Orange County Authorities Searching for Suspect After Armed Robbery

One suspect has been arrested and Orange County authorities are searching for a second after an armed robbery Friday morning.

Authorities said deputies responded to the report of an armed robbery at the Mebane Antique Auction Gallery of Highway 70 West.

Bryce Canyon Emmett Lucas. Photo via Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The call was dispatched shortly before 9 a.m. when two men reportedly entered the business through an unlocked door and robbed the owner at gunpoint, according to the sheriff’s office. At least one of the suspects was reported to have had “a black semi-automatic pistol,” authorities said.

The suspects took the victim’s cell phone, “a large amount of cash” and forced the owner into an area of the store “where they thought they would find more money.” The victim was unharmed, aside from a ripped shirt.

A K-9 unit tracked the suspect’s path after the two fled on foot out of the back of the business and into the woods toward Ashbury Square, which is in the Mebane city limits, authorities said.

Mebane officers were stationed around the area and arrested 23-year-old Bryce Canyon Emmett Lucas, of Raleigh, who was charged with armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping and assault and battery. The search is ongoing for a second suspect, described as a black male estimated to be 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was reportedly wearing a black shirt and black pants at the time of the robbery.

Lucas is being held on a $100,000 secured bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday.

“These men knew what they wanted. I am, of course, thrilled the victim is okay,” Captain Joshua Wood said in a release. “I am also very pleased with the speed of the first arrest; Mr. Lucas was in our custody shortly after the robbery. Our canine team did a great job tracking the suspects. At some point, the suspects separated. We are actively investigating the identity of the second man and we are hopeful we will have another arrest to report soon.”

Sheriff Charles Blackwood also thanked the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Mebane Police Department for assistance during the search process.

Anyone with additional information on the incident is asked to call Investigator Baldwin at (919) 245- 2939.