WEDDINGTON, N.C. — A neighborhood watch group in Weddington has collaborated with law enforcement to help solve residential break-ins that authorities say were committed by organized crime groups targeting upscale homes.

The Weddington Watch group met with Mayor Jim Bell and law enforcement officials Thursday to discuss crime prevention strategies following multiple break-ins in the community over recent years.

Ellen McLaughlin, who helped launch the watch group, said one incident particularly motivated residents to organize. She described a case where a woman watching her home's surveillance system from out of town expected to see her husband return home but instead witnessed intruders entering the residence.

"The wife was out of town. The wife was watching on video surveillance system

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