WINDSOR – A local man here is believed responsible for stealing the personal vehicle of a Windsor Police Officer that was recovered with stolen weapons located inside.

Windsor Police Chief Todd Lane said the 33-year-old Travis Keil Swain is the alleged suspect involved in the auto theft and possibly linked as well to stealing items recovered inside the vehicle, to include an AR-15 rifle and ammunition clips.

Lane said that shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday of this week, Windsor Police Officers Frank Ratzlaff and AJ Lanier were patrolling the business district located along US 17 in town.

“As the officers rode through the parking lot of Cashie Auto, Officer Ratzlaff noticed his personal vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, which was left there for servicing, was no longer on the parking lot,” Lane said.

At 3 a.m. while still on patrol, Ratzlaff observed his personal vehicle traveling on Sterlingworth Street.

“Officer Ratzlaff attempted to initiate a vehicle stop, but the driver refused to pull over. Officer Ratzlaff pursued the vehicle, but lost sight of the vehicle near Barringer Street,” Lane stated.

One hour later, Lane said Ratzlaff observed the vehicle again, this time traveling on Granville Street. Lane reported that Ratzlaff followed the vehicle onto Hillcrest Street to Mountain Street, where the Jeep Cherokee came to a stop.

“At that time the driver exited the vehicle and ran behind a house into the woods,” Lane said, adding that Ratzlaff recognized the suspect as Travis Keil Swain of Windsor.

The vehicle was recovered along with several items inside, most noticeably four firearms. The firearms included an AR-15, an AR-15 pistol, a .45 semi-auto pistol, and a 9 mm pistol. Lane said it was believed that all those weapons were stolen.

Ratzlaff was assisted by Officer Lanier and Deputy Brandon Turner of the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office.

“Officer Ratzlaff did an outstanding job not giving up on this case,” Lane stated.

“Any time we recover weapons of this nature from a suspect who is a convicted felon and no officers are injured, it makes for a successful enforcement contact,” Lane continued. “Removing these weapons from the hands of a convicted felon makes the community as a whole much safer.”

If Swain is proven as the culprit in this case, it will add to his extensive criminal history.

A search of his name on the Criminal Offender’s link on a website operated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety revealed a six-page “rap sheet” on the Windsor man.

Swain has had numerous felony convictions, all in Bertie County, since 2002, including principal larceny (multiple counts), common law robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle, breaking and entering of motor vehicles, and as a habitual felon.

His rap sheet also includes several misdemeanor convictions of larceny, one count of resisting a law enforcement officer, and one count of writing a worthless check.

All totaled, Swain has spent nearly seven and one-half years in jail for his various crimes. He has been out of prison since April 10, 2014.