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1 arrested, 2 wanted after hundreds of cars broken into at Dilworth apartment complexes, SouthPark Mall area

Parked cars were targeted from apartment complexes to hospital parking decks, leaving many folks picking up the pieces.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police arrested a juvenile and say two more people are wanted for a string of car break-ins across south Charlotte. 

The break-ins happened around the SouthPark Mall and various apartment complexes across south Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Police say the break-ins happened on Dec. 13, 14, and 18. 

Investigators say the suspects were involved in 184 car break-ins on those three dates. The SouthPark Mall area saw at least 23 break-ins while apartments in Dilworth had 100 break-ins.

Police said the juvenile suspect turned himself in, accompanied by his mother, and was charged with auto theft, breaking into a motor vehicle, larceny after breaking into a motor vehicle, and conspiracy. 

CMPD said detectives originally attempted to obtain a secure custody order for him due to his criminal history, but he was released at the time into the custody of his mother based on guidance from the Department of Juvenile Justice. Wednesday night, CMPD detectives obtained a secure custody order, and the suspect was taken back into custody. 

Two suspects are still wanted, 19-year-old Hannah Freeman, pictured below, and an unidentified person, according to CMPD. Police attempted to arrest Freeman on Tuesday but she fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, according to CMPD. 

Credit: CMPD

"I'm going to work on a Monday and I have a sticky note saying your car is screwed up and my window is shattered," a resident of the Dilworth 1010 apartments told WCNC Charlotte. "I just had to pay $400 to get my window fixed."

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Not far from there were even more reports of vehicle break-ins at Atrium Health, including break-ins in the parking deck. A few blocks farther are the Camden Dilworth apartments, which had 92 vehicle break-ins.

"I spoke with the guys on our maintenance team who do a really good job here, they told me after reviewing the footage about 60 to 70 cars total had been broken into," Camden Dilworth resident Jay Smith said. "It was like clockwork. Every single vehicle window of everybody’s car except that top level had been smashed."

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Smith said the staff told him the security footage showed someone boosting up an individual who then went through the gap at the top of the gate.

He said from sensors went off, the gate opened up, and the intruders came in.

"There were four people total that hit all the different cars," Smith said.

Car break-ins were also reported last week in the Berkshire complex. The property management team released a statement saying they were unable to properly repair the gate until Friday and encouraged residents to 311 if they were impacted.

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Some residents living in the area say it's an issue they hope to be resolved soon.

"It's kind of ridiculous that I can't leave my car at home," a Dilworth 1010 resident said.

Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookX and Instagram.

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