Aaron Deshown Williams, a 25-year-old, is currently in jail without bail after being accused by Durham, North Carolina police of attacking a 65-year-old Lowe’s employee with a sledgehammer and then fleeing the store with stolen items.
It took four days for authorities in Durham to apprehend Williams following the assault on 65-year-old John Wilburn at the Lowe’s hardware store located on Fayetteville Road on Saturday night.Â
Williams was arrested on Wednesday night, as noted in court documents and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and robbery.
Investigators reported that Wilburn was assisting Williams in locating items in the store when Williams allegedly took a sledgehammer from his shopping cart and struck Wilburn in the head. After Wilburn fell to the ground, Williams reportedly seized a box containing a drill set and ran out the store. Wilburn was subsequently taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
As of Thursday, the Wilburn family informed ABC 11 that he was still recovering in the hospital, having sustained a fractured skull and a broken hip from the attack.
Wilburn had been a Lowes employee for eight years. The family’s spokesperson, Lanise Washington, expressed relief that Wilburn’s attacker is now in jail.
Williams remains in the Durham County Jail without bond.
Lowe’s does have a policy that you’re not to call the police and you are to reach out to the a certain individual first. They will not bring in security unless an employee has been threatened and it’s only for a few days.