Shortly after 1:00 this morning, a disturbance occurred at a party inside an apartment Stonehaven East Apartment Complex on Fernwood Drive. Shots were fired and 17-year old Travis Montez Moore was shot.MEDIC transported Moore to Carolinas Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival.
The shooter is described as a tall, black male approx. 17-18 years old. He has shoulder length hair with dreads or braids. If you have any information, please call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.
8 COMMENTS:
The apartment name is “Stonehaven East Apartments,” and over the last few years it has become a sore subject for the residents of the Stonehaven Community. We view the complex as an incubator of increased crime in the neighborhood, and think it is fueled by change in apartment complex owners who we believe allow more than the norm of subsidized housing units (Section 8). Why should they care about maintaining the quality of the neighborhood when they are guaranteed Section 8 income? Ditto for homeowners who move and rent their homes via Section 8 funding (absentee landlords). So we beg the question: where’s the accountability when public dollars are used to subsidize housing and the recipients, and/or their children and regular associates are criminals? We support subsidized housing because there is a great need, and understand that not all Section 8 recipients are criminals / support criminal activity. However, we are miffed that there doesn’t seem to be any compliance with the simplest residential zoning ordinances (playing music excessively loud, loitering, speeding (no one pays attention to the newly posted speed limit of 25 MPH), litter, junk in the front yard, etc.). Here’s the deal. There is an attempt by gang bangers to take over the Stonehaven neighborhood, and right now we believe the incubator is the Stonehaven East apartments via Section 8 housing, and lowered residential leasing requirements. What’s the difference between the residential hotel on Independence now slated for demolition, and the owners of apartment complexes who knowingly lease to, or become aware of residents involved in criminal activity and do nothing to remedy the situation? Challenge to the Independence Police Division (assumption is they are not fully aware of the problem and if they are lack sufficient manpower): please help us rid the neighborhood of gang bangers. Challenge to city leaders: link Section 8 funding to residents that hold them accountable for maintaining the stability of the community to which move. Create a “three strikes and you’re out” rule after they’ve had classes on how to become good citizens. To illustrate my point, visit the char-meck.org home associations link and view the stats: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Neighborhood+Dev/Quality+of+Life/Neighborhoods+Listing.htm
Stonehaven Association is #160. When you click the link you’ll see an overview of trend for the development. At the bottom of the page click the link for “historical data.” A new window will pop up that shows quality of life historical data from 2004-2006: increase in substandard housing, decrease in home owners; for 2002-2006 a 3% increase in recipients receiving food stamps that I suspect correlates to a percentage increase in Section 8 residents. My guess is the same is true for the apartments on nearby Village Lake Drive, and clearly the same is true for the apartments on Monroe Road and Idle wild (a lot of drug activity there). Signed: Alpha24.
All good comments.
Section 8 can be a nightmare for the immediate neighbors and the neighborhood, in general.
With the social engineering in vogue now, the Welfare Planners use their own version of "Sim City", tearing down the Projects and spreading the problem all around the city.
At least when the "Projects" existed, the problem was more confined.
Maybe CIC can highlight these problem apartment complexes.
Recently there was one section 8 resident, an elderly woman. Her 20 something year-old old son lived with her. He didn't work--legitimately. His "job" was to break/enter and burglarize nearby homes. Worse, his associates appeared to be gang bangers we guess because they looked and acted like nefarious individuals: staring down residents in threatening ways (like a dare), blocked streets with their cars or they walked slowly in the street and when you tried to pass in your car they walked slower, loitering outside the Stonehaven East apartment complex. For months residents tried to get the guy kicked out (we felt sorry for his disabled mom), and the officials said "not enough evidence." Do you know how long it takes to get "evidence"? Too darn long--enough time for that punk to continue terrorizing residents and feel desperate enough to take matters into their own hands. Finally, he was chased down by police officers and caught, and I think he was charged with murder. Another example of "thug in the neighborhood...." I cut back on working in my yard because of gang banger vehicles (usually late model American cars with tires so large they would be a better fit on an SUV Excursion). One in particular would slow to a virtual stop that forced you to look up because of cars that backed up behind it. Very intimidating and uncomfortable because of the intentional staring and over the top flirtations. As an aside there is one late model burgandy chevy Impala(?) with jet black darkened windows (isn't that illegal and enough probable cause for a police officer to stop the vehicle?), with the requisite oversized tires that harrasses the neighborood. He or she plays music while driving down the street so over-the-top you'd think a neighborhood block party was going on. That person drives up and down the neighborhood streets all day and into the early evening. Then there's the two toned late model buick with large rust spots on the top of the trunk and the requisite SUV sized thug tires. I saw that character make a sweeping u-turn in the middle of Monroe Road during rush hour traffic. He rides up and down the neighborhood streets all day too--sometimes driving signifcantly under the speed limit with a passenger (probably to scope out homes to break in), other times driving above the speed limit.
