Missing NC Girl Found Safe in Florida

The manhunt for 12 year-old Abigale Faith Lefevers ended Wednesday evening as she was discovered safe and sound in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Hallandale Beach is just south of Hollywood and over 800 miles from her home. Lefevers' alleged captor, 38 year-old Timothy Newman, was apprehended in the process. Police credit information received from public tips to the breakthrough discovery.

An Amber Alert and information about Lefevers' disappearance was circulated in Georgia, and authorities say the tips came pouring in for two days. After authorities received information that the two were in the Coral Gables, Florida area, they circulated information there, too.

The big break came when an off-duty police officer recognized the  red Chrysler Sebring the pair were driving after receiving information on his cell phone. He quickly informed on-duty officers and the stop was made.

Authorities say Lefevers is fine aside from being slightly frazzled from the past few days. She had been missing since Monday when police found her, but had been texting Newman in the past few weeks. Efforts are being made to transport her back to North Carolina.


This isn't Newman's first encounter with the law. He served over 12 months in prison after being convicted of two count of sexual offense. Those charges involved a 14 year-old girl in Stokes County, NC. Newman was released on parole in October of 2005 for those charges, but his parole was revoked in 2010. He served eight months before his released from prison in March of 2011.

Newman now faces multiple charges, which are pending.

Attempted Killer on Loose in Statesville

A Statesville man is on the run from authorities after he tried to kill his wife Monday night. According to police, Cisneros Morales opened fire on his spouse, Guadalupe Tornez Casiano Morales, while she was on her lunch break at work.

Guadalupe was in the parking lot of Iredell Fiber when she was hit by gunfire multiple times. She is expected to make a recovery after being transported to an area hospital. A motive behind the shooting has not yet been released.

Cisneros Morales is on the loose and police say he is armed and dangerous. He is wanted for attempted murder. If you have any information on this case, you are encouraged to call the Statesville Police Department at (704) 878-3406.



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Amber Alert: Missing NC Girl & Captor May Be in Myrtle Beach

As the investigation continues into the case of a missing 12 year-old girl, authorities in Carteret County, NC believe she may be in Myrtle Beach with her captor, a registered sex offender. An amber alert displays messages about Abigale Lefevers across the freeways of North Carolina. Detectives have reason to believe she is with 38 year-old Timothy Newman, who may be in or around the Myrtle Beach marinas or on a boat in the area.

When Lefevers was last seen by her father on Sunday evening she was carrying a pink backpack and wearing black Nike tennis shoes. She stands 5'4" tall and weighs about 90 pounds with brown eyes and hair.

Timothy Newman weighs around 210 pounds and stands 5'8" tall with brown hair and eyes. Police think he may be driving his vehicle, a red 1998 Chrysler Sebring with NC license plate AKT-6534.

Anyone that has inforamtion on this case is asked to contact the Carteret County Sheriffs Office by calling (252) 504-4800. You can also dial *HP or 911.

Authorities Searching for Escaped NC Prisoner

Law enforcement are on the lookout for 51 year-old James Ladd, Jr., who escaped from prison on Sunday morning. Ladd was operating a tractor on a prisoner farm in Halifax County.

Ladd was being held at Tillery Correctional Center, a minimum security prison, where he was serving three consecutive life sentences for the murder of two Yadkin County men in 1981.

Officials say the tractor Ladd was operating was discovered some time before 12:00 noon, but the convict was nowhere to be found. He is thought to have escaped at around 10:00 Sunday morning.

Authorities are trying to locate the escaped prisoner using search teams and K-9 dogs. At the time of his escape, Ladd was wearing prison-issue green pants and a white tee shirt. Authorities say Ladd has probably changed his apparel since his departure.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of James Ladd, Jr. is asked to call the Tillery Correctional Center at (252) 826-4165. You can also contact CMPD at 704-336-6000.

