Kids with Guns and Stolen Cars

The day after the official Christmas Holiday was a busy day for CMPD as Officers pursued suspects involved in violent crimes.

The first chase began shortly after 8:30 a.m Tuesday morning, when CMPD was alerted by a license-plate reader to a car that was associated with a reported armed robbery and carjacking the night before. 

CMPD Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Hulsey said the victim of the robbery told police he was robbed at gunpoint and his car was stolen. 

Shortly after the alert Officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle.

The driver refused to pull over and a vehicle pursuit ensued as the vehicle was associated with a crime dangerous to life. Stop sticks were deployed on West Boulevard. The suspect vehicle crashed at West Boulevard and Donald Ross Road ending the pursuit.

The driver of the vehicle identified as Monet Darrisaw was pronounced deceased at the scene and the passenger was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The fatal chase comes after public outcry over police chases, but the department policy is clear:

In this case CMPD Officers had reasonable suspicion the driver or occupant had already committed a crime dangerous to life.

Hulsey said the pursuit lasted 10 to 12 minutes. Until, officers deployed a stop stick tire deflation device on West Boulevard. She said the car kept going until it crashed into a tree near West Boulevard and Romare Bearden Drive.

CMPD’s Internal Affairs is investigating the pursuit to ensure officers did follow policy, Hulsey said.

In the second case two juveniles were arrested after leading Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers on a car chase Tuesday afternoon.

Police say during an attempt to stop a stolen vehicle in the area of Beatties Ford Road and Brookshire Boulevard, the suspect vehicle refused to stop.

Officers disengaged and their helicopter monitored from overhead.

The suspect vehicle later crashed and engaged in a foot chase with the occupants, leading to the arrests of two juveniles.

Both juveniles were transported by Medic to the hospital with minor injuries.

CLT Solid Waste Service's Stunning Incompetence

It's not hard really, just update your website to tell taxpayers the garbage collection holiday schedule. 

Garbage collection happens on all holidays except MLK Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This year because Christmas falls on a Sunday and the Holiday is the following Monday there will be no garbage collection on Monday December 26th. In other words everyone's garbage will be collected curbside one day late. Simple right?

Unless you are the City of Charlotte staff who think Christmas is on Sunday December 26th and you put that on the City website. It's not, Christmas is on Sunday December 25th and the Christmas "work" Holiday is Observed on Monday December 26th. 

Cedar's Take: This is what happens when you promote and hire based solely on skin color and not experience, education or common sense.

I know, it is not a big deal, and yes it is just an honest mistake, or that it doesn't really matter because most people will put their trash out on the usual day and then wonder why the trash wasn't picked up. 

Some will blame being short staffed or COVID or whatever, and say its silly to be concerned about such an obvious error.

But ask yourself if they are making such stupid mistakes on the easy stuff what is the cost to taxpayers when they screw up the major stuff? If they can't get the date right on the information they provide the public, how do they submit payroll correctly? If they can't figure out Christmas how do they know the companies they contract with are submitting legitimate invoices?

Well they are 2 for 3 apparently good enough for government work.

It is only three days a year, how freaking hard can it be to get this correct?

SouthPark Marriott Scene of Charlotte's 118th Murder

On Saturday, December 24, 2022, shortly before 4 a.m., Providence Division officers responded to possible medical emergency call for service at the Marriott Hotel located at 2200 block Rexford Road. 

Upon arrival, officers located a male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Medic responded to the scene and transported the victim to Atrium Health Main with life-threatening injuries.  The victim was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

CMPD identified the victim as 32-year-old Wilmer Ulises Olivas-Alvarez.

Officers located a person of interest on scene and transported that person to the Law Enforcement Center in Uptown.  At this time, officers are not currently looking for any other suspects.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department later stated that they arrested 41-year-old Danny Earl McGowan.

MCGOWAN, DANNY EARL DOB 5/1/1981 Photo Courtesy MCSO

McGowan has been charged with murder, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

McGowan has prior convictions in Mecklenburg County for burglary and a person with the same name appears in Virginia with a number of felonies. 

