April 10, 2008

CMPD officers arrested Javario Miller (DOB 11/14/1986) and Jovan McLaughlin (DOB 5-25-1985) yesterday and charged them with felony breaking and entering, breaking/entering a motor vehicle and two counts of larceny following a burglary on Providence Country Club Drive.  An off-duty officer who works for Providence Country Club happened to be passing by and was able to apprehend one on the scene. Officers quickly located the second suspect in the Longview Community in nearby Union County. Miller and McLaughlin are being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on a total of $120,000 bond and police are investigating whether these suspects were involved in other, similar crimes.

Miller, McLaughlin and another suspect still being sought by police first broke into the resident's SUV which was parked at Providence Country Club. The burglars took the garage door opener and some bills from the vehicle. The suspects were able to get the victim's address from one of the bills and went to the victim's residence. The burglars then went to the residence and used the victim's garage door opener to gain entry to his house.

The victim was on the golf course across the street when he noticed his dog in the yard. Since the victim had not left his dog outside, he went to check on his house and saw the burglars' vehicle parked in his driveway with the engine running and  the burglars in his house.

The quick-thinking resident took the keys to the van and went back to the golf course. One of the suspects pursued the victim and confronted him, brandishing the flag / pin from the green. The victim was able to fend off the suspect by wielding a golf club and a CMPD officer took him into custody.

A third suspect is still at large. He was described as a young black male, 6 feet tall with and athletic build and short to medium length hair. He last seen wearing a red shirt and jeans. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

McLaughlin as several previous arrests in Charlotte on charges including sale/manufacture/ distribution of drugs, aggravated assaults and larceny.  Miller has a previous arrest for possession of stolen property.

Preventing Burglaries

The CMPD continues to urge citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars.

• Many brands of garage door openers offer smaller remotes that can be attached to a key ring.
• Remove any documents that provide your home address. While state law requires that you have your registration with you, place it somewhere known only to you or anyone who drives your vehicle.
• Remove all valuables, including GPS units, laptops, etc. from your vehicle to prevent theft of these items