15-year-old arrested in connection with 2 home break-ins, sex assaults

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A teenager has been arrested and charged in connection with two west Charlotte home break-ins, and sexually assaulting women in those homes, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police announced Wednesday morning.

Lieutenant Muriel Hughes told reporters that a 15-year-old boy had been arrested in the two cases that happened on Forestbrook Drive at the Sunset Village Apartments, one on Monday and the other on Aug. 2.

He was charged with first-degree rape. His name will not be released due to his age.

(WATCH BELOW: CMPD discusses teen's arrest)

Extra police were on patrol Tuesday after women reported that a man had been sneaking into houses and, in some cases, sexually assaulting them.

Earlier this week, detectives said they were aware of at least four cases in the Freedom Division of Charlotte. Police are still hunting down leads for the other two cases.

"That means that we have another individual that's out there preying on individuals as well," Hughes said.

"My unit is doing everything they possibly can to find this guy," Hughes said Monday afternoon. "We're doing canvassing. We have worked with the Freedom Division to make sure they beefed up patrols."

Women reported being sexually assaulted by a stranger who broke into their homes in two cases on Forestbrook Drive. One of those happened Monday morning.

"I was on my way to the bus stop, and I saw a number of police cars," resident Julia Faison said. "I didn't know what was going on."

The assailant was described as a thin male, approximately 5 feet, 9 inches to 6-feet tall, who was wearing a mask.

In one case, the victim said the man was wearing a burgundy or maroon sweatshirt. The other victim said he was wearing dark clothing.

Hughes said detectives were looking into the possibility that the teen who was arrested may be connected to two other similar incidents, but that he probably wasn't.

A woman who lives on Hoskins Ridge Lane said she awoke before 2 a.m. Monday and there was a man in her bedroom touching her, police said.

After she woke up, he left out of the front door.

"Shocking, because I go to work in the morning sometime about 5:30 in the morning," resident Tiffany Gordon said.

The man was described as about 6 feet tall and wore a hoodie to cover his face. She told police he was wearing burgundy pants.

Another woman called 911 after she woke up at about 5:30 a.m. and saw a man standing over her in her apartment on Springmont Lane.

The victim told police she yelled at the man to get out of her house, and he ran out of the front door. She ran to lock the door behind him and said the intruder came back inside and made sexual comments toward her before leaving again.

The man was described as a thin teenager with unkempt hair, who stands about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, who wore burgundy or red pants.

Police are advising residents to make sure all their windows and doors are locked., and patrols in the area will remain beefed up.

"Yeah, I would definitely double-check that, but that's something I do anyway," Gordon said.

Anyone with information about any of these cases is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. A cash reward is available for information that leads to an arrest.

"You would hope, in the future, we could be able to reach these teens to try to show them, or teach them, there are other ways of doing things outside of just being criminal-minded," Hughes said.

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