Keep that Flame Employees at a Kangaroo Express in south Charlotte called police after someone stole nearly 100 lighters from the store last week. The employees said the man walked in and simply took an entire four-tier display of lighters off the counter and left the store with them, then climbed into a waiting car and drove off.
Back in the Box A man lost his cool with his P.O. last week, which is probably the person you least want to lose your cool with. The suspect was visiting the North Carolina Probation and Parole office, so it's unclear which he was assigned to, but at some point he became angry, saying he wanted to "lay hands on" the officer and then said, "You take off that badge and I will kick your ass." The victim immediately signed a warrant on the suspect.
Quit Frontin' An unknown thief cleaned a man and his mouth out when he stole his backpack at a bus station in north Charlotte last week. The 25-year-old victim told police someone made off with the bag, which contained his Samsung tablet, a $1,500 watch, earrings and even gold teeth, worth $600 total. You might want to keep those in your mouth next time.
Grocery Line Employees at a south Charlotte Harris Teeter called police last week following 15 days of harassment that began to get tiresome. Store management told officers that someone called once a day for two weeks just to annoy whomever answered. We're looking at you, Food Lion.
Flipper A 20-year-old man filed a police report after being scammed in a plan that should have been obvious from the jump. The man told officers he replied to someone's post on Twitter saying they could increase anyone's money by "flipping" it, although the person didn't say how he or she would do so. To make this whole scheme seem more legit, the stranger posed as a Western Union employee. The victim wired the suspect $300 as an initial fee and – surprise! – hasn't been able to get a hold of the person since.
Blowing Up the John Police were called to a Domino's on Sunset Road recently after someone decided they had enough with the store's facilities. Employees told police that two suspects walked into the business and went straight to the bathroom. Once inside, the men smashed the sink to bits with a blunt object and left.
Cover Up A woman who is apparently very bad at concealment was arrested at a CVS in Uptown last week. The woman was caught trying to leave the store with some miscellaneous objects without paying. The objects found in her possession included hair coloring and silicone nipple concealers.
Step Outside Police responded to a disorderly conduct on North Tryon Street last week and found a man "cussing in the middle of the street," although he wasn't stopping there. The man was also challenging people to fight him in the middle of the busy roadway, which seems dangerous even for a good fighter.
Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.