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Its Time For a Change - Cedar Posts Signs Off

It all began in 2009 with a miles long expose' of then newly hired police chief Rodney Monroe. 

I had met the new chief at a charity event and was unimpressed. His first to the buffet move and inability to acknowledge the rank and file in attendance was problematic to say the least and would become the hallmark of his time in Charlotte.

In short he had the personality of a sand gnat. Small and super annoying. 

I watched Rodney up close interact with command staff at Hornet's games and each time was dismayed at his inability to connect. He'd walk past officers and sergeants with sleeves full of service stripes and not speak to them.

At some point he figured out his floor seats where next to mine at the Hornet's games. The highlight of my life was sitting next to Vilma Leake and Rodney Monroe. (Sarcasm) Actually the theft of his golf cart during the Wells Fargo Tournament would be the highlight.

Or the time command told him raiding my home with a search warrant to take my computer wouldn't be a good idea since the Editor of the Charlotte Observer was my next door neighbor.

I was told my Naval Officer background was expecting too much, that lead by example and  never passing someone without an appropriate greeting was beyond Monroe's scope of ability.

It is my firm belief that Rodney Monroe's tenure at CMPD is represented by the legacy of low morale and inability to recruit new officers today.

My apologies to the many of CMPD who over the years have been accused of either being CP or giving leds. 

Somewhere Cedar Posts took a dark turn. And while providing a venue for current and former CMPD Officers to let off some steam and take swipes at command it has also gathered the attention of liberal nutbirds and cop haters. 

The cop haters have tried doxing, tried to cancel the CP twitter account and on more than one occasion tried to shut down the CP Blog. 

Truth be told CP only took on this idea as crime in Charlotte has exploded. Not a day goes by without a shocking crime of violence and a local media that remains silent refusing to address the fact that our DA is incompetent and judicial system is broken. 

Our Mayor is as dysfunctional as Chicago's Lori Lightfoot.

The murder Sunday of 32-year-old Ahylea Willard will be Cedar Posts final contribution of that sort.

Going forward Meckburbia will cover this sort of madness. 

I'm not sure if it will morph into the same dark look and feel of Cedar Posts. We shall see. 

I'm open to suggestions.

I do want to acknowledge the dozen CMPD, CFD and media types who provide content anonymously y'all better than I am at this. 

And so as Paul Harvey used to say after a long pause ...... page two....

The Arrest of Karen Baker's Killer Confirms Incompetence

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police announced Sunday that they had charged J’wuan Horton actually Juwan Horton AKA Juwan Marquies Horton and "J-Boosie" in the robbery and shooting death of Karen Baker. 

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Karen Baker was killed in a random robbery on July 13 in the University City area of Charlotte. Her family said she was getting money from an ATM when it happened.

Now 3 months later CMPD says they have their man. 

But as expected the level of incompetency leading up to the death of Karen Baker is stunning.

On the morning of July 13, 2022 when Karen Baker was shot to death, Horton had been out of prison just four months. He had been released on February 25th after serving just 3 years for a string of armed robberies and felony breaking and entering that occured in February of 2018.

Despite the violent nature of his crimes the charges were consolidated and he was given only a three year and 8 month minimum sentence for the crimes that should have warranted a term of 20+ years.

On the Morning of July 13 bank surveillance cameras caught Horton on video as well as his getaway car. He remained at large in the weeks following the murder as CMPD and Baker's family pleaded for information.

Nearly 7 weeks later North Carolina Department of Community Corrections officers known to most offenders as simply their "PO" attempted to speak with Mr. Horton. 

Horton had been non-compliant with the terms of his release since the first day of his parole. 

When NC Parole Officers tried to approach Horton, he apparently thought he was being arrested for the murder of Baker and other crimes and refused to stop and the speak with the parole officers, leading them on a brief and unsuccessful car chase.

Photo Courtesy MCSO August 30, 2022

His "PO" charged him with Flee and Elude with a Motor Vehicle, No Drivers License, Reckless and Wanton Disregard, Speeding and Violating the Terms of his Parole. Horton was placed in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office and was booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail. A week later a judge ordered Horton's release and he was back out on the streets of Charlotte.

Horton walked out of the Mecklenburg County Jail at 2 am on the morning of September 7th, 2022, once again free to continue his life of violent crime.

Sources tell CP that Horton was on CMPD's radar but that communication between the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Post Release Supervision and Parole officers is non-existent and that gap may be the reason Horton's arrest was never brought to the attention of CMPD Detectives. 

