DNA evidence has landed a Charlotte man behind bars, with deputies arresting him on May 23 in connection with a violent Dec. 21, 2024, home invasion at a rural residence near Wadesboro, southeast of the city. Investigators say the break-in left three people injured and five victims bound with plastic zip ties. Authorities report that one female victim was shot in the leg and two other people were assaulted with a handgun, and the suspect now faces multiple felony counts, including kidnapping and assault.
Investigators say DNA provided the break
Anson County detectives developed 37-year-old Aaron Deunte Ratliff as a person of interest and obtained a court order to collect his DNA. The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory confirmed a match to evidence from the scene on May 18, and prosecutors used that result to secure arrest warrants. Those details are laid out in a sheriff’s office news release, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Charges and custody
Ratliff was taken into custody in Charlotte without incident and booked into the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on May 23, where he remains held as authorities work to return him to Anson County. He faces 10 felony charges: first-degree burglary, robbery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and five counts of first-degree kidnapping. Those charges and his current jail status are listed by the sheriff’s office, as reported by WSOC.
What happened the night of the invasion
Deputies say they were called around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, 2024, to a residence on the 1600 block of Bethel Road, where they found several people restrained with plastic zip ties. One female victim had a gunshot wound to the leg, and two additional victims had been assaulted with a handgun. Three injured people were transported to the hospital for treatment. Court documents also state that a gun was stolen during the incident, and investigators have not released any information about a possible motive, according to The Charlotte Observer.
How the search unfolded
Officials say the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive Team and the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department’s CAT team helped Anson County detectives track down Ratliff after DNA identified him as a suspect. He had initially been arrested on unrelated misdemeanor charges in Charlotte, and detectives used a court‑authorized DNA sample collected during that custody to compare against evidence from the crime scene. Those steps in the investigation were described in the sheriff’s release and reported by WSOC.
Next steps
Ratliff remains jailed in Mecklenburg County as extradition paperwork moves through the court system and Anson County prosecutors consider formal filings and court dates. The sheriff’s office has not released a motive, and detectives are still seeking tips from anyone with information about the Dec. 21 incident. For investigators, the arrest marks a major step forward in the case while the legal process plays out.
