CHARLOTTE — An 18-year-old man is in custody after allegedly carjacking a sophomore student at gunpoint on the UNC Charlotte campus on Sept. 12.
Police said Zyvarius Webber was arrested following a police pursuit four days later that ended in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The victim’s mother witnessed the attack while on a FaceTime call with her daughter.
Authorities said Webber held a gun to the student’s head during the robbery before fleeing the campus scene.
The victim’s mother was on the phone with her daughter when she heard her gasp and realized the student was in danger.
“About that time I saw an arm come around her and I saw him when he grabbed her,” the victim’s mother said. “He had her on her knees, he had a gun to her head, he asked her if she knew how to pray and if she wanted to die.”
The call disconnected during the assault, leaving the mother in distress as she sought emergency help.
“When that phone hung up on me, of course I was a basket case; I immediately called 911,” she said.
Four days after the campus carjacking, police reported that Webber was involved in a chase following another alleged carjacking.
The pursuit began on Graham Street and ended in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where Webber was taken into custody.
The victim’s mother voiced frustration over the suspect’s alleged actions.
“Instead of doing what he is doing, he should be following your daughter’s example. Exactly, go out and work for what you want; it’s hard out here,” she said. “He absolutely should not be back out on the streets. From what I’m hearing, he’s done a lot of things to a lot of people.”
The student is receiving counseling and has returned to school as the family works through the ongoing emotional impact of the attack.
“My daughter is still going through some of the emotional part of it. Me, I think I’m still going through some of the emotional part of it cause I’m watching her go through a lot,” the mother said.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
