Crime In Charlotte, NC

CMS Law Enforcement and the Matthews Police Department is soliciting the public's help to catch those responsible for vandalizing Butler High School and Northeast Middle School on the evening of June 25th.

At Butler High School, vandals broke windows and electronic equipment, sprayed graffiti, threw rocks in windows and ransacked numerous modular classrooms. Similar damage was found at Northeast Middle School. The total estimated costs of damages at both schools could cost CMS up to $58,000.

If you have any information that can help police, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or the Matthews Police Department at 704-847-4069.

News Video: WSOC-TV, News 14 Carolina, WBTV

Morris Justin Graves, 18, was arrested today at Vance High School after a school resource officer found a gun and spent shell casings in the trunk of his car which was located in the school parking lot.

Graves is charged with possession of a gun on educational property and possession of marijuana. He was released on a $3,000 bond.

CMS told the Observer that a fellow student alerted school administrators about the gun in Graves' car and there was evidence to suggest the gun had recently been fired on a trip to Myrtle Beach over spring break.

On Friday morning, police arrested a CMS teacher and charged him with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child.

Donald L. Winger, 61, was a 6th grade language arts teacher at CMS' Francis Bradley Middle School in Huntersville. Winger starting teaching at CMS schools in 2000. Winger has taught at Bradley Middle School, Mallard Creek Elementary and Francis Bradley.

Police say the charges against Winger stem from his involvement with two boys four years ago. At the time of the assault, the boys were ages 12 and 13. The boys were not students and the assaults did not occur on school property.

A Myers Park High School teacher was arrested yesterday and is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. CMS officials said the charges pertain to his illegal online activities but did not provide any further information.

Prior to his arrest, Allie Ellington, 61, was a Social Studies teacher at Myers Park High School. He started teaching at the school in March of 2000.

Ellington is in the Mecklenburg County jail on a $30,000 bond.

On Saturday, 38-year old Michael Lefko, an Assistant Principal at Sedgefield Middle School was arrested for larceny.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Lefko was arrested at Off Broadway Shoes after surveillance video caught him on tape stealing a pair of black Timberland boots.

CMS spokeswoman Nora Carr says Lefko is suspended with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.

More Info @ The Charlotte Observer & WCNC

Police were called to CMS' Sterling Elementary School today after an assistant principal found a 10-year old with a .32 revolver.

According to CMS, the 5th grader had the gun in his book bag. The boy showed the gun to his friend and the friend told the teacher who alerted the assistant principal.

Police say they are investigating the incident and trying to find out where the gun came from. The juvenile will be charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

On Friday, police found two students with loaded guns on CMS campuses. At Harding University High School, police say two students saw another student trying to sell a gun and told a school law enforcement officer. The officer found the loaded .22-caliber handgun in a locker. Rondie Lee Gill, 16, was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds.

At Northridge Middle School, officers found a loaded gun during a search of a 15-year old students book bag. Police say an officer was serving a warrant on the 7th grader. The student was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds.

On Wednesday, a former Martin Middle School student who had been sent to Derita Alternative School returned to Martin Middle School with a stolen loaded semi-automatic .50-caliber Desert Eagle handgun in the waistband of his pants. The 14-year old student was sent to Derita in October after bringing bullets and a gun magazine to school in September.

In Federal Court today, Jimmie Vance Grubbs, 67, a former CMS school teacher was sentenced to serve 20 years in federal prison, followed by a supervised release term of life.

Grubbs entered a guilty plea to 12 separate federal criminal counts alleging interstate transportation of a minor for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity and illicit sexual conduct.

During the sentencing hearing, the government presented testimony and evidence showing that Grubbs had been molesting boys since the 1970's- and continued to molest boys throughout the 1980's, 1990's... up to 2004. In all, the government presented evidence that Grubbs had molested at least six boys over the past three decades in addition to the five boys alleged in the Indictment.

In handing down today’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. noted that Grubbs’ abuse of boys took place at Grubbs’ home, at the school where he taught language arts, at various churches, where he was a Sunday School teacher and Youth Group leader and on trips to Myrtle Beach and on trips to the University of South Carolina sporting events. Judge Conrad deemed Grubbs “the worst kind of predator.”

Federal Court Documents:
Indictment #1 - Indictment #2 - Plea Agreement - Sentencing Media Release

In the past week, police were called to 4 different schools in reference to students possessing weapons on school grounds.

The most recent incident was on Friday night at a Garinger High School football game. Police say off-duty officers working at the game heard shots being fired in the parking lot. The officers stopped three subjects running from the area.

Three men were arrested, including two Garinger HS students:
* Vinson Williams, 18: Possession of a firearm on school property (student)
* Antonio Harris, 17: Disorderly Conduct & Resisting Arrest (student)
* Warren Griffin Jr., 20: Carrying a concealed weapon and Possession of Marijuana

A school resource officer detained Frazier until CMPD Officers arrived to take him to jail. As CMPD Officers frisked Frazier, they found a loaded .22 handgun in his pants.

