Police arrest 4 suspects in dozens of commercial burglaries
Police have accused three men and a woman of committing more than 50 burglaries in Mecklenburg and surrounding areas.
Xzavior Green, 27; Jaqcorey Melton, 30; Durell Williams, 26; and Whitli Smith-Bloomfield, 28, were charged in 13 of the breaking-and-entering cases – although police believe they are responsible for dozens more.
On Tuesday they were facing charges of felony breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods. Melton also faces drug charges.
The group was accused of striking a broad array of stores across south, central and eastern Mecklenburg County starting last August. In July, police say, the group burglarized Mama Ricotta’s on King’s Road. A month later, they are suspected of breaking into Queen City Electronics in east Charlotte.
Police believe the suspects broke into a McAlister’s Deli in Steele Creek a few days before Christmas, then burglarized a nearby Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant half an hour later. On that same day, they’re suspected of targeting a Showmar’s restaurant.
Video camera footage from those incidents gives some insight into how police were able to link the crimes. The suspect in the Showmar’s case and the McAlister’s case is wearing the same Spider-Man mask.
On Dec. 18, Green and Williams were arrested after a foot chase on South Boulevard. Police say they had just committed break-ins at the Jocks and Jills Sports Grill and the Jersey Mike’s Subs in Steele Creek.
On Dec. 27, Melton was arrested at a home on Spring Lake Drive on outstanding warrants.
Mecklenburg jail records show Smith-Bloomfield was arrested on Tuesday, although the circumstances of her arrest weren’t available.
The arrests come as police say commercial burglaries are on the rise. Through the third quarter of 2015, commercial burglaries increased 19.2 percent from the same period in 2014. Police haven’t released crime statistics for all of 2014.
Cleve R. Wootson Jr.: 704-358-5046, @CleveWootson
This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Police arrest 4 suspects in dozens of commercial burglaries."