05 p.m., Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to 14389 N.C. 71, Shannon, North Carolina, about a carjacking call. Upon their arrival, they met the victim, who stated that she entered David’s General Store for a brief moment and returned to her Dodge Journey. Shortly thereafter, she placed her vehicle into drive and felt someone place a sharp object against her throat; the suspect told her not to stop, according to the release: “She complied and asked him what he wanted. He responded that he wanted her keys. The victim then jumped out of the vehicle and fled.”

On September 3, 2019, at approximately 8:30 p.m., a female victim returned to her black Chrysler 200 after shopping at a store located at 3708 Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville, North Carolina. “As she returned to her vehicle, an individual entered her vehicle, placed a knife to her neck, and asked whether she had any money. When she told him no, he demanded the victim drive her to an ATM and forced her to withdraw $100,” the release continued. “The ATM withdrawal was caught on video surveillance, and Trenton Pearson could clearly be seen on the video. According to the victim, Pearson then drove them to Red Springs, N.C. Pearson drove to an unknown location on a dirt road and purchased crack cocaine. When she tried to escape, he put her in a headlock and cut her with a knife. Pearson utilized the victim’s cell phone to further the kidnapping. The victim was ultimately able to jump out of the vehicle and seek help at a gas station.”

On September 4, 2019, Lumberton Police Department officers responded to an armed robbery at the Sun-Do Kwik Stop gas station located at 6697 Elizabethtown Road in Lumberton, North Carolina. Upon arrival, officers met with the store clerk who stated that a male approached her behind the checkout counter with a knife and demanded that she open the cash register, according to the release. “The male grabbed the cash register drawer and exited the business, stealing approximately $500.00 from the Sun-Do,” the release stated. “Surveillance footage captured Pearson on video and observed him driving the kidnapping victim’s Chrysler 200.”

Investigators linked Pearson to all the robberies and he was taken into custody on September 4, 2019. He later confessed to committing the robberies, according to the release.

G. Norman Acker III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, Red Springs Police Department, St. Pauls Police Department, Lumberton Police Department and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted.

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