Crime In Charlotte, NC

A message from the CMPD South Division Captain:

This morning Providence Division officers arrested Charles McCoy on Burglary warrants. McCoy is suspected in a string of Auto Thefts, Residential Burglaries and Larceny from Autos. Detectives were looking for McCoy due to him recently pawning several GPS units at area pawn shops.

Yesterday morning, Providence Division officers working a burglary suppression operation spotted McCoy in the area of 5th and 6th streets but were not able to detain him. A short while later, a residential B&E occurred on Sterling Road. A citizen witnessed the B&E and the suspect description matched officers’ earlier observation of McCoy. Burglary detectives conducted a photo lineup and the witness positively identified McCoy as the person who committed the burglary. Burglary warrants were obtained for McCoy yesterday afternoon.

Just before 2:00 am, police were called to Creekbed Lane in the South Division to a report of a suspect breaking into cars. Several officers were already in the area looking for McCoy and quickly responded to the scene. As officers arrived, a black Acura was leaving the scene and veered toward the officers’ cars. The officers were able to get the tag of the Acura. It came back to a car stolen off Colville Road on July 14th. Due to the suspect’s excessive speed, officers were not able to pursue the stolen vehicle. The vehicle was last seen on South Boulevard where a Steele Creek Division officer clocked it on radar at 95 miles per hour.

At approximately 10:30 this morning, Providence Division officers went to an address on Burkland Drive where, based on information from a community contact, they believed McCoy to be living. Officers apprehended McCoy at this address.

The stolen Acura was recovered approximately two hours later on 5th Street near the area where officers observed McCoy yesterday. The vehicle is currently being processed by Crime Scene Search. Subsequent investigation on Creekbed Lane revealed that five unlocked vehicles had been entered. Physical evidence located during McCoy’s arrest possibly links him to stolen Acura seen fleeing the scene. This is McCoy’s eighth arrest in Mecklenburg County since 2005.

If you recognize the suspect or have any information that can help police, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

On Tuesday, July 8th at 4:30 am, the Matthews Police Department responded to Beltway Gun and Pawn, located at 11500-B East Independence Boulevard. Upon arrival, Officers discovered that a vehicle had been used to ram open the back door of the business.

Two suspects then entered the business and stole various firearms. The suspects fled out the rear door and into a wooded area. No arrests have been made at this time. The Matthews Police Department is asking the public for assistance. Anyone with any information regarding this burglary is asked to call the Matthews Police Department at 704-847-4069.

Once again- a citizen's call to 911 led to the arrest of two home break-in suspects and the recovery of a stolen van.

CMPD Officers in the North Division and University City responded to a neighborhood off of Eastfield Road after 911 received a call from an alert citizen. An Officer arrived in time to see the suspects drive off in a white van.

The witness did a great job of watching the suspects and gave very detailed information that the officers were able to use after the suspects jumped out of the vehicle and ran. Arrested today were a 15-year old juvenile and Marcus Harden.

On Thursday afternoon, CMPD Westover Division Officers received multiple calls from citizens reporting that several black male teens inside a blue Dodge Magnum were breaking into cars at area businesses.

Officers circulated the area and spotted the suspect vehicle but the suspects immediately fled at a high rate of speed. Additional calls from citizens helped Officers and the helicopter locate the suspect vehicle in the Clanton Park Community.

As usual, the suspects jumped and ran from the vehicle . Two suspects were apprehended by police after a foot chase and were positively identified by witnesses. Multiple charges are pending for larceny from vehicles, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest and other charges.

During the foot-chase, one suspect identified as Sherrod Pauley, attempted to carjack a neighborhood resident as the resident was trying to back out of his own driveway. The resident was not injured during the incident. The second suspect is a juvenile and his information is unavailable for release.

The Observer published an article today about a 42-year old man who lives in the University area of Charlotte. He was at home in the middle of the day on Tuesday when two men and two women attempted to break-in to his home... (Read full story)

Following the victim's 911 call, a CMPD University Division Officer was en route to the home and spotted the suspects leaving the area. The Officer followed the suspects and arrested all four of them: Ashley Avery, 20; Anthony Byrd, 18; Darius Claitt, 17; and Bertha Lampkin, 21.

Last night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers responded to 3421 Shamrock Drive after receiving a 911 call regarding a residential burglary and shooting incident.

