Man dragging stolen safe behind his car arrested after passing officer on road

SWANSBORO, N.C., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man was arrested after he allegedly stole a safe from a pharmacy and then dragged it behind his car.

The suspect, Ryan Mullins, may have gotten away with it too, except he passed an officer while he was driving.

The 22-year-old allegedly swiped the safe from Family Care Pharmacy and dragged it for more than two miles before the officer saw him.

Individuals near the pharmacy reportedly saw Mullins' vehicle parked outside with the safe nearby.

"You could just tell he was messing with something and having a struggle," witness Carmen Fickling told WCTI12. "A lot of things crossed through my mind as to what could possibly be going on and none of them were good. But I never expected to see him pull a safe with the rope. It was strange."

Mullins is charged with felony breaking and entering, larceny, possession of stolen goods, two felony counts of trafficking opium or heroin, one count of safe cracking and misdemeanor DWI.

The 100-pound safe reportedly contained prescription drugs.