I do not think social engineering is on its face all bad if there are adequate measures in place that do not inadvertently "punish" established good residents and like a slow bleed destabilizes an establised neighbhood, and for at-risk neighborhoods cause further instability. There should be some sort of "step up" program for Section 8 residents. Does it really make sense to plop someone from West Blvd. (best example I can think of and no intention of slamming good West Blvd residents...) into a middle class neighborhood and expect a good fit? The best analogy I can think of is a small gash on the forearm that seemingly is a harmless bleed so it goes unattended only to result in infection, and a possible blood transfuion. That's what's happening in our neighborhood. The thugs are slowly highjacking it, the residents are doing their best to stem the tide in hope it does not become a Tsunami.
BTW, the powers that be do not spread the love equally. Based on a recent Charlotte Observer article on Section 8 housing--South Charlotte is noticeably not affected like the rest of the County. To me this type of governance is akin to institutionalized economic segregation. s/Alpha 24
Travis Montez Moore was the sweetest person you could ever run into.His life was ended shortly by a teenager who probably dont have anything going for himself.Travis had dreams for his life and now he wont be able to ever reach his goals.TRAVIS MONTEZ MOORE-We love you, miss you, and cannot wait to see you again.May your soul rest in peace.Love you.
This whole thing is sad for another young person loseing there life over nothing., And the problem is not all sec 8 familys are bad and out of control i have a sec 8 and i am a hard worker my children go to school every day with no problems even being at West Meck.
I totally agree with you that not all section 8 folks are a problem. "All generalities are false including this one." The problem is perception, and if you ask anyone about section 8 housing and how it adversely affects an otherwise calm and stable neighborhood you'll get the same reaction hands down that they do not want it. I have an elderly aunt who has section 8 neighbors living in homes on both sides of her house. One seems to be fully occupied only by youth no older than 25 and it is obvious to anyone visiting and/or driving down the street that it is a drug house. Cars come and go throughout the day and night and all they seem to do is sit on the porch and play music so loudly the whole neighborhood can hear it. There are a lot of elderly and law abiding citizens in her neighborhood and they are afraid to call the police for fear of retaliation. The other house is filled with a grandmother and her grandchildren. They are actually okay and after several complaints by neighbors do a better job of being a good neighbor (cutting grass regularly, removing garbage can off curb at the close of pick up day, etc.) That's why I suggested educational courses as a condition of placing section 8 folks in a home. Maybe some section 8 recipients need to be incented. I don't know what the solution should be. We know that section 8 recipients include mentally challenged individuals, and decent folk who just need a helping hand. I am all for that BUT if I could spit nails at the folks that take advantage of the system to commit crime and terrorize their neighbors so that they are afraid to call the police--yeah, I'd do it. Afterall, they use section 8 housing as a front to commit crime like criminals use banks to launder money. So the issue is not Section 8 housing residents. The issue is how criminals use section 8 as a sequay to commit other crimes. So inadvertently, the government by not doing anything about this issue is aiding their criminal activity. The Accountability between the private owners who rent the section 8 homes and receive payment, and the government agency that dispenses the dollars to the private homeowners are at the hart of the problem. This is an example of social services gone amok. We can do better and we should. And BTW, we want more section 8 people like you in our neighborhood...we just don't want the criminals.....
T.Mo its been a whole year as of today Feb 18, 2008...... We miss you so much over at West Charlotte HS this would've been your senior year but because of stupidity your life was cut short
But you may be gone but you have not been 4gotten
We Love You And Miss You
R.I.P Travis Montez Moore
WELL I WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE STAYED IN STONE HAVEN ALOT OF TOME THOSE THINGS HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE THER WAS NUTTIN TO DO AND A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE STRETCH THE TRUTH YEA IM NOT GOIN TO SAY IT WAS A LIE BUT IT WASNT AS BAD IN STONE HAVEN THERE WHERE SHOOTINGS AND ALSO A MURDER BUT THATS NOT ALL WHAT STONEHAVEN IS BOUT THERE WHERE TIMES WHERE THE WHOLE NEIGHBOR CLICK AND GOT ALONG I HAD A FUN TIME THERE AND I ENJOYED MY STAY THERE I MEET FRIENDS THERE THAT I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT WITH AND ABOUT THE MURDER I WAS THERE AND THAT WAS SOMETHIN I BELIEVE AFFECT ALL THE CHILDREN WHO WAS THERE WE ALL TALKED BOUT IT AND IT CHANGE EACH ONE OF US I AM SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED BUT THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE STOP HIM FROM DOIN THAT R.I.P Travis Montez Moore we love u and u a truly missed but the neighborhood had nuttin to do wit it it wasnt the children in stonehaven but i would like for people to look passed the negitive or the neighborhood and look at the positive there is more the murders drugs and etc u have famlies and friends who love one another.
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