Breaking or Entering a Motor Vehicle

Under G.S. 14-56, it is a Class I felony to “break[] or enter[] any . . . motor vehicle . . . containing any . . . thing of value” with the intent to commit larceny or any felony. It sounds straightforward enough, but I was recently asked whether breaking into a toolbox affixed behind the cab of a pickup truck violates the statute. That led me to several other interesting issues, and my interlocutor was kind enough to permit me to summarize my research here. (She granted me a waiver of my own policy of not blogging about individual questions.)

Let’s start with some easy scenarios and then move to the tougher ones.

1. Obviously, breaking into the passenger compartment of a car violates the statute.

2. What about breaking into the trunk? This is included, too. The court of appeals considered the scope of the statute in State v. Nealy, 64 N.C. App. 663 (1983). Even the dissenting judge, who took the narrowest view of the statute, opined that it “proscribe[s] the breaking or entering of compartments of a motor vehicle in which property is customarily carried, i.e., the passenger compartment and the trunk area.”

3. How about the engine compartment? No property is usually carried there, so does a person commit breaking or entering a motor vehicle if he pops the hood with the necessary criminal intent? Yes. Although the dissenting judge in Nealy wouldn’t have gone so far, the majority upheld the defendant’s conviction based on reaching in and opening the hood of a vehicle, so the statute covers the engine compartment, too.

4. What if a person crawls under a vehicle and tries to remove a part, like the drive shaft? Now we’ve gone too far, probably. I don’t know of a North Carolina case on point, but in State v. Gore, 456 S.E.2d 419 (S.C. Ct. App. 1995), the court interpreted a similar South Carolina statute as applying only to those who break into the passenger compartment or a separate area such as “the trunk area, the engine compartment, [or] the gas tank,” and rejected the argument that attempting to remove a part from the vehicle’s underside violated the statute. Of course, such conduct is still illegal, it just doesn’t appear to be covered under G.S. 14-56.

5. What about toolboxes attached to trucks? This was the question that started it all. I wasn’t able to find an in-state case on point, but I have little doubt that an attached toolbox counts as part of the motor vehicle to which it is affixed. Functionally, it’s an aftermarket trunk. Cases from Texas confirm this analysis. State v. Ford, 860 S.W.2d 731 (Tex. Ct. App. Beaumont 1993) (breaking into toolbox “bolted and welded to the bed” of a truck constituted burglary of a vehicle under Texas law and was analogous to breaking into a vehicle’s trunk); Hopkins v. State, 864 S.W.2d 119 (Tex Ct. App. 14 Dist. 1993) (holding that “removal of tools from a toolbox attached to the bed of a pickup truck constituted entry into part of the vehicle” and so supported a conviction of burglary of a motor vehicle). As a sidebar, it’s fitting that these cases are from Texas. Over 26% of all vehicles there are pickups, tops in the nation, and the large, customized pickups often found there have been given the sobriquet “Texas Cadillacs.” As a second sidebar, I suppose that the same analysis would apply to an enclosed luggage carriers that is attached to the roof rack of a vehicle, although I couldn’t quickly find any cases on point.

6. What if there’s no toolbox, but a person reaches into the open bed of pickup truck with unlawful intent? Although a closer question, this, too, likely violates the statute. Cases from several jurisdictions — not just Texas! — have agreed on this point. People v. Frey, 467 N.E.2d 302 (Ill. Ct. App. 5 Dist. 1984) (“The bed of a pick-up truck is as much a part thereof as is, for example, the passenger cab or the truck compartment. We conclude that an unauthorized, knowing entry into the bed of a pick-up truck with intent to steal something therefrom is an act properly characterized and chargeable as burglary.”); State v. Cloud, 324 N.W.2d 287 (S.D. 1982) (burglary statute prohibits entry into any “structure” such as a “motor vehicle . . . or any portion thereof,” which includes the “open [bed] of a pickup truck”); People v. Banuelos, 577 P.2d 305 (Colo. Ct. App. 1977) (entering the open bed of a pickup truck constitutes entering a motor vehicle for purposes of the Colorado trespass statute).

Has anyone had other issues come up regarding what counts as part of the “motor vehicle” for purposes of G.S. 14-56? If so, please shoot me an email or post a comment.

