Man stole dead veteran’s Purple Heart — and traded it for a Mountain Dew, NC cops say
A man traded a dead veteran’s stolen Purple Heart medal for a Mountain Dew drink, North Carolina officials said.
Erica Laws told news outlets she recently went to her family home and found it “ransacked” after a break-in. Officials in an incident report said at least one military medal was gone from the home near Lenoir, roughly 75 miles northwest of Charlotte.
Her father, Daniel Laws, had served in the Vietnam War, and he earned another Purple Heart and two other military medals that also went missing, according to WBTV, The Charlotte Observer’s media partner.
“I felt so bad because he protected the country and I can’t even protect his memory,” Erica Laws told WSOC.
Now, 31-year-old Charles Carr is accused of trading one of the military medals for a Mountain Dew Code Red. The medal has been recovered and returned to the family, Detective Mark Noble of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office told McClatchy News.
News outlets didn’t list an attorney for Carr, who officials said was taken into custody on Friday and charged with obtaining property by false pretense.
As of Friday, the sheriff’s office said the other medals were still missing. In addition to the military items, Carr is accused of stealing an ATV.
“We’re just trying to recover the medals for the family so they can be at .. ease,“ Noble said in a phone interview.
Purple Hearts are awarded to people who have served in combat and been injured or killed. The medals are meant to symbolize sacrifice and were first given out in 1783, the U.S. Army says on its website.
Deputies ask people to look out for the stolen items and contact them if they have information.
This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Man stole dead veteran’s Purple Heart — and traded it for a Mountain Dew, NC cops say."
