Local

Man says he's wheelchair-bound after home invasion

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three men are in the Mecklenburg County jail Friday night, accused of going on a robbery spree that left one man confined to a wheelchair.

"I feel like the system has failed me," said the man, who did want to show his face because he is still afraid of the men who shot him Friday.

He said it all happened during a home invasion at his friend's house in south Charlotte.

He told Channel 9 he begged for his life and told the man that shot him in the stomach he had children.

"He took the pistol, stuck it straight to my face and told me he didn't care about me or my kids," the man said.

Police charged three men -- Walter Boyd, Cedrick Gaston and Antonio Stukes -- in that robbery and two others.

Stukes was also involved in the shooting at the tour bus of rapper Waka Flocka Flame in March 2011.

"I am no friend of Flocka. I am a friend of Jesus," Stukes said at the time.

He was originally listed as a victim in the shooting, then he was charged as a shooter.

Months later that charge was dropped and within days he was charged with probation violation. Last month he was arrested in connection with a police chase.

He was charged with the robbery Friday.

Gaston has an even longer criminal record. He was arrested for a burglary in 2006.

Boyd also has a handful of prior charges.

"Here I am sitting in a wheelchair three weeks before Christmas, unable to interact with my kids," the man said.

The victim wonders if he would be in a wheelchair today if those suspects had been sent to prison.

"Let's get it together. Let's put these people in jail that deserve to be in jail," the man said.

That man is hoping this time these suspects will get lengthy sentences.

He said he is afraid to reveal his face because he's worried they'll end up back on the street.