A search of McGowan shows a Marsh Road residence as well as other locations in Pineville and the Charlotte area as gives his profession as electrician.

According to CMPD the department's Homicide Unit detectives, and Crime Scene Search responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. Representatives from CMPD's Operations Command, Victim Services, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Homicide Prosecution Team, Medic and the Charlotte Fire Department also assisted.

Cedar's Take: What the hell happened to the once five star The Park Hotel? The now 3 star dump has a nightly rate of $139.00 just slightly above Days Inn Airport. The shine has worn off of SouthPark much like the once iconic Morrison name. The sad decline of Charlotte continues. 

In Charlotte Life Is Cheap

Sometimes you just can't get your head around the crime in Charlotte.

According to CMPD they have arrested a person in connection with a fatal shooting in University City on Wednesday morning.

CMPD officers were called to an apartment complex at University Village Boulevard, where they found a male victim who had been shot at around 11 a.m.

Investigators say the victim, 28-year-old Cordarrius Donquay Harris, died from his injuries.

Donquay was a repeat felon with more that his fair share of arrests and convictions. He was facing a dozen charges on no less than two arrests made during the last year.

Needless to say he won't be making his required January 10th court appearance on domestic violence charges. 

Yet the charges his killer is facing are just as troubling.

On Thursday CMPD said 19-year-old Rohan Viresh Taskar was charged with voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, obstruction of justice, and misdemeanor breaking and entering.

Taskar was already facing charges in Gaston and Catawba Counties, and was arrested by Huntersville PD on drug and weapons charges in 2021. 

Mecklenburg County DA Spencer Merriweather dismissed the Huntersville drug and weapons charges earlier this year.

Takar was convicted by an Iredell County court in 2021 of speeding to elude arrest resulting in a motor vehicle death. Then he convicted in June on this year of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in Mecklenburg County. In both case he was given probation.

On Thursday a Mecklenburg County judge set his bond at $10,000.00. 

Cedar's Take: Kill two people inside 24 months, violate your probation, rack up a bunch of other charges and the Mecklenburg DA and Judges come up with minimal charges and your bond laughable. 

It may be that the reason for the voluntary manslaughter charge is that the victim and the shooter are connected. Perhaps both climbing in a window when there was an accidental discharge. Since it was during the B&E it was not murder rather voluntary manslaughter and that would explain the odd additional charges of B&E and Obstruction.

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control Halts Owner Surrender

Unfortunate news item from the local television news station:

Because of overcrowding, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control is halting owner surrenders.

The shelter has been putting out desperate calls for adopters and fosters as kennels have continued to fill up more and more over the last year.

“On a day that we are happy to have 20 dog adoptions/fosters going out the door, at the same time we have 15 strays/owner surrenders coming in and sadly we see no light at the end of this very long tunnel,” said Melissa Knicely, Communications and Outreach Manager at AC&C in a press release.

At the time of the press release’s writing, the shelter had a total of 208 dogs at the shelter and 282 in their care total (including fosters and staycations).

“We simply do not have room for them,” said Dr. Fisher, Director of AC&C in the same release. “ACC officers are doing everything they can to get lost pets’ home in the community before bringing them into the shelter, but between lost dogs that we are unable to find an owner, long-term case dogs, and dogs that pose a public safety risk to our community, our kennels are at capacity.”

Those who have already booked an appointment to surrender their dog will be called to cancel the appointment and provided with other resources.

The shelter is running an adoption special for all animals through December 31: Adoptions are free with a monetary donation to any of the shelter’s programs.

To help combat overcrowding, the community is encouraged to spay and neuter their pets, make sure they’re microchipped and the registration is up-to-date, they always have an I.D. tag (provided free by AC&C, if you need one), and of course, foster or adopt a dog.

Want to learn how you can foster or adopt? Visit animals.cmpd.org or visit the shelter at 8315 Byrum Drive, Charlotte.

Cedar's Take: Let's get this out of the way - This is a cultural problem. A total lack of accountability and reliance on government help (AKA Free Stuff) has created this problem. 

