19-05-2025
‘Bless his heart': Union County man accused of faking robbery with grandmother's lawnmower
UNION COUNTY, N.C. () — A man is facing charges after the Union County Sheriff's Office says he staged a robbery.
On Thursday, May 15, deputies got a 911 call from 28-year-old Tyler Helms, who said he was riding in a truck with two other men near Landsford Road when the men robbed him at gunpoint and took his grandmother's John Deere lawnmower.
Deputies arrived to find Helms, covered in mud, saying that there had been a struggle in which the two men got away with the lawnmower.
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However, the UCSO says things did not make sense the more they talked with Helms. At one point, Helms offered to call the alleged robbers and ask that they return the lawnmower.
Soon after, two men arrived with the lawnmower and showed deputies Facebook Marketplace messages showing that Helms had sold them the lawnmower, claiming that he had permission to sell it.
The lawnmower was returned to Helm's grandmother and Helms was booked into the Union County Detention Center. He is charged with:
Felony Larceny
Obtaining Property by False Pretenses
Filing a False Report to Law Enforcement
Helms is being held without bond because this incident violated his parole.
When asked to provide a quote for the press release, the UCSO says Sheriff Eddie Cathey just said 'bless his heart' while shaking his head.
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