13 thoughts on “Breaking or Entering a Motor Vehicle”

  1. I used to be a property crimes investigator with the Durham PD, and am now a Fraud detective. I remember that we had a big problem with people stealing catalitic converters off of cars/trucks and taking them to junk yards selling as scrap since they contain titanium and various other precious metals. I also had a case where they popped the hood of a Jeep Cherokee and stole the radiator for the copper in it. It would seem to me if you can be charged for opening a hood and stealing a battery, radiator, etc and you could be charged with reaching in the bed of a pickup and taking a weedeater then if you stole from under the car it should also be B&EMV. It seems contradictory if you steal from anywhere on the top of the car enclosed or otherwise it’s B&EMV, but underneath is what … tampering with MV with intent to steal?

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  2. My entire office debated this question a few years ago. We had an habitual felon charged with B&E MV and no other felonies. He had reached into the open bed of a truck and stolen some tools. Our vote was he had committed mis. larceny. While it is Break or Enter, we couldn’t figure out what he had broken or entered. This included prosecutors with 10+ years experience and defense attorneys turned prosecutors with 10+ years too. We also couldn’t find any case law either in NC. I would actually be more likely to believe that by going into the hood of the car, and trying to retrieve parts under the hood that you have Breaking or Entering there, since you don’t actually have to take anything for the felony.

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  3. MY SON WAS WALKING HOME WITH AOTHER PERSON THAT OPENED A CAR DOOR. THE 18 YEAR OLD HAS CONFESSED TO OPENING THE CAR DOOR, THE SHERRIF MATCHED HIS FINGERS. HE IS FACING FROM PROBATION TO A FELONY 3-5 TERM. WHEN MY SON SAW HIM MOVE TO OPEN THE CAR DOOR HE LEFT AND RAN HOME AS I HAVE INTRUCTED TO WHEN VANDALISM OR WORSE IS ABOUT TO OCCUR. THE PERSON CONFESSED THAT HE ACTED ALONE AND MY SOON RAN HOME. HE IS 16 YEARS OLD BY 1 MONTH. THE ACUTUALY PERPETRATOR SAILD MY SON WAS WALKING AND HAD NOTHING TO DUE WITH THE CAR IN QUESTION. HOW CAN TWO PEOPLE BE CHARGED WITH THE SAME CRIME. NOTHING WAS STOLEN. ANOTHER HOEM OWER IDENTIFIED THE PERP. I HAVE A LAWYER, BUT THE NC STATUE 14, 14-56 STAES THAT SMOETHING NEEDS TO BE STOLEN. MY SON HAS 76K FOR COLLEGE, HE CAN BUY ANYTHING HE WANTS. THE PERP PLEADED OUT, HOW DO I GET MY SON OUT OF THIS DEBACLE? THANKS D. BARKER

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    • The North Carolina Court of Appeals had upheld a defendant’s Class I felony conviction, in violation of NCGS 14-65, auto burglary, for looking under a hood of a motor vehicle while simultaneously a co-defendant had popped/opened the hood to the motor vehicle. this Class I felony conviction had occurred in Alamance County, North Carolina. SEE the case note laws listed under the NCGS 14-56 Statute, for more details and the names of the defendants that were involved in that case.

      write me back at my e-mail address listed above (anthonylynnwoodard@yahoo.com).

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  4. I was in mt. airy with a church group, we walked out of snappy’s and crossed the street and made it past approx. four or five stores when the police came up and asked to see my i.d. Long story short, a woman said she saw a guy with a green shirt who looked like me open the door of a truck or van and remove something. The owner of the vehicle was located and said his wallet was missing out of it. I was charged with b and e of mv and misd. larceny and misd. possession of stolen property. The property was not found on me or found at all for that matter. The b and e is listed as a misdemeanor. What should I do?

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  5. My son was walking around the neighborhood with his friends. He said he was curious to know what people kept in the bed of a pick up truck. He saw a box located in the bed of a truck. He looked inside the box and continued walking down the street with his friends. They were stopped by Police Officers and asked if anyone touched the truck up the street. My son replied yes and explained to the officer that he was curious and placed his hand in the box located in the bed of the truck. He did not take anything out of the vehicle nor the box, which was confirmed by the Police Officer and the owner of the vehicle. He was charged with Felony B&E Statute 14-56. Obviously he did not have any intent to take anything because he didn’t and he was honest with the police officer. He is 16 yrs old. What can we do with his case?

