Charlotte Teens Charged in a 4-Year-Old's Death. Why It's Adult Court. | CLT Daily

Description

Four-year-old Caleb Flax was asleep in his bed in northwest Charlotte when police say seven armed teenagers fired at least 84 rounds into four homes in under a minute. Five people are now charged, four of them teenagers charged with murder, and police say three more are still out there. We explain why, under North Carolina law, a murder charge against a 16- or 17-year-old never goes to juvenile court, and where the city's new curfew fits in. Plus: the Panthers host Detroit on Sunday Night Football (bring a poncho), Gastonia's city-owned ballpark loses its team, the voter registration deadline is six days out, and a new spot for handmade dumplings in University City.

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, WBTV, WCCB, WSOC, Axios Charlotte, Asia Carolinas, Business North Carolina, North Carolina General Statutes (ncleg.gov)

CLT Daily is written, hosted and produced by Steve Bouboulis, an independent journalist covering the Queen City. Got a tip, a document, or a story the city isn't telling? Reach him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebouboulis/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Here's where I'd eat this weekend. It's new, it's made by hand right in front of you, and with rain on the way, it might be the best idea in town. Stick around. Before the show's over, I'll tell you where it is and what it costs. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Saturday, October 3rd, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, a four-year-old named Caleb, and why the teenagers charged in his death are in adult court from day one. Just after 3 in the morning on Sunday, September 20th, gunfire tore through homes on Grassy Patch Lane, near Outon Road in northwest Charlotte. Police say at least 84 rounds in under a minute. Four occupied homes, three parked cars. Inside one of those homes, 4-year-old Caleb Flax was asleep in his bed. He was shot in the head and died that morning. A neighbor was seriously hurt and is recovering. On Friday, Charlotte news police laid out what they say happened. Court documents describe seven armed teenagers in two stolen cars, headlights off. Detectives say the group wanted to, quote, shoot at windows in retaliation for a shooting the night before at the home of one of the suspects. Five people are now charged. Four are teenagers, 2-16 and 2-17, each charged with murder. A 22-year-old is charged with helping get rid of a getaway car. Police say three more teenagers are still out there. Chief Estella Patterson, quote, We will not rest until everyone, regardless of the role they played, is held responsible. None of the five has been convicted, and every one of them is presumed innocent. Now, a lot of people hear 16 and assume juvenile court. Here's why that's not how this goes. North Carolina's Raise the Age law moved most 16 and 17-year-olds into the juvenile system, but it carves out the most serious felonies. For a 16 or 17-year-old, murder isn't a juvenile offense at all. There's no transfer hearing. The case starts in adult court. That's written into the state's own definition of who counts as a delinquent juvenile. And there's one more fact worth setting next to this. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. under the curfew city council passed last week, starting November 1st. Everyone under 18 has to be off the street from 10 at night until 6 in the morning. Until now, 16 and 17-year-olds had no general curfew at all. Nobody can say whether a curfew changes anything on a night like this. Police haven't said so, and I won't suggest it. One neighbor told WCCB the gunshots out there are, quote, kind of a normal thing every night. If you know anything, Crime Stoppers is 704-334-1600. All right, here's what else you need to know today. Sunday night, the Panthers host Detroit, the first Sunday night football game in Charlotte since 2016. Kickoff is 8-20. Carolina is 1-2, and coach Dave Canales expects Bryce Young to play through a knee injury. Bring a poncho. Rain is in the forecast most of Sunday, heaviest late tonight, and umbrellas aren't allowed in the stadium. In Gaston County, the ghost peppers are done. The Atlantic League team's owner, Zoyer Sports, cites significant and sustained financial difficulties. That leaves downtown Gastonia's city-owned ballpark. built for nearly $29 million without a tenant for the second time since it opened. Mayor Richard Franks, quote, There will be baseball next year. The city is talking with a local group about taking over. And the clock, six days. Friday at 5 p.m. is the deadline to register to vote in November. Now, as promised. It's Juicy Dumpling, which opened last month at the boardwalk at University Place in University City. Handmade dumplings, soup, pan-fried and steamed, and a window up front where you can watch them get folded. Axios lists chicken soup dumplings around $13 and spicy brisket noodles around $17. On Saturdays, they're open until 11. With rain coming tonight, that's about as good a plan as Charlotte has. That's CLT Daily for Saturday, October 3rd. I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow, same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte, take care of each other.