Mecklenburg Shooting Leaves One Dead in Street

One person was killed in a Charlotte-area street on Saturday night, leaving authorities searching for his killer. CMPD received a call of shots fired in the 8600 block of Lawyers road just after 10:00 Saturday night. Responding officers discovered the victim, who was pronounced dead on the scene by Mint Hill paramedics.

The identity of the victim has not been released, but police say he was riding in a vehicle with others. The other people in the car had fled the scene on foot. A separate vehicle was involved but also left the scene.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police canvassed the area for clues, along with CMPD's Gang Unit. If you have any information about this incident, you are encouraged to contact detectives by calling (704) 432-TIPS. As always, you can contact Crime Stoppers by calling (704) 334-1600.

CMPD Search for Suspect in Overnight Convenience Store Robbery

The Circle K gas station on North Graham Street, just south of the Brookshire Freeway, was robbed at around 2:15 Thursday morning. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are looking for the suspect, who waked into the store armed with a gun while wearing a mask or other face covering. The man fled the scene on foot after demanding money from the cashier.

Police canvassed the area with K-9 dogs, but were not able to locate the suspect. The convenience store is located . The robber is described as black male with an average frame and height. The suspect was wearing dark jeans and a black jacket.

If you have any information about this armed robbery, call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600.

25th Offender to Remove Electronic Monitor Sought by Police

Channing Avery Brooks

Authorities in Charlotte are attempting to located 19 year-old Channing Avery Banks after he cut off his electronic monitoring device Tuesday. He is currently being sought by CMPD's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team.

Banks faces charges of interfering with an electronic monitoring device,  larceny, and possession of stolen property. He was released from jail on August 28 and had worn the monitoring device from that day on.

Banks weighs about 150 pounds and is 5'10" tall. He was last seen near his Cates Street home, which is located near West 5th Street. Banks makes the 25th person to remove their monitor this year. The previous 24 suspects that removed their monitor were all caught by police.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Channing Banks, call the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team at (704) 336-VCAT or dial 911.

Suspect Arrested in Weekend Stabbing

Sugar Ray Robinson

Charlotte-Mecklenburg have arrested 53 year-old  Sugar Ray Robinson after he allegedly stabbed  another man at a Charlotte cookout on Saturday evening.

According to police, Robinson got into a dispute with 52 year-old Anthony Leggett and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and stomach at around 8:00 Saturday night. The cookout was at the home of the victim, located at 2122 Parson Street. Leggett was taken to Carolinas Medical Center and is in stable condition. Both men had been drinking at the cookout.

Robinson was arrested by police about three hours after he left the scene of the crime. He is jailed in Mecklenburg County and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Robinson has a court date scheduled for Monday.

CMPD Searching for Suspect in 4 Overnight Robberies

Surveillance Photo of Robbery Suspect

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are searching for the suspect in four convenience store robberies that took place Thursday in the early morning hours. The suspect walked into the stores wearing a Frankenstein mask and armed with a shotgun, according to police.

The first robbery occurred on Mallard Creek Road shortly before 3:00 Thursday morning. About a half hour later, the suspect robbed another store on The Plaza near its intersection with East W.T. Harris Boulevard. At around 3:40, he robbed the Kangaroo Express on Albemarle Road near its intersection with East W.T. Harris Boulevard. The suspect's last robbery of the morning was a another store on East W.T. Harris Boulevard near its intersection with Hickory Grove Road.

The suspect is described as wearing blue jeans and a sweater over a long-sleeve shirt. No one was able to identify the getaway car.

Anyone with information on these robberies is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600.

Police Looking for Two Suspects in Armed Robbery

Suspect in 9/4 Armed Robbery

CMPD is on the lookout for two men involved in an armed robbery took at the Family Dollar store located on West Arrowood Road. The robbery took place shortly after 10:00 on the night of September 4.

On Wednesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police made public a photo taken from surveillance footage. The photo depicts one of the suspects involved in the robbery entering the store.

The first suspect is described as a black dark-skinned male weighing approximately 180 pounds and about 6' tall. At the time of the robbery, the man had a black goatee and mustache. He was wearing blue jeans, an earth-toned jacket, and black tennis shoes.

