Another Young Homicide Victim

CMPD says a 12-year-old boy died after being shot at a north Charlotte home Thursday night

Ahmad Wrighten’s death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Anthony Rashad Wigfall, 34, and Demetria Robinson, 32, were arrested and charged with murder, CMPD said. Police said the boy had “sustained apparent trauma” when paramedics responded to a home in the 5600 block of Sunwalk Court at about 11:30 p.m. 

They took him from the residential neighborhood off Statesville Road to Atrium Health hospital, where he died, police said. 

Emergency dispatch radio obtained via Broadcastify revealed officers were called to the scene at about 11:30 p.m. after someone “shot an 11-year-old.” CMPD confirmed police were responding to an assault with a deadly weapon call for service and later said the victim was 12.

Charloot's Got A Lot Of Shootings

Once again a person has been shot in uptown during the small hours of the morning.

According to CMPD this was the fifth uptown shooting in past two months.

Witnesses said they heard up to five gunshots, then saw a man get shot in the back at about 4 a.m., according to a local television news station.

The shooting happened on North College Street near Sixth Street, in an area with hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. 

Paramedics said the victim had life-threatening injuries. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not publicly identified a victim or suspect in this case. 

Earlier this month, officers found a man shot in a parking lot near the Spectrum Center — a couple blocks over from Thursday’s shooting. 

He died at the hospital more than a week later. Police have charged a suspect with murder, intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and discharging a firearm in the city limits.

Another man was shot in the leg near the VUE apartments on West Fifth Street in uptown at about 7:30 a.m. on June 5.  

Another man was shot and killed in uptown near Truist Field in late May. 

Officers chased the suspect to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where police said he was arrested and charged with 1st-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

In April, two people were injured after a mid-day shooting in uptown’s Romare Bearden Park. Police quickly detained a suspect. 

As of May 31, CMPD had recorded a total of 31 homicides in Charlotte this year.

Sure takes the bang out of going Uptown in Charloot.

Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Winston Claims 20 Somethings Our Nation's Founding Fathers

Cedar Posts is thrilled to see Charlotte's Mayor Pro-Tem Braxton Winston embracing our Colonial past and history. 

Sadly it seems that math and history are not required proficiencies at his alma mater Davidson College.

Winston's tweet which is clearly pandering to the new Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton (who happens to be 25) claims that "the founders of our nation were mostly 20-30 somethings". 

In reality - only South Carolina’s Lynch and Rutledge were in their 20s and while Jefferson who drafted the document was just 33 more than 1/2 of those signing the Declaration of Independence were 40 years old or older.

Funny things happen when a theater grip like Winston, embraces history since the "mostly 20-30 somethings" exclude Franklin who was 70, Hopkins 69, Lewis 63, and Sherman 55, which made them by 1776 standards old and well past the average life expectancy of 35.

Samuel Adams of the beer fame was 54, John Adams, 40 as was John Hancock.

Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence 37 were 40 or older and 17 were 50 or older. The complete list of these patriots is here. 

Winston never one to accurately understand facts or figures might want to ask a couple of old (over 40) democrats for advice before tweeting about the value of "young voices" and miligning older Tar Heel voters and our nation's founding "fathers".

Also: Before someone says what about George Washington? No he did not sign the Declaration of Indepence. I'm always surprised at the number of people who assume he did. The truth his George was with his "well armed militia" in New York ready to kick some Red Coat butt!

Charlotte's Gun Problem

According to the local paper approximately 1 in 5 of Charlotte’s shooting victims were children, police statistics from the first half of the year show. 

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced shooting statistics on Friday as part of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. These statistics paint a grim picture, but are still better than last year’s, according to officials. 

In the first six months of 2023, there have been 2,359 victims of firearm-related crime in Charlotte, according to CMPD. This number is down approximately 4% from the same period last year. 