While this may explain why they had the killer in custody and turned him loose after one week it doesn't explain why Horton wasn't picked up right away or why he was given parole in the first place.

But let's repeat this: they had Karen Baker's killer in custody and a liberal judge turned him loose. 

Cedar Posts' Take: The real failure is an entire system that operates in favor of violent offenders and no longer protects the public, both within the courts and with those who are supposed to protect the community post release.

Horton was supposed to be on "parole with close supervision". Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The left hand (THE PO) had not a clue what the right hand (CMPD) was doing. Where was the breakdown?

Karen Baker's death is due to woeful negligence of the Mecklenburg County DA, North Carolina Courts, Parole Officers and a system that is broken beyond comprehension.

Demont Forte Charlotte's Menace To Society Back in Court Today

This afternoon career thug and felon Demont Forte will make another court appearance. Forte was arrested on July 4th and is facing charges of Felony, Assault, Common Law Robbery  and Conspiracy.

Forte was released on bail of $3,000.00 / $300.00 cash on July 6th despite violation of his terms of release on the assault on a female, assault with a deadly weapon, hit and run and property damage charges that he's facing for a road rage incident in 2021.

Forte is on the September 28 docket for those charges.

Mecklenburg County DA Spencer Merriweather dismissed all charges resulting from a 2017 stand off with CMPD where SWAT Officers were required to take Forte into custody for outstanding warrants for felony breaking and entering, assault on a female, and communicating threats. 

During that stand-off local media reported that Forte had been arrested more than 40 times, including for numerous violent and drug-related offenses. He was also arrested on a murder charge in April 1992.

SO why use Forte as an example?

Forte is a repeat felon who has escaped consequences again and again. 50 arrests over the last dozen years yet no convictions? Why? 

Keep in mind these are only the crimes he's been arrested for, only the ones where he's been caught.

As the above chart shows nearly 80% of the violent crimes in Charlotte are committed by African Americans. Yet they are less than 1/3 of the population. That means that based on these CMPD number by a 10-1 ratio blacks are commuting more violent crimes in the Queen City. But because they are only 1/3 of the population the ratio is actually 30-1 and that's insane. Simply put you will encounter 30 violet black felons before you ever meet up with one.

Why?

CP Update: Meck DA Spencer Merriweather has kicked the can down the road once again. Mr. Forte is back on the calendar for the AM session on 28 September Courtroom 4310 on the Road Rage Attack. Mr. Forte is still on the 30 August Calendar for the Felony Robbery charges from this year.

Emily Wall Now Age 30 Arrested Again

Local "Meth Queen" Emily Wall is back in Mecklenburg County Jail. CP's guess is that this is her 27th arrest and 29th stay at the McFadden Hilton. 

Is there not someone who can get this girl some help? I know Black Lives Matter and all that but could someone make an exception? At 30 she's really got a lot of living to do. But it would be sad if she spent it living in crack houses and on the street. Isn't there a judge that would say no release until your clean and sober, employed and in some sort of re-hab program. Or is Charloot just going to join Portland and say oh well its OK if some people are drugies?

Myers Park Neighbor of the Year Gregory Abrams

This video has been out for about a week maybe longer, so here's that back story as CP understands it. 

Over in Myers Park on Brandon Drive lives Gregory Abrams and his wife Jessica. They are from New Jersey via Florida. They've been a thorn in Myer's Park since they started an endless renovation project in 2016. 

The home has swelled from 3,200 in 2013 to just shy of 8,000 in 2019 and the construction projects continue. 

Literally every square inch of the back 2/3rds of Abrams lot is paved over or built on, creating massive amount of run-off that cascades into the adjoining neighbor's yards. 

This run off has repeatedly flooded neighbors yards and in the case of  the guy who confronts Dr. Abrams his garage which happens to be home to his 80 year old mother. 

Apparently her son the guy in the yellow shit decided to "have a word" with Greg about the flooding and the recent rains. Seems the son a Charlotte Country Day student is the one doing the video taping and can be heard encouraging his Greg to "woop his ass". 

Bonus fun: Entry in the property tax records states "discovered improvements" opps, no permit? 

A quick look at the county aerials shots and you can see why the neighbors hate the guy and construction has gone on for five years. Look at the mud covered street in the 2018 photo. Finally in 2020 it is done but the run off floods the neighbors yard.

And you can't do that. You are responsible for your runoff as I understand Mecklenburg County code. 

