Driver charged after fatal hit-and-run in west Charlotte: CMPD
Around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, officers responded to a hit-and-run near the 9500 block of Wilkinson Blvd. When they arrived, they found 48-year-old Monique Williams in the middle of the road with life-threatening injuries. After Medic and Charlotte Fire Department arrived, Williams was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
PREVIOUS | Two pedestrians killed in separate crashes around Charlotte: Medic
Investigators believe Williams was attempting to cross Wilkinson Blvd when she was hit by a speeding driver in a white Nissan 350Z. Police say the vehicle left the area and was later found unoccupied on the I-85N ramp near Scott Futrell Drive. That's about five miles from where the crash happened.
CMPD found the driver, 20-year-old Jonis Dany Sorto-Lovo, and screened him for impairment. He was booked in the Mecklenburg County Jail under a $250,000 bond for:
Felony death by vehicle
Felony hit-and-run
Reckless driving
Driving while license revoked
Driving after consuming under 21
Officials say Williams' next of kin has been notified. This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information should contact Detective Pressley at 704-432-2169 Extension 2, or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte primary will decide most council seats. What to know for Sept. 9 election
Voters across the Charlotte area this year will decide whether current elected leaders keep their jobs or if new players join local government. Among the decisions: whether Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles should become the second-longest-serving mayor in the city's history and who fills the District 6 City Council seat left vacant after former Republican councilman Tariq Bokhari joined the Trump administration. Election results will also decide whether Tiawana Brown, who faces federal fraud charges, will serve another term on council, a slew of town board elections and a sales tax referendum that'd pay for Mecklenburg County transportation upgrades. The Charlotte primary election is Sept. 9. The general election is Nov. 4. What's on my ballot in the September primary? Charlotte is the only city or town in the region with elections in September. Others will have to wait for November. Voters in the city of Charlotte will decide between several Democratic mayoral candidates, including Lyles, Jaraun 'Gemini' Boyd, Delter Kenny Guinn III, Brendan Maginnis and Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel. Ten Democrats are running for four at-large spots in the September primary. They include incumbents Dimple Ajmera, James 'Smuggie' Mitchell, LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington. Challengers include: Matt Britt, Roderick Davis, Will Holley, J.G. Lockhart, Emerson Stoldt and Namrata (N.Y.) Yadav. Winners in the Democratic primary will have a high chance of scoring a seat in November because of past voting trends — the last Republican to win an at-large seat was Edwin Peacock in 2011. He and Misun Kim are the two Republicans running for a seat this year. Contested district races include: Incumbent Dante Anderson is challenged by Charlene Henderson El in District 1. The winner of this election faces no Republican opposition in November. In District 3, incumbent Tiawana Deling Brown faces challengers Montravias King, Joi Mayo and Warren F. Turner. The election is complicated by the fact that Brown faces felony fraud charges. If convicted, she will not be able to hold elected office until she completes her sentence. Republican James Bowers will face the primary winner in November. District 4 features a rematch of incumbent Renee Perkins Johnson and challenger Wil Russell. Johnson won a competitive primary in 2023. The winner faces no Republican competition in November. District 5 incumbent Marjorie Molina faces a challenge from Juan Diego (J.D.) Mazuera in east Charlotte. The winner faces no Republican competition in November. District 6 features the only Republican primary — Krista Bokhari and Sary Chakra. Bokhari is the wife of Tariq Bokhari, who resigned his seat earlier this year to take a job in the Trump administration. The winner faces Democrat Kimberly Owens in November. What's on my ballot in the November general election? Everyone who lives in Mecklenburg County will have two elections on their ballot in November: a school board election and a referendum to raise sales taxes to pay for transportation upgrades. District 3 in the university area is the only seat without multiple candidates running. Charlotte voters will choose four at-large City Council members and a district representative. However, most elections will be decided in the primary. Voters in Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville will elect mayors on Election Day in addition to members of the town boards. Some highlights include: three candidates running for mayor in Cornelius, a rematch from the 2023 mayor's race in Huntersville and 10 candidates running for six spots on the Huntersville town board. Voter ID Voters must bring photo ID to the polls, but 'all voters will be allowed to vote with or without photo ID,' according to the NCSBE Voter ID website. Voters who can't show an ID will need to fill out an exception form. Details regarding acceptable forms of ID including student and government employee IDs can be found on How do I know what's on my ballot? To be eligible to vote in any North Carolina municipal election, a voter must live within the city or town limits for at least 30 days before Election Day. With the voter search tool on the State Board of Elections