1977 Harley Stolen in Storage Unit Burglary

Police are on the lookout after a 1977 Harley Davidson Sportster was stolen from the owners' storage unit on Friday, August 10th.

Misty Stover reported the motorcycle stolen after they noticed that their storage unit was broken into as they drove by. The storage facility's fence had been cut to allow the burglars to remove the stolen goods. To remove the vintage motorcycle, the burglars pried the storage unit's door just enough to drag the bike out.

The motorcycle was hand-built by Stover's husband Mike and was a cherished item. Thieves had broken into nearly every unit on the facility. Besides the motorcycle, the robbers took the Stover's power tools and equipment, aside from items belonging to others. The stolen items are valued at several thousand dollars. The complex had no security cameras to capture the crime.

The serial number for the bike is 3A18952H7. This number appears on both the engine and the bike's frame.

If you have any information on this incident, please call Gaston County police at 704-866-3300.

Five Years Later... Still Stealing Cars

Jermaine Hoover

On January 20, 2006, Jermaine Hoover stole my vehicle and totaled it running from the police.  It looks like he is still thugging and stealing cars nearly six years later.

Hoover was arrested again yesterday for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Hoover is in the Mecklenburg County jail with a bond of $15,000.

Three Men Busted in Bait Car in Westover Division

The CMPD's Auto Theft Unit continues to utilize multiple methods to continue to reduce auto thefts in Charlotte. One of the ongoing operations involves the use of 'bait vehicles.'

CMPD's bait vehicle fleet is a broad representation of the cars stolen most often in Charlotte.  The bait cars are placed in locations and with methods determined to have an increased risks of theft.  Due to the overwhelming evidence in bait vehicle thefts and arrests, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney aggressively prosecutes these individuals.

On May 11th, a deployed bait vehicle was stolen in the Westover Division at 9:12 pm.  Within minutes, the vehicle was surrounded and safely disabled as designed, resulting in the arrest of three individuals. One of the suspects arrested was a juvenile, so I am unable to publish the name. The two adult suspects that were arrested and charged are: DeAngelo McAdams and Dedrick Flowers.

Based on the investigation, a fourth suspect is being sought for questioning at this time.  Anyone with information on the identity of this 4th individual is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704.334.1600.  This marks the 49th arrest since the 'bait vehicle' program was started in Charlotte.

North Tryon Division- Crime Alert!

CMPD: The North Tryon Division of CMPD is experiencing an increase in auto thefts where the keys were left in the ignition. The owners of the vehicles are starting their vehicles to get them warm and suspects are targeting these vehicles to steal.

Please tell your neighbors to make sure they stay with the vehicle if they need to warm the vehicle up due to cold weather. This will assist the police in reducing the vehicle theft issue in our area.

High Speed Chase Ends in Charlotte

David Keith Spalty, 33, led Mint Hill police on a high-speed chase from Mint Hill to Woodcrest Avenue in South Charlotte this afternoon. Matthews Police and the State Highway Patrol were involved in the chase and the CMPD helicopter assisted, but CMPD officers were not involved.

Police say the chase began around 4 pm on Willgrove-Mint Hill Road when Mint Hill police officers attempted to stop a stolen blue pick-up truck. The driver of the truck (Spalty) sped away from officers with a female passenger in the front seat.

If you watch the video of the chase- you see the the truck driving in the wrong lane, weaving through traffic, driving up on curbs and even collides with a mini-van. Thankfully, the woman in the mini-van was not hurt.

The truck finally stopped at a south Charlotte home and the man and woman got out. The two casually wandered through the backyards of homes in the Wilmore neighborhood before they were captured by a CMPD officer. Police have not charged the female passenger in the truck.

Spalty has a long arrest record in Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus County. NC DOC records show Spalty spent some time in jail in 2000, 2001 and 2005. He was convicted of breaking and entering into motor vehicles, possession of burglary tools and felony B&E.

In December of 2004, CMPD busted Spalty with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen goods, B&E, possession of heroin, larceny, flee to elude arrest and many other charges. When Spalty wasn't in jail in 2005, he was arrested three times in Union County, with similar charges.

One additional thing I would like to mention is how much Spalty has aged in the past 6 years. The photo on the right is a mugshot taken by Cabarrus County in 2000. The mugshot shown at the top of this post is from today.

Spalty is only 33 years old but looks much older. I cannot confirm this in Spalty's case but many times the 'aged' look is related to drug use and 'street' life. Video of the Chase: WBTV, WSOC-TV (photo)