CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The federal government wants to seize a west Charlotte strip mall they say is riddled with crime and drugs.
Channel 9 has reported before on the problems at the building at the corner of Bradford Drive and North Avenue.
The building is less than a block away from Thomasboro Academy.
"I'm very concerned," parent Quentin Croutch, said. "My kids go here, I wouldn't want any of my kids or any kids at that school fall victim to that."
The property owners suggested to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police in August that it would be beneficial for police to keep the drug dealing at their property so police could see it.
That comes after four years of trying to work with the tenants and property owners of Thomosboro Plaza to stop the illegal activity.
In September, federal agents seized cocaine, marijuana, Percocet and firearms from the barbershop inside the strip mall.
Now, officials are taking action to seize the entire strip mall after four documented years of illegal drug activity throughout the whole shopping area and parking lot.
One neighbor said she didn't feel safe and asked her landlord to build a fence around her house because of the activity.
"I noticed people will stop, where the fence is now, people used to stop and do exchanges or whatever and 1 a.m., at like 2 a.m., someone came and was like beating down my window," Derise Perry said.
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