Frazier is charged with assault on a school employee, communicating threats, carrying a concealed handgun on school property and possession of a handgun by a minor. A Magistrate set his bond at a mere $9,000.

Early this morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police arrested Jerry Peter Seale and charged him with four counts of a sex offense against a student(s).

Prior to his arrest, Jerry Seale taught Biology at CMS Derita Alternative School. In past years, Seale taught at Providence High School, Olympic High School and Wilson Middle School.

Seale's bond was set at $40,000. Update: Watch Seale's response to the charges here & here.

Travis Leslie Manuel, 38, was a teacher's assistant at Providence High School up until he was arrested Thursday on a sexual battery charge. The incident occurred off-campus and involved a handicapped woman.

Travis Manuel worked with exceptional children at CMS. He was suspended with pay until the police investigation is complete. Manuel's charges include sexual battery by force, assault on a female and assault on a handicapped person. His bail was set at $42,000.

On Wednesday, police arrested a second CMS high school teacher on child sex charges. Jerry Wayne Linton, 58, is accused of sexually molesting three children under the age of 10.

Police say Linton took nude photos of two boys and a girl and forced them to partake in sexual games and activities. Two of the three victims are relatives of Linton.

Police started investigating the allegations against Linton in June and he quickly resigned from his teaching position at Butler High School.

Linton is charged with three counts of first degree rape of a child under 13, three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and three counts of a first degree sex offense.

A 27-year old (former) CMS teacher, Amanda Maria Athey, (R) was charged today after a father contacted police and told them Athey was having sex with his 16-year old daughter. The girl's father provided police with lots of proof... e-mails, online chats and recorded telephone calls between Athey and his teen daughter.

Police obtained a search warrant and Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Deputies raided Athey's townhouse looking for evidence to collaborate the evidence the father provided. Police seized computers, phones, writings, photo albums and photos of the victim from Athey's home.

Amanda Athey was a freshman English teacher at Hopewell Valley High School in Huntersville. She was suspended by CMS when the sex allegations arose. Yesterday, Athey resigned from her teaching position.

Athey turned herself in to police this afternoon after she learned police had warrants for her arrest. She is charged with sexual activity between a teacher and student & three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. The magistrate set her bond at $4,000.

Police say the incidents took place in Cabarrus County and Mecklenburg County but it is unclear how they will proceed with the case. Photo & Article: @ The Charlotte Observer

A 50-year old CMS art teacher was arrested today after he was found in possession and using heroin on school grounds. Police arrested George "Terry" McDonald (R) at Bruns Avenue Elementary School, after an assistant principal saw McDonald ready to inject heroin... in the classroom!

CMS Officials say Terry McDonald locked the classroom door this morning and left a note on the door: 'Classes canceled until Friday.' The assistant principal went to investigate, unlocked the classroom door and found McDonald in possession of heroin, needles and other drug paraphernalia.

CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman said Terry McDonald resigned immediately. In addition, Gorman said McDonald was arrested on drug charges in Buncombe County in 2005. McDonald entered a deferred prosecution program and his charges were dismissed. CMS was not aware of the prior criminal charges.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had another incident involving a gun on a CMS Campus today. The Huntersville Police Department held a press conference and stated the trouble began around 12:33 pm in the parking lot at North Mecklenburg High School. From inside a vehicle, a 16-year old North Meck student named Josh Cook pointed a gun at two students in the parking lot. He threatened the students with the gun but did not fire the weapon. Cook left the school campus in his vehicle.

Several students called police and the school resource officer who responded to the scene quickly. The witnesses identified Cook and gave a description of the vehicle he was driving. Huntersville Police and CMS Officials locked down North Meck and three other schools in the area. Police put out an alert to all officers to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. With the help of Cook's family, police were able to locate Josh in his car parked at a Citgo gas station on Statesville Rd.

Police saw the 16-year old handling the gun inside his vehicle and officers asked him to drop his weapon. Moments later, Josh Cook committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Medic responded and transported Cook to CMC, where he later died.

It is reported Cook was distraught over a recent break-up with a girlfriend. One of the students Cook threatened at the school is his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. Today's gun incident ended in a tragedy but it could have been far worse. On Monday, we saw what happened at Virginia Tech and how much pain and suffering one disturbed person can bring. - View Press Conference

Charlotte-Mecklenburg School officials say they found an unloaded gun today on the campus of Ranson Middle School. School resource officers recovered the hidden weapon underneath a classroom trailer after a student informed them about the gun.

Two 8th grade students were involved in the incident. The student who brought the gun to school was arrested by police and school officials say the second student will be disciplined for his involvement.

Officials would not say what punishment either student would receive or if they would be suspended from school. Based on previous CMS 'gun in school' incidents, both students will be back in the classroom within a month.