Police say the investigation revealed that Rontrey Digsby (Shown R) illegally forced entry into an occupied residence. As Digsby gained entry, he was shot by the homeowner and is in critical/stable condition at CMC. Digsby is charged with first degree burglary.

As usual, Digsby has a long rap sheet going back to 2003 when he was convicted of common law burglary at age 17. In 2004, a Judge sentenced him to probation but he continued his criminal activities (10 arrests since 2005) without any consequences... In fact, his last arrest was 10 days ago.

If the Judges won't take the thugs off the street- it is good to see citizens taking care of business!

UPDATE: Police recovered the suspect vehicle. (Ford Focus) The suspects are now possibly driving a black Ford Taurus with SC license plates.

On Tuesday afternoon, a home in the Providence Crossing area was burglarized after the suspects kicked the front door open. Police say the suspects are two black males with dreadlocks.

The suspects were driving a light gray or silver 2005 Ford Focus with NC Plate# WWZ-2705. Police detectives believe the men are the same suspects who have burglarized homes in the area since late last year.

Police say the suspects use various rented, borrowed or stolen vehicles when committing the burglaries. Police are asking area residents to call 911 immediately if you see a suspicious vehicle occupied by multiple black males with dreadlocks.

On a positive note, the CMPD South Division has seen a decrease in residential burglaries. The division has experienced a 23% reduction in residential burglaries when comparing the last four weeks (1/21-2/17) to the previous four weeks (12/24-1/20).

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released the following information today regarding a recent increase in home break-ins: (Read full statement on CMPD site)

CMPD Burglary detectives are actively investigating a recent rash of residential burglaries that have similar suspect descriptions and use similar methods.

"While citywide, burglaries were down nearly 5% last year compared to 2006, we have seen an increase in the past couple of weeks," says Captain David Poston, who leads CMPD's Property Crimes Unit. "People feel especially violated when someone has broken in to their home and stolen their personal belongings. It is a major priority for us to catch the people who are responsible."

Over the past month, detectives have seen a pattern to some reports of burglaries and are pursuing leads to identify and arrest the thieves. In fact, officers made an arrest in a case today that fit the pattern of some other recent burglaries. They are interviewing that suspect and investigating to determine whether the crimes are related. The suspects name will be released once he has been processed.

Yesterday, four homes were broken into in the North part of Mecklenburg County. All had suspect descriptions and methodology similar to some burglaries that occurred earlier in the month in the South Division. Similar break-in's have also been reported in other parts of the city.

Patterns of Recent Burglaries:
● Suspect Descriptions: When suspect descriptions are available, witnesses report seeing 3-4 black males, ages 18-25, most with dreadlocks.
● Suspect vehicles: the thieves are driving late-model sedans or SUVs that are stolen or rented.

Anatomy of the Break-Ins:
● Most are occurring during the day, although there is no apparent pattern to the time or day of the week.
● The suspects are knocking on doors to make sure no one is at home before entering the home, usually by going around to the back door and kicking it in.
● There have been some reports of the suspects entering through front doors when the house design makes that entrance less visible from the street.
● In some cases, when residents did not respond to the knock on the door, the suspects broke in, apparently thinking no one was home. When the suspects saw someone was home, they fled, often without taking anything from the residence.

What's Stolen: The thieves are targeting homes with plasma televisions and/or other high-end electronics or computers easily visible through a downstairs window.

CMPD detectives are following up on a number of leads and officers throughout the patrol divisions are working with neighborhoods residents. In addition to providing information about cases and safety information, they are teaching prevention initiatives and encouraging residents to actively participate in—or start—a community crime watch program.

Take Steps to Reduce Risks:
There are a number of actions citizens can take to reduce risks of being a victim of these burglars:
● Be on the lookout for and call 911 to report suspicious persons in your area. Be especially sensitive to those who fit the descriptions in these similar cases.
● When you are home and someone knocks on your door, let them know you are home. If a visitor is unexpected, say, "Please leave. I am calling the police." If their visit to you is legitimate, they will provide more explanation. If they were checking to make sure the house is empty, they will leave.
● Activate your home alarm system, especially when you are not home, but even when you are.
● Close blinds or curtains so valuables are not readily visible from outside your home.

On December 13th, Central Division Officers utilized the CMPD camera system to capture a suspect who broke into a parked Toyota 4-Runner.

Officers observed the suspect looking into three different cars before he broke the window out of the victims’ car and climbed inside. Officers responded quickly and captured the suspect as he attempted to leave the scene.