website, people can see what's on their ballot and where they live under the 'YOUR JURISDICTIONS' tab. Voters also can find their sample ballot, designated district, current elected officials and voting location by filling out their address on the county Board of Elections website at How can I register to vote? People can register to vote for the first time by submitting an application online or in-person to the NC Department of Motor Vehicles. Online applicants do not need to make a myNCDMV account to register. They can select 'Continue as a Guest' to register without an account. There is no fee for registration. Voters can also download and complete a registration application in either English or Spanish and mail it to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections at 741 Kenilworth Ave., Suite 2020, Charlotte, NC 28204. More mail-in application information is available on the NCSBE website. People who do not live in Mecklenburg County can find their local board of elections office at People can register to vote at an early voting location during the early voting period. But the deadline to register for people who intend to vote on Election Day during the primary is Aug. 15. The general election deadline is Oct. 10. Someone planning to vote early and register the same day will need to show proof of residency through a North Carolina driver's license, other government-issued ID or document that includes the voter's name and address such as a utility bill or paycheck. More proof of residency information can be found on the State Board of Elections website. How can I update my registration? Online voter registration changes are made through the same portal for registration applications provided by the N.C. DMV. To change registration online, a voter must provide their NC Driver License number or DMV-issued ID card number, social security number and date of birth. Otherwise, updates can be made by submitting a registration application by mail. Can I vote with an expired ID? Voters will be asked to show a form of photo identification when voting. For many people, that will be a driver's license. People in North Carolina can now legally drive up to two years past the expiration of their license because of a new law. However, it is unclear if voters can use an expired ID at the polls. The state is currently in communication with legislative staff to find a solution, The News and Observer reported. A voter above the age of 65 can use an expired form of ID if it was unexpired on their 65th birthday. How long will it take to vote in the primary? Mecklenburg County Board of Elections campaign specialist Nick Culp said voters should be 'in-and-out in under 30 minutes' but recommends carving out about an hour to vote just in case. Where can I vote? People can vote at any location during the early voting period. Locations are as follows: Hal Marshall Annex, 618 N College St. Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library, 2412 Beatties Ford Road Independents Regional Library, 6000 Conference Drive Marian Diehl Recreation Center, 2219 Tyvola Road South County Regional Library, 5801 Rea Road Southpark Regional Library, 7015 Carnegie Blvd Steele Creek Masonic Lodge, 13611 Steele Creek Road University City Regional Library, 5528 Waters Edge Village Drive West Boulevard Library, 2157 West Blvd On Election Day, voters must cast ballots at their specified polling place, which can be found can be found through the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website or under 'YOUR VOTING LOCATIONS' after searching on the State Board of Elections website When is early voting? The first day of early voting is Aug. 21 and the last day of early voting is Sept. 6. On weekdays from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29, early voting hours are 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. only at the Hal Marshall Annex in uptown, 618 North College St. All nine of the Mecklenburg County sites are open from Sept. 2 to Sept. 5 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Sept. 6, all early voting sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. How can I request an absentee ballot? All registered voters in NC can request an absentee ballot at Ballots will be mailed starting Aug 8. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Aug. 26 at 5pm. All absentee ballots must be returned to 741 Kenilworth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204 before Sept. 9 at 7:30 pm. Absentee ballot questions can be directed to absentee@ or 704-336-2133. This year, absentee ballots must be requested two weeks before Election Day. Requests in years past could be made one week before election day. Will a sales tax referendum be on the Sept. 9 ballot? No. Mecklenburg County voters will see the Charlotte transportation sales tax referendum on November's ballot. The referendum would add a 1% countywide sales tax increase that would pay for road, bus and train projects. Will Charlotte need a 2nd primary election day? This could happen if no candidate receives the necessary percentage of votes to qualify as nominee, which in NC is 30%. If I'm an unaffiliated voter, can I still vote in the primary? As long as a voter lives in a jurisdiction with a primary, they can participate regardless of party affiliation. Voters who live in District 6 are the only ones who have a Republican primary on their ballot. And there's no Democratic primary in District 6. Otherwise, all primaries on Sept. 9 are Democratic. I'm a college student in Mecklenburg County. Should I vote? The NCSBE recommends college and university students vote in the county where they live while attending school if they don't plan on returning to their hometown after graduation, according to its website. If they do plan on coming back to their hometown post-graduation, NCSBE suggests voting in their home county's municipal election. People can only vote in one municipal election at a time. I'm 17-years-old but will be 18 by the general election. Can I still vote in the Sept. 9 election? Yes, as long as a voter will be 18 by the time of the general election, they may participate in the primary election. Solve the daily Crossword