Sidebar: Pit Bulls and their countless variations can be sweet lovable goof balls. Sadly much of their aggressive behavior is trained. But the breed is also "hard wired" just a much as Labrador Retrievers thanks to careful breeding.  

Yet the fact is 98 of 100 dogs up for adoption in Charlotte's AC&C operation are Pit Bulls and Pit Bull Mix. 

And the reason is a segment of our population has this need to own a "bad dog" 

And neutering or spaying them is out of the question. 

Same with proper veterinary care and licenses and general ownership.

I can't imagine how someone "bags up" a litter of pups and drops them off at the front gate at CMPD's Animal Care and Control without a thought or care. 

Owner surrenders are just a nice way of saying ghetto dog owners who should have never owned a dog in the first place.

The push back is always the same: That's misinformation that's urban myth, but the numbers don't lie.

AC & C says they don't track information regarding owner surrenders. But CP hears that there are some people who are serial surrenderers. 

And so it goes that tax payers are let to foot the bill. Vet care spay/neuter food housing. Then lets point out that AC & C operates from basically the same size location and facility they have for years. Their budget has not kept pace with Charlotte.  

Yes there's talk of expansion but it is small compared to the need which is overwhelming.

What's needed is a culture change. If ghetto is you style fine but it should cost you and not the taxpayers. CP 

 

What's Up With the Rea Road Truck Stop?

Hey  @NCSHP @NCDOT @NCDOT_Charlotte @RoyCooperNC

What’s up with the “makeshift truck stop” at I-485 Outer Exit 59 Rea Road?

The other morning at 6am, 7 tractor trailers were parked on shoulder one barely off the pavement. It’s been going on for months. This is a residential area fix this! 

And yes, it is unlawful:

Stopping, standing, or parking any vehicle on any part of the right-of-way of interstates and other controlled-access highways (except in the case of an emergency, as directed by law enforcement, or at designated parking areas) is prohibited by statute and, therefore, does not need to be ordinance (20-140.3, 5).

Traffic is bad enough without these big rigs blocking the shoulder and as you can see the directional signs. 

Ceyonna Morris Murder Just Another Victim?

The standard CMPD press release gave the usual grim notice:

Charlotte, N.C. – (Saturday, December 17, 2022) – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Homicide Unit are conducting a homicide investigation near the 4300 block of Valeview Lane in the North Division.

Followed by a little more detail:

On Saturday, December 17, 2022, shortly before 5 p.m., North Division officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call for service in the 4300 block of Valeview Lane. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Medic responded to the scene and transported the victim to Atrium Health Main.  The victim was pronounced deceased a short time after arriving at the hospital.

Homicide Unit detectives responded to the scene to conduct an investigation, and Crime Scene Search responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. Representatives from CMPD's Operations Command, Victim Services, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Homicide Prosecution Team, Medic and the Charlotte Fire Department also assisted.

The investigation into this case is active and ongoing. As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD's Public Affairs Office. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit detective. Detective Dollar is the lead detective assigned to this case.  The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.  For additional information about this case, please refer to the report: 20221217-1656-01. 

The next morning:

Charlotte, N.C. – (Sunday, December 18, 2022) – The victim in this case has been identified as Ceyonna Morris (DOB: 06/02/2002). The victim's next of kin has been notified of her death.

The investigation into this case is active and ongoing. As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD's Public Affairs Office. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit detective. Detective Dollar is the lead detective assigned to this case.  

Normally just another sad number, now over 100 of Charlotte's mostly Black homicide victims. A day later the crime scene tape no longer flutters in the winter wind. The sun is out and while the temps are chilly there is a welcome warmth in the air. Life goes on.

But this one hits home. Ceyonna was a hairstylist and one of her employers a friend of Mrs. Cedar's. Ceyonna was also known as a voice that spoke out about CATS and bus routes a few years ago. She had presence, she was  a light and a spark that said I'll make a difference and change the world for the better. A future of unlimited potential stolen from us all.  

The justice system is broken violent felons terrorize our streets and kill our children our youth and our future. And Vi Lyles remains silent.