Late July brought two theft reports from apartment-complex parking lots in Charlotte, North Carolina. One came from Cedar Glen Drive. The other involved a stolen vehicle on Chasewood Drive.
Then someone hit the dealerships.
Vehicles and keys were taken from DriveTime Used Cars and Dutch Miller Kia along South Boulevard on Aug. 14.
The crimes escalated over the next two weeks. An armed robbery and an assault with a deadly weapon were followed by three shootings.
On Aug. 27, the Crime Gun Suppression Team began fitting the pieces together. A firearm connected the robbery to the shootings. A suspect vehicle crossed between the same cases.
The vehicle produced the first name: Jatarius McCracking.
Officers found him at a residence on Queen City Drive on Sept. 2. He ran. They caught him, searched the residence and an associated stolen vehicle, and found a stolen handgun and work gloves matching those used in several vehicle thefts.
The evidence also led to his older brother, Dionte McCracking.
One brother was in jail. The other was still out on pretrial release.
Seven Days Later
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Enderly Road, 12:23 a.m.
A caller reported two people cutting copper wire beside a Nissan Kicks. Five minutes later, a police officer arrived in the 1200 block.
Dionte stood beside a damaged power line in dark clothing, red shoes, and a black ski mask. He held an angle grinder. The Nissan had been reported stolen.
He ran toward Tuckaseegee Road. The officer followed, caught him, and tackled him.
Then a handgun came out.
During the struggle, Dionte fired three times toward the officer’s head, an affidavit obtained by WBTV states.
One bullet passed through the officer’s collar, narrowly missed his neck, and struck his shoulder. The officer never fired his service weapon.
Dionte escaped. Another person remained near the Nissan while an ambulance took the officer to a hospital. He was later listed in stable condition and expected to recover fully.
The Nissan stayed behind.
The Nissan Tells No Lies
Inside was a receipt for an angle grinder purchased with cash at a Charlotte Walmart.
Surveillance video from the Walmart showed Dionte buying the angle grinder while wearing clothing matching the officer’s description. A separate recording showed two people using the tool to cut the power line on Enderly Road.
Three cartridge casings remained near the shooting. Cellphone-location records helped trace Dionte’s movements.
The search reached a home on Coronet Way. A 9mm handgun was found inside, and a witness identified it as the weapon used on Enderly Road, WSOC-TV reported.
Kings Ridge
Dionte was found inside a residence in the 7600 block of Kings Ridge Way in southwest Charlotte. WCCB reported that the apartment belonged to a stranger.
He refused to come outside.
Officers evacuated nearby residents and surrounded the building. A SWAT team and negotiators arrived. A robot moved toward the residence while repeated calls for Dionte to surrender went unanswered.
SWAT officers entered the residence and brought Dionte outside. He said he could not walk, so they carried him through the doorway and placed him on the pavement.
A judge later ordered Dionte held without bond on the charges involving the officer. The two dealership burglary cases carried separate $150,000 bonds.
One More Recording
After Dionte reached the Mecklenburg County jail, he called his brother.
“I got a 12 in the hospital,” Dionte told him, WSOC-TV reported. “12” is slang for a police officer.
His brother told him to get out of town.
Years Earlier
Dionte was convicted of motor-vehicle larceny and fleeing to elude arrest for offenses committed in 2013, according to his North Carolina correctional record.
Later convictions included breaking and entering, larceny, possession of a firearm by a felon, and carrying a concealed weapon. His probation or supervision was revoked more than once. A 2023 firearm conviction kept him under correctional supervision until July 24, 2025.
Jatarius’ correctional record includes two 2016 shootings into occupied property and a motor-vehicle larceny. He received a prison term of five to seven years and was released in September 2021.
He was later convicted in Iredell County of receiving or possessing a stolen vehicle, fleeing to elude arrest, and possessing stolen goods. His supervision was revoked.
In March 2026, Jatarius was convicted of motor-vehicle larceny. The court consolidated larceny, vehicle break-in, and vehicle-theft offenses into the same judgment. He was released on April 20, returned to custody from June 3 through July 6, and was arrested again on Sept. 2 while under active post-release supervision.
Quite a Collection
By Sept. 11, Jatarius faced 128 charges or warrants. Dionte faced 62.
The counts range from vehicle thefts and burglaries to shootings into occupied homes and attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer. They span 20 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports, one Rock Hill Police Department report, and two York County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Among the cases were shootings into homes on Reliance Street and Irma Street. Bullets shattered a glass door, entered one house, and struck two vehicles, a resident told WCCB. Everyone inside survived.
Both brothers remained in Mecklenburg County custody. Dionte was scheduled to return to court on Oct. 1, and additional charges were expected.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.