CNN
16 hours ago
- CNN
Judge to hear arguments on halting ‘Alligator Alcatraz' construction over environmental concerns
A federal judge is set to hear closing arguments Wednesday over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' as she considers whether it violates environmental laws. US District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a two-week halt on new construction last Thursday as witnesses continued to testify in a hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case. The temporary order doesn't include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity at the center, which is currently holding hundreds of detainees. The center, which was quickly built two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport, is designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures. The order temporarily barred the installation of any new industrial-style lighting, as well as any paving, filling, excavating, fencing or erecting additional buildings, tents, dormitories or other residential or administrative facilities. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe want Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction, which they say threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars' worth of environmental restoration. Plaintiffs presented witnesses who testified that the facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of major construction projects. Attorneys for the state and federal government have said that although the detention center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation of the facility is entirely under the state of Florida, meaning the federal environmental review wouldn't apply. The judge last week said the detention facility was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government. Witnesses for the environmental groups have testified that at least 20 acres of asphalt have been added to the site since the Florida Division of Emergency Management began construction. Additional paving could lead to an increase in water runoff to the adjacent wetlands, spread harmful chemicals into the Everglades and reduce the habitat for endangered Florida panthers, they said. Amy Castaneda, the Miccosukee Tribe's water resource director, testified Tuesday that nutrient runoff from the detention center could flow into tribal lands, changing vegetation growth. That could lead to fish kills and block humans and wildlife from moving throughout certain areas, she said. Marcel Bozas, director of the Miccosukee Tribe's fish and wildlife department, said tribe members hunt and fish for subsistence and cultural reasons. Sustained human activity can drive away game animals, like whitetail deer, as well as protected species, like Florida panthers, wood storks, eastern black rails and bonneted bats, he said. Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles executive director David Kerner testified that the 1,800 state troopers under his command are authorized to detain undocumented migrants under an agreement with the US Department of Homeland Security. He said the federal government doesn't tell the state where to detain immigrants, and that the Everglades facility was built to alleviate overcrowding at federal immigration detention facilities, as well as state and county facilities with agreements to hold federal immigration detainees. Kerner couldn't say how many of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees have been charged with violent crimes or whether any other sites besides the middle of the Everglades were considered for possible detention centers. Attorneys for federal and state agencies last month asked Williams to dismiss or transfer the injunction request, saying the lawsuit was filed in the wrong jurisdiction. Even though the property is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida's southern district is the wrong venue for the lawsuit because the detention center is in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state's middle district, they said. Williams had yet to rule on that argument. In a second legal challenge to 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a federal judge over the weekend gave the state more time to prepare arguments against an effort to get the civil rights litigation certified as a class action. US District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz in Miami said he will only consider a motion by detainees' lawyers for a preliminary injunction during an August 18 hearing. He set a September 23 deadline for the state to respond to the detainee's class action request. The second lawsuit claims detainees' constitutional rights are being violated because they are barred from meeting lawyers, are being held without any charges, and a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings. The lawsuits were being heard as DeSantis′ administration apparently was preparing to build a second immigration detention center at a Florida National Guard training center in north Florida. At least one contract has been awarded for what is labeled in state records as the 'North Detention Facility.'

