cwootson@charlotteobserver.com
A teenager who police say broke into a north Charlotte home and raped an 83-year-old woman Wednesday night was arrested after police were called about a break-in around the corner 16 hours later.
Robert Lamar McFadden, 16, was in Mecklenburg Jail Thursday night charged with rape, kidnapping, two counts of breaking and entering and one count of breaking into a car.
The 83-year-old called police around 10 p.m. Wednesday and said the teen forced her inside her apartment and raped her.
She lives in northern Charlotte, west of North Graham Street and north of Interstate 85.
News of the assault quickly spread through the small community, frightening residents.
“I was sad. I had to cry about that because what was done to her, it wasn’t meant to be,” Mary White told WCNC-TV, the Observer’s news partner.
Sex assault investigators worked through the night to find the assailant. Around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, officers received a second call about a break-in in progress in the same community, said spokeswoman Officer Rosalyn Harrington.
The break-in happened around the corner from the site of the first crime.
Officers called in the police helicopter and search dogs to try to locate the suspect.
McFadden, who has a prior criminal record, was arrested after a short foot chase.
Before Thursday, he was awaiting trial on false imprisonment and simple assault charges from March, according to a search of N.C. criminal records. Earlier this year he was also found guilty of stealing a car.
He’s not listed in the N.C. sex offender registry.
