CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A string of break-ins and robberies hit south Charlotte yet again.
After four residential break-ins were reported in the Carmel and Montibello neighborhoods over the weekend, WCNC Charlotte has been digging to learn more from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The department has now shared new details on the investigations.
Two of the four houses that reported break-ins are in gated communities. A police report shows one house was robbed for $11,000 worth of jewelry and handbags.
Lieutenant Kevin Pietrus told WCNC Charlotte that CMPD is investigating whether the four breaking-and-entering's are related to each other, and if they’re related to known organized crime groups.
"At this point, we can't say definitively, but they may be, and they might not be," Pietrus said.
Earlier this year, several south Charlotte neighborhoods were burglarized. WCNC Charlotte learned then police were investigating possible connections to crime groups from Colombia and Chile.
"It's something that our detectives have worked with regional partners with, our federal partners, and then even internationally, where we see folks that are coming into the country, maybe using fraudulent IDs, and it makes it difficult to track, and they're mobile generally," Pietrus learned.
CMPD alerted the community in February about the groups. The department gave a presentation to neighbors that said the thieves were targeting master bedrooms in high-end homes, looking for luxury items to steal that aren’t easily traceable.
"They're a sophisticated group," Pietrus said.
A man tied to one of the groups was arrested in August for a south Charlotte burglary that occurred in April. However, it’s unclear if the groups are still active in the Queen City and if they’re responsible for the recent break-ins.
"Are they still occurring by that specific group? That's something that we're looking at and considering," Pietrus added.
To help prevent incidents, he warned not to show signs of a vacant home like letting packages pile up or having lights off. Pietrus also urges people to get updated security systems and report suspicious behavior to police as soon as they see it.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.