The Blotter: Tracks in the Snow 

Footsteps A lot of people took the day off last week when snow fell throughout the greater Charlotte area, and one thief should have followed their lead. Police responded to Lumber Liquidators in west Charlotte after someone broke into the business and stole something, but left an easy trail leading to their own arrest. When employees found that someone had stolen a six-gallon compressor from the building, they quickly found a window that had been left open — which was odd because it was 7 p.m. on a very snowy Wednesday. Thanks to the snow, police were able to follow tracks left by the suspect, which showed "very specific shoe prints," according to the report. The suspect was found just 40 yards away, carrying the compressor and wearing shoes that matched the tracks. Case closed.

Footsteps II Employees with the Charlotte-based FDC Construction company learned last week that no good deed goes unpunished when they tried to help a family find a missing loved one and ended up with more work. According to a non-criminal report filed by the company, construction workers working on a home in the Cherry neighborhood were approached by a group of people who were looking for their missing sister at around 9 p.m. The workers allowed the concerned searchers to search through the house, and wished them luck when they didn't find her and went on their way. About 30 minutes later, the workers went in the house and found that the searchers had all tracked mud throughout the house, to the point where a professional cleaning service would have to come in to fix it.

Bad Roommates Police recently responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call in University City last week and were able to get their hands on the weapon used in the crime: orange juice. A 19-year-old woman living in an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte believed she was poisoned by one of her roommates, and filed a police report claiming as much. According to the report, the victim told officers that the suspect harmed her by "putting an unknown sickening suspect" in a bottle of juice that belonged to her. Officers seized the juice for further testing, and the victim was listed as suffering just minor injuries.

Stung We all know that bees are dying off in alarming numbers, and more are at risk now in north Charlotte after losing their homes to an unknown vandal. A 49-year-old woman called police to report that someone had done $2,400 worth of damage to her bee hives, which you would think have their own built-in defense system. If I were a detective, I'd be looking for a bear.

Naughty A 54-year-old man filed a police report recently after someone broke into his car and stole some grown-up toys. According to the report, the man woke up one morning to find that someone had broken into his car and stolen a single pair of toy handcuffs. At least he'll already be easy to lock up once you catch him.

Lights Out A 39-year-old woman called police last week after being all-too-easily tricked by a so-called friend in west Charlotte. The woman told police she was hanging out with a guy in her hotel room, and when he was ready to leave at around 12:30 a.m., she asked that he "leave her property behind," although it's unclear why she felt the need to say that. Then, the man lived up to her suspicions, as he turned off the light and told her goodbye, but picked up two Playstation 4 controllers and a game and left the room with them while the lights were out and she couldn't see.

Not Fare Most people who screw over taxi drivers just get out and leave without paying, but a woman in north Charlotte took things to the next level last week when she enlisted help. According to a report filed by the driver, the woman pulled the usual stunt of getting out and running when they got to her destination, but when he got out of his cab to follow her, another suspect came up to him with a gun and threatened to shoot him if he didn't get back in the car.

Leave the Gun, Take the Blankets It's OK to take a shampoo with you when you leave a hotel room, but stealing electronics is a different story — and taking the bed set is just outright disgusting. But that's what happened at Knights Inn in southwest Charlotte when someone decided to help themselves when they check out of their room. Management at the hotel reported that the suspect stayed for just one night, but when they left, they acted like they owned the place, taking with them a $180 television, a mini fridge and all the bedding and towels.

Lost and Found A 34-year-old Salisbury woman filed a police report after a phone that she lost in Charlotte over the summer finally turned up recently. The woman told police that her phone fell from her pocket while she was riding the Fury rollercoaster at Carowinds amusement park last July. The woman had basically given up on the phone, probably assuming it had been shattered on impact once it hit the ground. That's why she was surprised to receive a notification in the first week of January stating that her phone was functioning fine, and had actually been sold to an ecoATM kiosk, although it's unclear exactly where. The woman filed a report with CMPD from Salisbury to help reclaim her long lost phone.

All stories are pulled from police reports at CMPD headquarters. Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.