A Kings Mountain homeowner woke up to a nightmare early Monday when police say a man armed with a sawed-off shotgun forced his way into an occupied house in the Lake Montonia area just before 6 a.m. Investigators say the intruder threatened the homeowner, stole property and then bolted into nearby woods. Officers later found a shortened shotgun along with a face mask and gloves in the area as they searched the neighborhood.
According to WCCB Charlotte, police have identified the suspect as Michael Wilson and are treating the incident as a home invasion in the Lake Montonia neighborhood. The station reports Wilson entered the occupied residence “just before 6:00 Monday morning,” threatened the homeowner and fled with property in hand. WCCB’s report by Morgan Fogarty is currently the most detailed local account of the case.
The Kings Mountain Police Department is asking anyone with information to call 704-734-0444 or submit an anonymous tip through Cleveland County Crime Stoppers at 704-481-TIPS, according to the Kings Mountain Police Department. As of the latest updates, police have not announced any arrests and have not said whether anyone was hurt during the incident. Detectives say they are actively following up on leads while officers continue to monitor the area.
Evidence Recovered Near the Scene
Investigators found a sawed-off shotgun along with a face mask and gloves in the woods near the home, WCCB Charlotte reports. Those items are being processed as evidence while detectives keep canvassing nearby homes and streets for witnesses and additional clues. While police have released the suspect’s name, they are keeping other identifying details limited while the investigation remains active.
Where This Occurred
Lake Montonia is a small residential lakeside neighborhood on the west side of Kings Mountain, shown on local maps and listings such as TopoZone. The area mixes lakeside lots with wooded property, which police say has complicated the ground search as investigators work through the surrounding terrain looking for any sign of the suspect or additional evidence.
Authorities stress that the investigation is ongoing and say the suspect remained at large as of the latest local reports. Anyone who may have seen something around daybreak Monday in the Lake Montonia area is urged to contact the Kings Mountain Police Department or Cleveland County Crime Stoppers immediately.
