CMPD seized a record number of guns in May, and an Apple AirTag helped nab one suspect
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said it seized a record 413 firearms in May, including several connected to a suspect in more than a dozen vehicle break-ins.
So far in 2022, there have been 1,230 guns seized, up 11% from 2021, CMPD said in a news release Monday. The number of guns seized this year 40% higher than the average of the past five years.
Javiere Green 22, was arrested last month in connecton with 14 break-ins across north and east Charlotte, CMPD said.
One of the theft victims told officers on May 15 he had an Apple AirTag tracking device in a bag taken from his vehicle, police said.
Police tracked the stolen property to a home on Glory Street in north Charlotte. When officers arrived, Green ran out the back door, got into a sedan and drove off, CMPD said.
The AirTag led offices to Fernwood Drive, where Green was arrested. Officers found six guns inside the backpack that did not belong to its owner.
Green is charged with 14 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, six counts of felony larceny, and three counts of possession of a stolen firearm.
During CMPD’s quarterly crime statistics briefing in April, Maj. Brian Foley said vehicle break-ins are by far the most frequent way police see firearms distributed on the street.
More often than not, the guns are stolen from lawful owners who fail to properly secure their weapons, he said. And in half of the thefts the cars are unlocked, he said.
CMPD on Monday reminded gun owners not to leave firearms in their vehicles.
“Please store any firearms in a safe locked location inside your home, and away from the reach of children. If your gun is stolen, please report it immediately,” CMPD said.
