"We kind of grew up together," Joseph Aldrich said.

Aldrich lived two houses down from Alec Cove - one of the four Charlotte teenagers charged with multiple break ins and attempted murder.

But Aldrich paints a different picture of his friend.

"When he was growing up, he was active athletic kid, really into school, seemed like he had a head on his shoulders," Aldrich said of Cove.

But something changed a few months ago. Aldrich said Cove and his girlfriend Alexa Zimmerman dropped out of school and started hanging out with the wrong crowd - and dabbling into drugs.

"Since his parents got divorced he's been getting into more trouble than he used to," Aldrich said.

Danielle Dutton describes her friend Cody Bodo as polite.

"He seemed like a really nice respectful kid," Dutton said. "Always thank you, and please."

When Bodo left home a few months ago, Dutton offered a room in her house.

"I'd say, hey I need something at the store, and he'd run and get it," Dutton said of Bodo. "It's actually shocking he would do something like this."

Jessica Vandemoortel went to school with Thomas Knofsky.

"We were pretty close, we hung out a lot for two summers," Vandemoortel said.

She said she couldn't believe it when she heard the news.

"I don't know if I should be screaming or crying right now," she said. "It's weird when one of your friends gets involved in this... its hard to take it."

Aldrich said he talked to cove less than a week ago.

"I said see ya later have a good time and don't get into any trouble," Aldrich said.

All four teens face serious charges and long prison sentences.

"This is not the Alec that I know," he said.