Share
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police investigators are trying to stop an unusual robbery spree. In the four cases, the suspects have been armed not only with a gun but also a baseball bat.
Pablo Umanzor was robbed around 2 a.m. Monday. He was beaten so severely that he has stitches around his left eye and it’s swollen shut. His vision in that eye is blurry and at this point doctors can’t tell him if the damage is permanent.
Through an interpreter, Umanzor said he feels very frightened, and that the suspects beat him with a baseball bat.
“He was afraid to lose his life,” the 26-year-old said through an interpreter.
Umanzor wasn’t the only one hit. Another victim who lives on Craven Hill Drive didn’t want to be identified, but on Monday his left eye was black and blue and bruises were visible on his wrist from where he tried to block the suspect’s blows.
Police said the four robberies occurred on Baxter Caldwell Drive, Spanish Quarter Circle, Paces Oakes Boulevard and Craven Hill Drive.
The first robbery, on Paces Oaks, happened around 4 a.m. Saturday. The rest happened between midnight and 2 a.m. Monday.
In all of the cases, the victims were either Hispanic or Asian. It’s possible they were followed home and then attacked by two or three suspects.
"It was a Hispanic and black male. The Hispanic started beating him up because he would not cooperate," said Umanzor.
He didn’t want to hand over his wallet because he didn’t want to lose his papers. He is hoping that police will be able to make an arrest because he’s afraid of what these suspects will do next.
