CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Home security cameras captured thieves breaking into cars in several south Charlotte neighborhoods, including one break-in at the home of WCNC Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich.
Multiple videos posted online show the crooks wearing masks and gloves to conceal their identity. Common home security devices weren’t enough to scare them away.
In the video captured by Panovich, the thieves appear completely calm as they systematically break into his family’s van.
“I just see a guy walking down my driveway," Panovich said. "It’s three o’clock in the morning."
Multiple camera angles show two men in dark clothing, one of them casually walking up the Panovich’s driveway and breaking into their minivan.
Other Ring video from nearby neighborhoods appears to show the same people, doing the same thing.
“I was taken aback when I saw the other videos from around the surrounding neighborhoods about how organized and smart they are,” Panovich said.
When WCNC crime-mapped the area, not only did we find the instances near the Panovich household, we also found police reports from car break-ins in a number of other nearby neighborhoods from Ballantyne to Starmount.
“They were not deterred by cameras,” Panovich said. “My flood light comes on. My other camera comes on with a spotlight. He looks at it for a second to make sure no one is coming, and just goes back to what he’s doing.”
These thieves are experienced enough not to accidentally ID themselves, wearing unmarked dark clothing, gloves and -- it appears -- even masks.
Panovich’s minivan was actually locked. The man in the video used a device to open the door without using the handle, bypassing the car alarm to make sure he could work in silence.