a day ago
Judge to hear arguments on halting 'Alligator Alcatraz' construction over concerns
MIAMI -- A federal judge is set to hear closing arguments Wednesday over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' as she considers whether it violates environmental laws. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a two-week halt on new construction last Thursday as witnesses continued to testify in a hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case. The temporary order doesn't include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity at the center, which is currently holding hundreds of detainees. The center, which was quickly built two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport, is designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures. The order temporarily barred the installation of any new industrial-style lighting, as well as any paving, filling, excavating, fencing or erecting additional buildings, tents, dormitories or other residential or administrative facilities. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe want Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction, which they say threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars' worth of environmental restoration. Plaintiffs presented witnesses Wednesday and Thursday who testified that the facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of major construction projects. Attorneys for the state and federal government have said that although the detention center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation of the facility is entirely under the state of Florida, meaning the federal environmental review wouldn't apply. The judge last week said the detention facility was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government. Witnesses for the environmental groups have testified that at least 20 acres (8 hectares) of asphalt have been added to the site since the Florida Division of Emergency Management began construction. They said additional paving could lead to an increase in water runoff to the adjacent wetlands, spread harmful chemicals into the Everglades and reduce the habitat for endangered Florida panthers. Amy Castaneda, the Miccosukee Tribe's water resource director, testified Tuesday that nutrient runoff from the detention center could flow into tribal lands, changing vegetation growth. That could lead to fish kills and block humans and wildlife from moving throughout certain areas, she said. Marcel Bozas, director of the Miccosukee Tribe's fish and wildlife department, said tribe members hunt and fish for subsistence and cultural reasons. Sustained human activity can drive away game animals, like whitetail deer, as well as protected species, like Florida panthers, wood storks, eastern black rails and bonneted bats, he said. Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles executive director David Kerner testified that the 1,800 state troopers under his command are authorized to detain undocumented migrants under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He said the federal government doesn't tell the state where to detain immigrants, and that the Everglades facility was built to alleviate overcrowding at federal immigration detention facilities, as well as state and county facilities with agreements to hold federal immigration detainees. Kerner couldn't say how many of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees have been charged with violent crimes or whether any other sites besides the middle of the Everglades were considered for possible detention centers. Attorneys for federal and state agencies last month asked Williams to dismiss or transfer the injunction request, saying the lawsuit was filed in the wrong jurisdiction. Even though the property is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida's southern district is the wrong venue for the lawsuit because the detention center is in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state's middle district, they said. Williams had yet to rule on that argument. In a second legal challenge to 'Alligator Alcatraz," a federal judge over the weekend gave the state more time to prepare arguments against an effort to get the civil rights litigation certified as a class action. U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz in Miami said he will only consider a motion by detainees' lawyers for a preliminary injunction during an Aug. 18 hearing. He set a Sept. 23 deadline for the state to respond to the detainee's class action request. The second lawsuit claims detainees' constitutional rights are being violated because they are barred from meeting lawyers, are being held without any charges, and a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings. The lawsuits were being heard as DeSantis′ administration apparently was preparing to build a second immigration detention center at a Florida National Guard training center in north Florida. At least one contract has been awarded for what is labeled in state records as the 'North Detention Facility.'