The other suspect in the robbery is described as a black male weighing about 185 pounds and just over 6' tall. That man was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt during the robbery. His hair was in an afro and the suspect may have had a goatee.

Police have asked anyone with information on these suspects to call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600.

Rescue Workers Find Missing Caldwell County Man

Ricky Starnes, Jr.

Search teams found Ricky Starnes, Jr. Tuesday after looking for the man since Monday night. Starnes, 35, had been missing from his home in Edgemont since about 5:00 Sunday afternoon, when he reportedly left on foot.

Starnes' loved ones organized a search of their own before they called police Monday afternoon. Once authorities were informed, Caldwell County Emergency Management, together with the Caldwell County Sheriff's Department, started an official search. The teams worked to find Starnes until inclement weather arrived early Tuesday morning, preventing further searching.

When the search resumed later Tuesday morning, authorities used dogs to help find the missing man. Authorities found Starnes alive within their search area. Though exact details have yet to be released, Starnes is undergoing a medical evaluation to ascertain his condition.

Suspects on Loose after Robbing Bojangles on N. Tryon Street, CMPD on Lookout

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Robbery Unit Detectives are searching for two suspects after an armed robbery at the Bojangles located on 2501 North Tryon Street. The included picture is taken from surveillance footage of the robbery.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600

Charlotte Bank Robbed, CMPD Working with FBI to Locate Suspect

A suspect is on the loose after the BB&T located at 8816 Albemarle Road was robbed Wednesday morning shortly after 11:00.

According to reports, a 6' tall black male entered the bank and handed a note to a teller. The note said to give the suspect cash, which the teller did. The suspect then left the bank and fled the scene.

The robber was wearing a small sun hat with several earth-toned colors. He had a white long-sleeve shirt and bright blue pants that resemble scrubs, such as those worn in the medical profession.

The robbery has CMPD working alongside the FBI to find the suspect. If you have any information on this case, call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600 or contact the FBI by calling (704) 672-6100.

23rd Electronic Monitor Removed by Suspect in 2012, CMPD on Lookout

CMPD is currently looking for Eric Dwayne Jones, 28. According to police, Jones removed his electronic ankle monitor by cutting it off Wednesday evening.

Jones was last seen near the intersection of Freedom Drive and Toddville Road. He was released on a $50,000 bond on May 1st and had been wearing the monitor since that time.

His incarceration stemmed from a host of armed robbery-related charges, including three counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon. CMPD records show 22 Mecklenburg County arrests in his past, including nine arrests within the past three years.

Jones, who will also face charges of interfering with an electronic monitoring device, is the 23rd person to remove their monitor in 2012.

The number of suspects who have removed their monitoring devices this year is over 25% higher than this time in 2011.

If you have information of the location of Eric Jones, call the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team at (704) 336-VCAT (8228) or call 911.

UPDATE: 26 Year-Old Nursing Student Found in Hickory

UPDATE: Kristen was found in Hickory, NC, by authorities on Tuesday night. Though the cause of her disappearance is still unknown, her father has reported that she is now safely hospitalized.

Catawba County Sheriffs Use Dogs in Search for Missing Man

Authorities in Catawba County are searching for Ken Mohler, 70, who has been missing since last Friday morning. As of Tuesday morning, sheriffs are now using cadaver dogs to search for the missing man, who was last heard from via a text message telling his wife that he was en route home.

Mohler had went to his place of employment, Gregory Wood Products, late Thursday night to fix a pipe that was leaking. The building is located west of Newton. His boss received a call early Friday morning where Mohler informed him that the leak had been repaired. Shortly after was when he sent the text to his spouse, but Mohler has not been seen since then.

Police say Mohler's cellular phone and the keys to his vehicle were both found in the vicinity of his truck, along with indicators that a struggle had taken place.

There is some evidence that suggests that when he arrived at his work to fix the leak, Mohler discovered thieves stealing equipment.

The search is in progress as of Tuesday morning.