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Cedar's Take:

Myers Park is or at least was until now home to Charlotte's "old money" and if you didn't live in Myers Park or Eastover you either hadn't "made it" or you never will. 

Those who didn't fit in moved to the Quail Hollow or the Carmel Road areas. As other neighborhoods developed they all tried to emulate Myers Park. And still Myers Park withstood the test of time, the people, the streets and tree canopy the entire area dripped Southerness like a fresh cut honey dew melon. 

And then there's the McMansions like Dr. Abrams', you see them in front of Freedom Park the neo classical style gone to hell. The bigger the better and more stuff the merrier to hell with the neighbors.

And here we are.

Homicide No. 74 Kenny Ollemi - A Common Refrain

Charlotte's 74th murder victim Keneth "Kenny" Ollemi fits the usual profile of Charlotte homicide cases: African American male and likely involved in the drug business. 

Kenny Ollemi was also a "transplant" from up north, again a common refrain, perhaps seeking a better life in the ever expanding and growing job market in the Carolinas. 

Kenny managed to stay alive dodging bullets for 29 years using his "street smarts" when in 1995 he'd let his guard down and it nearly ended his life.

From the Daily Press in Newport New News Virginia December 1, 1995:

Hampton police are investigating a drug connection in a shooting that seriously wounded a 29-year-old resident of the Merrimac Apartments Wednesday night. 

Police found several small plastic bags of cocaine and a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol beside the body, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Circuit Court Thursday. 

The affidavit identified the victim as Kenny Ollemi. 

Ollemi shares a second-floor apartment with a woman at 217 Regent St., neighbors said. Regent Street intersects Kecoughtan Road in the Southampton area. 

Denfield Carty lives in the same building as Ollemi and was one of the people who heard one or two shots and called 911. 

Carty said he then heard a man cry out, ''I've been shot.'' He waited about five minutes before he went outside and found Ollemi on the grass behind the building. Carty said he noticed blood on the lower right side of the man's black leather jacket. 

''I touched him. He was out cold,'' Denfield said. 

Police speculate the assailant waited behind some bushes and surprised Ollemi moments after he showed up in a Nissan 300 ZX. Ollemi was walking toward the back door of the apartment building when the bullet tore into his right side. 

''A large quantity of rock cocaine was found on the ground where Kenny Ollemi fell. A black .380-semiautomatic pistol was recovered from the ground at the scene,'' the affidavit said.

Rosa Walker, Ollemi's roommate, told police that she bought the pistol. Walker also directed police to a compartment in Ollemi's car which contained more than $4,000 in cash, the court document said. 

When asked about the source of the money, Walker ''claimed that she had just cashed a SSI check. ... However, she was unable to provide documentation to substantiate this,'' the detective noted in the affidavit. 

Carty claims he never saw a pistol or any plastic bags of cocaine with the body. ''The only thing I saw on the ground were his car keys,'' he said. 

The Nissan 300 ZX that Ollemi had driven is registered to another man. Police have impounded the car. A check of Ollemi's criminal record revealed a conviction for possession of cocaine and marijuana, the document said.

You can read the rest of the story here.

Moving to Charlotte might have seemed like a good idea but the violent crime of urban metroplexes like the Tide Water area of Virginia has moved south as well. 

On Monday night, Kenny must have felt safe in the up-scale business area of IBM and Classic Drives. But he was targeted followed and killed, he knew the shooter or shooters. But even if he didn't they knew he carried a good amount of cash. Still shooting someone for $100 and a bag of crack is all part of thug life in Charloot.

The shooting on Monday night happened around midnight, just outside the back office door of Classic Graphics. 

Officers said an employee came outside and saw the car crashed in the company picnic area and found 53-year-old Kenny Ollemi shot inside. 

That person called 911 and MEDIC arrived, performed CPR and rushed Ollemi to the hospital, where emergency room staff and doctors tried to once again save Kenny's life.

Investigators said they believe Ollemi was shot inside his car while waiting to pick up a friend from work. They spent the night talking to other employees who may have seen or heard something. By day-break crime scene tape still fluttered in the cool early morning breeze a hint of fall to come in the air. 

3rd shift employees headed home as the presses turned out another glossy annual report for a Inc 1000 company. By noon less than 12 hours later things had returned to normal the yellow tape was gone and CSI techs had finished their work and Kenny's car had already been towed to a secrue location for futher forensic investigation. 

And so it goes.....