Suspect held in abduction of teen at light rail stop

Police said they arrested a man who robbed a 16-year-old this week along the light rail in uptown Charlotte.

Around 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, the teen was at the light rail platform on East Trade Street when a man jabbed an object to the teen's back, according to a police report. The teen believed that object was a weapon.

The suspect forced the teen to buy a train ticket, police said, and then took him to an ATM to check his account balance. But the man wasn't able to get any money.

Police soon arrested Eric Dale Zakobielski, 34, of Charlotte, and charged him with armed robbery and second-degree kidnapping. Meghan Cooke

Police

Police: Mom tampered

with infant's IV line

A 26-year-old mother faces child abuse charges after police said she was seen tampering with her infant daughter's intravenous line at a Charlotte hospital.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were called to Carolinas Medical Center on Thursday to investigate accusations of child abuse against an infant who was hospitalized there. Police sources told the Observer that hospital staff saw Ladonna Kaye Parlier injecting a substance into her 5-month-old daughter's IV line.

Police said their joint investigation with the Department of Social Services revealed that Parlier had abused her daughter "on several occasions."

Parlier, of Conover, is charged with felony child abuse and misdemeanor child neglect.

Parlier's daughter remains at CMC, where she is in stable condition. Meghan Cooke

Environment

St. Peter's helping launch uptown garden program

St. Peter's Episcopal Church Outreach Commission and St. Peter's Hospital Board have awarded $5,500 to a school, three churches and a community organization to launch an uptown garden program.

The goal is to start gardens that can provide food for Friendship Trays, First Ward residents and students. The first garden will be on Eighth Street near Trinity Episcopal School.

A workday for the community is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers are asked to bring garden utensils to prepare planting beds and install gravel on paths. Volunteers can park at the Trinity Episcopal School lot, 750 E. Ninth St., then meet on the Eighth Street side of the hedges, near the school's playground. Staff reports

Schools

Matthews, Mint Hill forum on education is Monday

The mayors of Matthews and Mint Hill are holding a meeting Monday to discuss education issues in the two towns.

Amelia Stinson-Wesley, who was appointed to represent the area on the school board, and other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials are expected. The session is 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station St. Ann Doss Helms