Public Safety

Public Safety

Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.

Two officers stand among shelves of seized computers and mobile phones in a police evidence room.

California man faces felony charges after Wesley Chapel park arrest

Union County deputies arrested Daniel Castillo, 24, of Oxnard, California, at Dogwood Park in Wesley Chapel after a 911 caller reported a disturbance. Investigators allege Castillo traveled roughly 2,600 miles to meet a 15-year-old girl he had contacted through Snapchat for months, and he now faces charges of solicitation of a minor by computer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A solar-powered Flock Safety license plate reader camera mounted on a metal pole against a blue sky.

Waxhaw commissioners question Flock cameras' 8 million monthly reads

Waxhaw commissioners questioned police surveillance practices after learning the town's five Flock cameras log 8 million plate reads per month, and directed staff to draft data center regulations and a public survey during a Sept. 22 work session.

Water flowing from a chrome faucet with visible bubbles in the stream

Waxhaw-area tap water draws complaints over rotten-egg smell

Residents in the Lawson and Silver Creek neighborhoods near Waxhaw say their tap water smells and tastes like rotten eggs. Union County Water blames seasonal algae blooms and says the water remains safe to drink.

Historic red-brick courthouse with a clock tower and obelisk monument out front.

Waxhaw man pleads guilty to cyberstalking Union County commissioner

Waxhaw resident Timothy Gallagher pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and identity theft targeting Union County Commissioner Melissa Merrell, receiving one year of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service in a case rooted in COVID-19 school policy disputes.

Rows of cardboard boxes packed with plastic-wrapped packages of seized narcotics.

Waxhaw woman, Monroe man face fentanyl trafficking charges

A Waxhaw woman and a Monroe man remain in the Union County Detention Center on fentanyl trafficking and other charges after an Aug. 27 narcotics stop in Indian Trail, where detention staff found concealed drugs during intake.

Two mugshot-style headshots overlaid on an aerial view of a wooded residential property.

Two charged with attempted murder in Waxhaw luring shooting

Jose Ibarra of Waxhaw and Bobbie McRae of Monroe face attempted murder and felony conspiracy charges after the Union County Sheriff's Office says they lured a 27-year-old to a Waxhaw home and shot him on Aug. 22; both are held without bond.

A large semi-truck pulling a shipping container along a highway.

Union County deputies recover stolen trailer, warn of fraud

Union County Sheriff's Office deputies recovered a stolen 18-wheeler trailer during a traffic stop at Rocky River Road and Old Charlotte Highway and are urging residents to verify ownership before renting or buying property.

Man faces 26 charges after Weddington-area chase

Xavier Woods faces 26 total charges and is held without bond at the Union County Detention Center after allegedly fleeing a sheriff's checkpoint in the Weddington area, crashing on Beulah Church Road and running from deputies twice before being caught.

Union County grandmother posts $3,000 bond in hot-car case

Dedra McManus, 50, was released on a $3,000 secured bond Friday after being charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly leaving her 8-month-old granddaughter in a parked car during 96-degree heat outside Union County Animal Services.

Union County grandmother charged after baby left in 96°F car

Union County Sheriff's deputies arrested 50-year-old Dedra McManus on a child abuse charge after she allegedly left her 8-month-old granddaughter in a car with the engine off during 96-degree heat while she browsed kittens at an animal shelter in Monroe.

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