April 20, 2021
A man who recently relocated to Mount Airy from West Virginia is now housed in the Surry County Jail under a large bond on major charges including vehicle theft.
Phillip John Butner, 32, officially listed with an address in Nemours, West Virginia, had been living on Mountain View Drive here, and was arrested Friday night near that location resulting from the stolen vehicle investigation.
“We were contacted by the King Police Department,” Mount Airy police Capt. Barry VanHoy said Tuesday, explaining that the charges against Butner encompass multiple jurisdictions including Forsyth and Stokes counties.
The case was triggered by the recent theft of a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup from an auto dealership outside the county. Its owner is listed as James Clayton, who operates Clayton Auto Sales on Patterson Avenue in Winston-Salem.