These shootings killed 27 people, including three children, according to CMPD. Another 426 juveniles were victims of a shooting and 90 juveniles were suspects in shootings. In the first half of last year, 482 juveniles were shooting victims and 118 were suspects.

And the local paper goes further:

A series of stories this year found that shootings involving kids and teens are on the rise over the past few years and have a devastating impact on families and communities. As of 2020, shootings surpassed car accidents as the the leading cause of death in children under 18 in the U.S., according to a CNN analysis of CDC data. 

Curbing these shootings is CMPD’s top priority, Chief Johnny Jennings said Friday. “There is no one who is unaffected by the public health crisis that is gun violence,” Jennings said. “Victims result from every pull of the trigger in our city. 

We need community involvement from every corner and from every walk of life, for the good of Charlotte.”

There were 342 shootings into homes, cars and other occupied property this year, according to CMPD. 

This includes the shooting into a home that seriously injured an 8-year-old girl in April. A total of 1,392 guns have been seized as evidence in these shootings and other Charlotte crimes, and 679 guns have been reported stolen, according to the data. There is no acceptable level of gun violence, CMPD officials say.

Cedar's Take: CMPD Press Release from which much of the local paper's story was produced is located here and opens in a new tab or window.

What the local paper and the CMPD press release doesn't say is that everyone of these homicide victims are African American or hispanic (2) with the expcetion of Jaxon Zane Truitt, age 3 

Jaxon Zane Truitt

Those arrested are almost always African American. In nearly every drive by shooting the shooter and the targeted victim were African American.

Despite the endless anti gun hysterics, the dramatic ortations of Joe Biden and others no one is willing to address the fact that the African American Community has become a culture of violence embracing criminality and gun play. 

Until we address the catch and release liberal policies implemented by Mecklenburg County's chief judge and increase the penalties on illegal firearm possession and begin to incarcerate violent offenders on the first violent crime conviction this problem will continue to be an accepted way of life and it will just get worse. 

Asian Store Owner Assassinates Teen Shoplifter

You can file this under Asian Hate:

There's been a long and troubled history of African Americans and Asian shop owners hating each other.

It is perhaps the dramatic cultural differences or simply the fact that crime has exploded across our nation.

CP has no understanding as to why Asian Americans seek to own c-stores in Black neighborhoods.  Perhaps it is the low acquisition costs of existing businesses and the failure of enterprising Asians to ask why is this business so cheap?

But now a convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

At one point, there was a verbal confrontation inside the store, but no indication that things turned physical, according to Lott.

Chow, 58, and his son chased Carmack-Belton down the street. The teenager fell but got back up and ran.

Chow’s son told his father that Carmack-Belton was armed.

Deputies recovered a gun believed to belong to the victim near his body, however, the department said there is no evidence that Carmack-Belton pointed it at or threatened Chow.

Lott said that Carmack-Belton was running away when he was shot.

Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford confirmed that the 14-year-old suffered one gunshot wound to the right lower back.

Linda Suber, who lives nearby, saw Carmack-Belton lying on the ground on Sunday night.

“It’s just sad, it’s sad,” she said. “If y’all would have seen that baby laying right there, that’s all I can say.”

Suber’s son Tavaris Bell was murdered on Broad River Road in 2006.

“Just to see him laying right there, I didn’t get to see my son laying where he got killed, but I saw him in the hospital, it just brought back memories,” Suber said.

One woman who saw the shooting happen and called 911 said she wants justice. She requested anonymity to speak candidly about the shooting and her experiences at the gas station.

“Do you even want to go in the store now? Because anything can happen now these days, and everybody’s getting trigger-happy,” she said. “I just really hope that he gets justice for it because that young man didn’t have to die like that. But for me to witness that yesterday, I’m in fear for my own brother, and for any of the kids that are in my neighborhood because these kids... they come outside all the time. They come to this store all the time. Now it’s like now you have to watch your kids.”

