Crash, charges, and controversy: Wanted woman arrested after car crashes into Charlotte home
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report that Zaria Ariona Howze, 24, was behind the wheel when her vehicle slammed into a house on Cayman Way around 2:30 a.m. on April 22.
Officers responded to the scene and identified Howze as the driver. What began as an accident investigation escalated into a serious criminal case.
According to court documents, Howze had an active warrant for failing to appear in court on a previous charge. When CMPD officers placed her under arrest, they discovered she was a convicted felon and was currently driving with a revoked license due to a prior DWI.
Howze's license has been suspended since December 2024 and is not set to be reinstated until later this year, court documents state.
CMPD searched Howze's vehicle before it was towed away from the scene. During the search, officers reportedly found open containers of alcohol inside. A black purse, found in the crash debris, was confirmed to belong to Howze and contained a concealed firearm.
Court documents state that Howze admitted to CMPD that the purse was hers, but denied owning the firearm, saying 'it belonged to a friend.' However, as a convicted felon, Howze is not legally allowed to possess a gun under any circumstances, authorities said.
Officers also did a field sobriety test with Howze after they said they detected the smell of alcohol. She reportedly struggled to follow instructions and showed signs of impairment.
A breath test later revealed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08.
According to Mecklenburg County Jail records, Howze faces the following charges:
Driving while impaired (DWI)
Driving while license revoked (DWLR – impaired revocation)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Carrying a concealed weapon
Possession of an alcoholic beverage in a vehicle
Misdemeanor larceny
Obtaining property by false pretenses
Howze appeared in Mecklenburg County court for her first hearing on Wednesday. Her bond has been set at $10,000. Her next court appearance is scheduled for this August.
No serious injuries were reported from the crash, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Day 3 of trial for alleged mastermind in Young Dolph murder
Hernandez Govan will be live in the courtroom at 9:30 a.m. in the video box above. MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hernandez Govan, the man accused of orchestrating the death of rapper Young Dolph, is set to appear in court for day three of his trial Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, Angela Arnold, the girlfriend of Cornelius Smith, was the first witness to take the stand. She told the court that to her knowledge, Smith never had direct contact with Big Jook and that he would communicate with Govan to send and receive messages. She also testified she saw Govan at a carwash hours after Young Dolph's death, when Smith picked up a cellphone from Govan he had left in the white Mercedes used in the murder. Various Memphis Police Investigators were then called to testify in court, along with cell phone records. According to the investigators, they went over calls and text records of Goavn, Smith, and Big Jook in the months leading up to the murder and afterward. They say Smith appeared to have several outgoing calls to Govan. But in cross-examination, Govan's defense attorney explained the reasoning for their communication, saying, Govan supplied Smith with various types of pills, and Johnson talked with him because he was an aspiring rapper. Another investigator who testified said detectives went to the airport to execute a search warrant on Big Jook's phone and asked if they could speak to him, but he refused. This story will be updated. ► Day 1: Trial of alleged mastermind in Young Dolph case ► Day 2: Trial of alleged mastermind in Young Dolph case Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mobile house hit by gunfire
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A house in Mobile was hit by gunfire Thursday afternoon, has learned. UPDATE: Locals react to Dauphin Way Baptist Church being for sale According to a Mobile Police Department news release, officers responded to the 6000 block of Dauphin Island Parkway at about 4:22 p.m. in reference to shots fired. INCIDENT LOCATION: When officers arrived, they found an occupied home had been hit by gunfire; no injuries were reported, the release said. Irvington church leader arrested for sex offender violation The investigation continues, the release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
13-year-old girl missing in Jasper County since Monday
JASPER COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) — A 13-year-old girl has been missing in Jasper County since Monday morning, where she was last seen on her way to the bus stop, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said. Maria del Pilar Estudillo Gordillo, who goes by Pili, is five-foot-tall and weighs approximately 115 pounds. She does not speak English. Pili was last seen near Rudy Drive in Hardeeville, South Carolina, wearing a forest green school shirt and black pants. If you have any information on Pili's whereabouts, please contact the Jasper County Sheriff's Office Non-Emergency Dispatch Line. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
