‘Get a life’: Two dozen cars broken into at South End apartment complex

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Thieves broke into two dozen cars inside the gated MAA Reserve apartment complex parking garage in South End, and it’s not the first time the complex has fallen victim to car break-ins.

Thieves hit car after car, smashing windows and shattering a sense of security.

“My reaction is ‘get a life.’ I definitely think it is a very low type of person to do that,” said a resident at the apartment complex.

Car owners are covering the damage and coming up with the cost to cover repairs.

“It would make me feel horrible to be one of those victims, and I just feel for them,” the resident continued.

She started taking steps months ago to protect her car.

“You just loop it around, and you put it in here, and it locks right in your seat belt thingy, and you have a key to get it out,” the resident said, showing her steering wheel lock.

She got the wheel lock when her apartment complex sent out a warning about car thefts and break-ins.

“I have a full-time job, and I pay for everything, and I don’t want an unexpected type of event to happen,” she explained.

Sunday night into Monday morning, 26 of her neighbors at MAA Reserve had their car windows busted out inside the gated parking garage.

“I’m scared because I don’t want my car to be broken into,” she said.

This isn’t the first time the apartment parking garage has been targeted.

“They would say it’s an adrenaline rush,” said Detective Jesse Rubino with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. “A lot of times, these kids would get a car drive to another part of town to impress some girls, which is what they said, and then they’d just dump it and go to for the next one.”

Last month, police arrested eight 13–17-year-olds for a summer crime spree involving car break-ins and thefts at apartment complexes, including MAA Reserve and restaurants in South End.

Police say it’s unclear if the same teens are involved in the recent car break-ins.

“No respect for other people and just complete and utter selfishness,” said the resident of the suspects.

Regardless of who’s responsible, the resident impacted encourages her neighbors to be prepared.

“Protect your stuff, protect yourself, don’t trust anyone,” she emphasized. “Stay safe out there.”