Man arrested in Triangle break-ins at parks, trails. Felony Lane Gang link suspected.

An arrest in a series of break-ins has Orange County law enforcement warning people to be careful about stashing valuables before leaving their cars to walk on local trails.

The thefts are similar to those committed by an organized crime group known as the Felony Lane Gang, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.

Lemone Octaviu Slaughter, 47, was arrested Feb. 6 and charged with attempted breaking or entering a motor vehicle, breaking or entering a motor vehicle, and four counts of financial card theft, according to the news release.

Slaughter, who was wanted for similar crimes in at least three other states, had driver’s licenses from Florida and Georgia with him when he was arrested, along with multiple financial instruments printed with different spellings of his name and three cell phones, officials said.

He was released from the Orange County jail after posting a $20,000 bail bond and is scheduled to appear in court March 22.

How the break-ins happened

Orange County investigators first learned about the break-ins when a theft was reported Feb. 4 at Hollow Rock Nature Park on Erwin Road, they said. The victim said a tote bag, wallet and several financial instruments and identification documents were stolen from a parked car.

Investigators noticed a silver Chrysler Pacifica while reviewing security video footage from the park and identified it as similar to a car that had been “recently seen circulating in and out of several parks and hiking areas in multiple jurisdictions,” they said. The theft at Hollow Rock happened just minutes after the driver parked their car, they said.

The Chrysler’s description was shared with other Orange County deputies, and an investigator saw a man identified as Slaughter near a sport utility vehicle about 30 minutes later at Brumley Nature Preserve on New Hope Church Road. The investigator watched Slaughter jump away and into a silver Chrysler Pacifica, the release said.

Slaughter was found with a window punch, which is a tool used to break a car window in emergencies, it said.

What is the Felony Lane Gang?

The Felony Lane Gang started in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, over 10 years ago and now includes multiple organized gangs that commit identity theft and burglary across the East Coast, according to the FBI.

A federal task force focused on bringing down the group posted on Facebook last year that spinoff groups have now formed to commit similar crimes.

The group has been in the Triangle region at least since last year when the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office warned about car break-ins at county parks and recreation areas over the spring and summer. The group also has been known to target women dropping off or picking children up from daycare, according to news releases in other states.

Members of the gang are known to immediately take credit cards to nearby grocery stores and shops, where they buy gift cards and money orders worth thousands of dollars, Alamance County officials said. Gang members often drive rental cars with out-of-state license plates or paper temporary tags, they said.

Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood encouraged drivers to put valuables and identification documents in a locked trunk or leave them at home when walking on trails and visiting other places, such as gyms, if they do not want to carry purses and other items.

If something is stolen, Orange County Investigator Jason Nazworth said, the victim should “immediately cancel your credit cards, contact your bank, and notify the credit bureaus.”

“These perpetrators are sophisticated, and they move fast,” Nazworth said. “They are in and out of a parking lot within minutes, and often the thief or an accomplice makes large purchases of merchandise or gift cards within the hour.”

Anyone with information about the suspect or other break-ins at local parks and trailheads can call Nazworth at 919-245-2960.