Description

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, WBTV, WCCB, WSOC, Axios Charlotte, Asia Carolinas, Business North Carolina, North Carolina General Statutes (ncleg.gov)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Here's where I'd eat this weekend. It's new, it's made by hand right in front of you, and with rain on the way, it might be the best idea in town. Stick around. Before the show's over, I'll tell you where it is and what it costs. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Saturday, October 3rd, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, a four-year-old named Caleb, and why the teenagers charged in his death are in adult court from day one. Just after 3 in the morning on Sunday, September 20th, gunfire tore through homes on Grassy Patch Lane, near Outon Road in northwest Charlotte. Police say at least 84 rounds in under a minute. Four occupied homes, three parked cars. Inside one of those homes, 4-year-old Caleb Flax was asleep in his bed. He was shot in the head and died that morning. A neighbor was seriously hurt and is recovering. On Friday, Charlotte news police laid out what they say happened. Court documents describe seven armed teenagers in two stolen cars, headlights off. Detectives say the group wanted to, quote, shoot at windows in retaliation for a shooting the night before at the home of one of the suspects. Five people are now charged. Four are teenagers, 2-16 and 2-17, each charged with murder. A 22-year-old is charged with helping get rid of a getaway car. Police say three more teenagers are still out there. Chief Estella Patterson, quote, We will not rest until everyone, regardless of the role they played, is held responsible. None of the five has been convicted, and every one of them is presumed innocent. Now, a lot of people hear 16 and assume juvenile court. Here's why that's not how this goes. North Carolina's Raise the Age law moved most 16 and 17-year-olds into the juvenile system, but it carves out the most serious felonies. For a 16 or 17-year-old, murder isn't a juvenile offense at all. There's no transfer hearing. The case starts in adult court. That's written into the state's own definition of who counts as a delinquent juvenile. And there's one more fact worth setting next to this. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. under the curfew city council passed last week, starting November 1st. Everyone under 18 has to be off the street from 10 at night until 6 in the morning. Until now, 16 and 17-year-olds had no general curfew at all. Nobody can say whether a curfew changes anything on a night like this. Police haven't said so, and I won't suggest it. One neighbor told WCCB the gunshots out there are, quote, kind of a normal thing every night. If you know anything, Crime Stoppers is 704-334-1600. All right, here's what else you need to know today. Sunday night, the Panthers host Detroit, the first Sunday night football game in Charlotte since 2016. Kickoff is 8-20. Carolina is 1-2, and coach Dave Canales expects Bryce Young to play through a knee injury. Bring a poncho. Rain is in the forecast most of Sunday, heaviest late tonight, and umbrellas aren't allowed in the stadium. In Gaston County, the ghost peppers are done. The Atlantic League team's owner, Zoyer Sports, cites significant and sustained financial difficulties. That leaves downtown Gastonia's city-owned ballpark. built for nearly $29 million without a tenant for the second time since it opened. Mayor Richard Franks, quote, There will be baseball next year. The city is talking with a local group about taking over. And the clock, six days. Friday at 5 p.m. is the deadline to register to vote in November. Now, as promised. It's Juicy Dumpling, which opened last month at the boardwalk at University Place in University City. Handmade dumplings, soup, pan-fried and steamed, and a window up front where you can watch them get folded. Axios lists chicken soup dumplings around $13 and spicy brisket noodles around $17. On Saturdays, they're open until 11. With rain coming tonight, that's about as good a plan as Charlotte has. That's CLT Daily for Saturday, October 3rd. I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow, same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte, take care of each other.

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