Switcharoo: An anxious GNC employee called police last week when she realized that her business was being swindled out of anxiety powder. The woman told officers that she noticed multiple suspects throughout the week had purchased inositol powder, which is used to treat anxiety and depression, among other things, and replaced it with an unknown substance before returning the packages for a refund.
Sleepy head: Medics and police responded to a call in east Charlotte after a teenage girl went missing after being sent to bed at 10:30 p.m. The girl's parents called police and said that their 16-year-old daughter, who is prone to sleepwalking, had left the house. After police unsuccessfully combed her neighborhood for a few hours, the girl eventually woke up outside and called her mother at 2 a.m. She was assessed by medics for exposure to the elements and was returned home safely.
Giving Up: As Valentine's Day approaches, financially handicapped lovers in Charlotte always hit the local Hallmarks to shoplift candy, flowers and whatever else they can get away with to prove to their significant other that they care. But one suspect was arrested in Belk last week after he came to terms with the fact that there was nobody for him to prove his love to. The man walked into the store, opened a box of Godiva chocolates and ate all eight before being arrested for shoplifting.
Rivalry: Police stepped in where referees failed during a girls' high school basketball game last week. The A.L. Brown Wonders were visiting the Vance Cougars in University when the game turned into a brawl between players on the court. The game was stopped and called a forfeit, but judging by the fact that all "victims" of the fight either attend or work at Vance, it looks like the Wonders won.
Unprotected: A 53-year-old woman filed a police report after a theft from her car left her football team vulnerable on the field. The woman told officers that someone broke into her Astro van and stole 75 football helmets, 84 shoulder pads, 86 uniforms, three hitting bags and multiple face masks.
Cat-tastrophe: A 34-year-old woman called police after her private driver made off with her cats' digging sand. The woman told officers that she hired a private taxi to take her to BJ's because that's a normal thing to do. She must not have treated him too well because as she was unloading some of her groceries, the driver became upset and sped off, allegedly leaving with three 20-pound bags of kitty litter.
Bang It: Clowns usually pop out of a jack-in-the-box at the end, but some Charlotteans could have gotten a much bigger surprise while eating at Jack in the Box last week. An ATF agent set up a sting at the fast food restaurant to arrest a man trying to sell a flash-bang grenade online. The man reportedly showed up with the grenade late at night and was arrested.
Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
