Porch Pirate Suspect Nabbed After Series Of Thefts: CMPD

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte police have arrested a man they say is behind a series of package thefts from the doorsteps of several Charlotte-area homes.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, several packages were reported stolen in recent weeks:

• On Jan. 18, a package was taken off a porch in the 2000 block of S. Wendover Road around 4:30 p.m.
• On Feb. 1, a package was taken off a porch in the 500 block of Lorna Street.
• Also on Feb. 1, a package was reported stolen from the 400 block of Lorna Street.

In the last theft, a neighbor on Lorna Street was able to provide a photo of the suspect and vehicle, CMPD said. Police then sent the photos of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving out into the community to increase awareness.

“On February 6, 2019, residents of the Chantilly neighborhood observed a white male suspect driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe stealing a package from a front porch in the 2400 block of Chesterfield Avenue,” CMPD said.

A neighbor called 911 to report the theft, and responding officers stopped the driver in a traffic stop.

“The stolen package from Chesterfield Avenue was located in the vehicle, as well as a package that had been stolen earlier in the 1500 block of The Plaza in the Eastway Division,” CMPD said.

CMPD has identified the suspect as Gerald McConnell, 45. He was charged with four counts of misdemeanor larceny, three counts of possession of stolen property, and possession of a controlled substance.

CMPD asks that anyone with additional information concerning these cases call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

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Photo courtesy of Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office