Robbery, shooting in Charlotte parking lot linked to other crimes, CMPD says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police believe a shooting and robbery Monday morning in the parking lot of a south Charlotte apartment complex is connected to a string of at least seven other robberies in the city.

Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 600 block of Archdale Drive, near Interstate 77 and Nations Ford Road, around 5 a.m. and found a man who had been shot in the back.

That victim was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, according to police.

Marino Lopez-Miranda's wife said her husband, who is from Guatemala, was headed to work just before 5 a.m. when the two suspects robbed him and shot him in the back.

She didn’t know why.

The sound of gunfire from several shots startled many.

“I heard the shots, but I never thought it would be this close,” Melissa Sanabria said.

Detectives told Channel 9 that two men were in the parking lot, walking to their car when two Hispanic suspects tried to rob them. During the incident, one of the suspects fired his gun, hitting the victim, detectives said.

“At this point, we're considering this a robbery,” said Capt. Rob Dance, with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Steele Creek Division.

Police said the other victim was punched in the face.

During the incident, an apartment unit was shot into, as well as three vehicles in the parking lot.

Sanabria went outside and found a bullet hole in her car.

She showed Channel 9 where bullets also hit her fiancee's car, which was parked right next to hers.

“There's one gunshot hole right there and there's another one right here,” Sanabria said.

Bullets also peppered at least one apartment, but no one else was hurt.

Police said the victims did not know their attackers and that no arrests have been made.

Lopez-Miranda's wife said her husband was in surgery and should recover, but it may be tougher for this community of immigrants, where fear is always nearby.

“It's just sad because they don't think before they do stuff,” Sanabria said.

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