Lott said there have been incidents and confrontations between customers and the owners of this store before, but nothing that would rise to the level of charging Chow in any of those incidents.

Several people described Chow as “nasty” and rude to customers.

Various community organizations and advocates against gun violence gathered around the gas station on Monday.

The store was closed Monday, with a sign on the that read: “We are closed for Memorial Day. Sorry for the inconvenience!”

A cardboard sign had been taped on the door by a protester, which read: “Water or Life? Which Means More?”

Rutherford provided an update to the crowd shortly after 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, and there was loud applause when Chow’s charge was announced.

WIS spoke with one of Carmack-Belton’s brothers Monday. He said his family, especially his mother, is torn up.

Carmack-Belton was a good kid, very smart, and he did not deserve what happened to him, his brother said to WIS.

It is pretty clear than Richland County's Lott holds a great amount of contempt for Chow. Locals who describe Chow as nasty and WIS for actually quoting this statement just adds fuel to the Asian hate. 

But this is a common theme around the nation. African Americans feel Asian store owners take advantage of them and feel justified in shoplifting as a form of vengeance. Asian store owners hate their customers typically showing openly utter contempt for their customers.

CP suspects that Chow had endured enough and perhaps even felt justified. Poor choices made by all parties. But Lott needs to tone down his voter virtue signaling. 

Rowan County Taking Out Charloot's Trash

Charloot is famous for catch and release of dangerous armed felons. But up the road in Rowan County, they don't mess around.

Here's David Whisenant's in depth story. 

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Rowan Sheriff’s Office has released details on the arrest of a man facing charges for trafficking drugs and stolen guns.

According to the report, on Thursday, May 18, 2023, warrants for arrest were issued for Aaron Dominique Wilks charging him with trafficking in opium/heroin, felony conspiracy, possession with intent to sell/deliver a schedule I controlled substance, and two counts of maintaining a vehicle/dwelling to keep/store a controlled substance.

The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Salisbury Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, Wilks was located and apprehended at his residence in Charlotte, NC. The arrest was made by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT), and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Apprehension Team (SOCAT). 

Wilks was transported to the Rowan County Magistrate’s Office where he was placed under a $250,000 secured bond which he quickly made.

Following Wilkes arrest, personnel from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the Wilks residence. During the crime scene search conducted by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit and SOCAT, $16,949 in cash, a small amount of marijuana, a loaded handgun magazine, and cellular telephones were seized.

During a court hearing in Rowan County District Court on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Wilks bond was revoked. He was placed under a $1,000,000 secured bond and is currently being held in the Rowan County Detention Center.

During a related investigation conducted by the Salisbury Police Department on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, a search warrant was executed in a rental unit at Public Storage located at 1730 Jake Alexander Blvd West, Salisbury, NC, and eight firearms were recovered. 

There were four handguns, three rifles, and one shotgun found in the storage unit. The shotgun was reported stolen from a breaking and entering that took place on May 24, 2022, at the Ammo Shack Hunting and Shooting store in Rockingham, NC. One handgun was also reported as stolen from Rowan County on November 26, 2021.

Cedar's take: this is how you do it. Props to CMPD VCAT Unit and all those working this case and not letting go. Now just roll this into Federal Court and we can be done with this guy once and for all. If the Meck DA would work just half this hard we'd live in a far safer city and wouldn't need to wait for Rowan County to come pick up our trash. Wilks has priors for weapons, drugs and robbery.

Stephanie Melgoza Sentenced to 14 years in Double DUI Homicide

If you get 14 years in liberal hell Peoria Illinois can you imagine what the Folly Beach Bride Killer Jamie Lee Komoroski will get?

Police body camera footage shows 24-year-old woman who was sentenced to 14 years in prison earlier this month smiling, laughing, and singing after authorities told her she killed two people in a crash.

Stephanie Melgoza was sentenced to 14 years in prison on May 5, 2023. Authorities said she was under the influence and speeding, with Megloza pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI and two counts of aggravated reckless driving.

