A canine officer helped Halifax County Sheriff’s Office deputies find a man Tuesday who allegedly broke into Basnight Company, his former employer, in Weldon.

Lieutenant Bobby Martin said Deputy Travis  Clark talked to the business’s operators and discovered front door glass broken.

Deputy Corey Griffin arrived and the deputies checked the building to make sure no one was inside and to allow the owners to check the inventory to see what was missing. While in the building Griffin noticed the ceiling tile disturbed as if someone came through the ceiling from the warehouse area.

Lieutenant Stevie Salmon arrived to assist and the officers discovered a hole had been knocked through the rear garage door and the suspect had cut himself. Salmon discovered blood at the entry point and in other areas of the business.

The deputies kept the scene secure and Sergeant Greg Richardson and his dog Doxie was called to conduct a track to locate a suspect while Deputy Joe Sealy collected the evidence.

Richardson and Doxie conducted the track from Basnight to the area of Second Street and Washington Avenue. A second track was run that led to the same area and an apartment.

The officers talked with the occupant and later identified him as Edward Odom Jr., 57, from the Weldon area.

The officers noticed he had fresh cuts and blood on him consistent with what was found at the scene.

The officers learned Odom was also let go from the business a week before.

Odom was arrested and charged with breaking and entering and injury to real property. He was jailed on $1,000 bond and has an August 10 court date.

“The teamwork by the officers in this case and Doxie’s keen sense of smell enabled the officers to find and arrest a suspect shortly after the investigation began,” Martin said