After weeks of community concern and ongoing reports involving a red Nissan linked to porch and mailbox thefts across Sampson County and Cumberland County, investigators have announced a suspect.
On January 8, 2026, investigators booked Carla Robinson, 49, of Garland, North Carolina, in connection with multiple incidents involving property taken from porches, mailboxes, vehicles, and residences in both counties.
Throughout December 2025, residents near the Lakewood Country Club area in Salemburg and in several Cumberland County neighborhoods reported a red Nissan with a woman seen removing packages and checking mailboxes. Ring camera footage and additional surveillance video played a key role in helping investigators identify Robinson as the suspect.
On December 14, 2025, a break-in was reported along Fayetteville Highway in Dunn, where tools and computers were taken. Surveillance footage from that incident again showed the same red Nissan, further linking the activity to Robinson.
On January 1, 2026, deputies responded to reports of items taken from vehicles along Garland Highway in Clinton, with losses totaling more than $2,400. Investigators later connected a set of Apple headphones taken during that incident to Robinson’s residence on Dick Street in Garland, where the property was recovered.
On January 2, 2026, deputies conducted a search at the Garland residence. The red Nissan was seized, and investigators determined that Robinson had purchased the vehicle in July 2025 using another person’s identification and registered it at that same address.
On January 8, 2026, Robinson voluntarily turned herself in at the Sampson County Magistrate’s Office and was taken into custody.
She now faces multiple charges, including felony identity theft, felony breaking and entering of a motor vehicle with theft, felony larceny after breaking and entering, felony breaking and entering, felony possession of stolen goods in Sampson County, as well as misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor possession of stolen goods in Cumberland County.
Robinson is currently being held in Sampson County without bond as the cases move forward through the court system.
