Lucas CPR Device Recovered

Creston, N.C. – Sheriff B. Phil Howell announces the arrest of 47-year-old Travis Ryan Phillips of Creston, N.C., for possession of stolen goods and breaking and entering after Ashe County Sheriff Office Detectives recovered the stolen Lucas Device from the Creston Fire Department.

On December 6th, 2024, a member of the Creston Fire Department reported a Lucas device was missing from one of their Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) Fire Trucks. A Lucas device is a portable, lifesaving mechanical chest compression system that helps perform CPR on patients in cardiac arrest. The device taken from the Creston Fire Department was valued at $17,000 and a huge asset to the Creston community. When they discovered the device was stolen, it was heartbreaking to think they had lost such a valuable piece of their equipment.

Detective Scott Milam with the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office began investigating with the Creston Fire Department members. After two months of research and exploring leads, Milam recovered the Lucas device. The device was returned to the Creston Fire Department in working order. Milam charged Travis Ryan Phillips of Creston, N.C., with the stolen device. Phillips was transported to the Ashe County Detention Center without further incident.

Travis Ryan Phillips of Creston, age 47, was arrested, placed under a $10,000 secured bond, and later released. His charges include:

• Felony Possession of Stolen Goods
• Breaking and Entering to commit Larceny