A citizen tip to Crime Stoppers led to Wednesday’s arrest of four persons and the location of the suspect vehicle, a silver Ford Focus with rear end damage, believed to be involved in the following four robberies that targeted women:
- On December 1 at 3 p.m. a 62-year-old woman was mugged in the parking lot of Family Dollar, 2937 Nolensville Pike, and was injured when she fell to the ground during a struggle with the male suspect;
- On November 28 at 6:40 a.m., a 27-year-old woman was leaving to go to the store from her Packard Drive apartment when a man, armed with a handgun, and a woman ran up to her and demanded her purse. She complied. The victim’s 8-year-old daughter who was with her, ran to their apartment;
- On November 26 at 7:40 p.m., a 55-year-old woman was getting out of her vehicle at her apartment in the 5100 block of Greenleaf Drive when a man and woman ran up behind her and assaulted her with a metal object, severely beating the woman before taking her purse. She was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with a severe laceration to her head;
- On November 15 at 12:45 p.m., a 67-year-old woman had just returned to her Tusculum Road home and was unloading groceries from her vehicle when a woman approached her and asked her for money. When the victim turned away, the suspect pushed her and took her purse. The victim was not injured.
Acting on the tip, detectives searched the area of Metroplex Drive and located the Ford Focus. Several persons were seen in and around the car but it did not move. On Wednesday morning, a man and woman who had been interacting with the vehicle, Michael D. Harris, 35, and Aubrey Whitworth, 32, exited a hotel near the Ford Focus and got into a Ford Edge SUV. They matched the suspect description in several of the robberies.
Detectives enlisted a police helicopter and patrol officers to coordinate a traffic stop. Harris, who was driving, fled. A short time later, he stopped briefly to let Whitworth out before continuing onto I-24. Whitworth fled on foot but was quickly apprehended at the intersection of Haywood Lane and Bakertown Road. She was in possession of a loaded firearm that had dried blood residue on it and several credit cards that did not belong to her. The handgun had a scratched off serial number.
Harris drove into Rutherford County, stopping at a hotel on John R. Rice Boulevard where, with the assistance of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, he was taken into custody. A loaded shotgun was recovered from the SUV. During an interview, Harris admitted his involvement in a September 8th robbery outside Uno Billiards, 617 Millwood Drive. The suspect brandished a shotgun in that case. Harris is charged with aggravated robbery for the Millwood Drive hold-up. Whitworth is accused of being with Harris at the time and is charged with accessory after the fact for her role.
Additionally, Harris is charged with evading arrest and felon in possession of a gun for yesterday’s events. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bond. In addition to being an accessory to the September 8th robbery, Whitworth is charged with evading arrest and felon in possession of a weapon. She has prior felony convictions for vehicle theft and evading arrest and is being held in lieu of $28,000 bond.
Back at the original location of the Ford Focus, detectives continued to conduct surveillance on another man and woman that were seen around the suspect car. Tatiana Barton, 27, and Ronald Thomas Jr., 54, got into another vehicle and drove off. They were stopped and both taken into custody. Barton had an outstanding misdemeanor probation violation warrant and Thomas was in possession of three grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was also driving on a suspended license.
The investigation continues. Photos of those arrested are being withheld pending lineups.