Outstanding police work late Tuesday afternoon led by undercover TITANS detectives with support from an MNPD helicopter and Madison Precinct officers stopped a crime spree being committed by three Nashville teenagers and the recovery of six pistols, three of which were stolen, along with four stolen vehicles.
On Monday, Cheatham County authorities requested assistance from the TITANS team in identifying persons responsible for a recent vehicle theft and burglaries. The investigation led to the identification of three teenagers, ages 17, 16 and 15. The three were also identified as suspects in auto burglaries in the Central and Midtown Hills Precincts earlier this week which resulted in four guns being stolen. During a response to auto burglaries in progress at Royal Arms Apartments on Richard Jones Road just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, a police officer’s car was intentionally rammed by the suspects as they fled.
On Tuesday afternoon, detectives confirmed the three teens were inside a stolen Kia SUV on South 6th Street (the Kia was stolen from 21st Avenue South at 5:15 a.m. on January 29 after the owner left it unlocked and running to warm up). As the Kia began to move, it was surveilled from the air by an MNPD helicopter. The Kia traveled further into East Nashville and stopped near Riverside Drive & Cahal Avenue. The teens abandoned the Kia there and got into a Ford Fusion that was stolen in Ashland City on January 25. They drove the Fusion to 3301 Creekwood Drive, abandoned it there, and got into a Nissan Maxima stolen January 24 from a South Nashville apartment complex (unlocked with the keys inside).
They drove the Maxima to 585 Hickory Hills Boulevard where the 15-year-old lives. He got out, while the other two teens traveled on and crashed the Maxima on Hickory Hills Boulevard. The two teens ran from the wrecked Maxima. The 16-year-old was quickly apprehended by TITANS detectives after a foot chase. The 17-year-old entered a construction site, found a Ford F-250 pickup truck with the keys inside, and fled, ramming an unoccupied police car in the process. The helicopter kept an eye on the truck until it crashed near the intersection of S. Graycroft Avenue and Old Hickory Boulevard. The 17-year-old abandoned the truck and attempted to carjack two citizens who were stopped in traffic. He was unsuccessful and was apprehended by Madison Precinct officers.
Juvenile Court staff joined TITANS detectives at the 15-year-old’s apartment on Hickory Hills Boulevard. He was taken into custody. The execution of a search warrant on his apartment resulted in the recovery of three pistols, two of which were stolen in Nashville, several lights that can be mounted on guns, red dot sights, numerous extended magazines, and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition.
Three additional guns were found inside the crashed Nissan Maxima. One of those pistols was stolen.
A total of 42 charges were placed against the 17-year-old at Juvenile Court, including counts of vehicle theft, unlawful gun possession, evading arrest, and leaving the scene of crashes.
The 16-year-old is facing eight charges at Juvenile Court, including counts of unlawful gun possession, vehicle theft and evading arrest.
The 15-year-old is facing six charges, including counts of unlawful gun possession, theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.
