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Tip leads to arrest of man accused of swiping packages from porches

Gerald McConnell

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Residents in the Chantilly neighborhood helped Charlotte-Mecklenburg police find the man who is suspected of stealing packages from the porches of three homes.

Gerald McConnell, 45, was charged in connection with the thefts that happened between Jan. 8 and Feb. 1.

Police passed out photos of the suspect and his vehicle to the community and on Wednesday, a resident saw a suspicious man driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe, who stole a package from a porch on Chesterfield Avenue.

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The tipster contacted authorities and they tracked McConnell down and made a traffic stop. The stolen package was inside the truck, along with another stolen parcel, police said.

“Thanks to the outstanding efforts and dedication of the officers and detectives involved, in collaboration with alert community members, the suspect was located and charged before causing further harm to the community,” officials with CMPD said in a news release.

McConnell was charged with four counts of misdemeanor larceny, three counts of possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.