Unsupervised Child Leads Deputies To Stolen Guns, Drugs In Home

CLAYTON — A welfare check involving an unsupervised child led Johnston County deputies to uncover stolen firearms, drugs, and ultimately arrest a man on 21 felony charges.

On September 10, deputies responded to Englewood Drive in Clayton after receiving a report of a 3-year-old child found alone and unclothed in a ditch. Emergency responders located the child in front of a home belonging to 42-year-old Larry Christopher Norris. The child’s mother, Erica Dawn Abram, 36, of Graham, was found inside the home, reportedly asleep.

During the response, deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence and discovered multiple firearms, ammunition, and watches that were allegedly stolen during a recent burglary in Columbus County. Authorities also seized a small amount of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Social workers removed the child from the home, and the child was later placed with a relative.

Abram was arrested at the scene and charged with misdemeanor child abuse and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, identified as hydrocodone.

At the time of the search, Norris was not present. Deputies had been actively searching for him in connection with the Columbus County burglary, in which 12 guns, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and valuable watches were reported stolen.

Norris was arrested on September 11 and charged with 21 felony offenses, including multiple counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of stolen firearms, possession of stolen property, and drug possession. He remains in custody under a $1.4 million secured bond.

The investigation is ongoing.