CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two people in Charlotte were stabbed by would-be thieves who broke into their homes Thursday night. The assaults happened 10 miles and two hours apart and police do not believe they are related.

Around 6 p.m., a man walked into his home on Vancouver Drive in northern Charlotte and found a burglar there.

Officers aren’t yet sure what happened next, but the man was stabbed in the leg and was losing a lot of blood when police arrived a short while later, said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Capt. Charles Bannerman.

The man is being treated at Carolinas Medical Center tonight. Police don’t believe his injuries are life-threatening.

His assailant ran away and had not been apprehended by late Thursday. Police didn’t release a description.

Around 8:15 p.m., a woman was in her home on Northstream Drive when a man she didn’t know kicked in the front door, stabbed her, then left with some of her belongings.

Bannerman said the woman was asleep, heard someone banging on the door of her northwest Charlotte home and was on her way to answer it. He said investigators believe the thief thought no one was home.

Police had only a vague description of the man, who fled in a white vehicle.

The woman had only minor injuries and declined medical treatment.

Police encourage anyone with information on these crimes to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Tipsters can remain anonymous and are eligible for rewards for information that leads to an arrest.

According to police statistics, home burglaries were up close to 18 percent from February to March.

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