    Thanks for your time…

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  6. I want to know what can be done about unsafe jails, like 14 in 6 man cell. people that should be released at 10 in themorn, when the judge agree to the release at 8}30 am, and it take up to 4 in the afternoon to get them released. How come they charge 14 dollars a phone call, how is this not wrong. this is sorry courthouse and law enforcement at Cleveland county jail. they apply the maximum to every charge, the judges apply the maximum an bonds, they feed inmates slop, how come they spend more on dog pound than jail house. Remember theseare humans not animals. my son was charge with 3 counts felony breaking entering and poss. of stolen goods [all felonies. now he was caught with pot and pipein Aug. Toby Reinhardt, they started w a bond at 10,000. that was a little over board, I not defending his actions, but I do not want him to be over sentenced, just because can’t afford an lawyer. We know that public defender is going to lay down and not provide adaquet defense. He has drug problem, so called legal weed, Hie mom and asked the hospital for help, crises center, they said he wasn’t serious enough, Monarch a mental support place has nurse praticioner seeing and writing scripts, how is that right. I just don’t my son to be over sentenced, how come there is no drug programs for these people, The city allowed the smoke shop, they have no help for teenagers in Shelby nc, and they treat the inmates like slaves, or animals, some people are in there for ridiculous stuff un paid ticket, should they be treated like animals, there must embezzlement going on at the court house and jails, or funds been used improperly, the sbi should investigaye, some one should inspect the jail, someone should be reviewing some of the judges rulings and excessive charges by officers.

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    • They spend more money on jails than on living conditions for military. I slept in a tent for months upon months… it was divided into eight sections where there was only enough room for a bunk bed, 2 skinny wall lockers, and 2 feet of space between. Every morning We had to carefully push the condensation water off the top of the tent and tighten the ropes that the sand storms constantly pulled on thru the night. Another daily chore at the end of my shift was shoveling the sand away from the front of our tent because we were on the end of a row and it piled up against the tent. The bathrooms were three tent rows down. The food was passable at best. One week straight they were still waiting of food shipments from months ago, so at the chow hall was runny mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes with cubed ham mixed in, green beans, toast, water & off-brand Gatorade. Every day. For one week.
      Showers (if you could get one before the rush-hour of non-essential personnel) were restricted to 3 minutes. Early early morning or really late night is best, but if you work through the night you get shafted. Occasionally you catch a break, but they were limited to 3 minutes. I got really good at using shampoo for everything and rinsing in a flash. At least the hot water was available – the water was stored in a huge bladder next to the tent so it was baked by the sun everyday to just the right temperature… nevermind that you’re sweating so much because it’s 130 degrees out and all you want is some cool water. You start sweating as soon as you step out, so you’re not toweling off the water from the shower – you’re wiping off sweat. Again.
      If you wanted to make a phone call, you got two calls per week, only 15 minutes each. You better get to the Comm tent early because there would always be a line for the 5 phones set up in there. Also make sure you coordinate with family back home because if they don’t answer and you leave a message, that counted as one call. You also had to time yourself so that you could say “love you miss you talk to you later,” because AT that 15 minute mark the phone call was cut off. This was so hard to imagine in the new millennium with so many people had cell phones, but go figure. That’s right, this wasn’t some Vietnam era location. This was 2004. And all this exciting vacation amenities just for volunteering to keep 9/11 from happening again. Never. Again.

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    • Sounds like this is not his first offense, and should get the max, and keep his sorry self off the street. He should have learned.

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  7. What if I want to open the door of a vehicle that is not mine and the owner would not approve, to leave a present for a regular passenger of said disgruntled car owner? The owner would not want me to open the car door and the car would be located on her property. No breaking of anything, just opening an unlocked door to leave a special someone some ooey gooey buttercake. What kind of charge would that bring if any??

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    • This sounds like stalking and trespass (or even harassment) as well as breaking and/or entering since the vehicle is the property of the person that doesn’t want you in it… I would refrain and just present the special someone with the cake personally – face to face.

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