Nearly four months after five people were stabbed during a fight inside a University City bar, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have announced an arrest in the case.
Aldon George Lawrence, 26, was arrested Thursday by U.S. Customs agents after he boarded a plane at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. He was charged with one count of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
A CMPD spokeswoman said detectives got a tip through Crime Stoppers that identified Lawrence a suspect in the March 19 stabbing at Red@28th, a popular spot owned by Charlotte entrepreneur Darren Vincent. The stabbings drew widespread media attention and led Vincent to launch a series of public events meant to shine a spotlight on violence.
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In a March interview with Qcitymetro, Vincent called the stabbings “an unfortunate situation” that did not reflect the character of his business.
Vincent launched Red@28th eight years ago with hundreds of books and a dream of encouraging more people to read, especially African American males. From his first location in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood he opened a second lounge in the University City area. Over they years, he said, the business added a full bar, pool tables and hookah pipes.
According to witness and police reports, the fight began inside the club and then spread into a parking. Two victims were treated for what CMPD described at the time as life-threatening injuries.
In early May, CMPD posted photos, taken by a surveillance camera, that showed a man who police wanted to identify for questioning.
CMPD spokeswoman Jessica Wallin said Friday that information gathered during the investigation “confirmed that Lawrence was responsible” for the assaults.
