CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating several armed robberies that recently happened in the middle of the day.
In the past week, there were robberies outside of a school and in a grocery store parking lot. In the latest case, a woman was targeted in a Harris Teeter parking lot on Friday afternoon.
The crimes serve as an important reminder to pay attention as the holiday shopping season quickly approaches.
It was around 1 p.m. on Friday when police said 40-year-old Melissa Stutts took out a knife, cut a woman’s purse off her shoulder, and then stole her car. It happened in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter in Matthews.
"It’s kind of shocking that it would happen in Matthews, you wouldn't think that would happen here but I guess it can happen anywhere," said one shopper.
Just a day earlier, a robbery outside of Mallard Creek Elementary school put the school on lockdown for a short time. It was around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday when police said a woman was robbed at gunpoint.
She knew some of the suspects, according to the police report. Christian Brown, 21, and Travon Fears, 23, were charged in the robbery.
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Earlier that week, there was a home invasion at the Vista Commons Apartments around noon. Police said an armed suspect robbed a 57-year-old woman at gunpoint inside her apartment.
"It’s ridiculous, 12 o'clock in the afternoon, nobody should have to feel uncomfortable in their own home," a neighbor said.
As for shopper safety, police encourage you to take the following steps:
- Stay off cell phones while walking through parking lots
- Visually scan parking areas for suspicious people before exiting your vehicle
- Have your keys ready in your hand when returning to your car
- Try to find well-lit areas during night time