CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An updated look at Charlotte's crime trend data on Monday shows the city is still facing an increased number of crimes committed by juveniles.
In 2023, there was a historic spike in crimes involving juveniles, according to the police department. That trend continued into 2024.
Juvenile crimes
Among juvenile crimes, 61% of those crimes were committed by repeat juvenile offenders, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Monday as they released crime trends for the first six months of the year.
Among the city's young people, there has been a 300% increase in homicides committed by juvenile suspects. CMPD said 12 young people have been arrested and charged in homicides. Additionally, there has been a 75% increase in homicides with a young person as a victim.
Across all age groups, the total number of homicides was up 36% thus far in 2024, according to CMPD. The police department is investigating 61 homicides compared to 45 in the same period last year.
During their news conference on Monday, CMPD outlined several incidents in recent months where officers repeatedly encountered and arrested the same teenagers.
In one such example, CMPD said they had tracked numerous crimes to a 13-year-old suspect, who CMPD said remains out of custody, at home and on an electronic monitor:
- On April 13, the 13-year-old suspect was already on an electronic monitor for a previous armed robbery when the teenager was caught riding in a stolen vehicle. "The 13-year-old was released back to his guardian, despite violating the conditions of the electronic monitoring," CMPD said in a social media post.
- On April 25, the same teenager was again spotted riding in a stolen vehicle. The teenager ran from officers, CMPD said. An officer was injured during the chase. The teenager was again released back to his guardian.
- On May 14, the same teenager was charged with driving a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was linked to a shooting. When officers searched the teenager's apartment, they located a fourth stolen vehicle.
- The name of the individual was not released.
- Source: CMPD
CMPD officials remain frustrated by the ability of repeat juvenile offenders to continue committing crimes. In part, they blame, what they call, "catch and release."
The battle combating juvenile crime has already continued into the third quarter of the year.
Earlier this month, two teenagers were arrested and accused of going on a random shooting spree across Charlotte. A 16-year-old suspect told detectives he and the other suspect, identified by police as 18-year-old Carlos Roberto Diaz, went to a party before driving around Charlotte shooting at people, according to an affidavit obtained by WCNC Charlotte. The teen allegedly admitted to shooting at people in the area of Beatties Ford Road and Lasalle Street, as well as around South Boulevard.
Diaz was taken into custody later that day and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, five counts of attempted murder, two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle, two counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury.
"These were brazen crimes," Johnny Jennings, the CMPD police chief, said at the time of their arrest. "These were crimes that put our community at risk and created a safety hazard for our community. CMPD personnel took this personally. They took this as a threat to the safety of the citizens of Charlotte and they acted appropriately."
Jennings directly linked the incident to the ongoing concern about juveniles committing crimes.
"It's no secret that I've made many comments for the need to make sure we're saving our juveniles," Jennings said. "Juvenile crime continues to be an issue. Not just in our city, but across our country."
During his first appearance in court, a judge ruled Diaz would not be given a bond for the murder charge. Diaz was given a $100,000 bond for his other charges but will remain in jail.
That bond for Diaz is in contrast to two other young people who were released from custody after being accused of stealing a car at gunpoint and leading police on a chase.
"Obviously, it is really frustrating because we are doing our part," Crystal Fletcher, a lieutenant with CMPD, shared with WCNC Charlotte's Julia Kauffman at the time.
CMPD needs custody orders to take teenagers to detention centers, but they’re often denied. The agency requested a secure custody order for both suspects, but the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice denied it.
"If we feel like we have gone the extra mile to ask for a secure order and they're denied, then we’re asking why," Fletcher explained.
WCNC Charlotte asked the NCDJJ why custody orders were denied for the two teens. A spokesperson said they can’t comment on the case, but the decision is up to a district court judge.
Last month, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that would have allowed more young people accused of serious crimes to be charged as adults. The bill, which overturned a 2019 provision commonly referred to as "Raise the Age," would have seen 16- and 17-year-old defendants charged as adults. Cooper's veto was ultimately overridden by the Republican-controlled legislature. The changes take effect Dec. 1.
CMPD officials are in favor of the construction of a juvenile detention in Charlotte.
“The number of repeat juvenile offenders has pointed to an undeniable need for more accountability post-arrest and to house juvenile offenders in a detention facility locally. A lack of space to house juveniles should not be an excuse for allowing repeat offenders to rack up dozens or even hundreds of charges by the time they’re 17-years-old,” Deputy Chief David Robinson said Monday. "Due to difficulties obtaining a secure custody order for juvenile suspects, our officers only apply for them in the most serious cases. Already this year, the Department of Juvenile Justice has denied at least 62 secure custody order requests for juvenile offenders.”
Auto thefts
The left of Kia and Hyundai vehicles remains increased despite a marked improvement from 2023.
So far in 2024, there is an 8% increase in auto theft incidents for all vehicle types. Among those, there is a 14% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts.
That comes in marked contrast to the same time in 2023, when the owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles were combating a 2,000% increase in the left of their vehicles.
Over four million vehicles are subject to a flaw that makes them easy to hot-wire and steal using only a USB cord and a screwdriver.
The theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles has been so frequent that CMPD said that without these thefts, overall auto thefts would be down 4%.
On Monday, CMPD highlighted one such arrest that bridges both their problems with auto thefts and juvenile crime.
Anthony Celis, 17, has been charged 48 times across 27 incidents, according to CMPD. In 2024, the teenager was charged as an adult and is facing charges including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. He is also facing 21 counts of motor vehicle theft and is charged with crimes related to street takeover events.
Full crime statistics
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story used a headline saying there had been a 143% increase in auto lefts in 2024. That number should have been attributed to 2023.