A man who’s currently wanted for rape and kidnapping surprised everyone on Tuesday when he commented on his own wanted Facebook post.

Two days ago the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s office sent out a wanted post on their Facebook page, asking for the public’s help to find and arrest Derek Helms, who is currently wanted for 1st degree kidnapping and 2nd degree rape:

To everyone’s surprise, Derek himself commented on the wanted posts, to which the Cabarrus County Sherrif’s office replied, “Derek Helms you need to turn yourself in.”

Since the incident, the Cabarrus County post has gone trending, with over 1,700 shares in the past two days.

Derek also posted on his Facebook wall on July 4th, claiming that the accusations are all false;

Derek is still at large and Cabarrus County deputies say he may be driving a 2005 four-door silver Mercedes.

If you have any information that might lead to his arrest, please call the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office at 704-920-3000 or the Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME.

We’re always hearing news of drug use skyrocketing, especially with people’s financial situations changing so rapidly. The heroin use in Charlotte is spiraling out of control, with some people even calling it an epidemic.

Some are saying that the heroin problem here has changed, with a legion of functioning addicts making their way around. One ex-addict even said that these addicts are the decorators coming to your home, young professionals, waiters in restaurants or even volunteers in charity stores. This dangerous population is only a step away from snapping or doing something reprehensible for drugs.

This area is becoming a major trafficking point for drugs, for a number of factors. The location and transportation in the area is a contributing factor to how easy it is for buyers and sellers to move drugs around here. Even the areas that we think of as ‘upscale’ are suffering because of the drug problem, something that the government must tackle with recovery tools.

The rates of heroin overdoses in the last three years is also rising, with all areas of Charlotte being affected by this drug. What’s even more concerning is the fact that these overdoses are having a higher fatality rate. These overdoses could be down to the fact that the heroin in the area is more unpredictable with regards to quality and strength.

The emphasis now must be on heroin detox and rehab within the area and rebuilding relationships after addiction, as we know about the problem and now we need to solve it. A rehab center located in the right place at the right time can save an addict’s life. These can support an addict and it’s what we need to reduce this rising epidemic in the Charlotte region. Currently, the access that an addict has to a rehab center in the area is not enough to be able to help a large proportion of the drug using population.

There’s a huge disparity between the Charlotte that some occupy and the underbelly of drugs that exists in the area. This has a knock on effect to the community that we rely on to hold the area together. There are action groups in the area that aim to tackle how far this can effect groups in the area, including children, schools and vulnerable individuals.

Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs that can be used, not just for its potential for overdose. Using this drug intravenously also opens the door for a number of other risks that come along with using contaminated needles. Clean needle points and regular checks from healthcare workers are part of the steps that are being taken to tackle these dangers.

There is no safe way to take an illegal drug like this, as healthcare workers will attest to. The tolerance of an addict and the varying strengths of drugs makes overdose a likely prospect for many. The balance between not taking enough and taking too much is a hard balance for an addict, especially when the quality of these drugs is so apt to change. Add in the fact that many addicts mix batches and different types of drugs to realize just how dangerous this all is.

Charlotte will see big changes in the coming years and tackle drug addiction should be one of them. It’s not enough to go with a zero-tolerance approach, addicts must be understood and supported.