Smithfield Dollar General smash-and-grab results in quick arrest, echoes regional break-ins

A rock was used to shatter the front glass door of the Dollar General at 829 S. Brightleaf Boulevard in Smithfield, and 10 packs of Newport cigarettes were taken, leaving an estimated $1,000 in damage after officers responded around 3:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. Store surveillance captured the entry and clothing worn by the suspect, according to the investigation.

Police canvassed nearby areas and at about 9:12 a.m. officers spotted a man walking on Martin Luther King Drive near East Street wearing clothing matching the surveillance description. When an officer attempted to speak with the individual, he allegedly fled on foot but was quickly apprehended. Further investigation reportedly confirmed the man was responsible for the break-in that occurred about six hours earlier.

The suspect was identified as Timothy Ray Sellers of Smithfield. Sellers was transported to the Johnston County Detention Center and charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny, misdemeanor resisting a public officer and misdemeanor injury to property. He was being held under a $60,000 secured bond.

Similar forced-entry incidents have hit other Dollar General locations in the region in recent months. The Kinston Police Department reported it is investigating a breaking and entering that happened in the early morning hours of September 17, 2025, at the Dollar General located at 405 E. King Street. Police released a photo of the suspect and asked the public for help identifying the individual; following the investigation, officers obtained warrants for 43-year-old Ricky Harper, and Harper was taken into custody.

In Macon, Bibb County deputies responded around 7:50 a.m. to a burglary at the Dollar General at 1444 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd after a caller said in-store surveillance video showed a man “forcefully” entering the business. Deputies arrested 58-year-old Rodney Wade Fyffe of Macon, and BSO says Fyffe was found with stolen merchandise in his possession. Fyffe was charged with felony second-degree burglary and is being held at the Bibb County Jail without bond. The store’s glass doors were later boarded up, with a management sign reading, “Currently we are closed, sorry for any inconvenience.”

The three incidents share a common operational impact on store teams and customers: physical damage, loss of merchandise and temporary closures. Smithfield’s estimated $1,000 in door damage and the boarded storefront in Macon illustrate immediate repair and reopening work for local staff, while Kinston police reliance on released photos underscores the role of community tips in identifying suspects. Online comments captured beneath the Smithfield report reflected local reaction, including “10 packs of Newports. Surprising, I think not.” and “Always a good idea to commit a felony to get a few packs of smokes.”

All three cases are now in the hands of local law enforcement and the courts: Sellers is jailed on a $60,000 secured bond in Johnston County, Harper was taken into custody in Kinston after warrants were obtained, and Fyffe remains jailed in Bibb County without bond on a felony burglary charge. Further court filings and police releases are expected to detail charges, arraignments and evidence as each case moves forward.