The two people -- Paul Prowant, 55, and 43-year-old Andrea Rosewicz -- were trying to cross the street when Melgoza hit them in April 2022.

Melgoza: "You never answered me about my car. I have school tomorrow, so how do I get my car?"

Police: "Well, your car is totaled."

Melgoza: "It's what?"

Police: "Your car is totaled."

Melgoza: "Total, total?"

Police: "Totaled. Wrecked."

Melgoza: "OK, so how do I get it here then?"

Police: "You don't."

Melgoza: "So, I don't go to school tomorrow is what you're telling me?"

Police: "No. ma'am. You want me to be honest with you? You're going to jail. You don't have a bond. You killed two people tonight. I don't think you understand that. You do not have a bond. You are not getting out of jail. 

Your car is property of East Peoria Police Department because it's a crime scene. It killed two people tonight. You are clueless with that. Clearly, I've already explained this to you. You're going to jail for reckless homicide tonight. You're going to jail for aggravated DUI for killing two people. That's what's going on. So, no you're not going to school tomorrow. You're not getting your car out of impound."

Melgoza: "Can I get it Tuesday for my night class?"

Police: "Did you just hear what I just told you?

Melgoza: "You said I'm not going tomorrow. I'm talking about Tuesday."

Police: "Did you hear what I said?"

Melgoza: "You said, 'you're going to jail tomorrow.'"

Police: "You're going to jail right when we're done here. Did you understand what I told you? That you killed two people tonight?"

Melgoza: "Yes. I'm just wondering when I can go to school."

Police: "OK, we're done. You're all on body camera being completely careless about killing two people tonight. You could care less. That's sad and pathetic and horrible all at the same time."

Melgoza: "Can you say that as a cop?"

Police: "Yes, ma'am. I can."

The second video shows her at the scene of the crash, where she tells police officers who responded to the scene a person walked out in front of her car.

Melgoza goes on to say the person "came out of nowhere," adding that she is "a safe driver." She tells police she was driving at least 40 mph after leaving a bar.

"I honestly don't think I was going too fast because I try to be precautionary," she said.

She also admits she had three drinks containing vodka and wasn't too drunk.

Like, right now, if you had me do a test, I think I would pass," she said. "Like, don't test me but I think I would pass."

The officer then gives her sobriety field tests, with Melgoza smiling and giggling.

"It's so hard keeping my head straight," she says with a snicker as the officer checks her eyes.

Melgoza fails the tests and the officers tells her she's under arrested for driving under the influence. She laughs as the officer places her in handcuffs.

She also tells the officer there's no way she hit and killed two people.

I feel like I'd be crying," she says. "I feel like I'd be like, 'Oh, my God. I did this.'"

Since the videos were made public, Melgoza's father has spoken out in his daughter's defense.

At her sentencing, she apologized.

I’m so sorry for everything, and I will never, ever commit anything like that again," she said, according to the Pekin Daily Times. "I have not drank since that day. I do not plan on drinking ever again."

Cedar's Take: I have long practiced what I preach. I don't drink in social settings unless someone else is driving ever. I get a lot of looks when I ask for just tonic and lime only. I get a lot of those oh I didn't know comments.

Commercial Pilot and Boat Captain the rules are pretty strict in most cases zero drinks is the requirement.  Specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration rulebook states that a pilot may not use alcohol within 8 hours of a flight and cannot have a blood alcohol content above 0.04% if the time limit has passed.

US Coast Guard rules are less restrictive but my crews are always on a zero limit while under charter. The job is 6am til Midnight while guests are aboard. So those bookend charters (Guests departing the same day new guests arrive) are a real buzz kill.

The USA is pretty lax when it comes to DUI enforcement where in Australia the BAC is now 0.05 still with the ease of getting an Uber and mass transit why drink and drive ever?