Raleigh man accused of stealing van; prosecutor says van was used in other crimes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man has been arrested, accused of stealing a work van from a Raleigh home June 21 and possibly using it to commit more crimes.

On Friday, Zaire Sherrod appeared before a judge in Wake County.

A prosecutor said in court that the van was used in several residential breaking-and-entering crimes after it had been stolen and that there could be more charges for him.

A Wakefield resident thinks it could be connected to her stolen SUV.

Carlye, the owner of the Mercedes SUV, doesn't want to share her full identity because of safety concerns but said it was taken from her garage on June 21 while she, her husband and two young boys were sleeping.

Her neighbor shared Nest surveillance video that showed the stolen SUV being driven from her garage.

"We hid under my son's bunkbed with my dog and with us all crowded together and just prayed that those guys are gone out of our home and thank God we didn't have to confront them," she said, and she added that the thieves broke into her home and stole other items, including an Apple watch and about $300 in cash.

She said she saw a van near her house and reported it to police.

The van owner told ABC11 that it had been stolen from his driveway that same morning. He shared surveillance video showing two men getting into his van and quickly taking off with it.

Authorities arrested Sherrod in connection with that crime but have not arrested the other suspect.

Nobody has been charged in connection with stealing Carlye's SUV but she said she believes the men ditched the van by her house then took her Mercedes. Raleigh Police have not confirmed this.

The van owner confirmed the license plate of the van found near her home matched that of his stolen van. Thanks to GPS monitoring, Carlye was able to get her SUV back.

"We're getting closer to justice in this case so we're able to sleep better," she said.

Sherrod was under probation when the crime happened.

His sister said she was disappointed because their mother didn't raise them that way and said she hoped he would turn his life around and get a job.

He's next expected in court July 25.