Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have an individual in custody they are interviewing for possible connections to several recent crimes. The individual was taken into custody following a search earlier today that began when a sergeant with the Independence Division spotted a vehicle matching the description of one being sought with possible connections to recent crimes, including a robbery and a homicide. 

 

At approximately 9:30 am Monday morning, December 4, 2006, the Independence Division sergeant, going the opposite direction, passed the suspect vehicle in the area of Pineburr Court. Before the Officer could initiate any action, the suspect accelerated and soon after lost control of the vehicle, ran onto a curb and flattened two tires. The suspect fled on foot. Officers established a perimeter and began searching the area.  As a precaution, area schools were on lockdown while the suspect was still at large. K9 and SWAT joined the search and successfully located two individuals around 3:30 p.m. One was taken into custody for questioning. The recovered vehicle was stolen on November 20, 2006.

 

The individual in custody is being questioned for several crimes, including the homicide that occurred Sunday evening, December 3, 2006 on Waterford Drive.  The victim, Baltazar Francisco Sebastian, 25, was returning from church before going out to another church member’s home. Mr. Baltazar Sebastian was in the parking lot of the apartment complex on Waterford Ridge Drive when he was approached by a BM with a handgun who robbed and shot him.

 

Several residents of the apartment complex observed the suspect vehicle, a white, Limited Jeep Grand Cherokee with gold trim and gold honeycomb style rims, leaving the scene.   

 

A vehicle of the same description was involved in a robbery of a convenience store at 14301 Albemarle Road the morning of December 2, 2006. The victim told officers the suspect entered the store at 9:20 a.m., pointed a small black handgun at the victim and demanded money from the cash register. The victim gave the money to the suspect who took beer from the store’s cooler before leaving the store. The suspect was last seen leaving in a white Jeep Cherokee going westbound on Albemarle Road. 

 

Detectives continue to gather information and evidence related to these cases.