The entire incident was captured by the CMPD camera system. This system consists of CCTV cameras in Uptown Charlotte, and is directed toward public areas- particularly parking lots during this time of year. The CMPD cameras have captured over 200 crimes since their use began in the fall of 2000.

The suspect, Marquise Brown (R) was charged with felony B&E. He has been arrested and charged in three prior cases of auto theft in the Uptown area and has also been previously charged with Vehicle Theft and felony Breaking and Entering-Residence.

Last night, five men forcibly entered a UNCC off-campus apartment as a female student answered the door thinking it was trick-or-treaters. Police say the men then robbed the female roommates at gunpoint inside their College Edge Apartment and escaped on foot.

The robbers took the women's purses, watch, digital camera and prescription medications. The robbers are described as black males. If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

On Sunday, August 19th- an unknown suspect(s) driving a red Ford Pick-up truck (see photo) broke into the Vulcan Materials rock quarry in the 14000 block of Albemarle Rd.

The suspect(s) stole approximately $8,000 worth of tools from different buildings on the property. The majority of the tools are used to repair heavy machinery. They include air-impact tools, ratchet sockets, and drills.

If anyone has any information about the theft or who may own the suspect vehicle please contact Crime Stoppers at 704 334-1600.

The men shown below are wanted for questioning in regards to breaking & entering into the Cricket Arena on Saturday and Sunday. Police say the men entered Cricket Arena and drove golf carts and a forklift causing significant damage to the building and property inside.

If you recognize any of the suspects or have any information related to this case, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

UPDATE: Charles Hinton was arrested. He is in the Mecklenburg County Jail on an $11,000 bond.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are looking for 42-year old Charles Everett Hinton. (R) Police believe Hinton is the man responsible for breaking into St. Peter's Catholic Church, located on S. Tryon Street in May.

Police say they linked Hinton to the church burglary when they found one of the church's stolen keyboards at a pawn shop on South Blvd. Hinton's fingerprint was on file at the pawn shop and employees were able to identify Hinton as the man who pawned the keyboard.

Charles Everett Hinton is a registered sex offender and convicted felon. In the past year and a half, Hinton has racked up numerous breaking and entering and larceny charges. Hinton was convicted twice in the past year for some of his felony breaking & entering charges. As usual, Hinton was sentenced to probation (which means nothing) and was set free to terrorize the citizens of Charlotte. In fact, the church break-in came less than a month after his most recent sentencing on April 20th.

Based on all the above facts, it is clear Hinton is on the fast track to destruction. He hasn't learned his lesson and continues to prey on others to get what he wants... I wonder how long it will take for the court system to see this? If you have any information on the whereabouts of Hinton, please call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.

This is an interesting burglary. On Tuesday morning, a thief or thieves broke into the Ahdi Mart, located on Beatties Ford Rd. The intruder gained access to the store through a hole in the floor and cutting through the carpet to gain access to the store.

The police report states 160 pairs of shoes and 110 pairs of jeans were stolen from the store during the burglary. According to a WSOC-TV report, the security cameras inside the store were working but did not capture the thief.

Last May, a clerk at The Ahdi Mart was shot in the hand during an armed robbery. The store was also robbed in March 2004.

Police are looking for a man who has entered several Charlotte businesses to steal every laptop in sight.

Police say the businesses are open when the suspect swipes the laptops. The man shown in the photos (click on photos to enlarge) is wanted by police for questioning.

If you have any information on who this subject is, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Around 1:00 this afternoon, a vigilant neighbor called police when she spotted two men putting electronics and a gun into the back of a Honda Accord on Peachtree Rd. The woman did not recognize the men and felt it was suspicious. The neighbor continued to watch as the two men walked away from the car towards the house. She then she saw the two suspects kick in the front door to enter the house.

Police arrived on the scene when the men were still inside the house but the thieves spotted the police and ran out the back door. CMPD Officers captured one of the suspects right away and searched the area for the second suspect. The police set up a perimeter to keep the suspect contained and the CMPD helicopter and K-9 unit responded to assist with the search. A short time later, the second suspect was found hiding in a neighbors garbage can!! The two men who were arrested are Jamonte Baker and Anthony Roland.

Photographer Jonathan Jones was on the scene and captured some shots of the suspect, the garbage can and items the two suspects stole and police recovered.