Jewel hunter arrested after smashing car into SouthPark Diamonds Direct, police say
Police arrested a break-in suspect accused of smashing his car into a SouthPark jewelry store in south Charlotte early Thursday, court records show.
The driver asked a security officer in the building to open the locked doors of the Diamonds Direct Charlotte store so he could get diamonds, according to a police arrest warrant affidavit.
Get them during regular business hours, the worker told the driver before calling 911, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer wrote in the warrant.
The break-in suspect then drove through the entrance of the building but was quickly apprehended by arriving officers.
Police charged Joab Warrior Ham, 26, of Rougemont, north of Durham, with felony breaking and/or entering, according to court documents.
Police responded to the store just after 1 a.m.
The driver “willfully” broke into the store, police said in court documents.
Ham was jailed at 3 a.m. Thursday on a secured bond, pending a court appearance.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 11:47 AM.