Fayetteville police arrest homeless man in property damage at Helzberg Diamonds jewelry store
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Police have a homeless man in custody after he smashed several cases to pieces in a Fayetteville jewelry store.
It happened just after 7 p.m. Saturday at the Helzberg Diamonds jewelry store. The store is located in Cross Creek Mall.
Brian Daniel Buttolph, 25, is charged with damage to property. Police say he made no attempt to take anything.
An eyewitness said Buttolph went on a silent 10-minute rampage, using a store chair to destroy jewelry cases.
"At first I heard a loud bang and I thought it was a gunshot," said Shane Ryer, an employee of a nearby store. "And then I looked out our store window and I see this older guy. Like he took a chair and was smashing all the jewelry counters in the store."
Xavier Edwards was also working nearby. He also described chaos, including screaming children, as people ran around in the mall thinking they'd heard gunshots.
Edwards said Buttolph was visibly angry as he smashed the cases, but then he calmly walked out of the store. That's when he said another man charged at Buttolph, before Edwards and a third man jumped in.
Together they held him down for about three minutes, until police arrived.
"What was he on," asked Edwards, who said he was still shaking hours later. "When we held him down, me and the other two guys, the alcohol odor, it was really strong."
Buttolph is being processed at the Cumberland County Jail.
This is the second jewelry store mishap at Cross Creek Mall this week. Police have arrested three suspects who took off with watches from Reeds Jewelers during a smash and grab on Wednesday.
